LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906, Unfortunate Sun, And Double Down), And New Videos!!

As promised, let's round up the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews along with some new live videos, so here's what you should know (mostly from Sault Michigan), starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly SHORT NOTICE ones!

Local hard rock cover quartet Unfortunate Sun will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday (The Merch never acknowledged it on social media, as usual). You'd think that Unfortunate Sun would have given this more of a push, as TOMORROW'S concert will actually be their final gig with singer Skip Parish, who is retiring from the band for unannounced reasons. This is the second lineup departure in under two months for Unfortunate Sun, following bassist Tony Rogers' exit in January, with the band playing just three gigs with new bassist Brett Blackwood in the fold before announcing that Skip is leaving too. From their predecessors Fake Chow to today, Skip has been a strong presence on vocals, and hopefully TOMORROW's show is a fitting sendoff!

In their post announcing Skip's departure, they said that Jody, Jason, and Brett are "not going anywhere" and to "stay tuned for the next chapter". We'll let you know when more on their further plans is announced! Everything goes down TOMORROW at The Merch at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Unfortunate Sun live!

Next up, local blues/hard rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in Hulbert Township for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT themselves! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band also only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday (and given the weather forecast, you may not want to bring an AI-generated snowmombile to the bar for it). Last seen at Hulbert Happy Hour five months ago during a poker run, TOMORROW'S show will be their first anywhere since rocking The Strongs Tavern last week. Of course, drummer Jason VanLuven is playing in the Soo TOMORROW with Unfortunate Sun, who get priority when the two bands have conflicting dates, but 906 have not announced whether there will be a guest fill-in drummer or not (but they have played shows with hand drummer Brian Duford as the sole percussionist in the past, so they won't be out of luck regardless).

You can enjoy Project 906's hard rocking cover slate TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. See the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of the guys at The Strongs Tavern in Eckerman last week/month! This clip from their Facebook page sees the guys covering the end of Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City", which really tests Billy's vocal range, but he hangs in there well! Alas, this video is A. partial, B. very blue (blame the tavern's lighting), and C. vertical (oh so much ceiling here), but it's a fun performance for what we do get, so give it a watch below, and don't miss the Hulbert action TOMORROW NIGHT!

In one more show announcement, let's take a brief detour to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will return to The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, March 28th! This show was announced via the venue's March concert calendar, and Separate Wayz TONIGHT aside, is the only new hard rock-leaning show revealed thusly. The pub didn't post a monthly calendar online last month, and January's seemed extremely rushed, so it's good to see the Great Northern Road nightclub putting the regular one up for March! Joel, Beej, Dan, and Ric will rock out at month's end with no cover, a 19+ age limit, and an 8:00 PM start time, and as the venue hosts different nightly bands, classic/pop rock veterans Encore are playing there on Friday the 27th. Visit the above links for more details, and while we're on the subject, here's a newly uploaded video from Double Down's Facebook page of them live with a special guest!

As you may recall, Double Down welcomed former Quite Frankly singer Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat as a guest for a handful of gigs last summer, including a Beck's Bar date that I don't believe the band ever officially confirmed she would be singing at. While the video description alluded to Cher, the video itself actually sees Double Down and Jack covering Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams' "Get Lucky", which is a surprisingly modern and poppy cover for them. The extremely dark foreground lighting isn't ideal, but at least this was filmed horizontally, and it's a fun cover with strong vocals, so give it a watch below, and don't miss the guys back at Beck's tomorrow night!

Finally for today, let's head back to Sault Michigan for some new videos from a band who isn't playing live this weekend, namely hard rock quartet The Nameless! On January 4th, the band shared videos from drummer Jamie Costner's personal Facebook page of them at a private event the previous day, where they were filmed on a stationary camera covering Blur's "Song 2", The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Otherside", the end of Guns N' Roses' "It's So Easy" (with bassist Mike East on vocals), Chevelle's "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)", and as embedded below, Papa Roach's "Last Resort". Most of the videos are incomplete, and alas, all five were shot vertically, but things were framed as well as they could have been given that, even though Josh is largely blocking Jamie from view. Solid work all around, and they should use Mike's vocals more, as we don't hear him leading songs often, just the end of "It's So Easy" a couple of times on video. Give these a watch above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Our first weekend concert previews of October 2025 are here, so let's dive in with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE! Saturday's Tym Morrison concert and Sunday's Ikons of Rock concert will be in our next news post, so don't worry, they are hitting the site soon!

Sault Michigan hard/blues rock quintet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in Hulbert Township for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this gig via their Facebook page on Monday. Believe it or not, this will be Project 906's first show at the 10402 South Maple Street nightclub since February 2022, and thusly their first there with Jason VanLuven and Brian Duford on percussion, but there is a reason for this return booking beyond just rocking out. SATURDAY is the Hulbert Freedom Festival's ATV Poker Run, with 906 serving as the night cap to the day's events, so definitely visit the official Facebook event page for the poker run's details. Meanwhile, one of the stops for the poker run is Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard, and they'll be hosting Project 906 on Friday, October 31st for their Halloween party, as announced on the bar's Facebook page yesterday!

