Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Griphook

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! In our penultimate installment of this monthly feature series, we're again looking at a randomly selected local band from the past, in order to spotlight them and their run for modern readers, and this month's band were a prominent sight at bars and nightclubs for much of the 2010s and feature some very familiar faces. Here's what you should know on them!

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Griphook

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Classic/Hard Rock

Lineup: (Members not in their last full lineup are in italics)

Joel Syrette (Double Down, 100 Gran), vocals/guitar
Brian Oja (Bigsuit, The Rainhorses), guitar/vocals
Dan Beaupre (The Sidekicks, Hollow), bass
Anthony Fabiano (Bullet Train, Gsis Murphy), drums
Jim O'Leary (Flat Stanley, That's Chester), vocals/guitar

Audio/Video: A covers-only band, Griphook were filmed a fair amount during their original run, especially with their original 2012-2013 lineup. Extant videos include two songs from their debut at Toystock I, multiple videos from Rotaryfest appearances on Mike Caruso's YouTube channel, and a bunch of original lineup videos from Brenda Roy's YouTube channel, among select others. Musically, Griphook arguably bore the most resemblance to Joel and Dan's prior hard rock bands, though note that both of their surviving videos with Joel in the group actually feature Brian on lead vocals or sharing with Joel. Here's their Rotaryfest 2015 rendition of The Arc Angels' "Living In A Dream"!

Info/Analysis: Debuting as a mystery band during the inaugural Toystock in November 2012, and possibly named after the goblin banker from the Harry Potter series, Griphook united four veteran musicians from different notable bands of the past as a new hard rock-leaning entry on the weekend nightclub cover circuit throughout the mid-2010s. Playing their first headlining concerts at the former Roosevelt Hotel in February 2013, Griphook would also be seen at that year's Rock & Roar battle of the bands in Spanish, the Ray Brown benefit concert, and annually at Rotaryfest Stage 1 from 2013-2016. The band's lineup was stable throughout their run aside from Jim O'Leary's departure in December 2013 after moving to Ottawa, with Joel Syrette replacing him. After Joel left town for university in the summer of 2016, they played that year's Rotaryfest with his future Double Down bandmate Adam King filling in for him, before going on hiatus until 2019, when they reunited with Joel to open for Kiss tribute band Destroyer.

Griphook played their last concert at Rotaryfest 2019, and quietly disbanded afterwards. While they didn't reinvent the wheel from members' past and future bands, Griphook delivered a fun blend of classic and hard rock covers, including songs that you didn't hear many other local bands cover, and they were a welcome sight at both local nightclubs and festivals in their heyday! Despite his briefer stint with Griphook, I heard more of them with Jim than Joel, but both are solid singers who added to the band in their own way. It'd be neat to see Griphook reunite if the time is right, but everyone but Brian and Jim are currently in bands, so follow Double Down, The Sidekicks, and Bullet Train to see what the guys are up to now!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, we'll wrap up 2024 with another Sault Michigan profile as we close out another 2-1-3-1-2-1 rotation between the Twin Saults, and next month's randomly selected band will be inactive 2010s hard rock cover quartet 415E! Look for that on or around December 10th, and for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Tarnished Updates, Some Shorter News & Notes, And More!!

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of SNFU frontman Ken Shinn, better known as Mr. Chi Pig, who passed away last night at the age of 57. A mainstay of the Canadian hardcore punk scene since co-founding SNFU (short for Society's No Fucking Use) in Edmonton in 1981, Chi Pig achieved wide acclaim for his songwriting, captivating live performances, and his kind and outgoing nature, as has been attested to by fans and friends across social media today. Readers will be very familiar with SNFU from their numerous tour stops in Sault Ste. Marie, including at The Grand Theater in 2009, at The Rockstar Bar in both 2015 & 2016, and in many shows that predate the SMS at venues like Centennial Lanes and Club Princess. SNFU's influence was also felt in the setlists of local punk bands like Jack Spades, Stegadeth, and Talk Shit, who all covered their songs live.

Given the known health issues that Chi Pig was going through in the 2010s, I made sure not to miss SNFU's last local date in September 2016 (read our review here), and while his voice was quieter than in the past, his stage presence and enthusiasm were off the charts. He lived a difficult life, as documented in the 2009 documentary Open Your Mouth and Say... Mr. Chi Pig that I definitely recommend tracking down, and you can also see Donna Hopper interview him for SooToday at this link. He was a true original, and will be deeply missed across the hardcore punk community. R.I.P. Chi Pig!

Now, today's post is reflective of the continued slow news cycle during the pandemic, and while we do have some big news from a recently prominent local band, this post does end with some assorted shorter stories of recent note. That said, let's start by heading to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished will end the heavy concert drought locally by headlining the Rock The Block event at Crooked Music THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! I apologize for erroneously promoting this show as taking place last night in our last post, wires were crossed earlier this week, but at least I caught my error early! Our preview of the show in Wednesday's post has been updated with the correct date. Now that everything's accurate, Tarnished's Facebook page revealed yesterday that this concert is getting a local radio push, but not on the station you would think, as Paradise classic hits station Eagle Radio 95.1 has been giving away tickets on air!

In the lead-up to the concert, frontman Alex Traynor and guitarist Josh Fair were guests on the Eagle's morning drive show this morning with DJ and new station owner Tim Ellis, where Alex & Josh promoted Rock The Block and performed an original song. I didn't catch it, but hopefully it went well and served as good promotion as we ease back into having live music in the area! This may have also filled the void for Alex & Josh's on-hiatus live-streams, especially if you had audio issues on those. Lastly from the Tarnished camp, the guys have revealed the cover artwork and release date for their debut EP "Down To The Wire", which will be released on Friday, July 24th (next week), way sooner than I expected! Part of me is surprised that Rock The Block isn't a CD release party, but alas, social distancing would limit the attendance. The EP will initially go on sale or for streaming on digital music platforms.

