YouTube Channel Profile Series: Kelly Cristina & Chris Hubbard

After a slight delay due to the holiday long weekend and some sad losses, here is our final monthly feature post of 2025, namely this month's YouTube Channel Profile! As usual, this series looks at randomly selected YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists/concerts, and as the first selected channel only has one video period, I added a second channel with minimal content to round things out. As such, we're splitting things betwen the Twin Saults today, so here's what you should know from both channels!

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Kelly Cristina (http://www.youtube.com/@kekeitba)

Owner: YouTube user Kelly Cristina, a.k.a. kekeitba, who I believe is based out of Brazil

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 23rd, 2008; Only video uploaded on July 16th, 2014

Channel Summary: Kelly's only upload is a lyric video for defunct local blackened doom metal band Woods Of Ypres' song "Shards Of Love (Hurt Forever)", which led off their 2009 CD "Woods IV: The Green Album". While this is seemingly a redundant upload compared to fuller and more official copies of "Woods 4" elsewhere on YouTube and other services, note that the on-screen lyrics are in Portuguese, helping translate this post-breakup doom metal song for native speakers. There are a handful of Brazilian immigrants in the area, so note the translated lyrics if they are of use, and the song alone is a solid first sampling of their late-era doom sound!

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Chris Hubbard (http://www.youtube.com/@chrishubbard415e)

Owner: Sault Michigan hard rock guitarist Chris Hubbard, known from past local bands like Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, Trail's End, Hubbard, 415E, and Rhythm & Brews

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 19th, 2011; Videos uploaded from February 2016 to October 2024

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for Chris' solo output (and branded for his eponymous Hubbard solo project), only four videos would make their way here, two being in-studio performance clips and one featuring his own build of the time machine part of the DeLorean from the Back To The Future movies. Chris' last video to date is a "Shorts" upload where he was promoting a 5150 Frankenstrat guitar body for sale, though I don't know if he successfully sold it in the past year or not.

Why You Should Watch: Despite his crystal clear talents on guitar, Chris' post-Nixxon Dixxon bands only posted videos to social media very scarcely, so if you want to see him actually shredding on camera, the two videos here are some of the surprisingly few ways to do so! Chris hasn't been super active locally as a live musician in recent months, but hopefully he surface again when the time is right, including revisiting his solo original material! The B.T.T.F. time machine video is a neat sampler of what Chris was working on, but it is a 15 second "part 1", and the teased next part did not follow .

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Chris Hubbard Light Up The Sky - Van Halen Cover. Drums, Bass, Guitar ~EVH: Well known as a die-hard fan of Van Halen, Chris' first video here saw him cover "Light Up The Sky" (a deep cut from "Van Halen II") in studio. The instrumental cover saw Chris play guitar, bass, and drums at his home studio via stationary cameras, but he did not film himself playing the bass tracks. Chris absolutely nails this song on all fronts, supplemented by having the right EVH gear, and while I'd have framed his camera a little better, Roth-era Van Halen fans will absolutely appreciate the performance quality and musicianship here!

 

Messing around with Ernie Ball Music Man EVH Guitar ~ Chris Hubbard: Chris' most popular video (with over 147,000 views at press time), this 11 minute+ jam video from March 2016 was allegedly filmed with no warm-up shortly after he woke up that day. Keep that in mind when you watch this very skilled performance, both on a technical basis (look at his gear!) and for replicating Eddie Van Halen's tone and musical style, and viewers raved about how much they liked it in the comments. Chris is an excellent guitarist, one of the best in the E.U.P., and hopefully we see him back at it before long!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! We're leading off 2026 in this series in a big way, as our latest randomly selected YouTube channel will be that of prolific local/Barrie musician Mike Haggith! There will be a lot to cover, so look for that on or around January 26th, and stay tuned for New Year's Eve concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: 415E

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This monthly feature ends its 2024 run by looking at another randomly selected local band who is presently inactive or defunct, but deserves a modern spotlight for current readers, and we're back in Sault Michigan to look at a long-running (if video-deficient) hard rock band that many E.U.P. concert goers of the 2010s will remember well. Here's what you should know on them!

