LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fyrbird & Nate's Chow) Plus More Recent News & Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing a concert on Saturday on here that ended up being called off anyway. New local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe were supposed to play a free hour-long set outside of Long & McQuade that day at 3:00 PM for the McDonald Avenue chain music store's customer appreciation day (beginning at noon), but the store's Facebook page confirmed that it was postponed due to the unpredictable weather, and it did indeed rain heavily at points on Saturday afternoon. Hopefully Long & McQuade do indeed reschedule this event for fans and customers alike! Now, here's some recent assorted updates, and kicking things off, two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P.!

The Sault Michigan hard rock cover band once known as Unfortunate Sun will end their recent break by headlining at The Islander Bar in Hessel on Friday, August 7th! This show comes five months after frontman Skip Parish stepped away from the band, and after teasing a name change to simply "Unfortunate" in April as part of their effective relaunch, they have settled on Nate's Chow, combining the names of Unfortunate Sun and their predecessors Fake Chow. "Nate" is the AI-generated beaver in their recent promotional images, implying that he will be their mascot going forward (for better or worse, Unfortunate Sun embraced AI art for their concert posters and schedules, and unlike the name, that hasn't changed). Unless "Nate" is representing a mystery lead singer to be announced, their Facebook page lists the band as a trio, with Jody, Brett, and Jason all credited on vocals.

How will the new look Nate's Chow fare at The Islander Bar in two months, especially as they haven't played there since December? Time will tell, but hopefully this is a successful return/relaunch! This 21+ concert will take place at 8:00 PM with no announced cover charge, and while it takes place the night of the Les Cheneaux Islands Car Show On The Bay, that will be based out of nearby Cedarville. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, let's take the half hour drive southwest from Hessel to St. Ignace, where Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird will return for a special Thursday night concert at The Driftwood Sports Bar on September 17th! Like with the previously-covered Tarnished show on Friday, September 18th (that Saturday will have DJs), Fyrbird are returning to Mackinac County for that weekend's Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show. The Driftwood are happy to book bands on St. Ignace vehicle show weekends this year, with Fyrbird already playing during/after Bronco The Mac and also during next week's car show, so clearly this tie-in is working! Like their other Driftwood shows this year, Jamie & Rikk will rock out at 9:00 PM that night with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge, so visit the above links for more on Fyrbird's St. Ignace shows ahead! While we're on the subject, three videos from Fyrbird's Bronco The Mac weekend show were posted on The Driftwood's Facebook page!

Alas, the videos are all vertical, around 12 seconds long apiece, and filmed distantly from the stage, with attendees at the bar more prominent than Fyrbird themselves. They're just background noise in this clip, while this video appears to show them covering Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name", but they're not focused on compared to bar patrons. The best of the three (featuring their cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell") at least zones in on dancing fans near the stage, and you do get Jamie singing on it. What we hear sounds good and tight for their duo setup, but if only these videos were longer, closer, and horizontal! Give them a watch above and below!

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

 

