LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Hard Rock Revue), Fort Creek Updates, And Much More!!

Here's another packed news post to check out on this Tuesday evening, and here, we have some recent assorted updates, a look at a unique concert from earlier this month, and big lineup changes from a local hard rock band, but let's lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

The day before the Punk Rock Fiesta goes down in October, The Rockstar Bar will signal their return to hosting regular public concerts on Friday, October 2nd when they host the one-off Hard Rock Review! This is a supergroup of veteran local rock musicians led by Dodge This singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer in his first local concert appearance with a plugged-in hard rock band since Phatstick broke up in 2012, so that alone will be a pull for many. Other 1990s local rock veterans will join him here, including guitarist Jeff See, bassist Robert Iacoboni (later seen in Master Steven and the Taiwanese Pink Floyd tribute band In The Flesh), and former Gsis Murphy/Fort Creek drummer Anthony Fabiano, so local rock fans who were around then should be quite interested! As well, they will have a guest singer for six songs, namely Dallas Crockett, a friend of Rob's who sings for the Kelowna-based AC/DC tribute band High Voltage.

Dallas isn't local, but it will be interesting to hear how he does on six AC/DC classics during his planned guest spot in October! Hard Rock Review (isn't "Revue" more accurate in this context?) are advertised to play a 1980s-leaning hard rock set on October 2nd, including acts like The Scorpions, Judas Priest, Journey, The Cult, and even "a couple of one-hit-wonders". Doors open at 8:00 PM for this 19+ concert, and an admission fee or potential ticket sales are not known yet. The first weekend of October is shaping up to be huge for fans of hard rock and punk of the past, and an ideal way to kick off The Rockstar Bar's full relaunch as a proper concert venue, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, we have some big lineup news from local southern hard rock band Fort Creek, who announced two new additions to their ranks via their Facebook page on Sunday! First, they have enlisted Half Past bassist Arthur Lacasse to replace the long-since departed Robin "Bones" Lee. Art is a good fit based on his musical background, though does him joining Fort Creek mean anything negative for Half Past's status? That band has yet to play live this year following drummer Johnny Amendola's departure and move to Soundcheck/Separate Wayz, but we'll let you know if anything is clarified from their camp! Meanwhile, in a surprise, Fort Creek have also brought in former Stillbroke/Borderline Divine alum Sam DeDominicis as their new drummer, replacing Phil Greco. A reason for Phil's departure was not announced, though if you recall Bones and Anthony's quiet departures in 2023, this won't be shocking.

Fort Creek were recording their long-awaited debut album at Phil's own Jettison Studios though, so does this signal anything bad re: the album sessions, or will he still work with the band behind the scenes? Again, we'll let you know! We last heard from Sam when Borderline Divine teased a reunion in 2016 that never got off the ground (the former Stillbroke last played live in 2012), so it's been a while regardless, but it's great to see him in a new local band after all these years, let alone Justin, Shane, and Bill having a full lineup again after almost three years! Stay tuned for more from Fort Creek in live and studio contexts hopefully soon!

Now to the oldest topic in our backlog that we hadn't yet covered in an SMS post, namely fallout from this year's Government Bay Barge Bash in Cedarville, Michigan! As you may recall, three bands play this annual Les Cheneaux Islands summer concert on a floating barge in Government Bay, with swimming and boating to the event and the stage encouraged among the revelry, and for the rain-delayed event on August 2nd, their official Facebook page did get two videos highlighting what went down four Sundays ago. One features quickly cut clips from the Barge Bash, including very brief looks at The Mark Bowen Band's set. Alas, this video is both vertical and 14 seconds long, but it is an effective teaser! The longer of the two captures Cedarville classic rock veterans Shipheads On Shore covering (as best as I can tell) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Running Down A Dream" for 51 seconds.

Shared from attendee William Maloney's personal Facebook page, he panned the camera around in a circle, and you can see that the barge isn't that far from shore, so you can walk around in the water (just don't slip!). The aesthetics alone make this video worth a watch, as you don't often get concerts where boats are parked so close to the stage, let alone the wide forest sightlines, so if you don't mind getting a little wet, this deserves more attention as a summer destination concert. Sadly, no public videos of Project 906's headlining set that I am aware of, but see above for more from this year's Barge Bash, and here's to another big one next year!

