The Punk Rock Fiesta & Quite Frankly Concert Previews!!

In post #3 of this unusually busy concert weekend for early October, we're looking at an eventful punk reunion concert with a lot to say and another cover show tonight, with post #4 (covering EUP and Sunday matinee shows) coming up next. Here's what you should know!

First up, it's a big one for long-term fans of the local punk scene even with the recent band withdrawal, as the first annual Punk Rock Fiesta goes down TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! The second of two straight retro reunion concerts there (following yesterday's Hard Rock Review), this is the spiritual successor to December's Fist Magnet/Room 206/Spigots reunion concert at the former Soo Blaster, and marks the formal debut of PROD/ex-Destroilet guitarist Christian Foisy's new promotion agency BCDR ("Bush Core Drunk Rock") Productions. The big story that broke last week was that planned headliners Random Killing had to drop out of this event due to guitarist John Hajdu's ongoing recovery from severe pneumonia that he contracted last month, but the Toronto hardcore punk legends have already been pencilled in to headline this event's expected return in late 2027, and Random Killing merchandise will be on sale tonight anyway.

Hopefully John gets better soon, and that they do come back when back to 100%! They were not replaced on tonight's bill, and I have not seen any adjustments made to the set times or order as a result, so while I am going off of the earlier promoted start times, they may be subject to change (all other bands were allocated a half hour each). If all else is the same, the new headlining band is hardcore punk trio Hails in their Rockstar Bar debut at 10:30 PM, preceded by the (one-off?) reunion of local cowpunk/hellbilly quintet The Billy Bastards for their first show in 11 years at 9:30 PM. Another reunion of 1990s punk staples Fist Magnet will take place at 8:45 PM, so if you couldn't get enough in December, here's you encore! New & online page-less local punk quartet PROD ("punk rock overdose") will play just their second public concert set at 8:00 PM, featuring members of the Fist Magnet reunion lineup.

Debuting local punk quartet Dead II Society (featuring alumni of Garden of Bedlam, The Billy Bastards, and The Northwest) will play their long awaited first public concert set at 7:15 PM, and the night will kick off with a mystery new local band named The Baby Rails at 6:30 PM. Intentional secrecy or not, I don't know a thing about this band, but we'll let you know when things go live! This 19+ concert has been sold out since long before Random Killing dropped out, but tickets did cost $25, and while there was still wiggle room for admission at the door, it's better if you bought an advance ticket just in case. I haven't seen any major notices towards ticket resales or refunds without Random Killing (local punk nostalgia is strong), so expect a packed crowd at The Algonquin Hotel's resurgent upstairs bar regardless. Even with an all-local bill, this is shaping up to be a great night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Hails live!

Lastly for weekend concert preview post #3, it's the return of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly, who will make their way to DeMarco's Boots & Saddles Roadhouse in nearby Prince Township TONIGHT! The band has been taking a break for the last month and a half, most recently playing at Gateway Casino in mid-August, with tonight's concert being their first at the venue way down Second Line West in over six months. It's a small venue, and 20 minutes outside of the Soo proper, but if you live out near Airport Road or are up for the drive west, keep this batch of classic and hard rock covers in mind for tonight on this busy weekend! Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe hit the stage tonight at 8:00 PM, there is no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the above links for more on tonight's concert in Prince Township, and here's Quite Frankly live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Wolf Fest II) & The Hails Art Hub Concert Preview!!

Before we begin this weekend's concert previews, I wanted to apologize for missing an acoustic concert at Beck's Bar on Tuesday that was headlined by the revival of The T.R.I.P., the sporadically seen acoustic side project of cousins/ex-Double Down bandmates Joel & Beej Syrette! Their late-era bandmate Dan Beaupre joined them on Tuesday for this pool night-concert (regardless of what happened with Double Down, Ric was never in The T.R.I.P.). I'm assuming that this wasn't musically far off from Double Down (being unplugged aside), and I do apologize for missing it, but we'll let you know if they get social media or play more public gigs!