As well, it will go on sale "everywhere very soon after that" (presumably meaning physical outlets.) Visit the above links for further details on "Down To The Wire", but I am thinking we have a CD lined up for this month's album review! We'll let you know more details when the album is on sale, but it's great to see everything progressing so well for Tarnished despite the pandemic, so stay tuned for updates, and don't miss Rock The Block TOMORROW NIGHT at Crooked Music if you're in the E.U.P.!

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:

• Barring a sudden sign of life, I'll be moving Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Griphook to our inactive band links on Monday due to a year's inactivity. The band has not issued a public update since July 20th of last year, when they thanked Facebook fans for attending their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set the previous day. After falling inactive in 2017, Griphook reunited to open for Kiss tribute band Destroyer last March, but these were their only two shows since their return, ongoing pandemic acknowledged. Hopefully we see Joel, Brian, Dan, and Anthony back on stage together down the line!
• If you're wondering why we haven't covered Mike Haggith's fourteenth #LockdownLive concert (advertised for this past Monday) on the SMS yet, it's because it didn't take place at all. Mike acknowledged on his Facebook page that extensive renovations at his place stretched into the window where he would have been able to film the live-stream, and the episode will instead take place in early August, specific date to be announced. Disappointing, but life can get in the way sometimes, it's totally understandable. We'll let you know when more comes in on episode #14!
• Former Bear Hunters guitarist/Skull After Betrayl frontman Mike Vincent is again looking to get back into the local scene via two separate posts on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group in the past week. One was regarding him and an unspecified bassist looking for a punk/rock drummer, while the other one was more open to Mike just jamming with like-minded musicians, perhaps towards starting a genre-variable band with him on guitar. I guess it depends what you're looking for, but if you're interested in playing with Mike or getting more details, message him at this link or above!

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

Rotaryfest Stage 1 Concert Previews!!

Here's our second of three weekend concert preview posts on this annual busy stretch, and be sure to check out our previews of this weekend's Wyld Stallyns and Alex Traynor shows in the post below this one from this morning! We'll get to Stage 2, Tym Morrison, Re:Born, and Highway 63 on Friday morning, I promise! Today's post is focused around this year's Rotaryfest, as Sault Ontario's annual summer festival is back for three more days of wide ranging family entertainment, but of course, we focus on the music, and a wide array of local talent will take the main Clergue Park stage this year! In honour of the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, this year's Stage 1 is themed as such, but will bands cover Woodstock and/or 1960s acts across the board? In any event, last year's Rewind theme clearly did well, as four original-centric acts will take the big stage this year in a reversion of past norms, so if you've ever disliked the past covers-only mandate, here you go!

In fact, only five of this year's Stage 1 bands are four time veterans of this stage since 2006, so there's a lot of new blood to take in this weekend! Starting with TONIGHT'S opening slate, Stage 1 will shake things up from the past "Jazz in the Park" and 1950s-leaning lineups, including having a rare hard rock band on the Thursday bill, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will headline at 10:00 PM! After debuting at Rotaryfest in 2017, these veteran rockers should deliver a strong set of hard hitting fan favourites tonight, so don't miss Terry, Travis, Paul(?), and Glen then! Classic/pop rock cover band Encore are co-headlining tonight at 9:00 PM, with a one-off Beatles tribute band named Beatles '69 in the middle 8:00 PM slot, featuring many familiar faces throwing back to these music icons for the occasion. 3/4ths of defunct classic rockers The Peace Vibe will join forces with Griphook drummer Tony Fabiano in the debuting SideFX (no relation to the old local hard rock band) at 7:00 PM.

Lastly, folk/country mainstays The Algo Rhythms will open the day's musical festivities at 6:00 PM. This should be a strong lineup for classic rock fans in particular, and with Soundcheck, Encore, and The Algo Rhythms all returning to Stage 1 after a year's absence, hopefully they make new and attract old fans alike tonight! I just hope the weather holds up. As always, today's music is FREE & ALL AGES, so visit the above links (or the official Rotaryfest program) for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

TOMORROW'S Stage 1 lineup will feature a slightly expanded 6 band lineup, including a couple of hard rock bands, but your headliners are country rock veterans Bone Yard in their sixth Stage 1 set and first since closing the festival two years ago. Indie rock solo musician Jesse Merineau and his band (including Caroline Divine & Electric Church alumni) will join the small group of acts to play both Rotaryfest stages when they debut on Stage 1 at 9:00 PM, while inactive hard rock trio Sailor's Tongue will reunite for the first time since rocking Stage 2 in 2013 at 8:00 PM. It's great to see the McKey brothers and Jeff back after far too long, and while this is ostensibly a one-off reunion, look for their entertaining originals back on home soil tomorrow night. CD review coming this month too, maybe? Jam rock veterans Odd Man Out will ride the momentum of their recent CD release when they play Stage 1 for a second straight year at 7:00 PM, while hard rock quartet Griphook will take the stage at 6:00 PM.

Playing their fifth Stage 1 set since their debut, it's great to see Griphook back on the big stage after a 2 year absence, and hopefully there's more to come from their camp! Tomorrow's bill will be opened by classic rock mainstays Mid Life Crysis in their first Stage 1 set since 2016, and (at least) 7th total. Another talented lineup, if more varied than tonight's, is in store for Clergue Park patrons, so don't miss out on all of the action tomorrow! Again, this is free and all ages, as usual. See above for more details, and here's Sailor's Tongue live on the Second Stage!



