The ARCH Run Concert Preview!!

For post #4 of this very busy slate of weekend concert previews, we're looking at the first of this weekend's two motorcycle rallies in support of the Algoma Regional Community Hospice! Now, I want to preface our previews by noting that I am not going into details about or taking sides re: the Dragonfly Run's split with Jay's Piston Broke Pub, or Jay's decision to host the ARCH Run the day prior. At least in a public sense, I only know the Dragonfly Run organizers' side of the break, and you can read their statement at this link. Regardless of what happened, both rallies are donating their proceeds to ARCH, which is a very worthy cause to support no matter how you do it, and I hope both rallies meet expectations!

Now, here's our extended profile of TOMORROW's first annual ARCH Run, which replaces the Dragonfly Run at Jay's Piston Broke Pub (also this run's hosts). The centerpiece of this event is (of course) a motorcycle rally through town in support of the hospice, and while riders have been pledging money in support of ARCH, you can also contribute by attending the street party outside of Jay's featuring a busy lineup of local musicians, vendors, a silent auction, prize draws, and more! Visit Jay's Facebook page and the official Facebook event page for full non-musical details. While we knew fragments of the live music lineup prior, organizers only announced the full band schedule on Wednesday, and there will be some hard rock to take in! The closing band outside of Jay's at 8:00 PM tomorrow is local hard rock quintet HeadFirst, moved up from their originally announced 5:00 PM set, and they should end the street party with a bang tomorrow evening!

Co-headlining outside tomorrow at 7:00 PM are Dodge This, the new local acoustic rock duo featuring former Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer and former Havadder/Band Camp Rejects guitarist Jamie July. You may recall seeing the two playing at The Dive Gastro Pub in recent weeks, preceded by Jason's own solo dates there, and it will be interesting to see how their set goes over! The 6:00 PM set belongs to a mystery act named "The Preacher", who I know nothing concrete about, but I do know that veteran local musician Lindsay Pugh has a song of that name on his most recent solo album. Whether that's relevant or not, I don't know, but we'll let you know if we hear anything! Pop rock cover quartet Bourbon Blue (whose members played at the Dragonfly Run last year as "Nicky & The Southpaws") will take the outdoor stage at 5:00 PM before they head inside Jay's as their regular nighttime performers.

Note that Double Down drummer Ric Datson will be filling in with Bourbon Blue this weekend due to Alvaro Scheid's inavailability, and he'll be very fitting as a guest! Rising young metal trio The BAG will rock the street party at 4:00 PM to give things a bit of a heavier kick, while the 3:00 PM set belongs to Dark Side Of The Soo, a local Pink Floyd tribute band largely comprised of Bourbon Blue members. I'm unfamiliar with them as a public concern, but if you recall Jules & Nicole's prior tribute band The Soo Fighters, you know that they can handle tribute sets easily! Country rock veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride hit the stage at 2:00 PM, while your opening band at 1:00 PM is The Hoovers, who are new to me, but according to classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's Facebook page, their set will see three members (likely absent Terry or Cameron) backing up a friend named Dwayne on vocals & guitar for this afternoon-opening set.

I'm not even familiar with which musician named Dwayne that the band referenced, but be there at 1:00 PM to learn what you can about The Hoovers! Soundcheck's support for this set came together on late notice, for the record. The street party proper begins at 11:00 AM, and it is FREE & ALL AGES, though of course, consider donating to ARCH however you can while on Korah Road tomorrow, and the rally through the city starts and ends at Jay's. Weather-wise, we are looking at mostly cloudy skies with temperatures ranging from 21-24° throughout the day, but note that 9&10 News is calling for a 30% chance of rain from about 2:00 PM onwards, with a chance of thunder until around 4:00 PM. If you are at all concerned about the weather impairing any of the events outside of Jay's, then keep tabs on their social media for any extra details. It sounds like the ARCH Run has a lot planned for a great cause, so don't miss out on all of the action!

We'll preview Sunday's Dragonfly Run next, but visit the above links for complete public details about tomorrow's ARCH Run, and I hope that loads of cash are raised for the hospice, who are always deserving of support from the community! For a preview, here's HeadFirst live last month!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Dragonfly Run and Wax Mannequin previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Spun), An Inactive Band Note, And New Videos!!