This weekend looks to be a busy one for hard rock fans, buoyed by some late announcements this week, so we'll look at one big one today plus two shows that did have prior notice, with remaining Saturday-Sunday gigs to follow. We'll start with a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for SATURDAY NIGHT, as Wolf Fest II goes down on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Apologies for the short notice, as hosts Northern Superior Brewing Co. only finally announced the lineup in a permanently accessible location on their Facebook page last week, when I couldn't slot it into a news post in time to cover it before it became the week of the event. Alas, Northern Superior had teased the event without going into great detail via "Stories", memes, and hype posts for the last few weeks, and some performers had shared the lineup in their own "Stories", but nothing finite and sourceable. I get maybe doing it like this for year #1, but why again when the basic intent is the same?

I'd be getting the word out on who's playing, what's going on, and so forth with a lot more than ten days' notice! Nevertheless, Wolf Fest II (as hyped by Jan from Jan's Not Movin'!) is Northern Superior's second annual fall concert festival to give back to the community for their support, and there will be an eclectic array of local vendors (even barbers and an arcade!), plus beer tents, food, and of course, music. Things will be headlined by Toronto-based Coldplay tribute band The Coldplay Show, and while I can't pretend to be a fan of Coldplay, it is definitely a change of pace from tribute bands that usually come here. They do sound like the real deal, so keep them in mind! A band schedule hasn't been posted, but seven local groups will be opening, including two SMS-leaning acts, namely classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 (returning from last year) and alt-rock/punk cover sextet BookcluB (whose "Story" of the poster teased the lineup for me last month).

Also playing on SATURDAY are local Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tragically Hip tribute bands Mellowship Slinky and The Luxury, while indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous (who also played last year) and jazz cover group The Hustle Brothers will also take the stage under the big tent. "The Howling" will begin at 3:00 PM on SATURDAY with The Royal Canadian Army's 49th Field Regiment pipe & drum band, similar to how a Royal Canadian Navy band kicked off Wolf Fest I. Last year's lineup had five bands, so I couldn't ballpark when set times will be, but 2025 headliners The Killer Hooks played at 8:15 PM. Like last year, admission to Wolf Fest on SATURDAY is via donation to the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie, and I have not seen firm reference to age limits. While the Pavilion's tent is acknowledged, 9&10 News is currently calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms that day, along with a high temperature of 23°.

The low temperature on SATURDAY is forecasted at 13°. I presume Wolf Fest will go on rain or shine thanks to the tent, but I do hope that they have most of the activities under the tent too (we don't need the mechanical bull shorting out!). In spite of promotional choices that I wouldn't have made, Wolf Fest II sounds like a fun time for fans of live music, craft beer, and local businesses, so consider heading to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on SATURDAY now that you again have the answer to the question: What is Wolf Fest? Visit the above links for more details, and here's Silent 9 live last year!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, we'll head to The Art Hub At Spring (at 504 Queen Street East), where local hardcore punk/crossover thrash trio Hails will take the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! This "hardcore hometown throwdown" is part of frontman Brenton "B.G." Ellis' takeover of The Art Hub this month, following the kickoff of his Audio/Visual Eviscerate art exhibition there last week (running through next Saturday), and this all mirrors a similar residency that he and Ha!ls had there in 2023. In what could arguably be the heaviest concert to ever take place at the former Big Brothers headquarters, Hails will be joined by ska punk quartet ASDP (led by former Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto) and the recently resurfaced local extreme metal quintet With Gunfire (featuring new Hails guitarist Anthony Orazietti and ASDP bassist William Wardlaw). Lot of close connections here, so the camaraderie should be neat alone!

This all ages concert has an admission fee of $10 or "pay what you can", and the concert starts at 7:00 PM tomorrow. If you want some explosive original-leaning action this weekend, this is your best bet, and hopefully the relatively intimate Art Hub space can contain the three bands, as it did when Brent hosted last week's Autopilot concert! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Ha!ls live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Led By Zeppelin, Bone Yard 225, Generations, and Tarnished previews in our next weekend concert preview post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Hails), The Full Throttle Saloon's Future, And New Live Videos!!