• I have moved Sault Ontario death metal quintet Bardos (née Bardo) to our inactive band links. The Them spinoff (led by Heavy North Entertainmnent promoter Tyler St. Amour) have not posted on their Facebook page for reasons other than plugging H.N.E. events since October 2024, a few weeks after their sole gig opening for Selias at the former Soo Blaster. They had a promising lineup, and hopefully we hear more from Tyler, Danielle, the Christophers, and Travis in due course! As their public activity largely predated their name change, they'll be listed in our inactive links as Bardo, but I'll re-add the S if they come back with that name.
• Local hard rock cover band Half Past have parted ways with drummer Johnny Amendola, as per their Facebook page on May 21st. Since their most recent gig at Beck's Bar on New Year's Eve, Johnny has joined both Soundcheck and Separate Wayz, and even if things are 100% amicable with Half Past, that obviously eats into his availability. Half Past are looking for a new drummer that is able to rehearse once a week and perform "a handful of times per year", and has means of transportation. If you're interested in trying out behind the kit, message Half Past above, but kudos to Johnny for helping Jordan, Al, and Art in their return as a live act since 2023!
• Also newly moved to our inactive band links are Half Past's acoustic side project The Isolation Sessions, who last updated their Facebook page to thank everyone for seeing them at the Helping Hearts For Helping Hands fundraiser at the Grand Gardens Downtown in March of last year, which was both their public concert debut and the reason for their public revival after a three+ year hiatus. This pandemic-birthed unplugged act always had promise given their Half Past ties, and hopefully we see Jordan and Al back at it soon! 
• After four years of only opening for private and specialty bookings, The Rockstar Bar has properly re-opened, as per recent social media marketing! Their Facebook page notes that the patio is open for the summer, and that they are currently running with a live DJ on Saturday nights. No word on when/if they'll resume hosting bands on any semblance of a regular schedule, but it is great to see the upstairs nightclub at The Algonquin Hotel back in action after such a long & mostly dormant period!
• Regarding the aforementioned Soundcheck and Separate Wayz, Soundcheck singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe appears to have guested with their sister band during Separate Wayz' Reggie's Place concert on Friday, as per a new photo from their Facebook page featuring all five combined band members on stage there (Travis was on guitar with Nicole singing). Assuming that this isn't an old Soundcheck concert photo from an "epic crossover" gig, it is neat that Travis was available for at least one song with Nicole and their mutual bandmates! This weekend's shows were always advertised on social media as being Separate Wayz gigs only.
• If you're wondering why we didn't cover the WestFest talent show at Beck's Bar last week to determine the day's opening band, it's because the event was cancelled "due to unforeseen circumstances", as per the West Village Renewed Facebook page. Alas, whether for ticket sales or band sign-ups, "unforeseen circumstances" usually means "we didn't foresee that turnout would be this low". As such, organizers confirmed that "we are choosing our opener", which would have happened if there wasn't a talent show anyway. The lineup is being gradually announced on social media, and we'll let you know when the entire bill for WestFest II is unveiled!

 

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

The First Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Let's look at another range of weekend concert previews on this Thursday morning, but with a lot to talk about, I'm holding our previews of this weekend's Tym Morrison and Bone Yard 225 shows at Beck's Bar for our next post due to the amount. Before I begin, I wanted to offer a couple of clarifications for this weekend's schedule. Regarding the now-defunct Exit 808's scheduled St. Ignace Kewadin Casino gigs on Friday and Saturday, Kewadin's entertainment page still lists "Double Jack" (their original name) as playing there this weekend. As best as I can tell, ex-band members haven't retained the booking in a new project (at least not in a publically acknowledged state), but if I hear something about a band there this weekend, I'll let you guys know! Meanwhile, Sault Ontario's Double Down (more on them in a bit) mentioned in their Facebook post on Monday that classic/hard rockers Headrush are playing this weekend at The Full Throttle Saloon?

The question mark is on their end, not mine, implying that they weren't 100% sure about if the shows were taking place. I don't know if Double Down heard about a tentative booking or not, but at press time, neither Headrush nor the former Primavera Hall have said anything publically about matching bookings this weekend. This is not to definitively say that Double Down are wrong, but we'll let you know if firm public announcements come out either way! Now, let's dive into verifiable hard rock concerts!

We'll start with Double Down themselves, as the local classic/hard rock cover quartet will rock Jay's Piston Broke Pub TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These will be Double Down's final concerts of 2025, their first shows anywhere in three weeks, and their first at the former Roosevelt Hotel in almost a month. Should be a good way to rock out with this talented veteran quartet, who have lots of entertaining hard and classic rock covers in their vast setlist, so don't miss out in the west end! Regarding their bassist slot, recent promotional images include bassist Dan Beaupre (who has missed all of their fall gigs while recovering from an undisclosed ailment), but the band has not 100% said in writing if he will be playing this weekend or not. Granted, they never revealed who their guest bassist was at The Water Tower Pub last month either (it wasn't Lori). We'll let you know if something is said either way!

