This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Now it's time to preview this weekend's slate of local metal and hard rock concerts! Tonight's Bear Hunters/Sanktuary concert aside, there's six shows from five different headlining bands that I can 100% verify the hard rock/metal calibre of., but there's some big shows to talk about, so let's start off this week's preview post!

The 25th Roosevelt Hotel metal night goes down tomorrow night, and the headliners are none other than local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam in their Rosie debut! After just two Rockstar Bar shows in a 10 month span, the prominent local quartet will play at a different local venue for the first time since opening for Kiss when they rock the Rosie tomorrow with their trademark originals and some fan favourite covers! Awesome to see them finally at a Rosie metal night, hopefully there's many more to come! The opening bands will be local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters (fresh off of TONIGHT's all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall) and extreme metallers Winkstinger, who'll both deliver a furious and brutal sound to the stage to kick off the night! As usual, there will be no cover charge, a 10:00 PM-ish start time, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like an awesome time, I'll be there for sure, but the review of it might be a tad late due to a weekend family trip to Manitoulin Island (we leave Friday morning), but I'll get it up as soon as I can! I don't wanna miss a note! I'll see you guys there, and for a preview, here's Garden of Bedlam playing their new original "Emptiness Without A Name" last month!



Also happening tomorrow is the live debut of Kinross hard rock trio Banned, who'll play an outdoor show at the Rudyard Township Park in nearby Rudyard, Michigan as part of their "Music In The Park" series! Featuring former Traynwreck guitarist Alex Traynor, his dad Don on drums, and bassist Alex Schrovenwever (all three share vocals), Banned hope to rock your night away with a wide ranging set of rock n' roll, metal, and maybe even some country?! Though this is the first Banned concert, Alex and Don played together at a talent show in January, which you can see footage (and possible sound samples of) at this location, so give those a look! This show will be an all ages event at 7:00 PM tomorrow night, and there is no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It will be interesting to see how Banned do tomorrow, hopefully they can carve a rightful spot in the local scene! Head out to Rudyard for some Banned music, and when official video of them in action comes online, I'll let you guys know!

Sticking with Sault Michigan briefly, we'll head to The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino, where local hard rock quintet Splitshot will return for a weekend full of rocking covers! A later addition to their concert schedule, the band featuring half of the former Nixxon Dixxon lineup will rock The Rapids Lounge tomorrow night and Saturday night at 9:00 PM both nights, with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge applying to both dates. Check the above links for more details! Should be fun shows, there's talent present, but I still wish someone would post something to give us an indication of their sound. Videos, a setlist, something! Still, I did find out a bit more about the band's lineup, as Tony Hubbard is both Splitshot's drummer & guitarist Chris Hubbard's father, so we know a bit more than we did! I assume Dave Menard and Gary Beaumont (Kyle's dad?) are singer and rhythm guitarist respectively, but online descriptions are vague. Still, Splitshot should do great, so go see them this weekend, and stay tuned to the SMS for some cool videos related to Chris Hubbard that I found on YouTube recently!

Back to Sault Ontario to close things out, and first, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is back at Service Grill Pizza on Saturday to rock out with two sets of acoustic hard rock covers! His newest weekly local concert arrangement seems to be going well, so definitely consider a trip down to Korah Road on Saturday to chill out with a beer, some pizza, and some great tunes from Tym Morrison! There's no cover charge, a 19+ age limit is unlikely (unsure about the evening set though), and he'll be on for two sets at 3:00 PM & 8:00 PM on Saturday. For more details, check the official Facebook event page, and note that Tym is scheduled to play a solo show in Hilton Beach (on St. Joseph Island) on Sunday afternoon too, which is a bit far out of "local" range, but click here for that show's details! Sounds like a good time, so head down to Service Grill Pizza on Saturday for some acoustic action from Tym Morrison! For a preview, here's Tym Morrison (and ex-Half Past frontman Luke LeBlanc) covering Extreme's "More Than Words" in 2008!