Here's that second promised news post for your Friday reading, and it features three linked stories that take us from a closing concert venue to one of its last concerts to videos from its opening act, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Less than one week after he promotes the Autopilot-headlined concert at The Art Hub At Spring, Hails frontman & visual artist Brenton Ellis will bring an all-local punk/metal concert to the intimate 504 Queen Street East art gallery on Friday, September 11th! Hails proper will headline the show in the crossover thrash trio's current lineup's Art Hub debut, while former Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto's ska punk quartet ASDP will co-headline the proceedings, and extreme metal quintet (and "Sewer City breakdown kings") With Gunfire will open. Could this be the heaviest Art Hub concert ever? This concert comes as part of Brent's new working relationship with the venue, as along with his two shows, he will be hosting an art exhibit there that premieres on Wednesday, September 2nd. As part of "B.G. Ellis' Audio/Visual Eviscerate", he will be displaying artwork that he has painted since 2019, and concert posters and band merchandise will be exhibited too.

The exhibit's opening night (featuring live music by DJ Seith) coincides with Brent's birthday too, so next month will be big for him! This all isn't a new idea either, as he hosted an exhibition of his art there in March 2023, with a Hails concert taking place at the time as well, but if you've followed Brent's music in the past seven years, you'll know that his distinct art style is a common thread, and it'll be neat to see it all come together like this! As for the concert proper, doors open at 6:00 PM on the 11th, the show will definitely be all ages, and admission will be $10 or "pay what you can". Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, here's some surprising news, as The Full Throttle Saloon at 256 Wellington Street West closed today after a nine month run. The former Primavera Hall was rebranded under Rosa Carello's ownership in November of last year, becoming a new host for live cover bands on weekends. as well as hosting three high profile touring tribute band concerts this year, most recently Sandman on July 25th. However, as per this SooToday article by Brandon Walker, the building's owners have opted to sell (click here for details), and with Rosa now unable to lease the space, she has confirmed that "I am temporarily closed until I find a new location". As part of the final events at the Steelton locale, Rosa had hosted a customer appreciation week with drink specials since Tuesday. Time will tell what happens for The Full Throttle Saloon 2.0, but hopefully Rosa lands on her feet somewhere else, and it was good having a new-ish venue for concerts!

The fact that this news comes out less than three weeks after the Sandman concert is unfortunate, but at the same time, they hadn't plugged the show on their Facebook page at all since June despite the show going down as scheduled, so that would (to me) hint that their attention was at least diverted with the closure talks. However, before we say goodbye to 256 Wellington West outright, there are two new videos from the Crazy Babies show there in May that completely passed me by at the time! The Toronto-based Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band were the first of the three touring tribute bands to rock the Full Throttle Saloon in mid-2026, and local openers Headrush actually posted two videos of their set to their Facebook group. Both filmed by bassist John Amendola, one sees them covering Ozzy's "No More Tears", though the sidestage clip is sadly both 17 seconds long and was shot vertically.

Embedded below is their opening song on this night ("I Don't Know"), which John filmed in full and horizontally! The vocal wear on "No More Tears" was evident at that later stage of the night, but the Crazy Babies deliver the goods for fans of Ozzy's, and they look the part where it counts, even down to the Zakk Wylde bullseye guitar! Of course, this show caught a lot of flack online for its $70 price point and lack of admission at the door, but it did well enough to warrant Rosa bringing in two more tribute bands to the former Primavera while she could, and the crowd looks decent from what is visible! Give John's Crazy Babies videos a watch above & below!