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415E

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Genre: Hard Rock

Lineup: (Members not in their last full lineup are in italics)

Dave "Sonny" Menard (Dirty Musky), vocals
Chris Hubbard (Rhythm & Brews), guitar
Brett Blackwood (Dirty Musky), bass
Jason VanLuven (Unfortunate Sun), drums

Jack Slater (The Highest Of Fives, Unleashed), bass
Mitch Goetz (The Highest Of Fives, Hoist The Sails), bass
Devin Anderson (The Highest Of Fives, Free Refill), drums
Tony Hubbard (Splitshot, Stonewall Creation), drums

Audio/Video:  415E initially claimed to have finished an entire original album upon their September 2012 launch, and would play their own songs live at least into mid-2013, but the album was never visibly released. They were reticent to publically post videos of their shows or jam sessions online, possibly to encourage fans to actually see them live, but the band covered the likes of Shinedown, Godsmack, Ozzy Osbourne, and Volbeat in their early shows, with Chris also being noted for his Van Halen fandom and covering them thusly here. Dave & Brett's current band Dirty Musky will hold obvious musical comparisons to 415E, as will Chris' work in bands like Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, Trail's End, and (presently) Rhythm & Brews. Here's 415E's sole known public video, of their original lineup covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song" in their live debut!

Info/Analysis: Publically launching at The Hubbard-Menard Band, former Splitshot bandmates Dave Menard & Chris Hubbard soon added Jack Slater and Devin Anderson to their lineup, and took the name 415E (police code for a noise disturbance from a concert or party) in October 2012. Debuting to open for Sebastian Bach in January 2013, they began playing headlining concerts on the weekend nightclub circuit that spring, primarily at Kewadin Casino lounges, including road trips to Manistique. After a spell of shorthanded gigs (some as a duo), Dave & Chris added Mitch Goetz and Chris' dad Tony in the fall of 2014, with this era of the band running into mid-2017. 415E returned after a year+ hiatus in December 2018 with Brett Blackwood & Jason VanLuven as their new rhythm section, but shows became increasingly sporadic, and they were last seen at The Hilltop Bar on Sugar Island in October 2021.

I wish I could say more on 415E as a band, but given their elusive nature re: public videos, I'm limited for direct thoughts. Their STP cover was well done, and they always had a talented lineup, with Chris always showing considerable skill on guitar, so I'm sure that any videos from their heyday would be worth checking out if uploaded belatedly. Do check out Dirty Musky, Rhythm & Brews, and Unfortunate Sun to see what band members of their last lineup are up to nowadays, and R.I.P. Tony!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around January 10th as we kick off 2025 in this series for another randomly selected profile, and next month, we're looking at 2010s Sault Ontario grindcore/death metal duo Rotopsy! Look for that then, and for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Tony Hubbard (1955-2023)

I'd like to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of veteran Sault Michigan rock drummer Tony Hubbard, who passed away on Monday at MyMichigan Medical Center (nee the War Memorial Hospital) at the age of 67. You can read his obituary at this link, and his memorial service took place earlier today at C.S. Mulder Funeral Home with a celebration of life following tonight at The Merchants Bar. In lieu of flowers, the Hubbard family would appreciate donations to the Hospice of the E.U.P.. SMS readers who have followed our Sault Michigan and E.U.P. coverage should be familiar with Tony for his work behind the kit with local hard rock cover bands Splitshot (from 2010-2011) and 415E (from 2014-2017), joining his son Chris to perform with both bands, though Tony didn't return to 415E when they relaunched in 2019. You may also recognize Tony from local bands like Stonewall Creation and as a former bandmate of Tim Hatfield's.