As you might expect for a Halloween concert, Huck's will be hosting costume contests at month's end, with the best overall, funniest, and best couples' costumes winning prizes. Good to start seeing another Halloween concert on the schedule, so stay tuned for more as spooky season continues! Project 906 will bring the hard rock on SATURDAY at 8:00 PM and on Halloween at 9:00 PM, neither show has an announced cover charge (you don't have to register for the Poker Run to come to Hulbert), and these are 21+ events. See above for more details, and here's Project 906 live!

Next up, we'll head north to Sault Ste. Marie, where San Francisco hair metal quintet Night Ranger will headline at The Dreammakers Theater at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT! The first of two 1980s glam metal concerts at the Soo Kewadin this fall, Night Ranger will be rocking the casino for the first time in over 12 years tomorrow, and they will remain very familiar to local rock fans from their hit songs "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sister Christian", among others. With more classic songs, three new albums, and a switch from Joel Hoekstra to Keri Kelli on guitar, hopefully they deliver a solid night of glam metal action for fans tomorrow! Santa Monica glam rock duo Nelson (of "(Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection" fame) will open tomorrow with an acoustic set, so come out early for Matthew & Gunnar setting the tone with some unplugged rock!

Tickets for this all ages concert are still on sale at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. Limited seats are still available for $80 in rows 1-10 and $70 for seats further back, but the vast majority of tickets are sold, so act now if you haven't already just in case. VIP passes with extra perks are also available online if you are so inclined. This should be a fun night of 1980s metal action for you Hair Scare fans, so visit the above links for more details on this Rock 101-sponsored concert, and for a preview, here's Night Ranger live in the Soo in 2013!

Also this weekend, let's head to Sault Ontario for a special memorial concert on SATURDAY NIGHT at Soo Blaster, as local musicians will gather that night for Riffs For Rememberance: A Memorial For Tori! The show is in honour of Victoria Childs, an avid local music fan who suddenly passed away last month at the age of 34. Victoria was my ex-girlfriend and was a great person & mother who I actually met at Oddfellows Hall punk concerts in 2005 when we were in high school, and I know she would be absolutely thrilled that friends and musicians were coming together to pay their respects like this! Local party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty (featuring her cousin Mikhal Muto) will headline on Saturday, and it was Paul & Amanda's idea to host a tribute concert to her, so all kudos to them for taking the initiative like this! A very diverse lineup will also include three solo artists.

These include her friend Gimiiwan Ikwe, country cover veteran Leslie Cook, and folk singer/guitarist Linsaey L.W. while the last mystery act is Bards With Beards. Paul told me that they're a new band from HeadF1rst drummer Anthony Boudreau, but I don't have any other information on them at press time. We'll know more on Saturday! This all ages event has doors opening at 7:30 PM, and admission will be $5, with all proceeds going to Hope House - Club 84, a psychosocial rehab program for those with mental illness, and who helped and supported Victoria in times of need. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on what should be a great night in Victoria's memory (I'll absolutely be there), and here's The A.A. live!

Finally, I wanted to acknowledge advertised shows for this weekend that I have doubts are on as scheduled. When local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down announced their fall calendar a few months ago, this included a return to Reggie's Place for concerts tomorrow & Saturday night (here is their Facebook event page). However, if you were following the social media promotion for Bone Yard 225's shows there last week, there was a lot of teased finality regarding the gigs. Bone Yard are alive and well (they'll be at The Esquire Club next week), but band members, attendees, and the venue dropped a number of Facebook hints towards Reggie's ending or closing in some form or fashion, with your local 225 saying that this would be their "last weekend playing there" on September 26th. What we do know is that last week's shows marked the five year anniversary of Reggie's under Randy Lapossie's management, but is he opting out after that long?

No one has come right out and said what was going on at 458 Queen Street East, but regardless, Double Down haven't newly promoted this weekend's Reggie's dates, and the venue hasn't posted on Facebook since Saturday, so with all of that acknowledged, I'm going to treat the Double Down shows as off unless otherwise confirmed. Whether Reggie's is closing, rebranding, or changing operations in some form, we'll let you know when something is firmly and publically said! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Drayton Fever

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, and after a Sault Ontario summer for this series, we're spotlighting a Sault Michigan band to kick off the fall season! As always, this monthly feature looks at a randomly selected local metal, hard rock, or punk band from the past, in order to showcase and promote their run and accomplishments for modern readers, and it is quite fitting that this month's selection is a band who readers in the early 2010s will remember from releasing music on Friday the 13th, a date that returns this week! Here's what you should know!