Finally for today, let's stay with Headrush's Facebook group, as they have some new videos there, but not from the Crazy Babies show. This year, they've been going the Silent 9 route by taking the summer off aside from festivals and private events, and in the latter case, they have played at at least two private functions since Rotaryfest. Last week, they headed north of Desbarats for a private party of some type on Diamond Lake, and in John Amendola's batch post of media from the event, there is one brief live video of them covering Foreigner's "Hot Blooded", but it has three big issues: It's vertical, it's only 18 seconds long, and it heavily focuses on partying attendees in the crowd rather than Headrush, though you do see guitarist/keyboardist Frank Mannarino late. Still, it looks like a blast was had by all! The other acknowledged private event since was a wedding concert at The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music earlier this week.

For this private booking, Headrush welcomed a special guest performer on vacation from England, namely saxophonist/keyboardist Piero Tucci. Odd not seeing Frank behind the keys, but Piero knows his way around the sax here! In another batch post from John, he included (thankfully full and horizontal) videos of them covering The Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'" and, as embedded below, Foreigner's "Urgent". Both covers are strongly done by this veteran group, with John Anderson's vocal range put to good use, and The Loft is a nice upscale downtown venue that is well suited for a wedding event like this, so give Headrush's new videos a watch above and below!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck) & Other Indoor Weekend Concert Previews!!

With Rotaryfest's remaining music schedule still very much up in the air (no pun intended), it may be worth noting that there are other concerts locally over the next two days, and indoor ones at that, so if you want to see some live music on what's supposed to be a busy weekend, you have alternatives! The focus around here is always on metal, hard rock, and punk concerts, but I thought that it's appropriate to mention other known concerts in Sault Ontario tomorrow and Saturday before we dive in to regular previews. Country cover veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride are playing at Jay's Piston Broke Pub tonight & tomorrow night, DJ Dark Mark will be spinning tunes at Beck's Bar tonight only, Juliana Regan & Convergence guitarist Jacob Valois will play a joint acoustic gig on Saturday at The Whisky Barrel, and a reunion of classic rock veterans Pegasus is slated for tonight at The Water Tower Pub. Consider these as possible alternatives if you're in the market!

Now to heavier concerts, and we'll start those previews with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as local classic/hard rock cover band Soundcheck will reportedly rock Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned of the gigs via confirmation by Separate Wayz singer Nicole Thibodeau in a comment on this post from the Sault Live Music Gig Announcements Facebook page. At press time, neither Soundcheck (nor their sister band Separate Wayz) have publically corroborated these bookings on social media, with Soundcheck not updating their Facebook page since May, and Reggie's hasn't confirmed them publically online either. Based on shares of this photo, these appear to strictly be Soundcheck gigs and not "epic crossovers", as Nicole reportedly isn't singing on a local stage again until the fall, but kudos to her for at least mentioning these bookings!

Note that recent live photos and videos of Separate Wayz appear to show a synth player in the back of the stage, but I have not seen a firm public confirmation of his identity on social media, let alone if he has joined one/both bands full time. Regardless, singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe should be back TONIGHT and TOMORROW after missing the Separate Wayz-branded concerts at Jay's last week (which weren't promoted as "epic crossovers" anyway). TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S Reggie's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover. While Soundcheck haven't played Rotaryfest in two years, you can still rock out with them this weekend, so see above for more details, and here they are live!

Next up, here's quite the nightcap TOMORROW NIGHT regardless of if Rotaryfest proceeds with music or not, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will return to the Soo that night as headliners at Beck's Bar! While technically their first local stop since they rocked The Distraction in August 2024, it's not for a lack of trying, as their planned return there last year was cancelled during the openers' sets due to police stopping the show after reported fire code violations (The Distraction has been closed ever since). Paul Gott and crew love touring here, and local fans give them great receptions time and time again, so kudos to Beck's for bringing The Ripcordz back for what should be a ferocious night of punk, especially indoors and within the fire code! Nanaimo, British Columbia pop punk quartet Danger Box (as seen at The Distraction in May 2025 and at a private event here last month) will help set the tone as openers tomorrow night, while the local openers are crossover thrash trio Hails in their first local gig of the year.