And finally, get ready, Guns N' Roses fans, as Toronto tribute band Gunz N' FN' Rosez are coming back to The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night! The local favourites were originally scheduled to play here on July 7th, but the show was later postponed for unexplained reasons, dislodging a planned Half Past show this weekend. Saturday works well for GNFNR, probably better than the original Thursday date! Look for an authentic sounding (and looking) Guns N' Roses set from this frequently seen tribute band, who always entertain when they come up to the Soo! Tickets are $7 in advance, and can be purchased at The Rockstar Bar or The Rad Zone. If you buy at the door, the price jumps to $10. Steep, but for the GNR experience you get, it's worth the money! There will be a 10:30 PM start time, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Guns N' Roses fans everywhere should take note of this show, as GNFNR bring a great and close sound to the real thing to every show, so definitely consider picking up a ticket and heading to The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night! For a preview, here's Gunz N' FN' Rosez playing the classic "Paradise City"!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at The Oddfellows Hall in around an hour for The Bear Hunters & Sanktuary! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gunz N' FN' Rosez) & The Garden Of Bedlam Concert Review!!

Hey guys, here's my Garden of Bedlam review, finally. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get my computer to actually come on and stay on today (stupid overheating), and then with the time it took to upload and convert my video, things got badly delayed. Don't worry though, we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to add at the end, which is nicely connected to this show as it is! So let's get the review started! (And apologies for missing the River Witch show last night for SMS coverage, the band never officially announced it and I only just heard it about it late Thursday. I covered it a bit on Facebook though, and hopefully it went well!)

After seven months, it was really nice to see Garden of Bedlam back on stage at The Rockstar Bar, and luckily, everything sounded and looked as they were in November, so there was nothing to worry about in that respect! Their lengthy set last night included 12 originals (only "Shallow" seemed to be left off), including newer songs like "With A Spark" and "Emptiness Without A Name" and plenty of older classics like "The Truth Shall Set You Free" and "New Rain"! Lots of covers were in store as well, including songs from Tool, The Deftones, Volbeat, Disturbed, System of a Down, and even some brand new Metallica covers! These went over well, especially the Tool covers, cause you know when they play "Aenima", people respond! Before I forget, the crowd size was about medium, it wasn't a packed house, which could suggest everything from weekend camping plans to concert overload following The Dayglo Abortions, but hey, next time out, I bet you the crowd will be even larger! And the band sounded just as good as ever, and not just because there wasn't any major sound issues like the last show. Buzz continues to show why he's one of the best singers in Sault Ontario, with a wide range that held up well for over 20 songs, though some of the newer covers didn't really fit with his vocal style.

The rest of the band were completely on form, but after this long of a wait, that's to be expected. Josh Belleau's solos and Evan Belleau's bass lines were clear as day and excellently played, with Derek Turner's drumming as fast and furious as we've come to expect! The crowd ate it up, and they seemed to have a blast being back on stage! Nothing seemed out of place, everything was tight and heavy, and their set-closing cover of Pantera's "Mouth For War" was an unexpectedly awesome way to end the evening! I had a great time at this show, and hopefully Garden of Bedlam will be rocking a local stage again soon! In the interest of fairness, I won't compare the music or experience to the Dayglo Abortions show, as they had different sounds and environments, but both were well worth hitting, and you'll absolutely want to be at the next Garden of Bedlam show! Who knows, maybe it will be the CD release show finally? Time will tell! I of course got a bunch of photos, so click here to check them out, or visit our Facebook page! And I did get a video, so check out one of their newest originals "Emptiness Without A Name" below!



And finally, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!! If you were at The Rockstar Bar last night (or anytime recently), you may have seen this poster tacked up outside. There, it tells you that Toronto-based Guns N' Rosez tribute band Gunz N' FN' Rosez are coming back to The Rockstar Bar on Thursday, July 7th! The news appears to have broken in early June, and is also listed on their official website, but I only just heard about it at the show on Friday. I don't believe there's been mass advertising for it anyway, but definitely make note of this show, as GNFNR are a really good tribute to Axl and company, and deliver an authentic looking and sounding experience at every show, including many local stops in the past few years! This show should have a 10:00 PM-ish start time and a 19+ age limit, and I'd expect a cover charge of $5, maybe less, maybe more. Check the above links for more details! That should be a good night of music on July 7th, with a likely Roosevelt Hotel metal night also, so there's no shortage of hard hitting tunes that day! Stay tuned for more!

That's all for now, but I have a new news post with more LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS coming tonight, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Local Concert Previews, And A New Free Refill Video!!

