Spades GT & Fort Creek Updates, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

In a post that really should have went up last night before time got away from me, we're clearing out more of the news backlog by looking at some recent updates from two prominent local hard rock-leaning acts, plus some assorted quicker topics as of late, so here's what you should know!

Here's the latest from local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, so what's new from them in the past two weeks? First off, their streak of daily "Reels" on their Facebook page quietly ended on its 12th consecutive day on April 24th, with the last two "Reels" seeing the band (sans Jay and Tyler) playing on-stage behind a series of pop art-esque filters, and one of drummer Tyler Reiner in action during a concert, with no major post-production filters to speak of. I can't say that I miss the daily "Reels" for multiple technical reasons, but if you do, they did share one from Tyler's personal Facebook page on Sunday of him borrowing his brother's drumkit during a rehearsal. Painfully short, but it sounds good while it lasts! In terms of concerts, Spades GT successfully opened for The Anti-Queens in Barrie this past Thursday, and they will return to The Queens Nightclub there in two weeks when they open for both The Brains and K-Man & The 45s on May 18th!

Of course, local fans will remember seeing both groups on stage in the Soo in the 2010s, especially K-Man & The 45s, so this will be a familiar night for former and visiting Saultites on the 18th who like psychobilly and ska punk respectively! Before then however, they were added on late notice to a Toronto gig taking place tomorrow night at Sneaky Dee's headlined by Toronto progressive metal band Aunest. No familiar bands from past local gigs there other than the former Jack Spades, but hopefully this show is a hit! The big announcement from the Spades GT camp yesterday is the cover artwork for their new album "Sewer City Radio", courtesy of Germany-based artist Cliff Terrafolio, and it features an alleyway at nighttime with the album name and a spade on a manhole cover, and the band's new text logo in the upper left. Works well enough! The band has teased "dropping all sorts of stuff" from the record soon, so stay tuned for that.

A release party is expected, albeit likely in the GTA and not here, though remember that the band last said that it would come out this month. We have yet to hear studio material from the recording sessions, but the band hinted on Sunday that the internet radio station CGCM Rock Radio may have Spades GT in their rotation already, so visit there if you're curious! To close, here's a brief new video from April 24th that, shockingly, is not a "Reel", so we can embed it here! Still a short & vertical clip, it features the band (minus Jay) giving a final push for the Anti-Queens concert, with guitarist Daniel Horton holding the camera and speaking on behalf of the band. Check it out below, and see more from Spades GT above!

Next up, let's cover some recent content from local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek, starting with a new timeframe for their long-gestating debut EP, as in a comment reply on their Facebook page on Monday they indicated that it is "set to be released (in the) fall (of) this year".  Of course, they had planned to initially put this out last summer, so things are definitely behind old projections, but hopefully things are on track in 2023, and that we hear more beyond "Hammer Down" in the lead-up to the release date! In terms of videos, they have posted two on Facebook that we have yet to address, though neither features the full band. One video from April 17th just has 12 seconds of their stage setup when they opened for Kiss tribute band Destroyer at Soo Blaster last month, with no band members present. Not the first time that they've shared a video like that, for the record, but it sure looked professional!

Embedded below is a short clip from January 15th, vertical as it may be, of guitarist Bill Brouillard playing while standing on a rolling cart in front of the stage at Soo Blaster, with bassist Robin "Bones" Lee pushing it along for good measure. Amusing on one hand, and a good showcase of Bill's guitar talents on the other, so check it out for yourself 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 name:

 