Unless you saw them in Toronto last week, this will be your first chance to see Ha!ls with With Gunfire guitarist Anthony Orazietti in place of the Muto cousins, and what a way for him to debut in city limits! This concert has a $10 cover charge (first come first serve, this is expected to draw well, Rotaryfest or not), a 19+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time. If Stage 1 takes place as scheduled, Hails (who played Stage 2 last year) will take the stage during Zed's featured set at Clergue Park, with The Sidekicks still to come there. Hardcore punk fans won't want to miss out on all of the action in the west end tomorrow night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Ripcordz live!

Finally for known hard rock concerts this weekend, we'll head to Michigan, where London, England post-grunge/hard rock quartet Bush (a.k.a. BushX for Canadians of a certain vintage) will make their local debut TOMORROW NIGHT with an outdoor concert at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Long-time rock radio staples thanks to hit songs like "Everything Zen", "The Chemicals Between Us", and "Mouth", Bush were among the most prominent rock bands of the 1990s, and while I was admittedly never their biggest fan, this show should be a good time for fans, especially if air conditions improve! As of this writing, Kewadin Casino have not said anything about possible air quality provisions on social media, but the air quality index is high an hour south of here too, so follow Kewadin's website and so forth if you are at all concerned. Planned openers Candlebox (of "Far Behind" fame) can relate, as this has hit them here before when they last planned to play in the E.U.P..

The Seattle grunge/alternative veterans were supposed to headline at the Soo Kewadin in April 2020 before the first pandemic lockdown scuttled that gig, so hopefully something similar doesn't recur! Presented by Northern Michigan's Rock 105 & 95.5 and Classic Rock: The Bear, this show is nearly sold out, with limited tickets still available in the right section for $106 USD and the general admission lawn area for $96 at this link, in person, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. The show starts at 7:00 PM, it is definitely all ages, and 9&10 News is calling for clear skies with temperatures around 67-72° (low 20s Celsius), smoke risk aside. If all goes well, this should be a huge concert for 1990s rock fans, so see above for more details, and here's Bush live!

That's all for now, but between air quality reports, the possibility of further adjustments to Rotaryfest (let alone Bush), and other news and notes, we're not sitting idle despite this weekend's concert previews seemingly being done, so stay tuned for more on the SMS shortly! Thanks everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Poutine Feast), New Videos, And Hails Updates!!

Before we kick off our likely last news post of June 2026, just a heads up that Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover band Tarnished had to cancel their St. Ignace Car Show matinee gig on Saturday, as per their Facebook page 22 minutes prior to showtime. A reason wasn't given, but Alex & Josh still played their acoustic Bay Mills gig that night, so Chris and/or Ron being unavailable could explain things. Disappointing given the timing, but Tarnished will return to St. Ignace for an outdoor Music By The Bay concert on September 5th! Now, here's a Canada Day SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and more recent news and notes from the last little while!

Local punk/alternative cover sextet BookcluB and their sister acoustic punk cover duo Dos Amigos will reportedly both be among the lineup on WEDNESDAY at The Downtown Plaza as part of the opening Canada Day program for this year's Poutine Feast! Apologies for the short notice, we only caught lineup details for this year in the batch post promoting the touring poutine festival on Facebook (only the paid advertisement version lists any scheduled musical performers, not the static promotional images shared as permanent posts). After 2025 had a reduced music lineup that was never announced on social media, we at least know some of the 2026 performers, with BookcluB and Dos Amigos (neither of which have corroborated the Poutine Feast advertising) joining new local southern/indie rock quartet Eli Russell & The River Fools and classic rock veterans RPM on WEDNESDAY.

Also teased are "...and more!", but who they are isn't known, let alone the timeslots, or the entire Thursday music lineup beyond Jay Case, but we will touch on the Friday program in our next weekend concert previews. Expect games, family entertainment, other vendors, and of course, lots of touring poutine food trucks on WEDNESDAY through Sunday at the plaza, so click here for full details on the daily themes! Poutine Feast is on daily from 11:00 AM-9:00 PM, this is absolutely FREE & ALL AGES (food purchases aside), and 9&10 News is calling for partly-mostly cloudy skies, with temperatures ranging from 25-30°, so prepare accordingly for the heat. Visit the above links for more details, and here's BookcluB live at the plaza!