Outside of music, Tony was a skilled craftsman who owned Hubbard Interiors, and he was an avid hockey player, a loving husband and father, and a kind man who loved to tell a joke. Tony is survived by his wife Cami, four children (including Chris), three grandchildren, and four siblings. Having lost a parent myself, I can relate to what Chris and the Hubbard family are going through right now, and while public media of Tony's more recent bands was always surprisingly elusive, he was an accomplished drummer and a familiar face for many who frequented the local concert scene in the E.U.P. into the late 2010s. R.I.P. Tony!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: RXN & Hubbard

Things remain slow for news in SMS-Land right now, but this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are here and on schedule on this snowy Monday night! For our first installment of this series in 2022, we're looking at two local hard rock acts of the past, both randomly selected from our inactive band links, in order to spotlight them and their run for current readers! The first band was bumped from December's post due to last month's first chosen band having more info than I expected, so we're doubling up this month instead with a new band added to fill things out. Here's what you should know!

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RXN

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Hard Rock

Lineup:

Shawn Dunn, vocals
Tukker "Patry" Broda, guitar/bass
Josh "J-Sus" McEwen, bass
Caleb Pitaro (Slow Children Playing), drums

Info/Analysis: Active from late 2009 through at least April 2010, RXN (pronounced "reaction") began as a solo project of Tukker's, but was soon rounded out to a full lineup with aspirations to record original material. Josh left the band before their last updates on their official blog, and RXN appear to have quietly disbanded by 2011. Aside from Caleb's now-deleted work with Slow Children Playing, I can't comment on RXN as musicians, but this young group worked on their online presentation reasonably well when they were active, and I'd be curious to hear what they had recorded!

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Hubbard

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Genre: Hard Rock

Lineup:

Chris Hubbard (415E, Rhythm & Brews), all instruments

Info/Analysis: A solo project from ex-Nixxon Dixxon guitarist Chris Hubbard, it launched publically via their Facebook page in June 2018, with Chris noting plans to record a solo album. Unfortunately, teasers of planned sessions and optimistic future activity are all we really got from Hubbard's nine sporadic Facebook posts, and the project was last heard from in October 2020, with Chris focusing on his bands since. Aside from a drum set-up clip, we have very little to show from Hubbard musically, but Chris' resume and his Van Halen fandom should give you an idea. Hopefully Hubbard are revived when the time is right, as the potential is absolutely there, and Chris is an excellent guitarist!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! This series will return on or around February 10th when we look at another randomly selected band, and we're back in Sault Ontario for a look at mid-2000s punk trio Smeltzer, surviving information willing! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

New Videos From Three Sault Ontario Bands, Plus Assorted Sault Michigan Updates!!

After a day off from the SMS following a busy weekend of late notice show announcements, we're back on this snowy Sunday morning with a batch of new videos and linked updates from three local hard rock bands, two of which fans haven't seen much of in the 2020s so far! To round things out, we have a few shorter notes from the E.U.P., but let's kick things off in Ontario!

Local power rock band Re:Born appear to be getting back into the public swing of things, and to that end, they are back to a five-piece lineup, as they have enlisted A Dire Setback frontman Chris Nielsen as their new second guitarist (replacing the long-since departed Frank McGillivray), while his cousin Elijah Nielsen (ex-Electric Church) has also joined the band on bass, replacing Fred Dunn. A reason for Fred's departure has not been publically announced, and while I do know the details, I don't feel comfortable sharing them out of respect for Fred & the band. Hopefully we see Fred back out there down the line! The new lineup can be seen playing together at their regular jam space in photos uploaded to their Facebook page yesterday, as well as this live video of them covering Motley Crue's "Live Wire" (judging by the extra attendees in frame, this was clearly more than just a rehearsal).

If memory serves, Re:Born only played one formal concert as a quintet with Elly on vocals before Frank moved, so it's nice to see a two pronged guitar attack again here, and the Nielsens appear to be holding their own on this cover, but who knows when we'll hear more, either on video or in concert. Re:Born haven't played live in almost two years, and you can guess the primary reason why not, but hopefully it won't be too much longer before they emerge from hibernation! Check out their solid Motley Crue cover below!