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Drayton Fever

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie/Paradise/Hulbert Township, Michigan

Genre: Thrash Metal

Lineup:

Doug Reed (Bludgeoned, Half A Man), all instruments

Audio/Video: Surviving media from Drayton Fever's run is only publically available on their label Werehold Records' YouTube channel, which features four songs that they recorded for Werehold's former Friday the 13th new music posting events in the early 2010s, as well as this clip of Doug recording "The Browning" for the Friday the 13th event in June 2014. An album called "The Longest Summer" was in pre-production at his old Half A Man bandmate Erik Rintamaki's own Hot Box Studios in Brimley, which would have had eight songs, but it was never completed as planned. A song named "Mary Kelly" was once streamable on their MySpace page as well. Here's the intended opening song for their album, "And On With The Killing"!

Info/Analysis: Active from around 2008-2014, Drayton Fever was the long gestating solo project from veteran E.U.P. metal musician Doug Reed, who signed to his Swampghas bandmate Jason Mills' now-defunct indie label Werehold Records in the latter half of their run. Updates through 2011 are largely gone thanks to MySpace's degradation, but Doug was working on "The Longest Summer" throughout the turn of the 2010s, describing the album as "a brutal collection of (my) life journeys & interests over the past 12 years in sickly brutal musical form, none of which is pretty". The album would have featured unspecified guest singers and drummers, and the songs on offer were influenced by bands like Exodus, Machine Head, Slayer, and Acid Bath. Drayton Fever only updated their Facebook page in 2012, and while they took part in Werehold's Friday the 13th new music events through June 2014, they were not involved in the series' mid-2010s installments, and likely fell inactive by 2015.

Full-on "metal" like this hasn't always been an easy sell in the E.U.P. (not that Werehold managed to release completed albums from their roster), but Drayton Fever were a solid and reliably heavy project that deserved to get bigger in this area! Doug is a talented multi-instrumentalist with a good ear for what works in thrash and groove metal on songs like "Beatnik" and "Fleshwork", and vocals were optimally deployed when used. It's a shame that Drayton Fever could never publically break through beyond one-off songs on Friday the 13th, but hopefully we haven't heard the last from Doug in some musical form or fashion!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! For the first time in over two years, this series will have two bands featured in the next installment, as the first randomly selected project doesn't have much in the way of public details, so a similarly slight project was picked to fill things out. As such, look for our profiles of Sault Ontario metal solo projects The Shaner and Sir Hell on or around October 10th, and for weekend concert previews on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek, Tarnished, And The Wyld Stallyns), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

With pandemic restrictions easing up ahead of schedule this month in Ontario, and reports of the vaccine passport system ending at the beginning of March, this should be a good sign for Sault Ontario concerts in the near term, and that good will extends to today's weekend concert preview post, featuring a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on both sides of the border, some on SHORT NOTICE! Yes, Soundcheck's open mic series at Reggie's West returns tonight too, but we historically do not treat open mic nights as "concerts". Now, here's what you should know, and follow your preferred Ontario news source for more on what is and isn't being scaled back!

Local hard rock band The Wyld Stallyns will play their first live concert of the year when they make their long awaited return to The Whisky Barrel at 113 Gore Street TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the venue only announced this show on their Facebook event page on Tuesday, though note that the band proper has not promoted this show on their own Facebook page at press time. Last seen six months ago at The Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir and at the Entomica fundraiser at the Bushplane Museum, The Stallyns were once the most common SMS-covered band to play at The Whiskey Barrel, but they hadn't played an advertised show there since March 2020 (we all know why). Since then, they've became an electric band complete with a bassist, but will that play into this show, at a venue primarily known for acoustic acts? Find out TOMORROW NIGHT one way or the other!

A 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and 19+ age limit are in effect, while vaccine passports must still be presented upon entry (pandemic willing, this will no longer be the case in two weeks), and please respect and follow any public health guidelines posted at The Whiskey Barrel, especially as they're only just now hosting live music again. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Stallyns live before the pandemic!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will play a special concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at Rudyard Town Hall as part of a birthday party event! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this gig via their Facebook page yesterday. Despite advertising for the event being private, the band themselves confirmed that it is publically attendable, hence why we're covering it here despite ostensibly being a birthday party first and foremost. Held in honour of area resident Amy Jo's 40th birthday, SATURDAY's concert promises a live band (Tarnished), glow sticks, and fun, while attendees are asked to dress in black. Hopefully Amy has a great birthday, and Tarnished should provide a fitting musical soundtrack with their hard rocking covers & originals! There's no advertised age limit or cover for this 7:00 PM event.