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:

 

• Local hard rock cover trio Nate's Chow have added a new gig to their calendar, but it will be on the road this Saturday at the Jerk-N Depot in Alanson, which is 90 minutes south of here (give or take Mackinac Bridge traffic) and 20 minutes northeast of Petoskey. According to the band's AI-generated poster, this is a "last minute add on show" due to a previously scheduled band cancelling. This will now be just the second gig since the former Unfortunate Sun rebranded as Nate's Chow, and while anything in the Lower Peninsula is out of our coverage range, hopefully things go well on Saturday night!
• While we await confirmation of who their new bassist is, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Separate Wayz shared videos of their "epic crossover" gig in Chapleau with their sister band Soundcheck via this batch post on their Facebook page last week! Unfortunately, both videos are 7 seconds long and do not have audio whatsoever, but from what we can see, it looks like a lot of fun was had by the bands and fans alike at the Gold Rush Nationals, and stay tuned for more from both bands!
• Former Spades GT bandmates J.D. Pearce, Matthew "Fang" Voros, and Sean "Skull" MacNab will reunite for the first time since their abrupt dissolution in December this Thursday at The Queens Nightclub in Barrie, when they play a one-off Misfits tribute set as Fiend Club! This show is an all-tribute band affair featuring six bands, mostly punk and emo ones, plus the amusingly named headliners Rage Against The Poutine. Matthew and Sean have remained active this year in their psychobilly band The House of Haunt, and it is good to see J.D. (a.k.a. Johnny Pints) back on stage again with them, but could this lead to more in some fashion?

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Kaonashi & The Apocalypse Afterparty) And Pillory Updates!!

Let's dive into some more news and notes on this Tuesday night, including two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month and a new concert recording and related notes, so here's what you should know!

A memorial concert for avid local music fan (and my ex-girlfriend) Victoria Childs will be held on Saturday, October 4th at Soo Blaster! Taking place roughly a month after her sudden passing at just 34 years of age, this concert (titled Riffs For Remembrance: A Memorial For Tori) will feature a very diverse mixed-genre lineup, with proceeds being donated to mental health charities. The event is being organized by Paul & Amanda Stanghetta of party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty, who were friends of Victoria's, so all the kudos in the world to them for taking the initiative to honour her, and in lieu of the now-closed Oddfellows Hall, Soo Blaster is a perfect place to host this show! The Apocalypse Afterparty (whose second bassist Mikhal Muto is a cousin of Victoria's) are your advertised headliners, but things shift wildly for the rest of the lineup, including veteran local country musician Leslie Cook.

Folk singer/guitarists Linsaey L.W. (who I've never heard of before this show was announced) and Gimiiwan Ikwe are also on board, with one more act to be announced. While Victoria was a punk fan first and foremost, she had wide ranging music tastes, and she would be very appreciative of all of the local musicians coming together in her honour next Saturday! This all ages concert has doors opening at 7:30 PM and admission is $5. There was no funeral for Victoria, so if you want to come out in her memory, do so next weekend, as she is very much missed by her family and friends, and it should be a fun night of local music! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on Riffs For Remembrance!

Next up, it'll be another Rosie metal night revival on Wednesday, October 29th at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, when Philadelphia hardcore quartet Kaonashi make their local debut! With a name meaning "faceless" in Japanese, Kaonashi bring a progressive and djent-laden original attack to their live shows, plus distinct vocals and a crushing overall sound that should pique many a local metalhead's interest next month! Calgary hardcore band Abrupt Decay (not "Abrubt Decay") are supporting Kaonashi on their I Wanna Go To Canada 2025 Tour, and their intense grind/math-influenced brutality will be a solid compliment on this night! Also joining the fray is Montreal post-hardcore trio Paresis, whose sparer and more screamo/alt-influenced sound will add an intriguing wrinkle to this pre-Halloween concert! Local support will come by way of local death/thrash metal trio Pillory, no strangers to opening for touring extreme metal bands this year.

A presentation of Thunder Bay-based Piss Hard Promotions, this 19+ concert has an advertised 8:00 PM start time, and admission will be $25, though I don't know if there will be advance sales of some kind or if that will be the door charge. Despite being on a work/school night, hopefully there's a strong turnout of metalheads for all of this brutal original metal action next month, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Speaking of Pillory, here's a new live recording of them in concert, albeit audio only! This comes from their set at the Insurrection/Beguiler show at Soo Blaster on July 30th (which they actually closed), and drummer Bret Shuttleworth had a camera rolling, but due to sub-optimal camera placement, he opted to upload it as just an audio recording, though three songs from their set were filmed by Christopher Paci for his YouTube channel. Their first show with former Crimson Crusade frontman Devon Lucier on bass (since 2014), Bret only uploaded the first 22 minutes of their set, as technical issues relating to camera space and file size led to their closing songs ("Sculptor of Cadavers", "Exhaustive Incarnation", Sepultura's "Territory", and Black Sabbath's "Into the Void") not making the cut. As luck would have it, one of Chris' videos is of "Into The Void", so click here to give it a watch, but what is in Bret's audio recording from the night?