Next up, local Tool tribute band Parabol are back, complete with a brand new Facebook page! As you may recall, this supergroup had been a live act for about a year starting in October 2018, playing a number of well received local concerts during that span, but their original Facebook page was quietly taken down circa January 2020, and they have not played live since. If you're to believe personal discussions after the fact, the band never broke up, and the page was taken down by Facebook over copyright infringement warnings (in other words, Parabol sounded too close to Tool in shared videos). If true, it's not that far fetched, as Parabol's live shows were sonically faithful! This new Facebook page was actually created back in May 2020, and while I do apologize for only adding them back to our active band links now, they also haven't played live in over two years for obvious reasons.

Alongside photos from their October 2019 headlining date at Soo Blaster (still their most recent live appearance), Parabol shared two videos last May, including a montage of Tool covers set to live photos of the band, and the video embedded below of them playing "Lateralus" at the same concert. Strongly done rendition with nice professional stage lighting, though I'd have positioned the camera in a more central spot to better capture the band on such a big stage, especially with how hard it is to see Anthony. Still great to see him, John, Steve, and Al back, and hopefully they can play proper public concerts again when the time is right, but for now, check out both videos!

Also today, here's two new minute-long videos of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck live at Reggie's West on Friday! Posted to their Facebook page last night in advance of night #2 of their short notice weekend there, the videos appear to both be shot by singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver while on stage, effectively making these trio performances with guitarist Terry Eaton on lead vocals. One video features Soundcheck playing a song that, for the life of me, I cannot identify, partly because of Terry's vocals being very muddled through this camera, though it sounds like late '70s/early '80s classic rock. Embedded below is Soundcheck (minus Cameron) covering Golden Earring's "Radar Love". While the vantage point from front & center of the stage is sure interesting, and defeats that cursed pole that often covers up Paul, the muddy audio quality, jittery camera angle, and vertical orientation don't help.

Despite the technical issues with Cameron's camera, Soundcheck sound good on these covers, and the point-of-view angle is definitely unique, so give them a look above and below, and hopefully last night's Reggievelt show went off without a hitch! We'll let you guys know if Soundcheck are playing anywhere on late notice this coming weekend!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all reflecting Sault Michigan bands in one form or another! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• I have moved local hard rock solo project Hubbard to our inactive band links due to a year's public activity. Led by 415E/Rhythm & Brews guitarist Chris Hubbard, his solo output has been limited to just sporadic teasers on Hubbard's Facebook page towards things going on in studio, last updating fans on October 22nd of last year. Now, Hubbard have been publically silent for longer than this before, having went 15 months between Facebook posts in 2018-2019, so Chris could still be hard at work behind the scenes. Regardless, follow his two live bands in the interim!
  
• Local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 have enlisted Oddfellow alum Odin Osogwin as their new drummer, replacing Gary Croad, as per their Facebook page on Friday. A reason for Gary's departure was not publically announced, but the band oddly didn't acknowledge a drummer change until after promoting that night's Strongs Tavern show. Gary had joined Project 906 in February, and he seemed like a good fit with the 906 camp for their return gigs from June onward, but Odin's drum skill is well established, and it's good to see him back in a local band after way too long!
• Local hard rock quartet Tarnished have finally identified their new bassist as Isaac Royer, as per videos that the band exclusively shared as Facebook "stories" on Friday night where he and frontman Alex Traynor hyped up their Rapids Lounge concerts over the weekend. Remember, Facebook "stories" can only be seen twice before they vanish forever, unless separately posted on their Facebook page, which Tarnished did not do for those clips. Isaac joined the band in August, allowing Alex to move back to guitar following their most recent trio run, and he has seemed to fit in well with Tarnished so far! Look for more from their camp soon!

 

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

Toystock & Tarnished Updates, Plus More News & Notes!!

Here is our newest post on the SMS, keeping with our recent schedule of having a new SMS post every three days due to a lack of new material. At the moment, I am forecasting this month's YouTube Channel Profile hitting the site on Wednesday, but if I catch word of any short notice concerts for the upcoming weekend, I could bump the feature post ahead to likely end this very slow month. Time will tell, but let's kick things off with a big concert cancellation, followed by some more recent updates!