As for the venue, town hall in Rudyard (a half hour south of the Soo) is at 18725 South Mackinaw Trail. Visit the above links for more on this somewhat unique event, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Tarnished live at Snows Bar & Grill in Cedarville last week! Featuring Alex, Nathan, Isaac, and Josh covering the back half of Ratt's "Round & Round", this was uploaded to the venue's Facebook page during the Snowsfest pub crawl gig proper. The cover is solid (I honestly like Alex's voice more than Stephen Pearcy's), but the focus on the crowd over the band is unfortunate, so give things a listen below, and don't miss Tarnished on SATURDAY!

Also in new shows (but not this weekend), Sault Ontario southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will play their first shows of 2022 when they return to Reggie's Place for two nights on Friday, March 4th & Saturday, March 5th! These will be Fort Creek's first live appearances in almost four months, with the re-introduced pandemic restrictions a key reason why not, but with those loosening and soon to be taken off the table completely (mask mandate aside), their return to the stage was inevitable! The band has promised new songs in their setlist and merchandise giveaways for both shows, while the concert on Friday the 4th will have an opening act, as they had begun experimenting with last fall. The musician in question is classic rock solo musician Jeremy Logan Newman, who opened for Fort Creek in November with his duo project Whiskey & Beer. Come early to avoid missing his set!

9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges will be in effect on March 5th, and while the vaccine passport system ends in Ontario at the start of March, please continue to use common sense re: the pandemic, and follow all public health measures in effect at the downtown Reggie's where asked. It'll be great to see Fort Creek's experienced and fan friendly brand of rock on stage again, so keep both shows in mind in two weeks' time, and visit their Facebook page for more details!

Finally for today, let's head back to this weekend's previews for a show that also had advance notice, as Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township TOMORROW NIGHT! Originally scheduled for January 6th before being postponed six weeks due to pandemic case counts in the state, this will be Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Odin's first public concert of 2022, their first show anywhere in three months, and their first publically advertised Hulbert gig since 2019, so if you've missed the 906 crew's hard rocking originals and select covers, you know where to be tomorrow! This show will take place at Hulbert Happy Hour (10402 South Maple Street, an hour west of the Soo) tomorrow at 9:00 PM, and you can expect a 21+ age limit and no cover. 

As usual, please respect any public health measures at the bar. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Project 906 live at The Strongs Tavern in November! Uploaded to the band's Facebook page to help promote tomorrow's concert, this appears to be from the same filmer as their original video from that show, albeit in a slightly different position on the counter (unfortunately, more of the counter is in frame here). This video features Project 906 covering The Allman Brothers Band's "Whipping Post", and giving it some strong emotion and hard rock edge, so fans will wanna check it out below in advance of TOMORROW'S return gig at Hulbert Happy Hour!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), Peril Concert Previews, And Treble Charger on MuchMusic!!

For the first time in 2022, we have a new post that is not 3 days from the previous one! Not necessarily because news is perking up, but because there's actually a pair of concerts to preview this weekend, obviously not in Ontario though given the current restrictions (though we'll have more on the new re-opening timeline on the site soon.) Alongside those previews, we have a very cool video upload with a prominent local band, but leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township for one night only on Friday, February 18th! This will be Project 906's first gig at this venue since way back in 2019, as well as their first show of 2022, and their second concert set with new drummer Odin Osogwin. However, this is actually a rescheduling of a concert originally planned for this past Saturday. While we did miss it for coverage on the SMS when  the Facebook event page went up two weeks ago, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the show to be postponed five weeks, with news breaking in a post on the event page on January 12th. There's no partial lockdown in Michigan right now like in Ontario, but clearly some venues are still being very cautious, and hopefully things are sufficiently quieted down by Presidents Day weekend! Expect a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover.

And as usual, please respect and follow any public health and safety measures in effect at Hulbert Happy Hour (at 10402 South Maple Street) to ensure everyone has a safe and happy time next month. It's a shame that the pandemic cost this show its original date, but the omicron variant is what it is and everyone's adjusting however they can, so hopefully next month's date sticks! Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates from the Project 906 camp as we get them!

Next up, while Project 906's show this month was postponed, we do finally have weekend concert previews for the first time in 2022, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As best as I can tell, Kewadin have not been cancelling concerts due to omicron, but please adhere to any and all public health and safety guidelines posted at the lounge/casino if you come out this weekend. This weekend's shows are Peril's first anywhere in 2022, and their first in Sault Ste. Marie since February 2020, and while they did return to the E.U.P. with St. Ignace Kewadin gigs in the fall, it's probably pretty obvious why they haven't played in the Soo in almost two years. It'll be great to see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks back at The Rapids Lounge this weekend, so keep these rare gigs in mind!

Peril are not scheduled to return to either Kewadin branch in the first quarter of 2022 after this weekend, but their sister band Scarkazm will be at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace in March, pandemic willing. Peril's Rapids Lounge gigs this weekend have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Peril live!