Next up, here's the first public video that I can actually embed here (not a "Story") from local ska punk/"crackrocksteady" quartet A.S.D.P. in concert! The band still doesn't have a formal social media page outside of Bandcamp, but this was uploaded to drummer "Just" Ralph Barber's personal Facebook page yesterday, and then publically shared to frontman Mikhal Muto's promotion agency Underground Events SSM's Facebook page. This comes from the all-local concert that they headlined at Blaster Powerhouse this past Saturday, and this may not be representative of Adam Smith Death Parade's general sound for two reasons. One is that it's not a ska punk song (rather a cover of Pennywise's "Bro Hymn"), but also because this doesn't just have Mikhal, Tucker, William, and Ralph on stage. No, everyone is on stage, from members of other bands that night (Chris Nielsen and Spencer MacGillivray among them) to other fans and friends.

If you know anything about "Bro Hymn", the community aspect adds a lot, and it's great to see everyone having a blast in what I can only assume is the last song of the night! The attendee who filmed this (I recognize him but don't know his name off hand) unfortunately shot this vertically and only for a minute, but it's a fun watch, and I wonder who brought the balloons? Check it out below, and hopefully some more public videos of A.S.D.P. surface, even without a Facebook page of their own!

Also today, here's the latest from Mikhal's old hardcore punk band Hails, who announced the addition of With Gunfire/ex-Jack Spades guitarist Anthony Orazietti to their lineup on June 3rd, replacing Carmen Muto (Mikhal's cousin). A reason for the switch was not publically announced, but Carmen didn't immediately leave when Mikhal did at the end of 2025, and he has since been confirmed as the new lead guitarist of the aforementioned BookcluB, so follow them for his next live outings. Anthony is a talented and underrated shredder, so hopefully he bolsters the ranks well with Brent & Keegan going forward! While Ha!ls' first local date of the year and with Anthony will be at the Ripcordz concert at Beck's Bar on July 18th, they will actually debut the new lineup on Friday, July 10th at the conveniently named Dock Ellis sports bar in Toronto, which will be a headlining date alongside three bands from the GTA.

Hails are a ripping live act that fans of Brent's past work as a frontman will take to with ease, and it's great to see that their six month+ break from the stage is winding down, so if you won't be in Toronto in two weeks for the new lineup's soft launch, don't miss out on the new Ha!ls lineup with The Ripcordz the following week (on Rotaryfest Saturday, even!)

Finally for today, here's some updates from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9! The band is in the midst of their annual summer break from nightclub concerts, instead focusing on festivals and private events, but even given that, this is a quiet stretch for them, as their only public booking in Sault Ste. Marie until the fall was at Throttle Fest at Runway Park on Saturday, June 20th. If you want to get a glimpse of how the set at the outdoor motorcross/mud drag event looked, then here's a (sadly) vertical clip of Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve covering Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" late in the concert, as per their Facebook page the following day. Silent 9 were playing on a flatbed trailer at Runway Park, and there was an active crowd rocking out at this point in the night, if perhaps with a few bugs. The video is only 20 seconds long, but what we hear is well performed!

Note that the thumbnail image is from much earlier in the set for one reason or another (the video was 100% shot at nighttime), and as such, I do think that the stage lighting on the trailer made Silent 9 look too purple, especially in contrast to the outdoorsy locale, but you shouldn't be expecting Bell Border Jam II either. The description of the video does imply that Silent 9 will be back for Throttle Fest II next year, but with no Rotaryfest or Giovanni's sets this month (or anywhere else), local fans won't be able to see Silent 9 again at a public event until September, unless you wanna drive to Thessalon or White River. Give this new video clip a watch below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news, updates, and concert previews as we enter the month of July! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bimbo) & Ripcordz Concert Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of veteran radio host Bob Kevoian, who passed away yesterday at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. Read more about this news at this link. Many readers will remember Bob as the long-time co-host of The Bob & Tom Show, the nationally syndicated morning zoo crew show that locals could hear on Classic Rock: The Bear throughout its 2002-2010 run on the local dial via WIHC 97.9 FM in Newberry. Long before The Bob & Tom Show began out of WFBQ in Indianapolis, Bob and Tom actually started working together much closer to here than you may think, at radio stations in Petoskey in the early 1980s. They moved to Indiana in time to debut their show in 1983, which went national in 1995. The Bob & Tom Show left the local dial when Northern Star Broadcasting took WIHC (now Strong Tower Radio) dark in February 2010 upon selling off their E.U.P. stations.