Finally, the all-day lineup THIS SATURDAY is full of talent, including Toronto-based Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute Green River Revival (not the C.C.R. tribute who played here in May) as the featured attraction at 8:30 PM. Of course, C.C.R. were at Woodstock, so this fits the theme nicely! However, the advertised headliners are not closing the festival for a fifth straight year, as local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will wrap things up at 10:30 PM in their second straight Stage 1 set. Hopefully The Tide deliver an entertaining (and drier) set on Saturday night! Sailor's Tongue frontman Kyle McKey will also perform twice on Saturday in bands from his current Pembroke homebase, including his blues rock cover band The Emtees at 7:30 PM (in their local debut) and with his girlfriend KT Antler in the pop/country cover band KT & Kyle at 5:00 PM, a spiritual sequel to their past Stage 1 gigs as KT, Kyle, and The Pocket.

Kyle's sets bookend a special Woodstock tribute set from the huge one-off tribute band The Woodstock Show at 6:00 PM, with many festival performers to be covered therein, so flower children will want to take notice! After covering Garth Brooks two years ago, local country musician Mark Tarantini will pay tribute to John Denver in the 4:00 PM slot alongside many familiar faces in his backing band, while past Thursday regulars The Northern Jazz Ensemble will play Stage 1 for a second straight year at 3:00 PM. Young pop/alternative rock band L!me will make their Rotaryfest debut at 2:00 PM, while Rotaryfest regulars Obsession will bring their classic rock attack back for their 10th Stage 1 set since 2008 as the surprising 1:00 PM openers. Notably, this year's Rotaryfest does not feature such recent regular bands as Crossroad, Flathead Ford, The Reptiles, and (most surprisingly of all) Mustang Heart, but if you want new faces and select original content, this year's may deliver the goods you want, so don't miss out this weekend!

Saturday's lineup is full of high profile acts, 1960s tributes, and local talent, with a dash of punk to close out the night, so don't miss out on the whole day's music then! As usual, this and every day of Stage 1 action at Clergue Park is FREE & ALL AGES. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Dustin & The Tide live and outdoors a few years back!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more of this weekend's concert previews tomorrow morning, and I fear this weekend's previews may have to stretch into four posts, so keep tabs for all of that! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rotaryfest Stage 1)

The lineup for this year's Stage 1 lineups at Rotaryfest was quietly posted to their website earlier this week, so what should you know about this year's musical entertainment on the main Clergue Park stage? Taking place over the third weekend of July, this year's lineup is largely a reversion in sound and personnel to the regular covers-centric format on the main stage, with a Woodstock theme clearly touted on Rotaryfest's website to go along with the 50th anniversary of that iconic festival. Might there be an implication for bands to cover a few songs from Woodstock artists this year? That said, the Rewind anniversary theme last year was clearly well received, as there will be select original-centric acts on Stage 1 this year (four by my estimation), which is long overdue to see on the big stage! Only five of this year's bands have played the festival four+ times since 2006, so if you ever complained about the same bands year after year, you may want to pay attention.

After years with a jazz or 1950s-1960s centric lineup, the Thursday, July 18th schedule this year will be more varied than usual, and for the first time I can ever recall, it will feature a hard rock band, namely local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck as the 10:00 PM headliners! This will be their second Rotaryfest set after playing Stage 1 in 2017, and they should end night #1 with a bang next month, so don't miss their return then! Classic/pop rock cover band Encore will co-headline at 9:00 PM, while a one-off Beatles tribute band named Beatles '69 will play at 8:00 PM. Not a Woodstock band, but they are definitely an extremely important part of 1960s rock music, and there's a lot of talented artists involved here! A new local classic rock band named SideFX will make their apparent live debut at 7:00 PM, but many of you've seen them before, as their lineup comprises of 3/4ths of defunct 1960s classic rockers The Peace Vibe alongside Griphook/ex-Gsis Murphy drummer Tony Fabiano.

Note that SideFX have no relation to defunct local hard rock band The Side FX beyond the name. The Thursday lineup will be opened by folk/country veterans The Algo Rhythms at 6:00 PM, who like Encore, are returning to Stage 1 after playing in 2017 and missing last year. Strong lineup of familiar faces, and with a rare bit of Thursday heaviness, so keep this bill in mind! As usual, this is FREE and ALL AGES. See above for more details!

Friday, July 19th's lineup will be headlined at 10:00 PM by country cover quartet Bone Yard in their sixth Stage 1 set of the 2010s, and first since closing the Saturday lineup in 2017. Indie rock solo artist Jesse Merineau and his band will join the small group of acts to perform on both Rotaryfest stages when they play at 9:00 PM, following headlining appearances on Stage 2 in the past two years. Another Stage 2 import will hit the stage at 8:00 PM, namely the surprise reunion of local hard rock veterans Sailor's Tongue, who we last saw on the former Queen Street stage in 2012 & 2013. We're treating this as a one-off reunion (Kyle does still live in the Ottawa area, after all), but it's great to see Sailor's Tongue back with their entertaining and catchy originals next month! Jam rock fan favourites Odd Man Out will return from last year's Rewind lineup with a set at 7:00 PM, just one week removed from their own CD release party.

Reunited hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to Rotaryfest after a two year absence as the 6:00 PM openers, marking their fifth Stage 1 appearance since 2013, and just their second live set of the year. It's great to see Griphook back at last! Finally, classic rock veterans Mid Life Crysis will return to Stage 1 for the first time since 2016 as the 5:00 PM openers, marking their seventh Stage 1 set on record. Like on Thursday, this is a FREE & ALL AGES lineup, and with a selection of talented original acts to boot, this should be even more attractive to many fans! See above for more details!