• Wyld Stallyns/ex-Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner will reportedly fill in with Winnipeg/Denmark metal band Gutter Creek (featuring Saultite guitarist Matt Hanchuck) when they open for Tantric in Kalkaska, Michigan on May 20th! This was confirmed in personal Facebook posts only but seemed worth mentioning given the scope. Derek is a late fill-in due to Gutter Creek's normal drummer being unavailable, and Kalkaska is 2½ hours south of the Soo near Traverse City. Huge opportunity for sure, and hopefully Derek nails it in a couple of weeks! Note that Traverse City metal trio (and Kewadin Casino lounge regulars) Scarkazm are also playing at this concert.
• In a "Reel" on Tidal Records' Facebook page on April 21st, online page-less local punk/folk solo project Jonesy Land shared a new teaser clip from their upcoming debut album "Zoom-Out" (still planned to drop on May 31st), while also noting the album's inspirations from frontman Dustin Jones' life lessons and self-discovery. The album was mixed by Kyle Whittaker at Strange Pumpkin Studios in St. Catharines, and if song names shared on Dustin's personal Facebook page are any indication, the song we're hearing here is "Old Man", which will feature Shannon Moan on guest vocals. Stay tuned for more news on "Zoom-Out"!
• Dustin's Bookclub/ex-Inner City Surfers bandmate Mikey Hawdon was profiled in this new SooToday article by Chris Belsito on Tuesday, which outlines Mikey's move back to Sault Ste. Marie last year, the formation of the also-online-pageless Bookclub, and promotion for their set at the Festival of Beer this Saturday. Aside from some reveals of bands that Bookclub cover live, there's no real scoops here, but this is a solid article for fans of Mikey's recent band work in town, so give it a read at this link!
  

 

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

Gutter Creek & Killer Dwarfs Concert Video Showcase!!

Before we get into today's post, just a heads up that the Kim Mitchell/54-40 concert at GFL Memorial Gardens on Tuesday has indeed been cancelled, as per this SooToday article yesterday. Promoters F7 Entertainment cited "unforeseen scheduling issues" for the cancellation but did not elaborate further (note that the Paul Brandt show on Wednesday, also part of the Mocha Concert Series, was cancelled last month for the same stated reason). Ticket refunds will be offered at point of purchase. Very disappointing for both the Shriners and fans alike, but hopefully Kim and/or 54-40 try again to play in the Soo down the road!

Now, today's post is devoted to new concert videos from the ever-prolific Christopher Paci's YouTube channel, as he was in attendance for two recent metal concerts at Soo Blaster and got videos of all four acts across both concerts! In between these shows and Rotaryfest, Chris also shot videos at the Cole Swindell concert in Sault Michigan, so if you like modern country music, visit his channel to see those. We'll go in reverse chronological order with these so as to lead off with the bigger of the two shows, namely the return of Oshawa classic/glam metal quartet The Killer Dwarfs last night! He filmed them playing "Doesn't Matter" (albeit padded out with mid-song crowd banter) and, as embedded below, two songs in one video, including "Comin' Through" & "Hard Luck Town". While not especially close to the stage, Chris made good use of zoom to capture the band in action on these songs, and the audio quality holds up!

Depending on the lighting, the video can sometimes be a little hazy, but The Dwarfs sound good and melodic on these three classic tracks, so fans won't wanna miss them above & below! Here's hoping they come back!

The opener for this show was local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison in a rare opening slot for a touring act, at least as far as his unplugged modern solo show goes. Unusually, Chris filmed more songs of the local opener, getting four covers from Tym's set, namely Aerosmith's "Dream On", Toto's "Africa", Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love", and as embedded below, Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters". Clearly Tym didn't expressly tailor his set for the hair metal onslaught ahead, but his acoustic covers came through well here, despite some occasionally grainy visuals. Give these a look above and below, and no word on if his Trading Post series ended last week or if he was back today (if the latter, my apologies!)

Now let's backtrack to the Gutter Creek show at Soo Blaster on September 1st, albeit only posted onto YouTube yesterday, as Chris filmed the multi-national groove metal band (featuring the Soo's own Matt Hanchuck of Wreck-Defy fame) playing four original songs from their album! Specifically, those are "Hellryder", "Mesmerized", "No Slave Religion", and as embedded below, "Slipping Through The Scars". Unlike at the Killer Dwarfs show last night, Chris got onto the floor to film Gutter Creek's set, which definitely helps the view, despite some still hazy lighting. Nice & heavy attack from this stacked foursome, and good to see Matt on home soil, so give their Soo Blaster videos a look above & below!