Save for a 2017-2023 spell where The Bear replaced Bob & Tom with local morning shows (it aired on sister stations then), the program has continued to air on The Bear's network, including its current tip-of-the-mitt home on WWSS 95.3 FM in Tuscarora Township, which gets fringe reception in the Soo. Bob retired from the show in 2015, but it still carries his name, and while I preferred Scott & Brian back in the day, Bob & Tom certainly had their moments, especially if you stuck with the show regularly to get their in-jokes and recurring gags. Along with Tom Griswold, Bob gave so many listeners a lot of laughs over the decades, and he will be missed. R.I.P. Bob!

Today's post otherwise mostly keeps is in the E.U.P., with a brief Sault Ontario detour, but we'll start with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for Sault Michigan, as Marquette art punk duo Bimbo will make their local debut on Saturday, May 2nd at... Pizza Hut? It's hard to be shocked about that conceit when the Ashmun Street chain restaurant hosted Permanently Pissed, Werewolf Jones, and locals in November, so why not an encore? Like then, this is expected to be in Pizza Hut's basement. Bimbo are a brother-and-sister band with noise rock influences and an minimalist yet distinct and abrasive original sound, and it will be neat to see them make their way east in two weeks! Detroit electronica musician Nicholas "R. Solomon" Sapounas will return to the Soo as well, who you may recognize as the mixer of local punk trio The Sole Aggressors' self-titled album, but he also headlined locally at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley in August 2024.

Nice to see an extra local connection from R. Solomon, and this will definitely be a diverse bill! Two local bands will open here, including the new local hardcore punk band Viscera, who you may recall making their local debut at Three One Three On Ashmun last month! For this concert, they will expand to a trio, as they have added Chris Lovins as their new bassist, as per their Facebook page. I don't know anything about Chris musically, but hopefully he compliments Blind Bob and Mitchell well next month! Another band who was a duo at the aforementioned Three One Three gig will round out the bill, namely punk/hard rock band About:Blank, though I don't know if Parker and Kade have found a new guitarist/bassist in time for this show. While I don't know if this Pizza Hut show is a Serious Business-promoted event, they did host the last Pizza Hut concert. This concert has a 7:00 PM start time, a $15 admission fee, and will have an 18+ age limit. 

While multi-band, originals-leaning concerts in the E.U.P. have been trending upward in the mid-2020s, this is still now the most common thing, especially compared to Sault Ontario, so come on down to Pizza Hut in two weeks to see this diverse array of musicians rock out! See above for more details!

We'll close this post in Sault Ontario with some notes relating to the previously announced Ripcordz show at Beck's Bar on Saturday, July 18th! The venue confirmed this show months ago, in arguably their biggest touring artist booking yet, but a Facebook event page with the particulars went live this week, including the openers, including Nanaimo, British Columbia pop punk quartet Danger Box, who first played here at the still-closed Distraction in May of last year. Good to see their hardcore punk-tinged original attack back in town this summer, so don't miss them! Local crossover thrash band Hails (who opened last year's Danger Box concert and were playing at The Ripcordz' Distraction show last year when the cops pulled the plug) will fittingly do the honours in July! At press time, this will be Ha!ls' first show of 2026, as well as their first gig since the departure of founding guitarist Mikhal Muto in January.