Hey there, fellow metalheads! Today's a double post day, and quickly before we start, I wanna note that this is the 500th post that has been featured on the SMS' website since I launched it in December 2008. Amazing how it took just 21 months to hit that milestone! Thanks everyone for coming along for the ride! I don't have anything special planned at all to mark the occasion though, today is business as usual, as we preview this weekend's local metal and hard rock concerts! So let's begin!

We'll start TONIGHT for a prominent tribute band's local return, as Toronto-based Guns N' Roses tribute Gunz N' FN' Rosez come back to Sault Ontario! Veterans of Hempfest, GNFNR were last seen locally in January at The Speakeasy, and will now look to conquer the stage at The Rockstar Bar in their latest local stop! These guys definitely pull off a good version of the Guns N' Roses sound, and they have the look mostly down as well! They're definitely a good tribute band, and local fans will be sure to enjoy them as much as they did in January! Joining them tonight as the local openers are local classic hard rock cover band Turner Up, in a rare supporting performance! Expect lots of great classic covers from them in support of GNFNR, and if you wanna see just Turner Up this weekend, I'll have you covered a bit later! Now, tickets for tonight's show are $10 at the door, and trust me, this'll be worth the money. The show starts at 10:00 PM, and you must be 19 to enter. For more information, visit the above links or the official Facebook event page! This should be a fun concert, cause after all, who doesn't love hearing classic songs like this? Both bands are very talented, make sure to go check them out tonight! For a video preview, here's a video of Gunz N' FN' Rosez playing "Night Train" from a Niagara Falls show last month!



The tribute bands keep on coming tomorrow night, but this time, things get a lot more progressive, as Burlington, Ontario's 2112: A Tribute To Rush finally come to Sault Ontario! Originally scheduled to come here in June, the date was eventually cancelled, but 2112 are still making their way to town for a concert tomorrow night at the same venue, The Canadian Nightclub! Though there's no event page for the concert, a Facebook e-mail from The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnston and 2112's concert listings page both confirm this show, so it's definitely on! So this show will also take place at 10:00 PM, with a $5 cover charge, and like your usual bar show, you must be 19 to enter. For more details, check the above links! 2112 definitely capture the sound of Rush much better than the look of them, but the music is the main focus anyway, and they pull it off well! Rush are hard to cover, but they do an admirable job, and Rush fans will likely have a good time tomorrow night! Don't forget about this show, cause it'll be a good one, and it's the closest thing to Rush themselves that we're likely to get this year! For a video preview, here's 2112 playing "Red Barchetta" at a show in April!



Now, to the other Turner Up concert I alluded to earlier! You know that they usually play two shows on a given weekend, and keeping with that pace, they'll be back at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night for a headlining set of their very own! Like the GNFNR show tonight, it will have a 10:00 PM start time and a 19+ age limit, but on Saturday, there will likely be no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page and Turner Up's Facebook group! This should be a fun show, cause Turner Up always impress at their live shows with their classic hard rock sound, so check them out on Saturday if you don't see them tonight! For a video of Turner Up's current lineup playing "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw, click here!

And finally, we head to Sault Michigan for a concert set, as young local cover band Free Refill return to the stage as one of the entertainers at this year's Oktoberfest! Hosted by The Downtown Development Authority, Oktoberfest takes place along Portage Avenue in Sault Michigan on Saturday from 10:00 AM until midnight, with Free Refill among the performers playing on the big stage in the middle of Portage Avenue from 5:00 PM onward! Their MySpace page suggests they're on at 9:00 PM, but I can't verify an exact time for their set, nor other performing acts. Aside from the music, Oktoberfest will have a farmer's market, vendors selling food, arts, crafts, and more, as well as activities for kids as well! Sounds like a fun time, get more Oktoberfest details at this location! As for Free Refill, this is the last listed concert from their summer bookings, so this could be your last chance to see them for a while yet, so consider heading to Oktoberfect to check them out! They're a promising young band and have some good potential! Check the above links for more!

As for a video preview, we have a brand new Free Refill video for you guys to check out! We'd been without video footage of them for some time now because the old concert clips on their MySpace page were deleted, but we finally have a new Free Refill video to share! This is courtesy of YouTube user mortallycoiledsnake, who is one of the band members, though I'm not 100% positive on which one. If you visit that link and see no video, don't worry, they just made the video unlisted for whatever reason. It's freely available to check out if you have the link, and I discovered it on their official website today, so here's what you should know! It's from last month's Sugar Island Festival, and it's their rendition of the Metallica classic "Enter Sandman"! Not bad, though the guitar's definitely lower in the mix than it should be, and I think Mary Gilbert's voice suits a more melodic song than "Enter Sandman". The video's also shot at a far angle, but it's still good though! These guys have talent, and it's interesting to see how far they'll get in the coming months!