Let's head north to Canada now, as another archive video of inactive Sault Ontario/Toronto indie/punk band Treble Charger on television has surfaced on YouTube, this time from the 2001 installment of MuchMusic's old Snow Job outdoor concert festival! In case you forgot, Snow Job was held annually from at least 1993-2002, and featured (mostly) Canadian bands & musicians performing outdoors at a Canadian ski resort to a live audience and on TV proper. In March 2001, MuchMusic held Snow Job at Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, with Treble Charger joining Our Lady Peace, Shaggy, and Crazy Town as that year's featured acts. If you want more info on Snow Job 2001, visit the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine backup of it's old Much website page. Almost 40 minutes of Much footage was uploaded by YouTube user TheLasko45 last week, so there's obviously a lot to take in!

Yes, Treble Charger footage from Snow Job 2001 was already uploaded by YouTube user tiffanyminx11 over a decade ago, but her videos only add up to 19 minutes, and are mislabeled by one year. The video proper (which features two vintage MuchMusic commercial breaks!) sees Treble Charger as the first band to play that year, and they were introduced by then-MuchMusic VJ Bradford How. Set-wise, Treble Charger played "How She Died", "Cheat Away", "Friend of Mine", "Favourite Worst Enemy" (preceded by Bradford asking Greig and Trevor about the song's inspiration while on the slopes), "Brand New Low", "Business" (preceded by the band snowboarding), "More's The Pity", "Mercury Smile", and "American Psycho". If you're into watching old commercials, the breaks are at 6:51 & 22:06. I don't know about you guys, but I had a lot of fun watching this set back!

This long of a Treble Charger concert video is cool enough (tape hiss excepted), but what put things over the top are the visuals and special elements that an outdoor winter concert at a ski resort provides, from the mountain scenery to snowboarders doing their thing behind the stage to Rosie wearing a ski helmet & goggles, and even a challenge during "Brand New Low" for a fan to chug 4 bottles of ginger ale during the song! I don't know what the temperature in Sun Peaks was that day, but I didn't see anyone's breath, so I doubt it was as cold as the Soo has been over the last week! Definitely worth a watch for Treble Charger and old school MuchMusic fans, so check it out for yourself below!

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

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

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's slate of concert previews with a Saturday night trifecta, thankfully all with advance notice! For our previews of tonight's Tym Morrison show, this weekend's Soundcheck concerts, and the now-concluded Goo Goo Dolls/Cheap Trick show, check out yesterday's post. Now, here's what you should know to wrap up an unusually busy weekend!

We'll start in Hulbert Township, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie hard rock trio Tarnished are advertised to return to Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast for one night only TOMORROW! I will advise that, while this show is the final advertised concert on Tarnished's summer concert schedule on Facebook, the band proper has not updated their Facebook page in over two weeks, and Hulbert House have also not promoted it publically on Facebook as of late. If we get public confirmation that this show is not taking place, we will let you know, but as it's still advertised by the band, we'll proceed as normal. While this will be Tarnished's first show since their St. Ignace Kewadin gigs two weeks ago, and their first Hulbert appearance since the AMVETS rally there last month, you may recall that they were slated to open for Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys in a cancelled outdoor show there last week.

Hopefully all's well in Tarnished's camp and at Hulbert House, as this would be a fine way to end their summer concert calendar via their hard rocking originals and covers! If past Hulbert gigs are any indication, tomorrow's show will likely be a 6:00 or 7:00 PM affair with no cover charge or age limit, but I don't know if it'd be on the outdoor stage or in the B&B proper (the weather forecast looks good for tomorrow, in any event). Of course, please follow any social distancing guidelines in place at Hulbert House too. Follow the links above for more updates, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario, where local funk/hard rock quintet The Wyld Stallyns will headline the Entomica Insectarium's summer 2021 social fundraiser concert at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre TOMORROW NIGHT! Subtitled "Let's 'Mis-Bee-Hive', Come Out & Jive" (and held on National Honey Bee Day), this special event will be the first Bushplane Museum concert we've covered in two years, and will serve as a fun way to support the bug lab's work in the community and local businesses in general. Attendees can expect food and drinks from established local vendors, plus kids activities, a bee costume contest so visit the official Facebook event page and Entomica's Facebook page for full details on these aspects of the show. The Wyld Stallyns will be the heaviest and final band of the night, closing things at 11:00 PM in their fourth concert of the year & with their new lineup, while veteran local entertainer Tim Murphy will precede them at 10:30 PM, performing (likely in drag) as "Ms. Beehive".