Unlike last year, this will presumably be a 19+ event, it will have a $10 cover charge, and bands start at 9:00 PM. Some fans will also have two chances to see Danger Box in July, as on the way east on tour before looping back, they'll actually be headlining a private house party concert on Thursday, July 2nd alongside local openers A.S.D.P. (fronted by Mikhal) and 5 Dollar Bribe. While a publically advertised event with an admission fee, the address is not public, so if you want to go, "ask a punk", and click here for more details! See above for more on The Ripcordz' return, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

The Fist Magnet/Spigots Reunion Concert Video Showcase!!

In today's post, let's look at videos from the well received 1990s punk reunion concert at Soo Blaster on December 27th! These videos all come from former AlgomA guitarist Kevin Campbell's YouTube channel, which hosts various vintage punk videos and albums, not always locally tied (the channel is now known as Canadian Punker, but operated under a different name for years). This show (held in the memory of late Fist Magnet guitarist Chuck Ayotte) raised $5,360 for the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, as verified in this post from ARCH's Facebook page, so kudos all around to everyone who supported the cause! Kevin filmed all bands on this night except late openers The Sault Side Squad (now renamed With Gunfire, more on them in an upcoming post), but he got fourteen videos from the night's other four groups, so in performance order, who else took the stage?

Second up on the 27th was debuting local punk quartet P.R.O.D., featuring former Destroilet bandmates Christian Foisy & John Conway alongside Fist Magnet bassist Andrew Marson and Gambit drummer Clint Wilson. While their Soundcloud (and so far, only online) page has original demos, Kevin filmed them covering NOFX's "Bottles To The Ground", and as embedded below, The Crucifucks' "Hinkley Had A Vision". Christian takes on lead vocals here, and while his singing is somewhat buried in the mix, they have a solid enough 1990s punk spirit on these covers, and I'm game to hear more from them! Check this out below, and watch for ex-Destroilet drummer Matt Waples!

The two one-off 1990s punk reunions came next, starting The Spigots (or, as the screen says, "Some Spigots"). Here, singer Trevor Harding & bassist Frank Guidocco were joined by half of The Inner City Surfers (Mikey Hawdon and Dave Bahun), and Kevin filmed them covering Gordon Lightfoot's "Ed's Boat" and playing their originals "Beer Goggles", "You're So Rad", and as embedded below, "Nothing You Do". Interestingly, all four of Kevin's videos have Mikey on guitar and Dave on drums, a flip of what they usually play, but I don't know if this is how the whole set went or not. Fun throwback sound with Trevor displaying a lot of energy, and the increased crowd on the floor is encouraging, so check these out above & below!

Though not last on the 27th, the long awaited Fist Magnet reunion was the top advertised band, and if you liked P.R.O.D., you'll like that all but Clint took part here! Frontman Garry Ingram (ex-Gatgas) and drummer Dave Stokes joined their old bandmate Andrew plus guests Christian and John for a well received return set, with Kevin filming them covering Death Sentence's "Live To Die", The Lewd's "Suburban Prodigy", and playing their own "Evil God Hater", "Big Fuckin' Joints", and as embedded below, "Fat Lip". It's great to see Fist Magnet back (if only Chuck could be here for it!), and they delivered well on their original heyday's promise and attitude, so check these videos out as well, and hopefully they and The Spigots return again!

Curiously, the closing band here was active local crossover thrash band Hails, in what turned out to be their last concert with founding guitarist Mikhal Muto. Kevin filmed their cover of The Almighty Trigger Happy's "Meathook" (as seen on "Punk Canada Vol. 4") and two songs from their self-titled album, namely "The Drifter" and (as embedded below) "Pink Clouds Of Density" Ending things on a faster and heavier note, Ha!ls were on form from their prior 2025 gigs here, and they definitely fit the theme of the night, as frontman Brenton Ellis got his local music start in the 1990s punk scene, so check out their Soo Blaster videos above & below!

That's all for now, but we'll touch on With Gunfire's set in an upcoming post, and weekend concert previews are on tap next! Thanks everyone!