And of course, Saturday, July 20th has bands all day, including the return of an out of town tribute band as the featured act at 8:30 PM, namely Toronto-based Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute Green River Revival, a fitting choice for the Woodstock theme & for southern rock fans! Note that this is not the C.C.R. tribute that played at The Canadian a couple of weeks back (that was The Cajun Country Rock Band.) For a fifth straight year, the nominal headliners are not the closing band on Saturday, as local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will play Stage 1 for a second straight year at 10:30 PM. Great to see The Tide back in a prime slot, and hopefully the weather is more cooperative! Sailor's Tongue frontman Kyle McKey will play again at 7:30 PM on Saturday with his Pembroke-based blues rock cover band The Emtees in their local concert debut, while a massive one-off local supergroup called The Woodstock Show will play an extended tribute set to Woodstock artists at 6:00 PM.

I'm not an aficionado of this era of music, but if you love Woodstock, you're in great hands with this ten person collective next month! Kyle McKey will play once more at 5:00 PM in the pop/country rock cover band KT & Kyle with his girlfriend and long-time bandmate KT Antler, who you may recall from their old band KT, Kyle, and The Pocket on Stage 1 from 2012-2014.  Veteran local country musician Mark Tarantini will return with a solo tribute set at 4:00 PM, and after tackling Garth Brooks in 2017, Mark will pay tribute to John Denver alongside a talented backing band including That's Chester alumni. After years as Thursday mainstays, The Northern Jazz Ensemble will surprisingly play at 3:00 PM on Saturday, marking their second straight Stage 1 set after an eight year absence. Young alt-pop rock cover quartet (and Sky's The Limit IV headliners) Lime will make their festival debut at 2:00 PM, while classic rock veterans Obsession will kick off the day at 1:00 PM after missing last year with their 10th Stage 1 set since 2008.

Shockingly, Mustang Heart are not playing Stage 1 this year, ending their lengthy iron man streak dating back at least 15 years, and no bands this year have played three years straight, so is this a new era of sorts? Again, Saturday's lineup is FREE & ALL AGES, and for more details, visit the above links. This should be another exciting music slate at Rotaryfest this year, and with heavy bands each night, more original bands than typical, and some level of Woodstock tributes to take in, there should be lots of entertainment to go around for most tastes! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Let's dive into the last concert weekend of March 2019 in today's post, luckily without any short notice shows (at press time?) That said, we do have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to add to our listings for next month, so here's what you should know for hard rock bands this weekend and beyond!

Prolific local singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant with acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but while we're at it, I'm rolling his April concert schedule into our listings too! Remember, due to their length and amount, we approach Tym's concerts (particularly the Gliss ones) a month at a time for our coverage on the SMS. As such, expect Tym's ongoing run at Gliss to continue unabated through next month (and beyond), with April dates scheduled twice weekly on April 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th, 19th & 20th, and 26th & 27th. Keep these supper-time shows in mind at this popular Spring Street restaurant next month, plus tomorrow & Saturday's March-closing gigs as well, for more strong entertainment! As well, Tym has two traditional nighttime shows next month at different frequent venues of his, both on Fridays, including at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on April 5th and at Room 21 on April 19th.

Tym's busy schedule is always welcome to see, so keep these shows in mind if you're up for some hard rocking unplugged covers this spring! If he is returning to Mark's Breakfast Plus or elsewhere next month, then those gigs haven't been publically announced yet. Tomorrow's, Saturday's, and next month's Gliss shows all have 6:00 PM start times and no stated age limits or cover charges (but mind the locale), while the Roadhouse & Room 21 shows are 19+, at 10:00 PM, and have no cover. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here, here , and here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, Tym does have one more show this weekend, as he's opening for new-ish power rock band Re:Born in both acts' Soo Blaster debut TOMORROW NIGHT! A precursor to Re:Born's set opening for The Killer Dwarfs at the same venue next month, this will be the Project 421 successors' first concert of 2019, just their fourth total, and their first public appearance since Elly McWatters replaced Robert Nevitt as their new lead singer last fall. Headlining a warm-up gig is a great way for Re:Born to shake off the stage rust, so prepare for a classic metal cover and original blast tomorrow at the former Woolco/NCO building on Queen Street East! Remember, their set will be as a four-piece due to guitarist Frank McGillivray's out of town work commitments. Of course, the aforementioned Tym Morrison is opening in a rare supporting appearance at standalone non-charity concert, and his unplugged hard rock covers should set the tone well tomorrow night!

A 9:00 PM start time is in effect for this 19+ concert, which will have a $5 cover charge. If you love old school hard and classic rock with an increasing slate of original tracks, you'd be well served by going to Soo Blaster tomorrow to see Re:Born's return after over 5 months away! Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Re:Born live!



In a brief detour to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, fans can see Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril back at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These shows were originally advertised as taking place at the St. Ignace Kewadin via this concert calendar in January, and if this wasn't a typo, a reason was not publicized for the concerts' relocation. Marking their first Soo Kewadin stops of 2019, Peril's hard rocking brand of classic covers always a welcome sight when they travel north, fans should give Jeff, Adam, and Brooks a solid welcome back this weekend! No word yet on shows in the second quarter of 2019 or beyond for Peril, we'll let you know when they're confirmed, but their sister band Scarkazm will be in the Soo in May.

Tomorrow & Saturday night's concerts have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges. In spite of the mistaken/outdated venue listing from January, Peril should put on a great show both nights in Sault Ste. Marie, so keep tomorrow & Saturday's shows in mind, and stay tuned for word on when Peril will return to St. Ignace! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Peril live!



Finally for this weekend's hard rock concert previews, we'll head back to Sault Ontario, where Windsor-based Kiss tribute band Destroyer will return for a well anticipated headlining concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub! Last seen locally in May 2015 (with their planned July 2017 gig here cancelled on late notice), Destroyer's well regarded brand of Kiss tribute action has proven to deliver the auditory and visual goods across Canada, and if you're up for a night of authentic Kiss action, you know where to be on Saturday! The local openers will be local hard rock cover quartet Griphook (who opened for Destroyer here in 2015), ending a nearly two year-long stage hiatus of theirs dating back to Rotaryfest 2017. It's great to see Joel, Brian, Dan, and Tony back after far too long, but how much stage rust will Griphook have after the long layoff? Head to The Canadian on Saturday to find out, and hopefully there's much more to come from!