This weekend's shows are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on these shows, and for a preview, here's Double Down live!

Next up, we'll head to Sault Michigan, where Iron Mountain classic/hard rock cover quintet Oz will make their long awaited return to the E.U.P. TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino! Like with Double Down, these are Oz's last shows anywhere in 2025, but they will be back in the Soo in two months if you can't make it this weekend. As it turns out, Oz had been on a bit of a break prior to this road trip, but they were working on new material over the fall, and fans will get the first chance to see what classic cuts are now in their setlist this weekend. Oz are a very talented band with lots of heavier covers from 1970s and 1980s rock legends, so don't miss out on this weekend's shows if you're in the region! Tomorrow and Saturday's shows are at 9:00 PM as usual for The Rapids Lounge, with no cover charges and 21+ age limits. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Oz live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll make the hour's trip south to Hessel, where local hard rock cover quartet Unfortunate Sun will take the stage for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Islander Bar! As of this writing, we're just over two weeks removed from Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason's most recent Islander Bar show (said venue's "Drinksgiving" bash), but this is the second straight weekend where the guys have played a normal weekend gig in the E.U.P., following last weekend's Soo Kewadin stops. While not acknowledged in Unfortunate Sun's own promotion, Saturday's concert doubles as The Islander Bar's ugly sweater party, so if you have a particularly ugly Christmas sweater, this is the day to break it out, especially as a prize awaits the ugliest sweater of all! There will also be holiday cocktail specials if that's your thing. Of course, Unfortunate Sun promise "music that will melt your faces off like that poor bastard in Indiana Jones", so no pressure at all there!

As usual for concerts at The Islander Bar, Saturday's festivities are at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge, and if you believe Unfortunate Sun's AI poster for the show, you may get a Facebook friend request if you bring them cake! Visit the above links for more on this concert, and for a preview, here's Unfortunate Sun live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Beck's Bar previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tarnished), The Unfortunate Sun Concert Preview, And More Recent Updates!!

Here's a new news post to check out on this wet Tuesday night, which is half devoted to Sault Ontario and half to Sault Michigan. We'll start south of the border as our Yooper readers gear up for Thanksgiving, so here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and a related mid-week preview, before we finish things up north!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will rock The Merchants Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this gig on their Facebook page earlier today, and as usual, The Merch don't advertise bands playing there on their own Facebook page. For Canadian reference, the Wednesday night booking is because Thursday is the American Thanksgiving, so most people will have the day off, and thusly can stay out late and go to the bar without impairing work or school (hence why some call tomorrow "Drinksgiving"). Tarnished have taken most of the past month off, so if you've missed Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron's brand of hard rocking covers on a local stage, consider a mid-week jaunt to The Merch for their Thanksgiving pregame action TOMORROW! This is a 21+ event at 9:00 PM with no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live last year!

Next up, hard rock fans in the E.U.P. have one more opportunity to partake in a "Drinksgiving" concert TOMORROW NIGHT, but in this case, it had advance notice, as local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun will set up shop tomorrow at The Islander Bar in Hessel! This is a reprise of their Thanksgiving Eve concert last year (also the last time that the Fake Chow successors played at The Islander Bar), with the venue calling it a Drinksgiving Party again, but the band are calling this year's event a "pre-stuffed party". Of course, you can get stuffed early if you want, but we know how Thanksgiving tends to go! Unfortunate Sun's lively and fan-friendly mix of hard rocking covers should draw another solid audience, so come rock out before you settle in for the parade, the Lions game, turkey, and more on Thursday! All of the action begins at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Unfortunate Sun live! 