Finally for tonight, the openers at the Gutter Creek concert were local punk trio Vanity First, which is a bit of a genre leap but still good to see Andrew, Mikhal, and Keegan get a big support slot like this! They were filmed thrice, including (most of) their covers of NOFX's "Stickin' In My Eye" and Streetlight Manifesto's "Giving Up, Giving In", but embedded below is the former Vanity playing their own song "White Ghosts". Strong and energetic performances from this rising young group, who seem to be adapting well to their reduced lineup, and hopefully they left a solid impression on the 1st! Give their videos a look above & below as well!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished, Project 906, And Tym Morrison), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Weekend concert preview time, so here's what you should know on this Thursday morning, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! Yes, I am well aware of Handsome Sandwich's late notice gig on Saturday, check back tomorrow!

Local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will hit the road for nearby Cedarville TOMORROW when they perform at the Great Lakes Boat Building School's year-ending BeerFest & Boatyard Bash! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this date on their Facebook page on Monday, but the school's Facebook page had plugged 906's involvement in the event earlier in the month. Arguably the last show of the #summerof906, TOMORROW'S BeerFest & Boat Yard Bash is an annual event for the post-secondary institution towards marine industry careers, and festivities will also include lots of regional craft beer, food, a wine pull, games, and more, so definitely visit the above links for full non-musical details! While academically set, this is a publically attendable event, if 21+ given the BeerFest aspect, but tickets run for $50 in advance or $60 at the door (remember, this isn't just a concert).

The event takes place from 5:00-8:00 PM TOMORROW outside of the Great Lakes Boat Building School at 485 South Meridian Street, and 9&10 News is calling for 24-27° weather, but be advised that they are calling for thunderstorms during the bash. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video from Project 906's Facebook page of them covering The Guess Who's "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature" at (I believe) The Islander Bar in Hessel this past weekend! The camera placement directly behind drummer Odin Osogwin is not ideal, but it's a quality performance, and Odin's drumming is very solid, so give it a look below! The video suddenly goes colour at 1:40, FYI.

Next up, let's leap north to Sault Ontario, as local acoustic classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison will play a rare nighttime concert at Reggie's Place TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this gig via its official Facebook event page yesterday. Tym playing Sunday matinees at the downtown Reggie's is certainly nothing new, but seeing him at an established nightclub in a typical cover band timeslot is not something you see often in the pandemic era, so hopefully he pulls in a solid crowd with his his hard rocking and vast setlist TOMORROW! While we're on the subject, it turns out that Tym did not play at The Mike Case Memorial Stage yesterday evening, as he was actually performing at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion during Save Our Young Adults' International Overdose Awareness Day festivities, which also featured a walk to the Pavilion, speakers, and family entertainment.

I profusely apologize for missing that, but alas, Tym never plugged his involvement in the S.O.Y.A. event on his official Facebook group, instead just on his personal account, and I don't believe S.O.Y.A. specified the musical performers either (plus, Tym's weekly run at The Trading Post seemed like a given through at least August knowing his history of weekly scheduled arrangements). Hopefully his performance was well received at this powerful event, and we'll let you know if he returns to The Trading Post at all this month! As for TOMORROW'S Reggie's concert, expect a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 9:30 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Back to the E.U.P. now, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will return to Snows Bar & Grill in Cedarville TOMORROW NIGHT, but in a late announcement, they'll also play at The Islander Bar in nearby Hessel for the first time on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice on the Hessel gig, the band only confirmed the concert on their Facebook page on Tuesday, but The Islander Bar's Facebook page had previously plugged it. Tarnished are definitely no strangers to Cedarville in 2022 (tomorrow's show will be their third at Snows in as many months), but The Islander Bar has more been on our radar as of late from gigs from the aforementioned Project 906. Hopefully Tarnished make a big impression of their own there with their talented and heavy originals & covers on SATURDAY! If you're curious, the Friday/Saturday performers at The Islander Bar & Snows respectively are Robert Malaski and The Habitual Offenders.