Their set began with their intro "End Of Small Sanctuary" (which is actually a cover from the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack), "Specimen Of Egotism", "Abhorred Apprension", "The Angst Of Existence", "The Passing", and "The Curse Of Eternal Sickness". It's worth noting that frontman Robert Sartini confirmed after "The Passing" that "all these songs (that) we've played for you tonight are off of our upcoming first full-length album", giving the album's title as "Old Stone", as far as I could tell. He said that they are looking to "have it out in October", and they hope to have a date for a CD release party soon, though I don't believe the Kaonashi show will be that. Good to get some more confirmation of the album plans, which they hasn't been super forthcoming about on social media beyond brief mentions, so stay tuned for updates as October draws nearer! As for the concert recording proper, fans will be right at home with the brutality here!

Whether you saw Chris' videos from July 30th or not, the guys are at their technical death metal best here, with Devon fitting back in well on the low end, though the audio recording quality isn't pristine. Good stuff for extreme metalheads regardless, so check out (most of) Pillory's Soo Blaster set from July 30th below, and stay tuned for album updates! 

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

Our Poll On Your Favourite New Local Metal, Hard Rock, And Punk Bands Of 2018!!

With 2018 now in the rear view mirror, let's try our year-end polls on the site again! Vote totals last year weren't very high at all, but we'll see if things turn around this time out. As usual, we are starting by posing this question:  What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk band of 2018? Last year was a lean one for debuting bands on the heavier spectrum, but enough launched, especially in the latter half of the year, to warrant this poll returning. To be included in the poll, the band must have publically launched AND played live in the 2018 calendar year, hence why Fluid 5ive (who launched way back in 2016) and Awokest (who dropped out of their sole advertised show last year) missed the cut. It's also worth noting that I can't confirm the genre range of new (and online page-less) Sault Michigan trio Roadhouse, so I opted not to include them. Of course, if we missed your preferred choice, "Other" is back too!

Lastly, in the poll form proper (on the right of the page), I specified which bands were tribute bands, just as a means of helping readers recall who they were, as upon their debut, only one of them had a publically acknowledged name on social media. Now, here are your choices in alphabetical order!

Coral Fang: Debuting at night #1 of last October's Halloween Party at The Rockstar Bar, Coral Fang are the Distillers tribute band from Jack Spades/Stegadeth bandmates Tiffany Stocco & Johnny Belanger, alongside A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen and Destroilet's Adam Larocque. The band received positive notices at this show and at their LopLops gig with The Cover-Up last month, but would you agree that they're your favourite new local band of last year?

Parabol: Though they remained unnamed until this month, many fans felt that Parabol stole the show in their live debut at night #2 of the aforementioned Halloween Party with their authentic and proficient tribute to prog-metal legends Tool. Featuring ex-Late Shift bandmates John Barber & Anthony Gagnon alongside Odd Man Out's Steve Myers and Skeyes of Seven's Al Fletcher, this band has the skill level to go far, but did you like them more than the other options here?

Poison Girl: Tiffany & Johnny were very busy on October 26th, as they launched two new cover bands that night, including the HIM tribute Poison Girl alongside Stegadeth bandmate Bill Bennett and Machines Dream keyboardist Brian Holmes. Individual local covers of the Finnish gothic rock standouts are rare enough, so Ville Valo fans certainly ate up Poison Girl's debut last fall, and while more shows haven't yet followed, did you see enough then to vote for them in this poll?

Re:Born: The only poll option that is not a tribute band, Re:Born are the new power rock band from Project 421's Blair Burch & Frank McGillivray, Eclipse's Fred Dunn, and The Din's Brandan Glew, with the now departed Robert Nevitt singing at all three of their 2018 gigs. Sets opening for Archelon & All The Wasted Years gave them strong exposure, and while their 2019 debut with new singer Elly McWatters is up in the air, did their initial shows earn them your vote over the tribute band trio?

Other: Did we miss your preferred new band of last year? Should we have included Fluid 5ive their pre-2018 launch? Did a band that never played live in 2018 impress you more, like Awokest, Hubbard, or Tattoos & Scars? Are Roadhouse a heavier rock band? Maybe you preferred a new band that isn't hard rock or punk based, or even one that's not local? If, for whatever reason, we didn't include the band you want to vote for, pick "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until February 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see which band comes out on top after a quieter than usual year for local metal and punk band debuts. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll And Your Final Poll On Your Favourite 2017 Concerts!!

It's the 18th again, so let's shut down last month's poll and launch our new one to round out our "favourite _____ of 2017" polls for another year! As you may remember, we posed this question to you guys last month: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the second half of 2017? Only 9 votes came in this past month, which is actually an improvement on our first half of 2017 poll, so there's that, and thanks to everyone who voted!