Also, I have sadly moved Sault Ontario/Toronto punk supergroup project Mikey & His Uke to our inactive band links. Guitarist/ukelelist Mikey Hawdon hasn't posted any updates relating to him and his uke since posting the finale of his 30th anniversary series of covers of Green Day's "Dookie" (the album's closing songs "F.O.D." & "All By Myself") one year ago today, though commitments to his family and local bands BookcluB & Dos Amigos shouldn't be overlooked. Originally launched during the spring 2020 pandemic lockdown as a series of loose solo ukelele "quarantunes" for social media, Mikey's covers quickly caught steam and eventually attracted guest musicians of an increasing scale, and these soon took on their final form as remotely filmed full band covers, with Mikey starting each on ukelele before dropping the pretense and rocking out on guitar. Mikey moved back to Sault Ste. Marie in June 2022, and based the project locally from that point.

There were no inklings last fall that the "Dookie" series was Mikey & His Uke's grand farewell, but if it was, he sure went out with a bang! Truly transcending his home base, the YouTube channel has over 42,000 subscribers, with 10 songs getting 200,000+ views, including the cover of The Ramones' "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" exceeding 930,000. These were always fun covers with cool names to recognize and discover from afar, so definitely check out Mikey & His Uke's litany of all-star covers above, and hopefully he picks up his uke again in the future!

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 station name:

 

• In a programming note for 104.3 The Fox, 2:00-6:00 PM weekday & 12-6:00 PM Saturday DJ Dan Koo has not been on air since (at the earliest) August 15th, with Rogers Radio regional content director and 101.9 The Fox (North Bay) DJ Mitch Belanger replacing him ever since. Assuming that Dan has left The Fox/Rogers, a reason for his departure was not announced (unless it was only on air), but hopefully this isn't a sign of consolidating operations from afar, as Dan was the only fully local on-air personality dating back to final years of Country 104.3. Note that Dan is still credited in his timeslot in the schedule on The Fox's website, albeit without a picture.
• If you follow the Up & Down Lounge on Facebook, you may have seen this vertical video from the 24 Second Line West bar & golf simulator lounge on Sunday, which features a very brief clip of classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 playing there. We didn't miss a concert of theirs (the Up & Down Lounge rarely hosts public concerts), as this was definitely a private holiday party, and the video seems mostly intended to promote that you can book private events there. Silent 9's clip is muted out in favour of a seasonal Drake/Wham mashup anyway. It looks like a lot of fun was had!
• Convergence frontman Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio finished in second place in last month's sixth annual The Soo's Got Talent! We didn't cover this year's due to it being all-karaoke (let alone that there was no house band for the finalists like the last few years), but congratulations to Stephen, who has a really strong voice that goes beyond his recent metal work! This year's winner was David Ikechukwu (a.k.a. Bobbie Lex), making him just the second male champion of T.S.G.T., while perennial finalist Demoy MacSamuels finished in third place, and Shae Levi (the only female finalist this year) finished in fourth. Congratulations to all six finalists!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Unfortunate Sun) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P. for later this year!

Building off of their previously advertised return to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino yesterday and tonight, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun announced their end-of-2025 concert calendar on their Facebook page on August 12th! And again, I apologize for missing the Shytee Creek Lucky Bridge Walk in Trout Lake last month. Unless they announce something else in the interim, the Fake Chow successors' next show after tonight will see them rock The Merchants Bar in the Soo on Friday, October 31st, in what will surely be The Merch's Halloween party! They'll be taking over said duties from Exit 808, who had the Halloween honours last year, and if things are similar, expect a costume contest with prizes. Regardless, this will surprisingly be their only Merch show this year, so keep everything in mind! On Saturday, November 22nd, the guys will set up shop at Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard.