That's all for now, but stay tuned tonight for the SMS blog's 501st post, which will be this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, as we talk about Fifth Way and Marky Lion! Stay tuned for that tonight! Thanks everyone, and go see some concerts this weekend!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up), Plus Mike Cliffe, Eastgate Hotel, And Woods Of Ypres News!!

Hey there everyone, I have some more news and updates to share on this Friday afternoon, including the newest songs from Mike Cliffe, The Eastgate's current status, a couple new Woods of Ypres notes, and to kick things off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Local classic hard rockers Turner Up have scheduled three more concert weekends at Foggy Notions throughout the remainder of 2010! As confirmed in a new posting on the band's Facebook group by guitarist Robert Brown, Turner Up will be at Foggy's on the weekends of September 10th-11th, October 22nd-23rd, and November 26th-27th, joining their already confirmed dates at The Vibe Lounge and The Nicolet Tavern. As is typical with concerts at Foggy's, the new dates will likely have $3 cover charges with 10:00 PM start times, and you must be 19 to get in. These should be fun concerts, and it's nice to see them back downtown for some shows as well! Also confirmed in Robert's post: Turner Up will be the opening band for tribute band Gunz N' FN' Rosez at their show at The Rockstar Bar on September 23rd! This isn't backed up on the event page for the GNFNR concert, but if a band member says it, it must have some truth! Nice addition to that show, and if you want more details on Turner Up's next dates, check the above links! Also, remember to see them at The Vibe Lounge TONIGHT and tomorrow night for their End Of Summer Bash!

Next up, local experimental hard rock guitarist Mike Cliffe posted some brand new songs onto his Reverbnation page! Three that I know of, here's what you should know about them! One is called "Hype-O-Derivative", and in case you didn't catch how the title sounds, this is an instrumental track inspired by Type O Negative! I was a huge fan of theirs, and Peter Steele's death bummed me out, so it's nice to see Mike pay tribute to them with this song! It's a heavy number, but it only really seems to sound like Type O in the slower sections. When it picks up in speed, it loses that, but again, it's inspired by Type O Negative, not a soundalike copy. Good song with a great basis! Also new is his new song "El Blues O De Jam O", which is a blues jam track, as the title suggests. It has a freewheeling spirit and has nice solo sections and a catchy melody! I thought it'd be slower and more downbeat, but I really like this one and it's energy! The blues can rock, and it does here! The other new song is "Bad Regime", a collaboration Mike did with fellow local musician Glen Thomas on drums and Swedish musician Karin Beckerus from the electronic/dance project Out Of Quebec. It's a bouncy softer track compared to the other new songs, with soft melodic vocals and an experimental quality. Not my favourite of the new songs, but it works on a musical level!

Check out all of Mike's new songs at this location, and stay tuned for more, cause he always has some new songs in the works, and you're bound to like at least one of them!

Thirdly, here's the latest on the fate of The Eastgate Hotel, the former hotel and local metal concert venue beside The Rockstar Bar on Queen Street East. Carol Martin, Elaine Della-Mattia, and Craig Huckerby all reported on this story earlier in the week for SooToday, The Sault Star, and SooNews.ca, click on the site names to read each individual article. The gist of it is, there was NO decision made as to it's fate at Monday's City Council meeting, and two new buyers turned up with interest in buying the Eastgate. As such, a decision on if any offers will be accepted has been pushed back to September 13th. The three offers on the table include two with the intent to make the building into low income housing. Belleville's Tomasso Petrucci (who was the original interested buyer) has a $5,000 offer for it, while Anna Yurkevich and Walter Jakubsky have a $25,000 offer on the table. The third offer, from Robert Berto Jr., is for $17,000 with no announced intent for what he'd do if he bought it. The Eastgate itself is structurally sound and has a value of around $250,000, but would need extensive renovations if saved, and unless Robert Berto's plans are to restore it to it's old use, it won't be a concert spot again. I'll keep you up to date as news goes on about what will happen to The Eastgate Hotel!