Diamond Head at The Rockstar Bar on September 2nd (3 votes, 34%)
The Din & Bizotic at LopLops Lounge on October 21st (1 vote, 11%)
Taryn Bugyra benefit at The Rockstar Bar on October 14th (1 vote, 11%)
AlgomA & Shit Liver at The New American Pub on October 2nd (1 vote, 11%)
Oh!No 2017 Music Festival in Leeburn on September 9th (1 vote, 11%)
Mike Mikus & Id Iota at LopLops Lounge on July 15th (1 vote, 11%)
Vaultry & Garbageface at The Canadian Nightclub on July 7th (1 vote, 11%)
Darsombra & Pillory at The New American Pub on July 17th (0 votes)
Project 421 & The Din at The Canadian Nightclub on July 22nd (0 votes)
Treble Charger & A Dire Setback at LopLops Lounge on July 27th (0 votes)
Dany Laj & The Looks at The Canadian on August 10th (0 votes)
The Din at the Fringe North Theatre Festival on August 12th (0 votes)
Project 421 at The Canadian Nightclub on September 8th (0 votes)
Dokken & Firehouse at The Essar Centre on September 30th (0 votes)
The Ripcordz at The Algonquin Pub on October 7th (0 votes)
K-Man & The 45s at LopLops Lounge on October 10th (0 votes)
Halloween Party night #1 at The Rockstar Bar on October 27th (0 votes)
Halloween Party night #2 at The Algonquin Pub on October 28th (0 votes)
Dany Laj & The Looks at The Rockstar Bar on November 18th (0 votes)
Guy Thiffault tribute at The Canadian on December 27th (0 votes)
Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? In ascending order, you'll notice that all but 7 choices received 0 votes, of which the Treble Charger, Dokken, and Ripcordz shows surprise me the most, given their scope. Alas, it's all in who votes! Six shows tied with a single vote each, which can be hard to accept as a "second place" finish given the turnout, but someone liked each of these shows the best, which is important! All six were big in scale or importance in their own way, from a large-scale festival to a farewell concert and everything in between, and they'll all be back for this month's poll! However, the clear winner of this poll with a third of the overall turnout is the Diamond Head concert at The Rockstar Bar in September, and for all the NWOBHM fans that came out in full force for this concert, I can easily see a pocket of attendees voting this show as the poll winner! There's one more poll ahead, but for the second half of 2018, Diamond Head's local debut is your victor, and thanks to everyone who voted!

As you may expect, we're now bringing the voted shows from last July's poll on your favourite concerts of 2018 together with the aforementioned 7 shows for one final poll on this topic, so here's the question we're posing this month: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert of 2017? Remember, to make the poll, this show must have received a vote in one of our half year polls, so if something's missing, that's why, and if you must vote for it, "Other" will return as an option. Now, here are your final choices as we close the book on 2017 and find out what show was your favourite in all of last year!

Bands: Gianni Gagoots, Bizotic, and Handsome Sandwich
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: February 18th, 2017
Info: What started as the first headlining showcase for creative instrumental jam/hard rock project Gianni Gagoots soon evolved into a special showcase for them and two new local bands, including the second live set from alt-hard rock quartet Bizotic and the debut live appearance from punk/alt/no genre trio Handsome Sandwich. With three extremely original bands on hand, including the headlining sauce masters, it's easy to see why it was well received, but would you concur?

Bands: Bone Yard, Justin Langlois, and The 3 Day Millionaires
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: May 6th, 2017
Info: A fundraiser concert to help kick off last year's Algoma Ride for Autism and help buy sensory equipment for the Algoma Autism Foundation's Sensory Lending Library, May 6th's Rock For Autism was a well attended and received event for a great cause, with country veterans Bone Yard and classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires sandwiching a solo set by Redundant frontman Justin Langlois. Kudos to everyone for their support, but was this your #1 choice?

Bands: Northwest & Greg Callaghan
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: May 27th, 2017
Info: After a 9 month hiatus from the local stage, indie/punk quintet Northwest re-emerged from the studio with a headlining set at LopLops two months ago, reintroducing themselves to fans with their up-tempo originals that punk and indie rock fans can each appreciate! Opened in a solo set by guitarist Greg Callaghan's solo project, this concert received a solid reception, and surely gave fans a preview of their upcoming second EP, but can you vouch for it in this poll?

Bands: CKY, The Wild, Jack Spades, and A Dire Setback
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: June 8th, 2017
Info: Despite the late drop-out by the reunited As It Stands, fans flocked to The Canadian on June 8th for this highly anticipated concert, with Pennsylvania alt-metal trio CKY hitting the Soo for the first time with a set full of classic and new originals alike! Joined by Victoria, B.C. hard rock standouts The Wild, the new-look Jack Spades' first show since late 2016, and a rousing opener from A Dire Setback, this concert won many fans over, but after winning our early 2017 poll, would you vote for now?