Last seen at the former Joe's Bar in July, hopefully this show goes well as they venture back outside of the Soo proper! They'll also hit the road slightly out of town for a special Wednesday nighter on November 26th (on the eve of the American Thanksgiving) at The Islander Bar in Hessel, in what will presumably be a sequel to last year's "Drinksgiving Bash" there, taking advantage of that Wednesday not being a work/school night. If you'd rather see Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason on a more traditional concert night, they will end the year with a return to The Islander Bar on Saturday, December 13th, so keep that in mind for the winter! Lastly for the new show announcements, Unfortunate Sun will set up shop for a full weekend at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, December 5th & Saturday, December 6th, in their first shows there since their Kewadin debuts in May as a late replacement band.

Nice to see lots of new shows ahead from Unfortunate Sun after a relatively quiet summer, so keep all of these in mind! All shows are 21+ events with no announced cover charge, and all have 9:00 PM start times except at Huck's on November 22nd (8:00 PM). Visit the above links for more on the hard rock action ahead at all of these E.U.P. venues!

Next up, let's resume this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews by heading north of the border, starting with Sault Ontario alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB's gig opening for Toronto-based Bob Seger tribute band Forever Seger: The Silver Bullet Experience TONIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Not the cleanest genre fit, but BookcluB have ample classic rock covers (often very atypical ones from their local cover brethren), so there will be a lot to enjoy under the big tent as they set the tone for the Bob Seger experience to come! This will also be BookcluB's first gig since guitarist Brandon Ruch moved out of town, but they have not publically announced if they have replaced him or not, something we may know the answer to tonight. And just to clarify, this is not the same Seger tribute coming to The Machine Shop in March of next year (that particular band is Like A Rock: The Bob Seger Revival).

I'm not at liberty to compare and contrast the sound and stage presence of the two, but Bob Seger fans will absolutely enjoy what Forever Seger bring to the table tonight, so don't miss out if you're a fan! The old time rock n' roll kicks off at 7:00 PM, it is definitely all ages, and tickets run for $44 at this link, at GFL Memorial Gardens, or at the gate. 9&10 News is calling for weather in the 15-16° range with partly cloudy skies, and tent acknowledged, the show is slated to end before the rainy overnight forecast. Visit the above links for more details, and here's BookcluB live!

Finally, we have at least one more Cruisin' The Dub car/bike show to take in TOMORROW at the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road, but this is the big annual one! As recently usual for the A&W car/bike shows, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will be your scheduled musical entertainment, and there will be raffles, refreshments, and family entertainment along with the vehicles on display alongside the live rock & roll covers and originals! All proceeds will be going to the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, an eternally wonderful cause, so consider donating to ARCH if you come out tomorrow! That may be a big "if", as 9&10 News is currently calling for a 60% chance of rain and some thunderstorms during the projected timeframe of 2:00-5:00 PM, and rain has severely abbreviated A&W car shows before (ask Soundcheck for proof). The rain looks pretty steady tomorrow, so definitely keep tabs with Bone Yard and A&W for updates on how the weather forecast may affect things.

Assuming the show goes on in spite of Mother Nature, attendance is free for the public of all ages unless showing a car or motorcycle, though donations to ARCH will absolutely be on the table. I hope the weather doesn't throw a wrench into tomorrow's plans, especially given the charitable nature, so visit the above links for more on the car show and here's your local 225 live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Sugar Island Music Festival) & New E.U.P. Concert Videos!!

Plans for today's SMS post got very upended by a big SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT that has tripped me up multiple times in the past, so that and some new concert videos are on the docket in this all-Michigan post. Here's what you should know on this Saturday morning!

Reports of this weekend's quiet hard rock concert lineup were slightly premature, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet The Nameless will rock the annual Sugar Island Music Festival TODAY! I profusely apologize for the short notice, the band only confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page yesterday, but the lineup was quietly confirmed for some time on the festival's website. As you may recall, the Sugar Island Festival gathers numerous local musicians (mostly not regulars on the E.U.P. bar scene in these projects) to perform on the outdoor stage on the island just east of the Soo, but there is always at least one token rock band who fans will be familiar with, and The Nameless have been that band since 2023. While we're at it, I profusely apologize for not covering their set at last year's Sugar Island Fest, as per the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine backup of their website.