Finally today, here's some new Woods of Ypres updates, and firstly, yes, David Gold is no longer in Canada. But where exactly is he now? I'm not 100% sure, he hasn't openly said, but I've heard a few theories. A comment on my post on Tuesday said that he's teaching in the United Kingdom, which would make sense given his past overseas work as a teacher in South Korea, but I can't 100% prove that to be true. I've also heard scattered rumours that he was everywhere from back in South Korea to Kuwait! I think many of us were expecting a clear statement about where he was going and why Woods of Ypres were ending yesterday, which we didn't get. However, I'm starting to think that David DOESN'T want people to know clear answers, at least not yet. It might just add to the mystery of it all. Of course, if official word comes out about what David Gold's newest steps are, I'll have it here, but I'm honestly not holding my breath. What we did get yesterday was a new thread on Woods of Ypres' official forum where David thanked his fans for the support and wished us the very best in the future, so even if it's not the answers we hoped for, it's a nice closing statement!

I contemplated writing a little retrospective paragraph about Woods of Ypres around now like I did for Nixxon Dixxon's end, but you know something? Woods of Ypres' story isn't finished. There's still a whole album left to come out, what point would there be to post my final thoughts when the band's final work isn't out yet? But believe me, when I do discuss the band's end, I won't have anything bad to say! I do have two more notes to share on Woods of Ypres today, my first one being another ambient slowed down version of a Woods song! This was also posted by anomaly88 onto SoundCloud, and it's an almost-25 minute long version of "Move On!" Interesting work once again, amazing what you can do to mp3s nowadays! Check it out at this location! And finally for today, we have one more Woods of Ypres "drum cam" live video from drummer Evan Madden's YouTube channel! Like yesterday's video of the band playing "The Shams of Optimism" & "Crossing The 45th Parallel", this comes from their Austin, Texas show in July, and it's of their version of "By The Time You Read This (I Will Already Be Dead)"! Good quality, but David's vocals are hard to pick out amongst the heavy instrumentation. Check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for my review of TOMORROW'S SBD show (yes, I'm going!), my next CD review, and more assorted local metal news and updates! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gunz N' F'N' Rosez) Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we get to new stuff, a reminder to check out my review of Bad Side's second album "Bad Side II" immediately below this post! It's a good CD, check it out! Today, we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, some shows this weekend to preview, and an upcoming concert afterparty that may interest you guys, so here's what you need to know!

Gunz N' F'N' Rosez are coming back to Sault Ontario on September 23rd! Labelled as "North America's ultimate tribute show to Guns N' Roses", this will be their first local stop since January, though at a different venue. This time, they will be at The Rockstar Bar for a night full of GNR classics from an authentic sounding and looking tribute band! I find it odd they all play band members from the classic era, but utilize Buckethead rather than Izzy Stradlin, but hey, it's all good! They sound like Guns N' Roses and have the look going, so if you're a fan of GNR, you'll wanna be at this show! This is a show on a grander scale than most you get at The Rockstar Bar, so admission prices are higher than normal, going for $7 in advance and $10 at the door. Advance tickets don't appear to be on sale yet, but when they do, they'll be available at The Rad Zone and at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk! It's also a 19+ show, and it all starts at 10:00 PM. Should be a fun concert, I've heard good things about their past local shows, and this should be no different! I'll keep you posted for updates if I hear them!

Now we'll get to previews of this weekend's metal concerts that I know/have heard about, and I have heard about four concerts to tell you guys about, so here's what you should know! Firstly, local classic hard rock cover band Turner Up return to The Vibe Lounge tomorrow night for their first show at that venue since the addition of new singer Brent Royer! Nothing too different from their other shows, expect some solid covers of some classic songs from a tight-knit group of local music veterans! No announced admission price, you must be 19 to get in, the show starts at 10:00 PM. Once again, this should be a fun show, though I still have no knowledge of how they sound with Brent. No worries though, they're smart guys, and I've heard nothing but good since the singer changeover! For more details, click here and at the above links! For a preview, here's a video of the band from their first long-term incarnation covering Def Leppard's "Hysteria"!