Bands: The Din, A Dire Setback, and Electric Church
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Park
Date: June 21st, 2017
Info: A free and all ages concert returned for a third straight year for Tidal Records' annual Go Skateboarding Day event at the John Rhodes Center's skatepark, with The Din returning from 2016 for another vibrant set of original hard rock action, as joined by recent live favourites A Dire Setback and Electric Church in rare outdoor appearances. All three bands rocked the top of the ramp while local skaters demonstrated their skills, but was this concert your favourite of last year?

Bands: Rick E & Kodex, A Dire Setback, Garbageface, Vaultry, Bizotic, Coach Bombay, Handsome Sandwich, and Mikey Thomas
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: July 7th, 2017
Info: Arguably Live705's biggest concert of last summer in scope, this July concert united the worlds of punk and rap into a well received clash of styles at The Canadian, including three out of town acts, fan favourite Peterborough rapper Garbageface among them. Despite mid-show lineup placements for the touring performers, this show was a success, but can you vouch for it?

Bands: Mike Mikus & Id Iota
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: July 15th, 2017
Info: Fresh off of both acts' Rotaryfest Stage 2 appearances that same afternoon, LopLops would play host to former Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus' final concert as a solely local artist before moving to Montreal. Also featuring his bandmate Dustin Goodall's indie-hard rock quartet Id Iota, Mike got a great sendoff, and we even got a Pixo throwback, but was this your favourite 2017 show?

Bands: Diamond Head, Jack Spades, and Project 421 
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: September 2nd, 2017
Info: Fans of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal were undoubtedly excited when the legendary Diamond Head came to Sault Ste. Marie to help kick off the fall season with hits like "Am I Evil?" and "Helpless" in tow! Also featuring explosive heavy rock from Jack Spades and Project 421, this well received show was definitely a highlight, but after winning the late 2017 poll, does it win your vote now?

Bands: DJ Seith, Run Coyote, Beaver Slap, Lightmares, Artificial Dissemination, The Franquilizers, Vol., Jack Spades, Pointless, A Dire Setback, The Elements, Slumshine, Winkstinger, and
Handsome Sandwich
Venue: "Robbie's Church" in Leeburn
Date: September 9th, 2017
Info: Finally realizing their goal for a large-scale concert festival, local promoters Six, Two, Oh. hosted the Oh!No 2017 Music Festival last September to a very positive response, attracting dozens of concertgoers for the wide array of local and out of town bands, and the camping and hangouts surrounding it! With this year's now announced, was Oh!No I your pick?

Bands: AlgomA, Shit Liver, Winkstinger, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The New American Pub 
Date: October 2nd, 2017
Info: Death metal fans flocked to The New A in October for local/St. Catharine's favourites Shit Liver's tour finale in support of their and fellow locals AlgomA's split covers cassette tape "Trading Faces", with both bands unloading lots of brutal renditions for the occasion! Notably featuring AlgomA's only tour stop after prior medical concerns, did this concert win your vote in this poll?

Bands: Lucky 13, The 3 Day Millionaires, Cherry Crush, and The Soo Fighters
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 14th, 2017
Info: Four local bands joined forces last October to help raise funds for the family of Cherry Crush frontwoman Taryn Bugyra, due to medical expenses related to her battle with kidney cancer. A big crowd came out to support her and bear witness to a one-off Lucky 13 reunion and the debut of the Soo's own Foo Fighters tribute band, but were you among them to pick this show?

Bands: The Din & Bizotic
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: October 21st, 2017
Info: After a successful local run together, alt-hard rock trio The Din announced their dissolution last fall following their "Suburban Sendoff" concert, where they ended their run with a bang via releasing their final studio album "Suburban Dream". Fans packed LopLops to see Mike Haggith off before his move to Manitoba, and the show & CD received rave reviews, but would you have agreed?

Other: Did we miss a show that you'd prefer to vote for in 2017, perhaps one with few or no metal, hard rock, or punk bands, or one in Sault Michigan? For reference, acts like Adam's Mind, The Alien Boys, Anavrin, The Apocalyspe Afterparty, The Bananas Guerillas, The Band Camp Rejects, Bankshot, Curtis McKenzie, Darsombra, Destroyer, Dokken, Dri Hiev, Eclipse, The Faps, Firehouse, Flying Fortress, Gnaeus, The Gutter Demons, The HTs, If I Look Strong, You Look Strong, Incredible Woman, K-Man & The 45s, Love 'N Revenge, Mike McCleary, Mourning Wood, Nebraska Arms, The Noochin' Lanterns, The Old Wives, Pillory, Pseudo, The Raygun Cowboys, Return For Refund, The Ripcordz, River Jacks, Rob Speers & Jesse Cook, Ruptured Birth, Skeyes of Seven, Soundcheck, Special Ops, Stegadeth, Stiffler's Mom, Talk Shit, The Tea Party, Telephone & Address, Thekillingfield, Them, Treble Charger, Twistory, Tym Morrison, Who Made Who, Worst Days Down, and Zaum all played shows this year not otherwise included in the poll, not to mention shows only featuring bands who played in shows listed in the poll. If, for whatever reason, we missed your preferred choice, "Other" is for you! 