Tomorrow's Cedarville gig has an early start time of 6:00 PM, but SATURDAY'S Hessel show has a more typical 8:00 PM start time. Both concerts are 21+ affairs with no announced cover charge, and it is worth noting that Snows are teasing that Tarnished are playing outside of the venue tomorrow as they're showing the Michigan State Spartans football game on ESPN inside. Again, 9&10 News is calling for thunderstorms tomorrow evening, so for Tarnished & Project 906's case, hopefully Cedarville dodges most of the forecast! Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Finally for today's previews, here's a show that had plenty of advance notice, as multi-national southern metal supergroup Gutter Creek will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at Soo Blaster! This show has hit many local metalheads' radar primarily as the homecoming of Sault Ste. Marie native Matt Hanchuck, who is better known for the Thunder Bay thrash metal band Wreck-Defy, who Gutter Creek are a side project of. Wreck-Defy have never made the trip east for a show here, but Gutter Creek are a more than worthy consolation prize, especially as ex-Testament bassist Greg Christian is in both bands! Howver, Wreck-Defy have more of a southern rock influenced groove metal sound, but that should appeal to many who wish that more touring original metal bands played here post-pandemic, so definitely give Gutter Creek's debut album a listen! According to a "story" on Facebook, young local punk trio Vanity First will open tonight's concert!

Alas, "stories" are impossible to cite as sources as they're designed to vanish once viewed unless separately posted on purpose, and the official Facebook event page does not list any openers, but I saw Vanity First plug their involvement thusly last night. Not a sonic match, but if accurate, their punk energy should set the tone well enough! Relocated from The Rockstar Bar (who have not hosted live bands since May, sadly), this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time. Tickets cost $10 in advance at Soo Blaster or $15 at the door. Should be a great show for metal fans, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Gutter Creek live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for lour Handsome Sandwich preview and more next! Thanks everyone!

Tarnished Concert Previews, Spades GT Updates, And More!!

As promised, the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews are in today's post, with a relatively quiet weekend in the area compared to what July had in store this year! After our E.U.P. show previews, we have some updates from other local bands, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished have a double header in store for fans in nearby Cedarville TOMORROW, starting with their outdoor set at this year's Government Bay Barge Bash, followed by a typical nighttime concert that evening at Snows Bar & Grill! The former event is the annual (2020 aside) concert festival currently held outside Bumpas at 74 East Hodeck Street, where bands will literally be playing on a barge floating in Government Bay! Unlike prior years for the Barge Bash in both Cedarville and Hessel, there will be four bands playing tomorrow, with Tarnished and fellow local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews (in a rare multi-band event for them) joined by local country cover trio The Three Mile Band and The Bowen/Haske Band, who are the current incarnation of local musician Mark Bowen's pop rock cover band (possibly best known as Paradise Excuse).

Click here for full non-musical details on the Government Bay Barge Bash. This event appears to be free and all ages (boaters welcome!), with festivities starting at 12:00 PM. Tarnished have confirmed that they will be playing on the North Shore Dock Barge at 1:30 PM, with Rhythm & Brews appearing to the be the closing band at 5:30 PM (their set ends at 8:00 PM). If this image's band order gives anything away, then The Three Mile Band will open the bash, with The Bowen/Haske Band playing likely at around 2:00 PM. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for cloudy weather all day in Cedarville (an hour south of the Soo) with temperatures from 77-80° Fahrenheit. As for Tarnished's return to Snows (at 1187 Park Avenue) tomorrow night, that'll be an indoor respite under more standard conditions for their hard rocking originals and covers, so if you missed them three weeks ago, here's your chance for an encore!