Despite an optimistic teaser post on their Facebook page on November 4th, the ninth annual Toystock charity concert has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a post shared from organizer/performer Greg Simpson's personal Facebook page yesterday, he noted that they were looking into hosting Toystock as a live-streamed event with one band playing online each day over a 10 day span, but fears from organizers and performers of coronavirus case increases, restrictions on indoor gathering allowances, and a potential second lockdown have led to this decision, as well as the reality of fundraising websites needing to take a percentage of donations. I fully understand Greg and company's call, especially if it hinders their ability to entertain while also facilitating Christmas Cheer donations as usual. That said, Greg promises to bring back "the biggest and best Toystock event yet" in 2021, and he strongly encourages everyone to donate new/unopened items to Christmas Cheer.

Were it not for COVID-19, Toystock IX likely would have been held this coming Sunday at The Grand Gardens North, FYI. This is definitely a disappointing announcement, but if you can't give Toystock your all for the great cause it supports, especially as a kick-off to Christmas season, postponing it to next year does make sense in that way. See above for more details on the Toystock cancellation, and donate what you can for Christmas Cheer to make the holidays brighter for those in need!

Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished, starting with the launch of their own YouTube channel! So far, there are four videos uploaded there, all re-shares from Facebook, including the previously seen behind-the-scenes clip from the "Metalyn" music video shoot. The most substantial of the others is embedded below, and it relates to a new merchandise give-away contest that the guys started last week, as teased via a series of Facebook page-exclusive videos. These were all short and primarily feature new pictures of band members alongside a lot of post-production clip-art and logos, with last Sunday's video's description noting that it has a "victory selfie from finishing recording at our studio." Did they record more studio material, or is this referencing work on the music video? Only one of the teaser clips actually has motion, namely the last one featuring a pan and scan of wintry conditions before bassist Josh Fair hypes the giveaway.

That all said, what should you know about the actual merch give-away? In the video, Tarnished (minus Gary) announced that they will hold draws starting on Wednesday, December 2nd for five merchandise bundles, and you can enter by liking, sharing, and/or commenting on the video, which will count for up to three entries. The five bundles will include signed copies of their debut CD "Down To The Wire" and frontman Alex Traynor's solo album "Crazy World", t-shirts, wristbands, and/or guitar picks, with one winner getting everything, and they'll do another set of giveaways if the video is shared 10,000 times. This sounds like a fun idea during this low point of the pandemic, and it may be a remedy for Tarnished to disperse some of their merchandise when they can't sell it live. In a follow-up "After Hours" video, you can see Alex, Josh, and Nathan jokingly discussing what their next plans are, albeit with some honesty about the pandemic-hit 2020 calendar.

There are more videos from Tarnished's Facebook and YouTube pages to share here, but to spread things out and ensure content for posts next week, I'll hold them for now. Tarnished are doing what they can to keep up fan interest at a rough point in the pandemic, and this contest should definitely help, so get more details on their current activity above & below!

Finally, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Local hard rock solo project Hubbard announced on their Facebook page last month that they have "been fine-tuning a lot of songs in the past few weeks", that there is "fun stuff to come next year", and to "stick around for new music". Given Chris' pedigree as a guitarist and his familiar local band work, the sporadic updates from his solo work are very surprising, but fingers crossed we hear more of his new original content in the near future!
  
• Back on June 1st, The Sault Community Theatre Centre's Facebook page announced that the Queen: It's A Kinda Magic tribute concert in Sault Ontario has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 2nd of next year, exactly 50 weeks from the original June 17th date, obviously called off due to COVID-19. Hopefully the new date holds up, as this tribute band deliver the goods! Tickets bought for the original date should be honoured, and contact the S.C.T.C. box office for details on refunds if so desired.
• Local punk trio Redundant announced on their Facebook page on November 1st that they "spent some time writing tonight" and have "new songs coming your way", while later asking fans to suggest songs that they should cover. Nice to see that the guys are staying busy this fall, and hopefully the fruits of their labour will turn up at some point soon! See above for more details!
  