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until June 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see who the ultimate winner is before we shut the polls down for a month! This is it, so vote A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for more news in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & Our Newest Poll!

After a slight delay into the evening, here is the final results for last month's poll on the SMS and the launch of our new poll! First, recall that we posed this question to you guys last month: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2017? We received 16 votes, which is better than recently usual for our polls, so thanks to everyone who voted, and without any further adieu, here are the final results!

The Din dissolves following final CD release concert (4 votes, 25%)
Oh!No Music Festival debuts in Leeburn in September (4 votes, 25%)
Diamond Head perform at The Rockstar Bar in September (2 votes, 12.5%)
Theory of a Deadman end year with Kewadin show (1 vote, 6.25%)
Skeyes of Seven return after 2 year stage hiatus (1 vote, 6.25%)
Treble Charger return for LopLops headlining concert (1 vote, 6.25%)
The Quiet Riot & Rock the Border Fest cancellations (1 vote, 6.25%)
Alter Bridge and In Flames hit Sault Michigan in May (1 vote, 6.25%)
HMV closes and is replaced by Sunrise Records (1 vote, 6.25%)
AlgomA release splits with Shit Liver & Hooded Menace (0 votes)
Bankshot reunite for Guy Thiffault Memorial Concert (0 votes)
Bret Michaels rocks Kewadin Casino once again (0 votes)
CKY and The Wild rock The Canadian Nightclub in June (0 votes)
Dokken & Firehouse play at The Essar Centre (0 votes)
Gnaeus suddenly disbands in March (0 votes)
Grooves Music reopens as Crooked Music (0 votes)
Handsome Sandwich debuts (0 votes)
Jack Spades return with lineup overhauls (0 votes)
Lita Ford & Great White's outdoor concert in St. Ignace (0 votes)
NLFB Meltdown battle takes place at LopLops Lounge (0 votes)
Pop Evil returns to The Dreammakers Theater (0 votes)
Project 421 breaks up in October (0 votes)
The Tea Party headline free ONTour concert in July (0 votes)
Theatre of Night launch their Christmas tour in December (0 votes)
Vol. debuts (0 votes)
Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, while I'm happy to see more of a vote spread this month, it is a shame to see 16 options (besides "Other") not receive any selections from readers. I'm most surprised by the lack of love for the CKY concert, most Kewadin Casino events, and the breakups of Gnaeus & Project 421, but as always, it's all in who votes! I can't take too many qualms with the six options to get a single vote, all reflecting concerts in one way or another, but I am definitely most surprised by Skeyes of Seven's return show getting a pick. The guys haven't been heard from since, but hopefully they have something up their sleeves for 2018! The highly anticipated Diamond Head concert last fall came in third place, an expectedly good finish for the NWOBHM legends! In terms of the winners, we had another tie result between the debuting Oh!No Music Festival in Leeburn in September, and The Din's farewell/CD release concert in October. Both are very deserving shows with lots of positive buzz from the autumn months!

As our tiebreaker in such cases is recency (as a newer news item will have had less time to garner the same responses and recognition), I am deeming The Din's suburban sendoff as the "winner" of this poll, and hopefully they continue to garner posthumous attention from fans new and old in 2018! Thanks to everyone for voting!

As for this month's poll, we're posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the second half of 2017? As you may have surmised from past years on the site, we're winding down our "favourite _____" polls by looking at last year's concerts again, and with the first half of 2017 covered in July, we're due to tackle concerts that took place between July 1st and December 31st! Of course, to make this poll, shows must have had at least 50% of their lineup comprised of metal, hard rock, or punk bands, which omits such notable events as the Tea Party concert, Mike Mikus & K.I.C.K.'s CD release shows, Toystock, Rotaryfest, and The Northern Vibe Festival, among others (but "Other" is a choice as usual!) This month's voted shows will join those from our early 2017 in next month's total year poll, and I hope I picked 20 shows covering a little of everything notable in 2018 from our guidelines, so here's some info on your final choices (and "Other")!

Bands: Rick E & Kodex, A Dire Setback, Garbageface, Vaultry, Bizotic, Coach Bombay, Handsome Sandwich, and Mikey Thomas
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: July 7th
Info: Arguably Live705's biggest concert of last summer in scope, this July concert united the worlds of punk and rap into a well received clash of styles at The Canadian, including three out of town acts, fan favourite Peterborough rapper Garbageface among them. Despite mid-show lineup placements for the touring performers, this show was a success, but can you vouch for it?