Admission for this 19+ concert is a flat $15 at the door, which is cheaper than in 2015, but that event did have discounted advance tickets, so take that for what you will. A 10:00 PM start time is advertised, and if you're a loyal Kiss Army member, you won't want t miss out on Destroyer's first Sault Ste. Marie gig in over 4 years! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Destroyer live last month!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates, plus this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Destroyer), Northern Film Showcase Preview, And Much More!!

Before we begin today's post, just one more Joni Radford-related note, as her obituary is finally on SooToday, which notes that memorial contributions to the Canadian Cancer Society, ARCH Hospice, or the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society. Also, it's made clear there that yesterday's services were a private family event, which I didn't know when including in our last post, as the spread on social media among contacts made it seem more open. If I erred in mentioning them here, I do sincerely apologize, and our best thoughts remain with the Radford and Morin families.

Now, let's dive into today's post, which includes some assorted recent updates, a new song, a preview of a special event taking place this weekend, and first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Windsor-based Kiss tribute band Destroyer will return to Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, March 30th at The Canadian Nightclub! This will be Destroyer's fourth local concert appearance in the 2010s, and their first since May 2015 (their July 2017 show at The Rockstar Bar was cancelled on short notice, which slipped us by at the time.) Kiss Army members should definitely keep an eye on this show, as Destroyer's faithful looking and sounding brand of Kiss classics should deliver a solid turnout at The Canadian in March, so don't miss their local return then! In a surprise announcement, the local openers will be reunited hard rock cover quartet Griphook, in their first public concert appearance since Rotaryfest 2017. Griphook had previously opened for Destroyer locally in 2015, so if you loved that show, here's an encore!

It's great to see Griphook finally end their nearly 2 year long hiatus, and they are now back in our active band links, but how will they sound after the layoff? Be at The Canadian in two months to find out! This 19+ concert has a 10:00 PM start time, and while admission fees have not yet been announced, note that Destroyer's 2015 concert had $12 advance tickets and a $16 door charge. This should be a great chance for fans to get their live Kiss fix and welcome Griphook back to the public stage, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, this isn't a concert, but for an event as unique as this, I felt it deserved one more preview on here, as local filmmaker and rock bassist Nathan (Jonna) Bouliane and McBully Productions are hosting their second annual Northern Film Showcase THIS SUNDAY at Shooters Downstairs Lounge (formerly Breakaway Bar & Grill) at 69 Dennis Street, with a theme centered around music videos from local artists! This event is intended to bring local musicians and filmmakers together to make connections, generate exposure, and network for future collaborations, and creators on both sides are encouraged to attend the showcase, which will feature mystery live performances, speeches from local musicians, and a screening of at least 10 music videos. Two are on the heavier spectrum for SMS readers, including The Bear Hunters' "I Fear No God" & Mike Haggith's "The Nature of The Times", though I'm fairly certain neither is performing live.

The other videos come courtesy of Audiosmile, Renee Landry, Kalle Mattson, Mike Mikus, Jackson Reed, Mic Swiff, Britta Wolfert, and at least one publically uncredited performer (one is in the new Facebook cover video for the event, so you might be able to play detective.) Tickets are $10 and can be bought at Shooters or presumably at the door, while this has a special 4:00 PM start time. This is definitely a unique event for this area, but it'll be a great chance for musicians and filmmakers to meet and discuss mutual interests, and local music and film lovers can see some professionally done music videos as well! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Also today, here's some updates regarding the Ozbourne concert at The Canadian Nightclub in March, starting with a date change, as the show has been moved from Friday, March 29th to Saturday, March 23rd, as per updates to the Facebook event page. A reason for the date switch wasn't announced, but it's not often where a concert is moved to an earlier day, so fans will get their Winnipeg-bred Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath tribute action a little sooner! A local opener has also been announced, they being blues rock trio The Paul DellaVedova Band, in a rare non-Rotaryfest support appearance from them. Interesting genre disparity here, but Paul and company can go heavy on occasion, and they should warm the crowd up well in two months! Notably, they replaced acoustic country duo The Bearded Lounge as the openers, with that band originally advertised last week at this link, but a reason for their withdrawal wasn't announced either. See above for updates!

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

• As per their Facebook page, local indie/punk trio Northwest will try their hand at CBC's annual Searchlight music competition again this year! The guys made the Northern Ontario regional semifinals in this event back in 2015, and with a new EP, now seems like a good time for them to try again in this national search for Canada's best new artist! Full contest details for prospective musicians can be found at the above links, and stay tuned for when voting kicks off!
• In their first proper Facebook page post since it's launch, new local Tool tribute band Parabol thanked everyone for liking them so far (they're already at 255 fans!), and they teased "possibly scheduling a show in March." With Destroyer and Ozbourne already booked for that month, why not one more tribute band concert for good measure? If this gets confirmed, we'll let you know!
• The most recent installment of Ernest Skinner's Rock Talk column on SaultOnline went online on January 12th, where he largely talked about live albums from bands and his opinions & reminiscences on them. Interesting read with a lot of good points, so give it a look at this link! No sign yet of new Rock Talk columns, including some with more teased musician interviews.

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

Lots Of Inactive Band Notes, A Prominent Drummer's Retirement, And More!!

Here's a new news post for your Tuesday morning reading, as it happens, it mostly inactive artists, including bands being moved out of our active links, as well as a noted drummer retiring from the scene, but we do have a new video from an active band tfill things out. Here's what you should know!