The Snows concert takes place at 8:00 PM tomorrow, it does not have an announced cover charge, and it is definitely a 21+ event (if that's a concern, the Barge Bash is in the same town!) Should be a packed day of music for Cedarville-area concert goers and Tarnished, with both they and Rhythm & Brews sure to deliver the hard rock goods, so definitely visit the above links for more on both events, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, here's the latest from Sault Ontario/Barrie crossover thrash quartet Spades GT, so what have they been up to as of late? In terms of live dates, the former Jack Spades have at least three ahead where they're opening for Toronto metal pioneers Anvil, including a show in Brampton on September 16th, but before then, they will open for Anvil in North Bay and Sudbury on August 24th & 25th as both bands are en route to the Soo area for shows that weekend! Of course, Anvil return to Soo Blaster on Saturday the 27th, but Spades will miss out on the Timmins show on the 26th, presumably due to their commitments at the Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir that weekend, where frontman J.D. Pearce is curating the Forest Stage again, and where the band proper are playing in their first local date post-relaunch. Spades GT have not (yet?) said that they're opening for Anvil locally, which could be a sign that their Northern Vibe set is the same night.

Like last year, organizers have not revealed a daily band schedule for the festival, we will keep you posted if one surfaces. Video-wise, drummer Tyler "Jeeb" Reiner (Anvil drummer Robb Reiner's son) was featured last week in the clip embedded below, where he shows off some Daddario ProMark drumsticks that he was sent as a sample. No scoops relating to the band as a whole, but good promotion for the company, and the sticks should hopefully come in handy! Deceivingly deep voice for Tyler too, but the video was posted at 6:54 AM. Give it a watch below, and see above for more!

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:

 

• The Gutter Creek-headlined concert on Thursday, September 1st has been moved from The Rockstar Bar to the aforementioned Soo Blaster, as per this new Facebook event page. A reason for the venue change was not announced, but note that The Rockstar Bar has not advertised any concert dates since May, with Bone Yard's June 11th show there being cancelled outright. Hopefully things are okay at The Algonquin Hotel, but fingers crossed Gutter Creek (featuring the Soo's own Matt Hanchuck) deliver a solid show at this bigger downtown venue! No word yet on admission fees.
• St. Ignace, Michigan metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown will be without new rhythm guitarist Christian Thanasiu for their set opening for Nagazi in Battle Creek tonight due to an unspecified illness, as per their Facebook page. The band are jokingly asking attendees for "get well soon" cards, so keep that in mind if you happen to be in the area! As best as I can gather, this show will go forward with H.L.T.C. as a four-piece, which is nothing new for them, as their initial dates had just Ted on guitar. We'll have more from Heavy Lies The Crown soon!
• Sault Ontario/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith will take a road trip to Flin Flon, Manitoba for a rare in-province date outside of Thompson tomorrow night! Mike will be the fourth-to-last act tomorrow on the Museum Stage at their annual Blueberry Jam concert festival, so click here for full details if you're so inclined. Best of luck to Mike in Flin Flon tomorrow, and hopefully someone's got a camera rolling!
   

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gutter Creek) & A Bunch Of New Videos!!

Keeping our regular post streak going with this busy summer season (definitely a blessing after two years of pandemic curses), we have a bunch of new videos to check out on this Monday evening, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to help end the summer season with!