For full details on this year's lineup (including bands yesterday and tomorrow), click here, but note that performers on Sugar Island tend to lean more towards bluegrass and country from my understanding. After playing last year at 6:00 PM on the Friday, fans can see Joshua, the Mikes, and Jamie (fresh off of their third place run at the Superior Whitefish Festival battle of the bands) TODAY at 5:00 PM. Your top three acts again this year are 3½ Men at 9:00 PM, 3-Zip at 8:00 PM, and Aberdeen at 7:00 PM, while festival regulars 2 Cents take the stage at 6:00 PM after not playing on the Saturday last year. Gentleman George Snider also returns at 4:00 PM, while afternoon newcomers include The Blue Lines at 3:00 PM, The Russells at 2:00 PM, and Rich Klenle at 1:00 PM. February Sky will return as the opening band at 12:00 PM, and an open mic block will kick off TODAY'S program as usual at 11:00 AM.

Music aside, expect a beanbag tournament, childrens' activities, and camping on site, so be sure to check the above links for more on the family friendly entertainment, as well as instructions on how to get to the stage on Sugar Island (and remember that you have to take the ferry to get there from Sault Ste. Marie). This all ages festival has admission of $20 via buttons purchased at the Hilltop Bar and Westshore Convenience Store on the island proper, or at the gate (there are no single day passes). 9&10 News is calling for partly-mostly cloudy skies TODAY with weather ranging from 77-84° (25-29° Celsius) with a 20% chance of rain for the final two acts, so mind the current heat wave if you're coming out. Despite the relative lack of social media advertising (The Nameless never even plugged their 2024 set on Facebook), it's great to see a stacked lineup of local talent back for another year of music on Sugar Island!

Even with the genre focus away from live rock music, there's a lot of talent to take in TODAY and tomorrow, as there was yesterday, so don't bypass the Sugar Island Festival for a pleasant (if hot) outdoor diversion this weekend! Visit the above links for more details, apologies again for the short notice and missing last year's festival on the SMS, and for a preview, here's a new video of The Nameless live at The Islander Bar in Hessel last month! In this one, you can hear them covering the end of Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy" but the visual focus is on dancing attendees, with the band not even in frame. The audio is muffled, and Josh's vocals don't always match the song in intensity, but fun was had, so give it a watch below!

We'll take the ferry back to Sault Ste. Marie to end this post, and like yesterday, we'll do so with local hard rock/punk trio About:Blank via a long awaited public video of their opening set at the Musicians Unite benefit concert at Bird's Eye Outfitters in March! The guys only uploaded a clip of them at the Mary Jo Jenkins fundraiser event to their Facebook page on June 5th (over two months later) and it features Parker, Nathan, and Kade playing an original song named "Unheard". Like with their jam session video shared here yesterday, this horizontal video was uploaded in letterboxed vertical dimensions, making it needlessly tiny again, and like on "Why", we're only seeing the end of the song here, but there is promise to be had! The audio is muffled somewhat, but "Unheard" sounds solid with a little more of a punk edge to it, and Parker's intense screams suit the ending of it well! Check out About:Blank's new video below, and stay tuned for more from them!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (WestFest & The Nameless), Plus The Virvum Concert Preview!!

We're not quite done with this weekend's concert previews, as a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT came to my attention earlier today, and there was a long-since-known-about Sunday nighter yet to be addressed! To fill things out, we have extended details on a debuting local concert festival later this month, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock quartet The Nameless will rock The Islander Bar in Hessel for the first time TONIGHT! I profusely apologize for the short notice, the band first announced this show via their Facebook page this past Saturday, and it slipped me by until this morning when there was time to slot it into our regular previews. Regardless, The Islander Bar has not publically confirmed TONIGHT's show on their own Facebook page, instead focusing on food & drink specials in recent weeks. It is somewhat hard to believe that The Nameless haven't played in Hessel before, but hopefully their hard rocking cover slate draws a good crowd TONIGHT despite the late notice! This concert takes place at 8:00 PM, has no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit as usual for E.U.P. bar gigs. Visit the above links for more on The Nameless' Hessel debut TONIGHT, and for a preview, here they are live earlier this year!