We have regrettably moved local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom to our inactive band links. While the band has not formally acknowledged their active status, they haven't issued a public update since their Esquire Club concerts over the weekend of September 9th, 2017, past our one year cut-off point for active bands. One of the longest running hard rock bands in the city, Stiffler's Mom had been active in varying permutations and names since 1996 (save for a brief 2011-2012 breakup), becoming fan favourite attractions at solo nightclub concerts, festivals, and other community events during that span. Fans may recognize Stiffler's Mom from their 2004 demo CD, 2007's INXS concert, their finals run in 2009's Kiss Battle of the Bands, three Rotaryfest Stage 1 gigs in the mid-2010s, and the first two Toystocks, among many other events. In the past year, singer/drummer Greg Simpson has stayed musically active with his country cover bands Bone Yard & The Bearded Lounge.

I don't know what happened to Stiffler's Mom, but they've always been a reliable and fan-friendly band over the years, something apparent even when seeing them rock a Bawating Collegiate dance about 14 years ago! Their brand of party rock and their old originals have served them well with local audiences for over two decades, and hopefully we haven't seen the last of Stiffler's Mom on stage! Best of luck to Greg, Michael, and Jon in the future!

Next up, we have some sad news regarding a veteran local musician, as prolific hard/classic rock drummer Scott McLurg has left Soundcheck and retired from performing in bands due to health concerns. Scott's last show with them was at The Water Tower Pub on August 25th, and while Scott had suffered a heart attack back in 2015, I don't know if that's related to this current news. Scott had replaced Steven Flint as Soundcheck's drummer in recent months, and will be very familiar to SMS readers for his work with bands like Turner Up, Havadder, The 3 Day Millionaires, Wishbone, The Thrill Junkies, and Full Circle, plus bands that predated the site, like Generation Gap, One Bad Habit, Lois Lane, Blender, and Big River. This news is definitely a bummer, as Scott's always been a talented and prolific sight in our coverage over the past decade, while being friendly and cordial to me over the years as well. That said, his health obviously comes first.

Hopefully his musical retirement goes as smoothly as possible, and our best wishes go out to Scott and his family, he'll be missed behind the kit! Also, no word on Soundcheck's (still?) open drummer position, we'll let you know when they confirm a replacement and/or hit the stage next!

Also today, here's a more positive story via a brand new upload to Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel! This is a YouTube copy of their rendition of the Christmas carol "What Child Is This", featuring German classical singer Gaby Koss, who was an official studio member of the band in the early 2010s. Though not a new recording, this is an effective symphonic metal performance, with Gaby's vocals excellently suited to the song, and the dark snowy visuals are a good match as well! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!




Finally, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all regarding bands moved out of our active band links in recent days. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• I have removed local metal solo project The 1,000,000,000's Who Died from our active links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in recent months (it's possible it was deactivated for disuse, but either way, it's their only online page.) Led by Werehold Records founder Jason Mills, this project was best known from songs during the label's old Friday the 13th music events, last posting a new song on the Werehold YouTube channel in January. The Billions Who Died had some solid instrumental tracks, and hopefully Jason revisits the project down the road!
• We have also moved Sault Ontario hard rock cover quartet Griphook back to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. While they haven't been seen on stage since Rotaryfest 2016, Griphook announced the end of their then-year+ long hiatus on their Facebook page last August, an announcement that had no public followthrough. They were a solid band in their original run, and hopefully Joel, Brian, Dan, and Tony actually return down the line!
• Also, we have moved Sault Michigan metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution to our inactive band links, as they haven't posted on their Facebook page regarding band matters since their Bay Mills Bands Together concert in Brimley on September 2nd, 2017 (though they continued sharing memes unrelated to the band through January.) A mid-2010s effort to bring a large-scale theatrical metal band back to the area (complete with Clownsack-esque usage of masks and hidden member identities), Stoned Ape Evolution had clear promise and originality, and hopefully John, Melvin, and company bring this group back in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Archelon), New Video Postings, And Much More!!

Just to make sure we don't interfere with your Super Bowl plans, today's post is up well and early, so what's in this one? The return of the shorter items bumped from our second Thursday post, two new videos from local concerts last fall, and leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Sudbury death/thrash metal band Archelon will make their long awaited return to Sault Ste. Marie with a headlining concert at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, March 10th! Most recently noted on the SMS when they and locals Jack Spades toured Northern Ontario together in the fall, this will be Archelon's first set in the Soo since the Devil's Night show at The Oddfellows Hall in October 2014. This brutal Northern Ontario quintet should be easily welcomed back to the local stage next month, so welcome their aggressive and crushing originals back on March 10th! The aforementioned Jack Spades will return from last fall's tour as openers next month in their first live appearance of 2018, while debuting local classic metal quintet Re:Born will hit the stage for the first time ever as the night's advertised openers (though members did open for Archelon with Project 421 and The Revolution back in 2014.) How will Re:Born sound in their first live go-around? We'll find out next month!

Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce in his first self-promoted event in four months, this 19+ concert has a $7 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, and while it is advertised as being upstairs at The Rockstar Bar, the extreme metal nature of the headliners is more akin to what would be held downstairs at The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub, so keep that in mind if the show changes floors. This should be a great show for metalheads to help ring in the spring months with, so visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for current & future details!

Next up, here's a new live audio track (albeit posted as a Facebook video) that I apologize for missing on the site for the past two weeks, namely the first official soundboard recording from The Din's farewell show last fall! Last month, the defunct local alternative hard rock trio announced that their posthumous live CD "Suburban Sendoff" (recorded at LopLops Lounge in October) is "finally ready to share", and they're starting with a few advance cuts to preview it's forthcoming full release. This is the cover artwork, obviously an adaptation of the front of their final studio album "Suburban Dream". The first preview track is actually their only cover from that night, aside from frontman Mike Haggith's prior solo material, namely their rendition of The Tragically Hip's "Blow At High Dough" from their encore. The Din weren't planning to cover any outside bands for their farewell, but as Gord Downie passed away just days out from the show, they added it into their set as a tribute, which was a nice gesture!