Multi-national southern metal band Gutter Creek will make their local concert debut on Thursday, September 1st at The Rockstar Bar! This relatively new band (only forming last year) will be touring Canada in support of their self-titled debut album, and a Soo stop is a given as their guitarist is Sault Ste. Marie native Matt Hanchuck, who many readers will know from the Thunder Bay thrash metal band Wreck-Defy. While we have yet to see Wreck-Defy perform on a local stage, that band's bassist Greg Christian (yes, formerly of Testament) will be performing on this tour, and Gutter Creek drummer Derrick Kroll (ex-Alphakill) was a prior live drummer with Wreck-Defy, so this is the next best thing! Don't expect an identical sound to Wreck-Defy though, with Danish lead vocalist Soren Adamson (ex-Denied/Dignity) being very distinct from Greg Wagner, not to mention their more groove-based, southern rock-tinged (but still heavy) sound.

No word on potential opening bands as of this writing, but it is good to see The Rockstar Bar booking outside of Saturdays again, if in a few months! Expect a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time on September 1st, and ticket prices are not out yet, so stay tuned for details on that front over the summer. Should be a solid concert for fans of straightforward, old school metal with a diverse lineup playing a nice mix of styles, and Matt's homecoming alone will be worth noting, whether you knew him before he moved out of town or from Wreck-Defy, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll let you know when updates roll in!

Next up, if you've been wanting to see/hear some new content from prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, you're in luck, as he live-streamed an hour's worth of live performance footage onto his YouTube channel on Saturday! While he never promoted this in advance on his Facebook page, Mike provided musical entertainment at this year's Relay For Life fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society on Saturday, and Mike live-streamed both sets at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena that day in Thompson rather than including the intermission. In the first video embedded below, you'll see Mike play (in performance order) "MorningStar", "If Ever Comes The Day", a cover of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", a brand new song named "If Only You Could Hear Me", a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird", "The Nature of the Times", and "Come On Home".

Set #2 (in the second shorter video) is almost all covers, with Mike tackling Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)", The Foo Fighters' "Times Like These", The Barenaked Ladies' "The Old Apartment", and Tears For Fears' "Shout", before closing with one more original song, namely "Take Back The Moon".  Filmed from the floor of the stage pointing up at Mike, the videos look clear but both suffer from a low framerate and very muffled audio quality, with the hockey arena venue setup likely a partial factor in that. Shame there weren't more responsive fans either, but Mike's performnances are technically sound and with fun banter in between, so give everything a look above and below!

Also, here's some new concert videos from another relocated local act, namely local/Barrie crossover thrash quartet Spades GT, who posted two more videos from their show at at The Rockpile in Toronto last month onto their YouTube channel over the weekend! One is of their existing Jack Spades-era original "Crossroads", but embedded below is their first brand new song that they never played before their move and name/lineup changes! The song is entitled "Hands", and it definitely fits in with the existing Spades oeuvre, if via a slightly more deliberate pace and relatively longer runtime. Solid stuff, washed out visual quality aside, so check it and "Crossroads" out above & below, and stay tuned for more from Spades GT!

We'll close today with a new song from Sault Michigan progressive metal solo project X's & Y's' YouTube channel last last month! Entitled "Oculus", this is the newest instrumental track planned for the Life's Eclipse successors' upcoming debut album "The Obsidian Dream" (if you believe the video description, it'll be track #7). Slower and bassier than Jason's prior song "Solid Glass", this still delivers some brutal riffs and djent action while it lasts, so give it a listen below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a surprisingly stacked batch of mid-week concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (April Wine & Beaver Slap), The Gutter Demons Concert Preview, And More!!

Alright, this will indeed be our final news post of April 2017! I was preparing to hold out until Monday, but we have two big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and a preview for a show on Monday as it is, so I thought I'd get these on the site now, plus some solo material from a prominent area frontman. Now, here's what you need to know!