Next up, let's talk about WestFest, a newly announced Sault Ontario community festival on Saturday, July 26th, so what should you know about this? The name does imply the location of the event, as it will take place at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street, off of Albert Street West near the Soup Kitchen. In terms of downtown Sault Ste. Marie, you can't get much further west without hitting Algoma Steel! WestFest is being described as "block party meets music festival", with aims of being a safe, inclusive, and family friendly event, according to the hosts, the West Village Revitalization Project, and you can read more about their plans to give new life to the Steelton and Jamestown areas of the city at this link. The implication is that WestFest will be an outdoor event, but I'm unsure how it will be staged (Anna Marinelli Park is literally a park, after all), so stay tuned for updates on that end.

Six acts will hit the WestFest stage, and the headliners are SMS-amenable, namely local alternative hard rock band Handsome Sandwich in just their second public concert of 2025! Good to see them back playing live a little more regularly, and they'll cap things well at 8:00 PM on the 26th! The band bios on the WestFest website do not mention rhythm guitarist Brandon Ruch, seemingly confirming that he has left the band for unannounced reasons (he wasn't present when they opened for HeadF1rst in May, though nothing was said publically about his status at the time). However, things are amicable, as he is co-headlining at 6:00 PM alongside drummer Johnny Belanger in their bluegrass/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels! Pop rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous performs at 4:45 PM, preceded by folk singer/guitarist Matthew James at 3:45 PM & indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (who recently changed their name from The Hollow Heads) at 2:45 PM.

Former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver will continue his summer farewell run before his teased move out of town when he kicks off WestFest at 1:45 PM. Various local vendors and businesses will be on hand in three weeks as well, so click here to see who will be at the park for this debuting festival. As best as I can gather, WestFest has no admission fee, and it is absolutely all ages, but it is a licensed event with an on-site beer garden. This all sounds like a good time for local music fans and families alike, almost like a Rotaryfest encore (all six acts will have played Stage 2 at least once since 2023), so visit the above links for more details on the first annual WestFest!

We'll close this post with one more weekend concert preview, as two death metal bands from Switzerland (yes, really) will make their local debuts TOMORROW NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! This one-off return to the glory days of Rosie metal nights will be headlined by Zurich progressive death metal band Virvum and Geneva blackened death metal quintet Stortregn, who will bring their own crushing brutality to local audiences! Virvum's more technical and punishing originals will compliment Stortregn's more black metal-influenced sound well, so definitely don't miss either band if you can swing coming out on a work night! Local support will be provided by thrash metal trio The BAG in their first public date since opening for Sentiment Dissolve in May, and they should set the tone off well with their heavy originals and covers! I am unsure if this show is being put on by The BAG, Jay's, or a separate promoter.

This stop on Virvum & Stortregn's Canada Takeover tour begins at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, and tickets run for $15.99 at this link and presumably at the door, though I don't know if the price will jump there. Kudos to Jay's for occasionally booking true metal concerts after they largely vanished in the Reggie's West era, and despite being on a Sunday night, hopefully there's lots of headbanging and moshing tomorrow! After all, Virvum and Stortregn are from Switzerland, show them some love! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Virvum live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ricky Mullen & Project 906), Plus New Live Concert Videos!!

After a couple of off days for a personal matter, we're back with the SMS on this Wednesday morning, including new videos from recent concerts and some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming months, so here's what you should know as we get back into the swing of things!