Detour to Sault Michigan now, as Nixxon Dixxon return to The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino for their first concerts since their two sets at the Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Summer Festival! Don't be fooled by the fact that this weekend's shows are listed for St. Ignace, they will definitely be in the Soo this weekend! Simple error on their MySpace page, thanks to Ernest Beaumont again for letting me know! These concerts, taking place tomorrow night and Saturday night, will be at 9:00 PM both evenings, with no cover charge, and you must be 21 to enter. Always great to see Nixxon Dixxon live, they'll knock 'em dead this weekend with their great metal covers and originals! Get more information on Nixxon Dixxon at their official MySpace page, and for a preview, here's a live video of Nixxon Dixxon at The Rapids Lounge covering Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears"!



And finally for the concerts I know of, Ultraviolence are back! The Toronto-based drunk n' rollers make their FOURTH stop in Sault Ontario for this year (and second in less than a month) on Saturday night at their favourite local stomping grounds, Coch's Corner! This is actually the final stop on their summer tour, and though I know I'm biased for my hometown, but it couldn't end in a better place! If you go out on Saturday to this, expect tons of AC/DC inspired cover songs and originals from one of the most energetic and fun bands you're likely to see come through here! I can vouch for the fun I had last month, believe me! This show starts at 10:00 PM on Saturday night, you must be 19 to enter, and there is no cover! After the good time I had last month, you can bet dollars to donuts that I will be back for more Ultraviolence on Saturday night, and this time, I won't show up late either! I'll bring my iPod for live Twitter updates for anything of note, and I'll have a review, photo album, and video posted on Saturday! I'm going to experiment with higher quality photo and video settings, so we'll have to see how those turn out! For more from Ultraviolence, check the above links, and for a video preview, here's the band playing their song "Queen Heartbreaker"!



And finally, here's a cool note for an event happening next month. You know how, after major concerts in town, you'll frequently hear of afterparties at local bars for concertgoers to hit afterwards? Well, I don't typically mention them here (even after metal shows) because, more often than not, they're just bar nights with alcohol deals or some minor theme related to the concert. But THIS one will be different! On August 10th, right after Kiss wrap up their long awaited show at The Essar Center, head to The Rockstar Bar at 9:30 PM for an afterparty featuring none other than Garden of Bedlam, Kiss' openers for their Sault show! That being said, this is NOT a concert, like some afterparties are. The guys from the band will be mingling and chatting with their friends and fans, so if you wanna head downtown, grab a beer, and chill out with Garden of Bedlam after the biggest show of their career, then this is where you'll wanna be once Kiss wrap up! Note that the Facebook event page is advertising that you can "get a sneak preview of Garden of Bedlam's new CD" at the afterparty, I wonder what exactly that hints towards? Click the above links for more, and I think I may just swing by The Rockstar Bar for this!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news over the next while! I have a notable amount of Sault Michigan updates to get to, so keep an eye out for that if you live across the river! And yes, my latest out of town profiles go up tonight or tomorrow as well! Thanks everyone!

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

First of all, a reminder to check out the details on the Hope4Haiti benefit concert event in the post below. In short, many local concert venues will host many local bands on February 20th to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross towards helping Haiti in the aftermath of their devastating earthquake. Foggy Notions were the first to confirm their involvement that I know, they were looking for interested bands on their Facebook page. Tickets will be $10, for more information or to get your band/venue involved, e-mail slackhopper@gmail.com! But read my post or click here to get more details, let's help make this a success!

Today, we have a bunch of stuff to get to, including previews for all four metal shows this weekend in Sault Ontario and a new page for a band I recently mentioned. But first, we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Montreal death metal band Derelict are coming to Sault Ste. Marie! They will be at Foggy Notions for the first stop of their Northern Shores Tour on May 6th! What better way to spend a Thursday night than with some good old Canadian death metal? A start time of 8:00 PM is given on their MySpace page, though I'd think it'd be later than that. No word on cover charges or any possible additional bands, I'll let you know if I find out! Very brutal band, but in a good way, death metal fans will want to mark this on their calendars! If I'm in town, I'll be there! Check out some of their songs on MySpace, or click here to visit their official website! I will keep you posted with updates on this concert as I hear them!