Halifax hard rock legends April Wine and former Runaways guitarist Lita Ford will rock Kewadin Casino on Saturday, June 24th, but not the Sault Michigan branch, instead playing an outdoor event on the back lawn of The Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace! I have never heard of a hard rock show of this scale at the St. Ignace Kewadin, let alone outdoors (Kiss' 2007 show was in the Soo), but Kewadin's Facebook page notes that this is the kick-off to their summer concert series, so keep that in mind whether it's solely at this new outdoor stage or scattered throughout their casinos. Very intriguing regardless! This will be April Wine's first local concert stop since headlining at The Dreammaker's Theater four years ago, and with hits like "You Could Have Been A Lady" & "You Won't Dance With Me" dating back to the 1970s, you know they'll have a lot to draw from for their (at least) third regional concert! They also played in Sault Ontario in 1985.

As for Lita Ford, she became a very prominent sight in the late 1980s with solo hits like "Close My Eyes Forever" & "Kiss Me Deadly", and it'll be really cool to see her in our area in June, so keep her set in mind as well! I know my uncle will be very interested. Presumably all ages and at 7:00 PM, this concert's tickets will go on sale on Friday online, at the in-person Kewadin box office, and at 1-800-KEWADIN, though prices have not been announced as of press time. Check the above links for more details on this intriguing April Wine & Lita Ford show, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, another new concert is official for the very same day in Saul Ontario, as all-female Barrie hardcore punk quartet Beaver Slap will make their local concert debut on Saturday, June 24th at The Algonquin Pub! These girls definitely have the hardcore punk style down, with their noisy crust-influenced originals sure to make a mark on local fans in June, and they should gain a lot of new fans when they rock the 'Gonq, so definitely check them out in advance! Local openers will include the Algonquin Pub debut of local doom trio AlgomA, returning to the stage following their recent European tour, while local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will play a rare show from an outside promoter when they hit the stage for the second time with their new lineup. Solid choices, so don't be late for the local opening sets! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh. in their own Algonquin Pub debut, this 19+ show has a $7 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. Visit the Facebook event page for details, and stay tuned for updates!

Also today, let's get our preview of a special concert THIS MONDAY NIGHT rolling on the SMS, as Montreal psychobilly/punk trio The Gutter Demons will rock The New American Pub in two days' time! Note that the show was relocated last week from The Algonquin Pub for unannounced reasons, as per promoter J.D. Pearce on the Facebook event page, so keep the move to The New A in mind! Local fans have been waiting too long for a psychobilly headlining act on a local stage, and The Gutter Demons' punk-influenced and road-tested blend of styles should satiate genre fans when they rock the Soo on Monday! Local opening acts will include the second live concert appearance from new local punk/alternative trio Handsome Sandwich, as well as the 2017 debut of funk/hard rock favourites The Elements, with both bands notably featuring Jesse Cook & James White in their lineups. Both bands should provide a quality soundtrack to kick off the night, so don't miss out!

Notably the first promoted concert by J.D. Pearce of the year (and his first in six months), this show has a $10 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time. This should be a fun concert for fans of punk, funk, and psychobilly music, and there's a little bit of everything to enjoy with these three groups on Monday night, so visit the above links for more details, and here's The Gutter Demons live!

Finally, here's a new solo cover of Puddle of Mudd's "Drift & Die" from Banned frontman Alex Traynor! While we haven't heard from the Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock cover trio in a couple of weeks, Alex is staying busy in the interim with solo material of his own, even launching his own solo Facebook page to promote his own material, and in case you're worried, he confirmed there that he is still in Banned. Honestly, given how Alex has been the sole focus of Banned's Facebook imagery since 2014, you could say that these are de facto Banned recordings, but this recent solo material is branded separately under Alex's name. Said uploads include an original song named "Crazy World" on his Soundcloud page, and two shares of solo cover videos from his personal Facebook page, including "Drift & Die" and a rendition of Santana's "Smooth", both as filmed by Eric Cairns at Third Cinema Productions. So, how do Alex's new solo recordings sound overall?