Classic rock veterans Mustang Heart will hit the stage at 9:30 PM (expect at least one heavier cut from them), while newer local country musician Jeffrey Wright will look to make an impact with a set at 8:30 PM. Dueling local jazz collectives will take the stage during the kid-friendly opening half of the fundraiser, including The Northern Jazz Ensemble at 6:45 PM, and the confusingly named Josh Norling Jazz Ensemble leading off at 5:00 PM. An unidentified DJ will also spin tune between bands. Admission is $5 for this all ages event, which should be a winner for the bug lab and attendees all around, but of course, please respect and follow any social distancing and public health guidelines at the Bushplane Museum to ensure that everyone has a safe time, especially given that this is an all ages event with children's activities. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!

Lastly for known hard rock concerts in the Sault Ste. Marie area this weekend, local garage/hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley will make their Rockstar Bar debut with a one-night-only concert TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be this rising young band's second show of the year following their Rotaryfest set last month, as well as their second public date with new bassist Brendan Bertrand. Of course, The Uncanny Valley are also the last of the four live bands announced for The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub's return to live music in August 2021, so will more be coming soon? Time will tell, but enjoy this promising quartet's classic-inspired originals tomorrow! A 8:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has no announced age limit, but again, please be mindful of any and all social distancing measures (and wear your mask!) Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Uncanny Valley live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post of some kind by Monday! Thanks everyone!

Tarnished Concert Preview, New Videos, And More From Sault Michigan!!

After publishing six posts in six days last week, things have crashed back to Earth more or less in terms of news and notes, but if you're interested in new content from the Sault Michigan-area, then today's post will be up your alley! It includes a surprise lineup departure, new videos, and a preview of a concert this weekend, so here's what you should know!

With news slowing down again in the wake of the Kewadin Casino schedule announcement and the beginning of Stage 2 in Ontario, I'm opting to post this weekend concert preview slightly early to ensure that steady content on the SMS is maintained. That said, if you're in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, look for Sault Ste. Marie hard rock trio Tarnished back at their recent favourite local venue (Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast in Hulbert Township) THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! This is a special concert tied into an American Veterans motorcycle gathering that you can get full details on via the Facebook event page, and there are events relating to that all weekend, including a bonfire and unspecified separate musicians on Friday. Hulbert House did not announce if Tarnished's show on Saturday would be outdoors or indoors, but again, if the weather's good, why not take advantage of their proper stage?

Admission is $50 for the weekend and includes camping priviliges at the Hulbert House site, and while Tarnished's concert is included with admission, inquire within if you want to ask about attending just the concert itself. I assume they'd prefer attendees be related to AMVETS or motorcycling, but you never know! Tarnished will be on at 7:00 PM on Saturday, and if you are up for a trip over the Mackinac Bridge, they will also be playing in Mackinaw City on Friday night, so click here for more details on that. See above for more information on their Hulbert gig on Saturday, and for a preview, here's some new videos of Alex, Nathan, and Josh from their set in Grand Marais this past Saturday! While not promoted much on Facebook, this outdoor show two hours west of the Soo was filmed for two 45 seconds-long videos posted on Tarnished's Facebook page, so what can you see here?

These videos show covers of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock & Roll", and as embedded below, Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", which I chose to embed as it's both a heavier cover and it's filmed in a normal landscape orientation. Both are well done covers that put Alex's strong melodic singing to good use, and it's just a shame that the filmer wasn't closer to the stage (let alone filming vertically for the Seger cover). Give both videos a look above and below, and don't miss Tarnished in Hulbert on Saturday if you're attending the AMVETS gathering!

Next up, here's a new video from Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's YouTube channel, this time of a short new instrumental original track named "Kitten Cat Shark Attack"! Well, Shark Week is coming up, perhaps this is getting an early jump on things? Despite the thumbnail, there's no kittens or sharks to be seen, it's just Ted playing a very heavy progressive metal song with his headless guitar. I'll admit, this is one of my favourite of Ted's solo tracks so far, the brutal technicality is great, and the new lighting/camera setup works to it's advantage! Give Ted's new video a watch below!

Finally, we have some surprising news out of Sault Michigan, as new local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews have surprisingly parted ways with bassist Chris Leask before they could even debut at The Rapids Lounge this past weekend. The band did not elaborate on their Facebook page, but Chris revealed on his personal Facebook page that he left for medical reasons that will impair his ability to play bass, though it is nothing life-threatening. Given the non-public source, I won't elaborate here, but Chris has been a frequent presence in our Sault Michigan coverage with bands like Power Slug and Highway 63, and hopefully his condition improves so he can return to the stage down the road! A new Facebook photo posted by the band from their debut weekend shows the bassist they brought in at least for those gigs, and I may be wrong on this, but he looks like Brett Blackwood, who played in guitarist Chris Hubbard's prior hard rock band 415E from 2019-2020. 