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile by Wednesday, unless there's some concerts to preview! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

After a day or so to build up some stories, we have an all-video post on the SMS today, featuring two recent live-streams, a solo project's studio teaser, and a live concert video from last year from an angle you don't see every day. Here's what you should know!

Local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith's third #LockdownLive post-show took place on his Facebook page on Sunday, primarily to announce the winner of the share contest from Saturday's #LockdownLive IX festivities! After running through what happened the previous night and discussing the idea of patching in other live-streamed viewers for live collaborations, Mike announces that #LockdownLive IX had 209 shares, with the winner sharing the video 128 times. Mike changes rooms to contact the winner on his laptop due to technical difficulties, and the winner was Re:Born frontwoman Elly McWatters, who nominates "The Pussy Cat Song" by Connie Vannett. Afterwards, Mike listens to the song live so we can see his reaction, and it's definitely amusing! To close, Mike covers "MorningStar" from "If Ever Comes The Day" as requested by Elly, before recapping everything and promoting #LockdownLive X on Saturday, theme to be revealed.

A bit more concise than the prior two post-shows, despite Mike's technical issues with his tablet, but all of the pertinent details are included, and that will be quite a cover on Saturday! Give everything a look below, and stay tuned for more on the next live-stream after it occurs!

Next up, local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison's 18th live-streamed concert took place on his YouTube channel yesterday, though technical difficulties reared their ugly head once again, as ("Starting Soon" card aside) this installment only didn't even run for 20 minutes! You could tell something was off right away, as Tym's opening rendition of Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" was joined in progress, the audio track jumps ahead at points, and the visuals look like a slideshow with only occasional motion. That song is cut off before it ends too, moving right into Tym's cover of Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love", also already in progress. After spending a couple of minutes working on the stream, Tym covers Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", but with issues ongoing, there's a 4 minute wait for Tym's last song, Kim Mitchell's "All We Are" in it's third straight appearance in Tym's live-streams. Afterwards, Tym abruptly ended the show due to the ongoing technical issues.

Aside from the audio skipping ahead at points, Tym's performance were on par with his past live-streams musically, but the choppy video quality and lag was clearly not optimal, and definitely the worst I've seen for this series. Hopefully Tym sorts out the issues in time for his next planned live-stream tomorrow, as the videos have looked fine far more than not, but give yesterday's abbreviated show a watch below!



Also, here's a cover from a perspective you don't see a lot of, via a GoPro-style camera mounted on the head of a bass! This comes from a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" by country rock cover quartet Bone Yard at Reggie's West in May of last year, as uploaded to bassist Brad Stephen's YouTube channel at the time. It's always nice to see Bone Yard tackle songs outside of the country spectrum, as they tend to nail it with them, and the relatively unique camera angle adds some spice as well, especially if you haven't gotten a good look at the stage at the former Roosevelt Hotel since Reggie bought and remodeled it in 2014. Check this cover out below!



Finally, here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock solo project Hubbard, who have made their first Facebook page postings of the year in the past couple of weeks! True to form, posts there have tended to be sporadic teasers attached to photos of instruments and gear that don't give much away. However, project leader (and 415E/ex-Nixxon Dixxon guitarist) Chris Hubbard has revealed that it's "almost time to record some music", and in their first ever video upload, you can see Chris (I assume) warming up on a drum kit with "a bunch of nonsense". Sounds good while it lasts, but will we be getting more updates soon on the Hubbard project? Give it a watch below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), Toystock VIII Preview, And More!!

Let's get a new news post up on this Saturday night, and given that there is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT leading off, it's not a moment too soon! That said, we do have our promised Toystock preview to round things out, plus some more assorted stories from the last while. With all of that said, here is what you should know!