Not bad, he has a solid grasp of the covers, with "Drift & Die" a good vocal match, and "Smooth" allows him to showcase his guitar skill! As for "Crazy World", it's an upbeat hard rocker, and it'll be interesting to see how far his solo work goes! In terms of adding Alex's solo project to our band links, I am waiting for more material to see if it's hard rock based, as I know some prior solo work of his diverged from our covered genres. Check out "Drift & Die" below, and stay tuned for more from Alex & Banned!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Apocalypse Afterparty CD review next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Gutter Demons & Stiffler's Mom), Plus New Videos!!

For the first time since April 1st, we have a new news post on the SMS that has no imminent concert previews! This has been a long time coming, but I'm back home, and we have some big stories to touch on regarding recent video uploads, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Montreal psychobilly/punk trio The Gutter Demons will make their way to The Algonquin Pub for a headlining concert on Monday, May 1st! It's been too long since the last psychobilly headliners in the Soo, but The Gutter Demons will help fill the void with their creative fusion sound, as seen during numerous live concerts over the past 15 years, so prepare as they tear up a local stage in three weeks time! The local openers will notably both feature guitarist Jesse Cook and bassist James White, with their new punk/alt-rock trio Handsome Sandwich rocking out in their second live concert appearance and Algonquin debut. If you missed their debut at LopLops in February, keep this show in mind, especially as this uniquely named band has yet to post media of their sound! The advertised opening band are local funk/hard rock favourites The Elements in their first concert set of the year, so if you've been waiting patiently since Toystock, here's your next chance!

Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce in his first announced concert of the year (nice to see him book his old bandmates as openers!), this show has a 19+ age limit, $10 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time. Fans of punk, alternative, and psychobilly would be well served to check out this show at the beginning of next month, despite it's unfortunate Monday scheduling, so check the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, local party hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Esquire Club for shows on Friday, June 9th and Saturday, June 10th! Announced with unusually long notice, these actually come from a concert calendar shared on the venue's Facebook page for shows in the second quarter of 2017, presumably also distributed in person at the venue, so if you're curious as to who's playing there through the end of June, give it a look! We'll likely see Stiffler's Mom elsewhere before June, but this will mark the guys' first concert weekend at this west end venue since December, and just their second weekend there in the past year. Greg, Mike, and Jon should be in their usual fine forms come June, so don't miss their fan favourite covers then at The Esquire Club! As usual, expect 10:00 PM-ish start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits for both nights. Visit the above links for more info!

And yes, I am aware of Mourning Wood concerts being listed on the above calendar, but given their teased assimilation into their newer Soundcheck project "very soon", I am waiting for public confirmation regarding whether these shows are now Soundcheck concerts, or if they're using the Mourning Wood name in transition. Stay tuned!

Closing with some new videos, remember how local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback were interviewed by Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie prior to their headlining set at the January Jam at The Canadian? Well, it has finally aired on channel 10 and was posted to Shaw TV's YouTube channel last week, so what should you know? Aired as part of Shaw's "Community Producers" program and produced specifically by frontman Larry Babic, this features all four band members passing the mics to talk about their inception, original material, songwriting, and more, complete with on-screen graphics to credit band members, though they misspelled guitarist Chris Nielsen's last name. The interview is also interspersed with concert footage from A Dire Setback's set at the January Jam (as seen in full at this link), though we await Shaw TV's premiere of their footage from last month's March Mash-Up concert, which A Dire Setback headlined.

The interview proper isn't too long, but it's a fun and light way to introduce casual fans to A Dire Setback,who are on the fast track locally, and given their hints in the interview towards future recording sessions, hopefully they keep on their current trajectory in the local scene! Give their Shaw TV interview a look below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!



Finally, here's a new YouTube video featuring Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, as set to footage of the video game Elite: Dangerous! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on Saturday, this is of a new 7 minute long demo instrumental named "3303". The song is appropriately epic for the space adventure setting of the game footage, giving things a suspenseful and grandiose feel without getting boring, and hopefully Theatre of Night can build on this with some more orchestral metal epics soon! Give it a look below, and see above for links regarding the game!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as the week rolls along. Thanks everyone!