In any event, Rhythm & Brews have not publically confirmed a permanent replacement for Chris, let alone acknowledged his departure in writing, but they don't have any other Kewadin Casino gigs advertised in 2021, so there may not necessarily be a rush either. We'll keep you posted when more rolls in from Rhythm & Brews' camp, but that's all for today, and stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next, barring any late notice concert announcements! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Cheap Trick & Tarnished), And The Return Of Kewadin Casino Lounge Concerts!!

We have a bounty of big updates and show announcements ahead, so let's start cutting some of that down with today's post, which is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in Sault Michigan and St. Ignace! Yes, concerts are good to go in The Great Lakes State, and it's definitely showing with some of the news ahead, so here's what you should know from both a prominent young hard rock band, as well as a huge touring concert later this summer!

Local hard rock trio Tarnished have announced some new regional concert dates for August! The band revealed an updated summer concert schedule on their Facebook page on Thursday, which includes new dates outside of our coverage range in Newberry yesterday and in Grand Marais on July 3rd. Oddly, neither has a listed venue, despite the Newberry gig being on two days notice and never being plugged by the band on Facebook otherwise. In terms of the new dates that are within a one hour's drive of the Soo, Tarnished will now apparently return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, August 6th & Saturday, August 7th, marking their second weekend engagement there in a four week span! This isn't all for Alex, Nathan, and Josh under the Kewadin umbrella, as the casino has finally announced their concert schedules at their regional lounges for the second half of 2021, as weekly live music will resume in five days!

While not yet advertised by Tarnished, The Northern Pines Lounge's official schedule confirms Tarnished's prior announcement of dates there on July 16th & 17th and August 6th-7th, but they also list Tarnished as playing Friday & Saturday nighters there on September 17th & 18th, so now fans in St. Ignace and area have six opportunities to see Tarnished live in the back half of 2021! Don't worry, Saultites, Tarnished will also make their Rapids Lounge debut at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, November 12th & Saturday, November 13th, so while dates there are less and further away, you'll get your Soo Kewadin fix of Tarnished in time! Yes, The Rapids Lounge's official schedule is out too and booked solid through year's end. Finally for new Tarnished dates, they will return to The Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast in Hulbert Township for a one-nighter on Saturday August 21st!

Coming one week after they open for Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys there, it's not yet clear whether it'll be an outdoor gig too or indoors, but with the summer still on then, I'd be surprised if they weren't on their proper stage! Assuming it's similar to their Summer Rock Party show there, expect a 6:00 PM start time, and a cover charge or age limit wasn't announced. Meanwhile, the Kewadin dates at both locales are all 9:00 PM events with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for current and continuing details, and hopefully Tarnished's hard rocking sound proves to be a hit this summer!

 

There is a lot to get to from the Kewadin Casino lounge umbrella, but before we get back there, here's a big outdoor concert hitting the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Thursday, August 19th, as Rockford, Illinois hard rock/power pop quartet Cheap Trick play their first local date since July 2019 when they open for Buffalo alternative rock band The Goo Goo Dolls! Of course, readers should recognize both bands, with Cheap Trick being Rock & Roll Hall of Famers off the strength of classic songs like "I Want You To Want Me", "Reach Out", and "The Flame", while The Goo Goo Dolls had steady mainstream success in the 1990s & 2000s with hits like "Name", "Iris", and "Slide", and while I personally feel that Cheap Trick are more obvious headliners, there's a nice swath of music to enjoy for many fans! Yes, this is outdoors, much like 2017's Great White/Lita Ford show there.

 

This concert is sponsored by Glen Arbor radio station Classic Rock: The Bear (yes, formerly heard locally on 97.9 FM), which currently simulcasts to the St. Ignace area via WWSS 95.3 out of Tuscarora Township. You can pick up The Bear in Sault Ste. Marie with the right antenna and/or location, but the St. Ignace locale and Lower Peninsula station sponsor seem like a good way for Kewadin Casino to bring back major touring bands before the Canadian border is opened. If you can't cater to and get ticket money from Sault Ontario, why not aim for rock fans in the tip of the mitt that are able to attend? A 7:00 PM start time is in effect for this concert, which has no advertised age limit, though face masks may be required to attend (check back for further details on that front.) Tickets run for $85 (first 10 rows), $75 (rows 11-30), or $50 (general admission on the lawn), and can be bought at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office.

I'm not a huge fan of either The Goo Goo Dolls or Cheap Trick, but both bands have a lot of hits to offer, and it's great to see Cheap Trick back in the E.U.P. for their fourth time, at least (having played the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in 2001, 2014, and 2019), and hopefully this is a great show with great summer weather! Stay tuned for updates if they roll in, and we will have much more from Sault Michigan and the new Kewadin Casino lounge schedule later this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished), And A New Metal-Centric Borderline Radio Episode!!