Bands: Mike Mikus & Id Iota
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: July 15th
Info: Fresh off of both acts' Rotaryfest Stage 2 appearances that same afternoon, LopLops would play host to former Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus' final concert as a solely local artist before moving to Montreal. Also featuring his bandmate Dustin Goodall's indie-hard rock quartet Id Iota, Mike got a great sendoff, and we even got a Pixo throwback, but was this your favourite late-2017 show?

Bands: Darsombra, Pillory, and Pointless
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: July 17th
Info: One of the most unique concerts of 2017 saw Baltimore, Maryland "trans-apocalyptic galaxy rock duo" Darsombra travel to Sault Ste. Marie for an audiovisual experience that had to be seen to be believed, making a number of new fans in the process! Also featuring drone rock trio Pointless and one of death metal trio Pillory's last shows to date, would this one earn your vote over all of the others?

Bands: Project 421, The Din, The Peach Thieves, Electric Church, The Elements, and A Dire Setback
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: July 22nd
Info: After a 9 month hiatus, classic metal quartet Project 421 made their triumphant return to the stage last July to help kick off their own final stretch of shows together. A stacked lineup hit The Canadian on this evening, including a rare appearance by jazz rock trio The Peach Thieves, but was this metal and punk array from Live705 top of the line for you here?

Bands: Treble Charger & A Dire Setback
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: July 27th
Info: Despite an oddly minimal amount of promotion for this concert at first, LopLops was sold out on July 27th for local/Toronto indie/punk quartet Treble Charger's first local concert appearance in well over two years. It was great to have Greig and Bill back in a more intimate setting, and A Dire Setback got a huge rub as openers, but was this show your favourite of these options?

Bands: Dany Laj & The Looks, A Dire Setback, The Din, and K.I.C.K.
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: August 10th
Info: Already no stranger to Sault Ste. Marie from their headlining shows in the 2015-16 winter season, Montreal power pop quartet Dany Laj & The Looks played their first of two Soo shows last year at The Canadian in August, headlining one of Live705's final shows of the year. Also featuring an array of punk and alternative openers, was this your favourite late-2017 concert?

Bands: The Din & Bold Noize
Venue: The Roberta Bondar Pavilion
Date: August 12th
Info: We may not have gotten the Rock the Border Fest at this venue, but The Din still got to play The Roberta Bondar Pavilion last summer when they headlined a special show during The Fringe North International Theatre Festival, marking the one year anniversary of their "Give In To The Din" CD release. Also featuring a rap set by Bold Noize, was this concert your pick?

Bands: Diamond Head, Jack Spades, and Project 421
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: September 2nd
Info: Fans of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal were undoubtedly excited when the legendary Diamond Head came to Sault Ste. Marie to help kick off the fall season with hits like "Am I Evil?" and "Helpless" in tow! Also featuring explosive heavy rock from Jack Spades and Project 421, this well received show was definitely a highlight, but does it win your vote?

Bands: Project 421, A Dire Setback, and Skeyes of Seven
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: September 8th
Info: Though no one knew it at the time, Project 421 played the final concert of their four year run on this September night last year, but fans sure didn't know it from their hard and heavy array of covers and originals! Also featuring punk rock action from A Dire Setback and the first show in over two years from Skeyes of Seven, did you love this concert more than any other choice in this poll late last year?

Bands: DJ Seith, Run Coyote, Beaver Slap, Lightmares, Artificial Dissemination, The Franquilizers, Vol., Jack Spades, Pointless, A Dire Setback, The Elements, Slumshine, Winkstinger, and
Handsome Sandwich
Venue: "Robbie's Church" in Leeburn
Date: September 9th
Info: Finally realizing their goal for a large-scale concert festival, local promoters Six, Two, Oh. hosted the Oh!No 2017 Music Festival last September to a very positive response, attracting dozens of concertgoers for the wide array of local and out of town bands, and the camping and hangouts surrounding it! With this year's now announced, was Oh!No I your pick?

Bands: Dokken, Firehouse, and Love 'n Revenge
Venue: The Essar Centre
Date: September 30th
Info: A rare cross-border promotional event saw Sault Michigan's Superior Entertainment bring a quality hair metal package to The Essar Centre last fall, with past Kewadin Casino attractions Dokken and Firehouse joining forces to bring their classic hits to the Canadian side of the border! Despite mixed attendance levels, did this whet your Hair Scare appetite?