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to the stage TONIGHT at Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township (obviously!) Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via it's Facebook event page less than an hour ago, and while they did acknowledge there that this was concert was "very late notice", the venue's Facebook page had announced it on Wednesday. This will be Project 906's first announced concert since the Rudyard Musicians Festival in August, just their fifth in the past 9 months, and their first show at Hulbert Happy Hour since December 2018. We haven't seen as much activity from Project 906 this year due to members' own personal lives, but it's great to see them back out there TONIGHT, even with the late notice! As usual for their headlining bar shows, TONIGHT's affair is a 21+, 9:00 PM affair with no cover charge. See the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live earlier this year!

Next up, and in what could be considered the kickoff to the Christmas concert season in Sault Ontario, the eighth annual Toystock fundraiser event goes down TOMORROW at The Grand Gardens North! Since it's inaugural installment in 2012, this (Choose) Maxx Entertainment-promoted concert has seen loads of toy, food, and monetary donations to Christmas Cheer, and expect more of the seasonal good will tomorrow,  with the Stuff-A-Bus on site once again to collect all of the goods for those in need. Aside from the musical performers, expect to see Mr. Bon Soo, princesses, and both Santa & Mrs. Claus on hand to meet the kids, while there will be face painting, a photo booth, a kids play area, and even video games. Click here for all non-musical details! As for the bands, Toystock VIII will again welcome 10 bands in 10 hours for tomorrow's festivities, though unlike last year, the roster for this year is half devoted to Toystock newcomers, largely on the younger side.

Local country rock cover quartet Bone Yard will headline at 9:00 PM in their eighth Toystock appearance total and seventh consecutive time, while two event newcomers will precede them in strong timeslots, namely power rock quartet Re:Born at 8:00 PM and the recently busy Fluid 5ive at 7:00 PM. Fellow classic/hard rockers Soundcheck will hit the stage for a third straight Toystock at 6:00 PM, though no word yet on if they'll have a fill-in singer again or if they'll play as a trio (and yes, Glen Thomas is again donating refurbished drum kits to a few lucky young attendees!) Local country musician Brendan Hodgson will return from 2018 with a set at 5:00 PM, following a pair of debuting acts, including pop rock quartet L!me at 4:00 PM and singer Kaitlyn Parr (who I know little about) at 3:00 PM. For a fourth straight year, a group of unidentified Case's Music students will hit the stage at 2:00 PM, while classic country duo The Jeff & Jeff Show return for a third year of their own at 1:00 PM.

Finally, Soo's Got Talent semifinalist Cameron Oliver will open with a solo performance at 12:00 PM. Toystock VIII is, as usual, an ALL AGES event with admission via a Christmas cheer donation (toys, non-perishable food, or money.) This is another great lineup of music and family friendly entertainment donating their time for a wonderful cause, so kudos to Greg and everyone at Maxx Entertainment for putting this on once again, and hopefully The Grand Gardens North is hopping in a good way tomorrow! Visit the Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Bone Yard tackling a hard rock cover live!



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:

• On Sunday, revived Sault Michigan hard rock solo project Hubbard posted a photo of a drum kit to their Facebook page, saying that it was "time to record drums." This appears to confirm that Chris has indeed resumed (restarted?) work on his debut solo album, but with new postings there tending to be sporadic with not much to say, how fast will we hear updates from the 415E guitarist's camp?
• Sault Ontario metal solo musician and Bear Hunters alum Mike Vincent is looking for a drummer for his new band project, who apparently play pop and punk rock (I presume Mike's on guitar.) Interesting change from his usual pace, but if you're interested in trying out, message Mike at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Thursday!
• Over two years after posting a drummer search on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group for a band project, young local guitarist Rainey Rancourt is again on the hunt, this time for a 14-18 year old vocalist. The band he's working on already has the other musicians enlisted, and they play metal & punk covers and originals. If you are interested, message Rainey at this link or via his group post from November 15th for more information!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more recent concert video footage on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fluid 5ive), New Videos, Solo Project Revivals, And More!!