I had originally planned for a new post to go live tomorrow, but as we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on very SHORT NOTICE, let's get it up here on this Saturday morning! Those new dates make up the first half of this episode, while we'll wrap up with a newly discovered radio show that heavily discusses local metal music, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock trio Tarnished have announced a slate of summer concerts through mid-July, so where can you see Alex, Nathan, and Josh next? How does TODAY sound?! Tarnished will be pre-race entertainment at the Rock The Locks 5K (not 4K) race in Sault Ste. Marie, with their set slated to begin at 5:55 PM at/near the race's starting line at Brady Park on East Water Street. Obvious apologies for the short notice, Tarnished only acknowledged this date on their Facebook page yesterday,  and I did not find a recent reference from the Rock The Locks organizers towards their involvement on social media. Given the setting, I wouldn't be surprised if this was an Alex/Josh acoustic set, but Tarnished weren't specific. The day of may be too late to try and newly register for the run, but click here for full details on how to attend in any fashion, and this is definitely an all ages event. Hopefully the show and run go well for all involved!

As for the other newly unveiled Tarnished dates, their next two announced shows will be outside of our coverage area, including a return to The Erickson Center For The Arts in Curtis (90 minutes west of the Soo) on June 30th, followed by a show in Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula on July 9th, venue unlisted. Their next truly local date will be a return to the Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast in Hulbert Township on Saturday, July 10th at 7:00 PM (cover charge and age limit not stated), though the band has not specified whether it will be indoors like their four-piece gigs from the spring, or if it will be on their outdoor stage once again. We'll let you know if the band or venue elaborates! The final new gigs will reportedly see Tarnished hit The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, July 16th & Saturday, July 17th, which seem to indicate that Kewadin is resuming concert bookings at their on-site lounges this summer!

For full disclosure, Kewadin Casino's website has not announced a live date schedule for the Rapids or Northern Pines Lounges at press time, but clearly Tarnished are confident about these bookings, or else why plug them? Assuming nothing goes awry, these would be 9:00 PM events with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, don't miss them TONIGHT at the Rock The Locks 5K, and here's Tarnished live!

Finally for today, let's look at an internet episode that aired on Sault Ontario internet radio station The Borderline back in April as part of station owner Adrian Vilaca's Smart As Trees podcast, entitled "Jimmie Chiverelli & A Sault Metal Story"! Given the title and some of the discussion, I just wanted to clarify that while I love the idea of the episode, I knew nothing about it until now (if I had, it wouldn't have taken me two months to cover it here!) The guest of honour is former Kalle Mattson drummer Jimmie Chiverelli, who metalheads may recognize as the original drummer for defunct local progressive/death metal band Gates of Winter (then credited as James Chiverelli), and he definitely maintained his genre love despite his later local music work! The 67 minute podcast starts with Adrian & Jimmie discussing the origin of metal in general and in the Soo, and the first played song is an early local metal example, Amethyst's song "Snakeye Strut" from their "Innocent As Hell" CD.

Next, Jimmie talks about his introduction to heavy metal music, how he learned drums, his early band experience, how Gates of Winter formed in the early 2000s (I never knew Mike Yakasovich from Northwest factored into their origin), and the earliest demo recordings that Jimmie recorded with Yak and Bryan Belleau, complete with part of "Into The Chapel" being played on air. They next talk about Gates of Winter's self-titled 2005 demo (which I still find is underrated), which notably featured programmed drums rather than his own live recordings, and Jimmie also discusses their early gigs, often at Madison's Pub and The Oddfellows Hall at that time period. After noting how he discovered new metal music in the early-mid 2000s, Jimmie discussed his first major live metal concerts in the Twin Saults, and discovering Woods of Ypres when they toured here early in their existence.

Adrian and Jimmie discuss some other contemporary local metal bands from the mid-2000s next, like Soldiers of Misfortune & Fitswitch, as well as loyalty to extreme metal subgenres, and the connection of metal to classical music, even playing Metallica's cover of "The Ecstasy of Gold". Afterwards, Jimmie talks about metal's modern trajectory and the classic throwback bands that have popped up, while also discussing other local acts like Garden of Bedlam, The Bear Hunters, and Pillory, as well as the demands of playing in a metal band, and his stockade of filmed concert footage from his tenure in Gates of Winter. The interview closes with what Jimmie's done (musically & otherwise) since leaving Kalle Mattson in 2011, and suggestions that Jimmie should host a metal show of some kind on The Borderline, before wrapping up by playing "Far Gone" from the 2005 Gates of Winter demo.

This was an entertaining listen, and Adrian gave Jimmie lots of space to offer his own personal thoughts and experiences, both as a musician and genre fan! Jimmie came across as eloquent, humble, and appreciative, and I like that the backing incidental music wasn't as loud as it can sometimes be for Sev's Cellar episodes. I wish I had knew about this episode before now, but give it a listen at the above links, especially for the early Gates of Winter insight, as that band is definitely missed around here! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!