Bands: AlgomA, Shit Liver, Winkstinger, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: October 2nd
Info: Death metal fans flocked to The New A in October for local/St. Catharine's favourites Shit Liver's tour finale in support of their and fellow locals AlgomA's split covers cassette tape "Trading Faces", with both bands unloading lots of brutal renditions for the occasion! Notably featuring AlgomA's only tour stop after prior medical concerns, did this concert win your vote in this poll?

Bands: The Ripcordz, Jack Spades, and Stegadeth
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: October 7th
Info: Continuing a late-year tradition dating back to 2013, Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz brought their explosive and heavily tested stage show back to Sault Ste. Marie in October , with familiar linked local punk outfits Jack Spades and Stegadeth providing a fitting compliment themselves. The Ripcordz are always a big attraction, but do you concur?

Bands: K-Man & The 45s, The Faps, and Bizotic
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: October 10th
Info: Maintaining a similarly regular schedule of fall concerts here since 2013, Montreal ska-punk veterans K-Man & The 45s came back to the Soo last fall for their second local show of the year, with Saskatoon noise-punk duo also along for the ride in their own local return! Also featuring Bizotic's creative live attack, would you vote for this show over the others?

Bands: Lucky 13, The 3 Day Millionaires, Cherry Crush, and The Soo Fighters
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 14th
Info: Four local bands joined forces last October to help raise funds for the family of Cherry Crush frontwoman Taryn Bugyra, due to medical expenses related to her battle with kidney cancer. A big crowd came out to support her and bear witness to a one-off Lucky 13 reunion and the debut of the Soo's own Foo Fighters tribute band, but were you among them to pick this show?

Bands: The Din & Bizotic
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: October 21st
Info: After a successful local run together, alt-hard rock trio The Din announced their dissolution last fall following their "Suburban Sendoff" concert, where they ended their run with a bang via releasing their final studio album "Suburban Dream". Fans packed LopLops to see Mike Haggith off before his move to Manitoba, and the show & CD received rave reviews, but would you have agreed?

Bands: The Bear Hunters (as Mount Doom), Jack Spades (as Spinal Remains), and The Soo Fighters
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 27th
Info: J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party concert grew so big in 2017 a single night and venue couldn't contain it, with night #1 at The Rockstar Bar seeing local tributes to Amon Amarth, The Misfits, and The Foo Fighters for costumed brethren. Despite the late drop-out of planned headliners Decatur, fans responded positively to this one, but can you vouch for it in the poll?

Bands: Eclipse (as SSM of a Down), The HTs (as You First & The Passive Aggressives), The Bananas Guerrillas (as Enema of the State), and Anavrin
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: October 28th
Info: The second half of the aforementioned Halloween Party moved downstairs to The Algonquin Pub, where System of a Down, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Blink-182, and Nirvana tributes gathered to rock a new audience! Notably including Eclipse's last concert set, the one-off Anavrin's only show, and two band debuts, did you like night #2 the most last year?

Bands: Dany Laj & The Looks, Bizotic, Handsome Sandwich, and Slumshine
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: November 18th
Info: Making their second local concert appearance in just over three months, Dany Laj & The Looks brought their upbeat power pop originals to The Rockstar Bar in November, giving existing and new fans another entertaining night of music, alongside some harder-tinged openers! Notable as the last local concert co-promoted by Larry Babic before moving, does this one win your vote?

Bands: The HTs, Bankshot, Nebraska Arms, Christian Pasiak, Jack Spades, A Dire Setback, Stegadeth, and Talk Shit
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: December 27th
Info: A second annual memorial concert for late Hangdowns frontman Guy Thiffault was held at The Canadian after Christmas, with a stacked lineup of punk bands and notables gathering for the occasion! Despite a drumkit mishap, band reunions and debuting new lineups led to a highly anticipated reunion by late 1990s punk favourites Bankshot, but did this take late 2017?

Other: Did we miss a show you preferred in late 2017? For reference sake, metal, hard rock, and punk acts like Adam's Mind, The Alien Boys, The Apocalypse Afterparty, Curtis McKenzie, Destroyer, Dri Hiev, Flying Fortress, Gianni Gagoots, If I Look Strong, You Look Strong, Incredible Woman, Mike McCleary, The Noochin' Lanterns, Northwest, The Raygun Cowboys, Rob Speers & Jesse Cook, Soundcheck, Special Ops, Stiffler's Mom, The Tea Party, Telephone & Address, Them, Twistory, Tym Morrison, and Zaum also played public shows here between July and December, while shows featuring bands otherwise in the poll also occurred. Did you like one whose lineup wasn't 50% heavy, or perhaps preferred a private, non-local, or Sault Michigan event? If we forgot your own favourite show, "Other" is here for you!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until May 18th to cast your votes, when last month's and this month's choices will join forces for one final poll on your favourite shows in all of 2017, so cast your votes A.S.A.P.! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!