As a cover, will this make "Suburban Sendoff"? Given that The Din axed covers from the Bandcamp version of their debut live album "The Din Does Laundry", I can't see it, especially if Bandcamp is the primary sale location for this new live album, but I have been wrong before. In any event, this was a loving and welcomed tribute to Gord and The Hip at a time when fans would appreciate it the most, so give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more on the "Suburban Sendoff" live album as it rolls in!



Also today, here's the first video from local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church's new YouTube channel! Recorded at their set at Odeno at Sault College in September during their reunion celebration, I'm not sure why this performance of their song "Muddy Water" (no plural) took so long to hit the internet, but it's a cool way to launch their YouTube channel, so better late than never! Filmed on a stationary camera (albeit with minimal drift if you skip around), the audio's a little muffled, but Electric Church are in solid form from a nice camera angle, and hopefully we hear more from them live and in studio in 2018! Give their new video a look below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and yes, these are the ones bumped from Thursday's second post. They're not going anywhere now! As usual for these short-form stories, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:

• Former Haggith/Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie is looking to get back into the local scene in a new project. He noted that he can play guitar, bass, keyboard, and some drums, he has a complete jam space, his schedule is wide open, original songs are welcomed, and and he'd be interested in playing metal as well as classic, alternative, or pop rock. It'd be great to see Curtis again in a new band, but if you're interested in jamming with him or learning more information, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from January 19th!
• This probably goes without saying, but the band named Griphook that played an Orlando, Florida concert on Saturday is not the local hard rock cover quartet, despite their logo being erroneously used on the poster, and the Soo's Griphook sharing the poster on Facebook (presumably in jest.) The Orlando band that played that event is an old school punk outfit named Grip Hook, who made their live debut last fall. Aside from nearly identical names and both being veteran all-male rock quartets, there's no connection between the two Griphooks, but hopefully this clears up any confusion!
• Local recording studio Pretoria Hill Productions now has a Facebook page, so we have added them to our "Other Local Metal Links"! Best known here as the studio where The Din recorded their two albums (guitarist Tammy Hill's father Daniel Schmidt owns Pretoria Hill), the studio is currently home to recording sessions for Tammy's country duo The Steeltown Girls' debut CD. Daniel has done solid work with Pretoria Hill so far, and contact him above if you're interested in recording music there or gaining more details!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), Weekend Concert Previews, And Much More!!

Today's post is half devoted to this weekend's hard rock concert previews (on a fairly quiet weekend overall), including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, but we're filling things out with lots of assorted recent news and notes! Here's what you should know on this Friday morning!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was actually announced last Wednesday via it's official Facebook event page, but we couldn't slide it into a post before it got too soon to cover twice. Two months removed from their last stop at this venue, this will be Soundcheck's first public concert appearance of the new year, so if you've missed the Mourning Wood successors as of late, head to The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT to get your fill! Much like in November, this is a one-nighter, due to or resulting in classic rock veterans RPM's concert there on Saturday night (good to see them back out there as well!) As usual for Soundcheck's Rockstar Bar stops, TONIGHT'S show has a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge, and while the event page lists an oddly early start time of 8:00 PM, I wouldn't head there until 10:00 PM or so. See above for more details, and hopefully some public videos of theirs turn up soon!

Next up, here's this weekend's only other announced hard rock concerts in the Sault area, as former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's ongoing weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood marches into another weekend with shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Now in week 3 of his bi-annual contraction to twice-a-week bookings, Tym should have another solid couple of nights in store for fans of his unplugged covers, so head to The Quality Inn's house restaurant for more entertaining music action over these next two evenings! While Tym isn't playing at Gliss on Thursdays until July, it's worth noting that he has recently begun playing "online concerts" via his Twitch.tv channel, where he basically plays his usual acoustic show for an online audience from his home, scheduled for each Thursday at 7:00 PM through the end of June. These aren't concerts in a traditional sense, but it's a nice way to check out Tym's covers with no commitments!

As for tonight and tomorrow's Gliss shows, expect no announced cover charge or age limit for these 6:00 PM matinees, but remember that this is a sit-down formal restaurant (and if that scares you off, his Twitch.tv "concerts" are free as well!) Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last week or so, and as usual for these short form stories, these are in alphabetical order by artist, festival, or company name:

• In their first public update since announcing their return from hiatus in August, local hard rock cover quartet Griphook shared a concert poster for a metal show in Orlando, Florida next Saturday that they're advertised as opening. The Facebook event page lists Griphook & even includes their exact logo, and the band likewise shared it to their Facebook page. I'm inclined to believe that there's a separate newer Florida band with the same name and no Facebook page, and the Soo's Griphook shared the event jokingly once they were tagged as performing, but in the off chance they booked a Florida show, good luck in Orlando next week!?
• Eight months after announcing the long running marijuana culture/concert festival's demise, Hempfest owner Robert Neron has sold rights to the event to a man named George Bachir, though I can't confirm his background, nor is it public yet what he plans to do with Hempfest. No word on if it'll stay in Moonbeam, come back to Ophir, or move elsewhere, but hopefully he can bring Hempfest back to a successful level this year!
• Local concert promotion/live sound company Live705 announced on their Facebook page on Tuesday that they haven't promoted shows lately because of their recent focus on benefit concerts, and new aims to service the community more than their band A Dire Setback. To that end, they encouraged fans from out of town (especially band contacts) to check out other local companies that support musicians, citing Tidal Records and Mission Control Studios as a start to help "close the gap" between the Soo and the rest of Canada. Hopefully Live705 don't entirely stop putting on shows, but good on them to promote local businesses!
• Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver announced on their Facebook page yesterday that they are planning to tour Canada in the spring with "a new release" and new merchandise, and are asking fans where they should play during this tour run. One would assume that a Sault Ste. Marie stop is a given, but if you want Shit Liver to play a specific locale out of town, comment at the links above, and stay tuned for more on their new release, perhaps their announced sophomore album "Hitting the Fan"?
• The obituary for late Sault Michigan guitarist & Steve's Music Center owner Steve Pevarnic was belatedly posted in The Sault Evening News on October 21st. You can read it at this link, and it notes that he died just 13 days shy of his 60th birthday, partially due to congestive heart failure, and is survived by his brother, aunts, and extended family. A celebration of life was held at The Savoy Bar on October 15th, with proceeds going to the Chippewa County Animal Shelter. The obituary goes into nice detail on his life and musical career, so give it a look above, and apologies for adding to the delay in this making the site!
• Earlier this week, in their first public postings since 2016, inactive local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage apologized for their recent dormancy and hinted that they'd be back in some form in the future. I'd give more exact wording, but their Facebook page was quietly taken down since, so either plans changed and they'll remain inactive, or their it is being fully relaunched. In any event, their Facebook page wasn't listed in our band links (we used Reverbnation), but hopefully this isn't the absolute end of the line for Sykotyk Rampage!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (AlgomA), New Video Finds, And More Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to acknowledge late changes to the K.I.C.K./Elements show at LopLops Lounge on Friday, which did not take place (Saskatoon's Whiskey Jerks played on Friday after all.) The concert was actually scheduled for last night, with K.I.C.K. citing a booking mix-up at the venue for the error, but as they were in Ophir for the Northern Vibe Festival, they missed what was actually the Chicken-Like Birds show, only with The Elements now playing after them in lieu of Sometimes Ange. Hopefully it was a great show from both bands, and apologies on our end for not getting this on the site sooner! Now, for today's post, here's some new videos, assorted updates, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local doom metal trio AlgomA and local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver are joining forces for an eastern Canada tour next month in honour of the impending release of their "Trading Faces" split tape, and the tour will wrap up with a New American Pub concert here in the Soo on Monday, October 2nd! Marking arguably their largest Canadian tour run yet, this will be AlgomA's first local concert appearance in 3 months, while it will be Shit Liver's first stop in their hometown in about a year & a half, so if you've missed Josh, Mike, and Matt since last spring, don't miss their New A return in October! This show is one of 11 dates scheduled for the two bands this fall, including the tour kick-off in Toronto on September 22nd, a St. Catharine's show on the 25th, a Montreal date on the 28th, and shows in North Bay and Sudbury on the 30th and October 1st as they wrap things in the north, so stay tuned to band pages for details on other tour dates. FYI, the bottom of the poster seemingly confirms a release date of September 17th for "Trading Faces", which hasn't been stated otherwise by either band.

Potential extra bands have not been announced as of this writing, nor has a cover charge or event page, but expect this show to be a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time on October 2nd, and I'd be surprised if Six, Two, Oh. weren't promoting, given their obvious AlgomA ties. Despite being a Monday nighter, it's great to see AlgomA and Shit Liver join forces for a tour to match their upcoming split, so stay tuned for the teased early digital release and more on "Trading Faces" as it rolls in, and of course, keep watch for updates on what will be a highly anticipated night of local metal!

Next up, here's a new Jimi Hendrix cover video courtesy of... Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno?! In a cover that sort falls into the void between the aforementioned band and their St. Catharine's-based bluegrass side project Dirtfight, this rendition of "Hear My Train A Comin'" was posted to Josh's YouTube channel earlier this month under the handle "Penno-Cash". The video was produced by his own independent film company Spacebag Productions, and features shots of him walking (I presume) outdoors in St. Catharine's, as intercut with Josh playing acoustically on a plain white backdrop. While Dirtfight opened up a new side to the guys of Shit Liver already, this bluesy unplugged solo number does more of that, and Josh has a very good clean singing voice that fits the track! Give Josh's solo performance a look below, and watch for guest appearances from an AlgomA patch!

Also today, here's a Blood Shed Productions track that I only just discovered when compiling their YouTube channel's feature profile on Friday, one which I thought warranted a belated mention in a post, and it's the label's first rap-rock song! Posted to their channel back in June 2015, the song is "The King of Rhymes & References" by label rapper Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault, but he has a full band behind him, including Them's Tyler St. Amour on guitar, Rotopsy bassist Tyler Gibson, and his Brutally Fatal bandmate Austin McCrae on drums (not to mention, Jean-Paul was a former bandmate of Tyler's in the defunct Tomgrindy.) The song proper has the instrumentation mixed too low, but Phat Boii's rhymes are amusing and quick while retaining the skill seen in his traditional songs! This is also partly notable as a Blood Shed Productions song with a full band rather than a minimalist solo/duo act, so it's worth a listen on that basis, which you can do below!



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

• Griphook are back! After taking over a year off following their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set last July (largely due to frontman Joel Syrette's college commitments out of town), the hard rock cover quartet announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that their hiatus has ended, and that they "will be coming at you live real soon". No word yet on their return date, but this is great news from this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for Griphook's next shows when announced, and they're back in our active band links!
• A young local guitarist named Rainey Rancourt is looking for a metal and rock-liking drummer who'd be willing to jam with him and an already-found bassist towards some original compositions. If you're interested in more details, message Rainey at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• The aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. have apparently cancelled plans to host an online battle of the bands in December, as per the Facebook event page on Friday, simply saying "Yeah, nah..." in regards to the event. A reason for the online battle's cancellation wasn't announced, but given that band registrations weren't slated to begin until November, I hesitate to immediately blame low band interest. This was shaping up to be an intriguing contest, but hopefully Six, Two, Oh. revive their Live @ series on YouTube in another form, and don't miss their next concerts!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the month winds down, including this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!