And now, it's time to preview this weekend's concerts! We have four different metal shows this weekend, two tomorrow night, two Saturday night, all at different venues in Sault Ontario! Let's begin at The Rockstar Bar, when a notable local band returns, if a week later than we'd have hoped. Social Play, the hard rock band formerly known as Browbeat, will finally return to the concert stage a week after their planned dates last weekend were cancelled. A start time of 7:10 is given on Facebook, but I doubt it's that early (maybe I'm wrong?) No cover charge is listed, and it's not all ages. As I said in my preview of the cancelled shows last week, this will be the first concert for this band since their 2008 appearance at the Rock 2 Roll skatepark fundraiser at The Canadian Nightclub! They used to be a frequent sight locally, having backed up Econoline Crush during one of their shows here,and playing local bars throughout the mid 2000s! Drummer Chris Smith told me that they'll play some older Browbeat songs and new material, which should be great to hear! For full details on this concert, visit the Facebook event page! I don't have video to share, but this will be a good show, you have my word!

Meanwhile, at The Speakeasy, Guns N' Roses tribute act Gunz N' FN' Rosez will come to welcome the Sault to the jungle! Doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow night, with the concert starting at 10:00 PM! Tickets are $10 in advance unless you're an Algoma University student, then you only pay $8. Both ticket prices jump $2 if you pay at the door. You must be 19 or have Algoma student ID to get in to this concert. Tribute bands are always fun to see, and these guys do a pretty good job of covering GNR hits, even donning the looks of the classic lineup (save for Izzy Stradlin, Buckethead's in his place!) Check out more from Gunz N' FN' Rosez at their official website! For full details on the concert itself, click here to see the Facebook event page! Solid tribute band, not perfect, but they're well worth seeing if you get a chance! For a preview, here's a clip of their rendition of "Paradise City"!



And then there's two metal concerts on Saturday night! One will take place at The Bottom's Up Lounge, where Tym Morrison will return for another acoustic solo set! Expect to hear many of Caveman Morrison's covers and more in an intimate setting! Chances are we all could use more softer stuff here and there, and Tym's got the metal cred and covers, so why not go see him on Saturday? He'll be on at around 10:00 PM, there is no cover, and I assume it's 19+ too, as it is a bar. So there's an idea for you guys on Saturday night, it should be another fun set! For full details on this concert, visit the official Facebook event page! Check out songs and video from Tym and Caveman Morrison at his official website, which was recently updated!

And finally this weekend, a hard rock band from Hamilton are returning to Coch's Corner! 40 Sons will be there Saturday night, just 3 months after they last played there! I was still unsure about this concert's validity, given the band's failure to post it, but it is still in Sault This Week, and J.D. from Coch's Corner was plugging it on Facebook, so it's on! I don't think there's a cover charge, I'd expect a start time of 10:00 or 11:00 PM on Saturday. Remember, 40 Sons are a pretty successful band, notably having won last year's Bodog Battle Championship, and getting airplay on various Ontario radio stations! Solid band, I like the singing, helps set them apart from other bands with a similar style! Check them out on MySpace to hear even more from 40 Sons! Another concert well worth considering, it is definitely on, hopefully there's a good turnout! For a preview, check out this live clip of 40 Sons performing their song "The Weight of the World" from a show this past June!



And finally, thanks to an anonymous comment on my post Tuesday, I can tell you even more about the local band SBD! I told you that their frontman is No Arrow's Dann Pichette, but the band also includes former No Arrow bassist Brad Griffith, and Shane Triplett on drums! Their first names seem to make up the band's name (Shane, Brad, Dann), just in case you didn't catch that! A link was given for the band's Soundclick page, which probably eluded me in the past because Sault Ste. Marie isn't mentioned on it at all. There, you can find a band photo and four songs! One is "Rock Paper Scissors" from the videos Dann uploaded to YouTube, but there's three others! On second listen, they are pretty different from No Arrow, more experimental, though there is still a bit of a grunge feel. It's hard rocking enough for the SMS, so click here to check out more from SBD! I wonder if we'll see them or No Arrow on stage soon?

Let's leave it there for today, I'll have more news soon! I hope to be at the Social Play concert tomorrow night, not sure about Saturday's concerts though. Stay tuned for more news and updates!

FIVE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Gunz N' FN' Rosez, Stillbroke, Monkey's Uncle, And Pop Evil)

Hey guys, it's time for not one, not two, but FIVE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!! Some are slightly short notice (my apologies), but all will be good concerts! Here's what you need to know!