Before we post our review of last night's Live705 Easter Bash, here's a new news post for your Easter Sunday, as we tackle some recent topics and discoveries in the local metal, hard rock, and punk scenes! Today, you'll find a recent concert teaser clip, a Wayne's World homage for a great cause, and a reluctant band move to our inactive links, but first, here's LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month!

Marquette hard rock quartet Spun will make their local concert debuts with shows at The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan on Friday, May 5th & Saturday, May 6th! In case you're not aware, Spun are basically the successors to fellow Marquette rockers Nudge, who frequented The Frog during their decade-long run, and it's great to see Tim Prisk, Bob Libick, and Bob Crawford back together on a local stage! As best as I can tell, Tim is the band's primary lead singer, with Doug Pennala enlisted as their second guitarist in place of ex-Nudge frontman Danzo McCracken. Nudge fans will be right at home with Spun, whose setlist and genre ranges are very similar, and they should fit in fine at The Frog next month, hopefully the first of many shows to come out east! You can take in Spun on May 5th & 6th at 9:00 PM, there are no announced cover charges, and you must be 21 or older to attend. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and check out Spun above to hear what's in store for their first local stops!

Just as a related reminder, Danzo and ex-Nudge drummer Tim Kusmirek have since launched a new band named Reality Bites that play 1990s rock covers, though not as hard rock-focused as what Nudge or Spun play. Reality Bites are actually releasing an original CD soon, and have played here multiple times since launching, including at The Frog and at Kewadin Casino lounges. Keep Reality Bites in mind to see what Danzo and Tim are up to!

Next up, we have a band to soon move to our inactive band links, they being Sault Ontario punk/country quintet The Billy Bastards. Public updates last came to their Facebook page one year ago this coming Tuesday in a post hyping that they hit 400 likes, and beyond that, The Billys have only played one public concert since the end of 2013, when their full quintet lineup travelled to Ophir to perform at the inaugural Northern Vibe Festival in August 2015. Over their decade-long (though increasingly sporadic) run in the local scene, The Billy Bastards became a fan favourite sight with fans of punk and country alike, notably headlining The Rockstar Bar's first ever concert, opening for notable local and out of town acts, and competing at 2009's Kiss Battle of the Bands (in which many fans still think they should have made the finals.), Their three CDs were all popular releases locally as well, if elusive to find online in a full copy, but hopefully we can review one on here soon.

While I'm not an ardent fan of country music, The Billys melded it with punk as well as you can imagine, giving the punk swagger and aggression to their originals in a way that worked with fans of either genre, as attendance of their packed concerts will attest! Given the band's late-era nature, a reunion set could occur at any time, but for now, best of luck to Aaron, Greg, Paul, John and Charlie in the future, and don't miss John with Destroilet!

Closing with new videos,  here's a charity video of Case's Music employees covering Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" a'la Wayne's World! Part of the ARCH Hospice's Cartime Karaoke Challenge where local businesses and teams sing karaoke in a car a'la the popular James Corden segments, this video features Case's Music staffers Carrie Suriano, Jake Rendell (Machines Dream), Josh Norling (The Elements), and Jenny Gauvreau (Honest Job) alongside Cartime Karaoke host and LopLops bartender Leo Moore, who picked them up and drove for the duration. Competing teams will have a final faceoff at Dragonfly Day on June 17th downtown at the canal, so click here for full details on the event and how you can donate or attend. Dressed the part with flannel shirts, ball caps, and even drum sticks and a mini-keyboard, this is a fun rendition that overcomes a slightly nervous and uneasy opening, and it's well worth checking out whether you're a fan of Case's Music, Queen, Wayne's World, or The Late Late Show, and you can check it out below!



Finally, here's an amusing teaser video for last night's Electric Church headlining set at Live705's Easter Bash, courtesy of their Facebook page yesterday afternoon! Apologies for this being late on here, it came when we didn't have time to rush a post to include it. The clip features the fathers of frontman Spencer Pine and bassist Elijah Nielsen hyping the show in lieu of their sons, and while some of the information is a little muddled, this is an amusing and unexpected way to hype the concert! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for our review of the show proper next!



That's all for now, but once again, look for our review of Live705's Easter Bash on the site next! Thanks everyone!