Let's get one more post on the site before the weekend wraps up, and it includes some assorted recent updates, a returning solo project or two, new videos, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the end of next month! Here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will apparently be playing a special matinee concert at The New American Pub on Saturday, November 30th! Surprisingly announced with almost two months notice yesterday via the venue's Facebook event page, this will be Fluid 5ive's second publically advertised concert of the fall, after rocking The Water Tower Pub this past Friday, though like that show, we have not seen any public advertising by the band proper. As best as I can tell, Fluid 5ive have not played a public concert at The New A before, so if you're eager to see this veteran hard rock act at a popular downtown concert venue, keep next month's show in mind! This one-nighter has a special 4:00 PM start time, seemingly hinting that they're booking two bands that day, though I'm not immediately certain who's playing in the regular 9:00 PM slot. There is no cover charge, and visit the above links for more information as it rolls in!

Next up, here's another new video from prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba solo artist Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Alongside a handful of new solo concert announcements in Thompson this fall, Mike posted this video from a new jam space (unclear if it's his or shared) that he christened on September 28th, alongside his Between The Ditches bandmate Justin Fuciarelli and fellow area musician Tony Whalen. The video features Mike and company playing the third unveiled song from his upcoming album "If Ever Comes The Day", entitled "MorningStar"(it's subtitled "Acoustic", perhaps hinting that the studio copy isn't.) Mike hinted in the description that the song has "never been more relevant than right now", so read into that all you want if you choose. I'll hold full comment pending our review of the full CD, but the guys sound good together, which you can see for yourself below!

Also today, we have a surprise band revival to note on here, as local/Elliot Lake punk solo project Ashoka At The Show is back! When the former Mayadevi said that "something new is coming soon", who knew they meant 15 months?! On September 16th, project leader Darren MacDonald announced on their Facebook page that he was starting a new YouTube channel to succeed his prior 184Films channel that he couldn't re-log into. In his introductory video, Darren promised new videos daily, including both musical performances and a video gaming series, so if you're interested in seeing him play NHL 20 with the Halifax Buccaneers, you know where to go! Regarding Ashoka At The Show proper, these mark Darren's first music postings credited to the band since February 2017, and include unplugged covers of Rise Against's "Hero Of War", Tony Sly's "Therapy", and No Use For A Name's "Sleeping Between Trucks", plus his new original song "Fault."

All seemingly home recordings, the recording quality is nice given the solo nature, and it's good to see that his singing and guitar talents are still present after the layoff! The covers and "Fault" work out well all around, and while his promise for "daily" videos hasn't been true since Wednesday, hopefully he has more in the pipeline. Give Darren's new videos a look above & below, and Ashoka At The Show are back in our active band links!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• Also resurfacing for the first time since June 2018 are Sault Michigan hard rock solo project Hubbard, who ended their own hiatus earlier today with a couple of Facebook photos of their gear-in studio, along with a caption simply reading "Something's happening..." The 415E side project barely seemed to get off the ground for public updates last summer, so hopefully their apparent return will yield more content in 2019 & beyond! See above for updates, and Hubbard are also back in our active band links!
• After a six year hiatus, LemmaFest will apparently return in 2020! The annual Michael Lemma tribute concert festival ran each June from 2011-2014 outside of Dondee Lanes, and while details are not plentiful yet, their Facebook page indicates that LemmaFest V will be held as a downtown battle of the bands, hopefully on June 27th. If things hold up, it'll be very interesting to see how things shake down, so follow above for continuing updates!
• A special "industry night" gala at The Water Tower Pub in Sault Ontario will be held on Thursday, October 17th at 5:00 PM, entitled "The Mastering of a Music City". The event will help launch Music City Sault Ste. Marie (details forthcoming), and will feature keynote speakers & a panel discussion with music industry executives and local arts & culture sector representatives. This poster also credits Treble Charger's Greig Nori as hosting the event. If you're interested in attending or learning more about Music City Sault Ste. Marie, click here to register for limited complimentary tickets!

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