We'll go in order by when the show takes place, and the first is in ONE WEEK! Toronto's own Gunz N' FN' Rosez, who plug themselves as "North America's Ultimate Guns n' Roses Tribute Show", are coming to Sault Ontario! They will be at The Speakeasy at Algoma University on January 22nd for a night full of great renditions of Guns N' Roses classics! Tickets are now on sale for $8 if at The Speakeasy if you're an Algoma student, and $10 if you are not. The price jumps $2 for both ticket categories if you buy at the door. The doors open at 9:00 PM, show starts at 10:00, you must have your Algoma student card or proper 19+ ID to get in. For full details on this concert, visit the official Facebook event page! Oddly for a Guns N' Roses tribute band, they're portraying the classic lineup with Buckethead in place of Izzy Stradlin! Remains to be seen if I can make it out for this, but Gunz N' FN' Roses aren't bad at what they do, sounds enough like Axl and company to please GNR fans! Check out more from Gunz N' FN' Rosez at their official website and their official MySpace page!

Then, just six days later, The Speakeasy brings you another concert, which will be headlined by Stillbroke! Yes, the local hard rockers are back for their first full local concert in over 8 months on January 28rd! This will also be their first full concert since the release of their debut EP, "Never Enough", so expect to hear the songs from their very solid first album! Joining Stillbroke are fellow locals The Fury (featuring Out Of The Mouth Of Babes frontman Josh McNally on bass, and former DOTH drummer Joe Bumbacco), who'll deliver their very unique brand of music to the masses once again! This will be a 10:00 PM concert at The Speakeasy, with The Fury opening. No word on admission prices or age restrictions, if there are any, I'll keep you posted! There is no event page yet, but the concert is official, and was announced on a Stillbroke fan page, so there's my source. Great to see Stillbroke back, I'll hopefully be able to make this concert! Stay tuned for more updates as they come in!

Now we head to Sault Michigan, as a local band appear to be back on the local concert scene! Remember Jager, the hard rock band fronted by Mama's Boys singer/guitarist Henry Switzer? Well, they took a long hiatus in 2009, cancelling their tour dates, changing their lineup, and changing their name to Bad Monkey, and then to their current name, Monkey's Uncle! Well, even if their MySpace page hasn't listed new shows, it appears that they are back playing concerts! Kewadin Casino's concert calendar lists that Monkey's Uncle will be playing at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino on January 29th and January 30th! Both shows have no cover charge and are at 9:00 PM-ish! Great to see Monkey's Uncle back, I've always been a fan, too bad I'm not drinking age to get in yet! Click on the links above to check out their original material and some live videos! Hope both concerts go well!

And finally, I heard about this show on Rock 101 this morning. Muskegon hard rockers Pop Evil are returning to The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino! You may remember them last summer when they supported Saving Abel, and then, I honestly didn't see Pop Evil as "metal", so I didn't mention it much. Well, looking back on it, Pop Evil have a lot of hard rock songs (most notably "100 in a 55"), and they were heavy enough to support bands like Judas Priest on tour, so yeah, they're SMS-worthy! They will be joined by Toronto hard rockers Evans Blue, best known for their song "Cold (But I'm Still Here)"! Also on the lineup are two local bands, but I'm not sure which ones they are, Rock 101 didn't give names this morning, and I'm not seeing mention of them anywhere. I know Peril are playing at The Rapids Lounge that night too, but they're not local. If I find more, I'll keep you guys posted!

Click on the above links to check out each band! But here's the best part about this show that sets it apart from typical Kewadin Casino fare: It's a benefit show, though I didn't get a chance to write down the details of what the proceeds are towards, I'll update with more info once I hear it. Tickets are very affordable too, just $15! You almost never see shows this inexpensive at The Dreammakers Theater, and it's for a good cause too! They're on sale RIGHT NOW, so buy them at this location! As I hear more about this concert, you'll be sure to find info here on the SMS!

That has to be the most new local concerts I've had in one post in months! That's all I have for tonight, other news will be soon, so stay tuned!

EDIT: Social Play have cancelled their concert tonight at Foggy's, no word why. I'd seen someone asking if it was still on on the event page, and what they heard was correct. I'm bummed, I miss seeing Browbeat/Social Play live, but hopefully they'll be back! I assume the Saturday concert is cancelled too, but there's been no official word either way. I'll keep you posted!