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock band Project 906 will return to The Islander Bar in nearby Hessel for one night only on Saturday, May 3rd! They announced this concert via their Facebook page on Sunday when thanking everyone for their successful Back Bay Grill & Games show in Brimley this past weekend, and it will be their first show in Hessel since playing there in August. Good to see the guys staying busy again with the weather generally getting nicer, and hopefully we hear of more mid-2025 dates from 906 to come! As you can see in the promotional image shared by the venue's Facebook page, hand drummer Brian Duford is pictured with the guys (front and center, no less), which seems to more or less confirm that he has officially joined Project 906, making them a quintet. Brian had guested with 906 since at least mid-2023 but his presence became more and more common, as seen in live media.

Having two percussionists may seem like overkill for some, but Brian's presence in Project 906 concerts gives them a unique aspect that you don't see from other local cover-leaning rock bands, and his drumming can add an extra flavour to their shows! Next month's Hessel concerts is a 21+ affair with no announced cover charge, and an early 7:00 PM start time is listed (past Project 906 shows there started at 9:00 PM but last month's Shipheads On Shore concert was indeed at 7:00). See above for more details!

Next up, folk punk fans will want to circle Independence Day on their calendars, as Mikhal Muto is hosting a Sault Ontario folk punk show at The Stellar Door under The Distraction on Friday, July 4th! Yes, this is in the basement again, they haven't visibly hosted shows in the former barbershop space since last summer. Your headline acts on the Fourth of July are Cambridge solo artist Ricky Mullen and Guelph solo project The Washout, with Ricky's catalog having more of an in-your-face punk attitude that would suit a full band, but The Washout's more reserved material has its audience, and Derek is a solid songwriter with good honest lyrics! Local folk musicians Shae Tull and Tye Lawless Co. will kick off the evening with their own distinct brand of original acoustic music, so don't be late for their sets! Despite his own affinity for folk punk, Mikhal's solo project Agnosticism is not scheduled for this concert.

As usual for Stellar Door/Distraction concerts, this is ALL AGES with a "pay what you can" admission model, though $10 is suggested. Doors open at 6:30 PM for this show, which should pique the interest of folk and punk fans, so keep all of the action in mind in three months, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

We'll spend the rest of this post by looking at new videos from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down's Facebook page, starting with one of their shows at Jay's Piston Broke Pub over the April 4th-5th weekend! Two videos from the same night's gig (it's unclear which one) were uploaded on the 6th, and they include covers of Collective Soul's "Heavy" with guitarist Joel Syrette on lead vocals and, as embedded below, The Cult's "Fire Woman" with his cousin Beej on vocals. Both videos are short (33 and 43 seconds apiece), but the renditions are strong from what we hear, and the horizontal videos capture a unique overhead angle, so check both out above & below!

Finally, as part of Double Down's recent focus on promoting and getting the word out for concerts from other local cover rock bands, an unidentified band member was in attendance for veteran classic rock cover band Mid Life Crysis' show at The Esquire Club on Friday, where they were filmed covering most of Queen's "I Want To Break Free". Featuring recent Double Down guest bassist Lori Reinholtz, M.L.C. don't generally lean heavier, but this is a well done rendition with quality vocal melodies that Queen fans should enjoy! Alas, this is a horizontally shot video that was uploaded in vertical dimensions with pillarboxing, so apologies for how tiny it is, that's out of my hands. Check out this Mid Life Crysis cover below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more news/notes on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Metal Band & New Videos From Both Sides Of The Border!!

Let's clear out some more of our news backlog on this Wednesday night, and today's video-heavy post will go some ways towards that on both sides of the border! Just to clarify given national news, we're not going to stop covering Sault Michigan/the E.U.P. due to tariffs/a trade war. None of that is the fault of local musicians, and I want the Twin Saults to have stronger connections, not weaker ones. Now, here's what you should know!

We have a new local death metal/grindcore project to add to our Sault Ontario band links, namely Three Grind Mice! Obviously a play on the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice", this is a new project from prolific local indie label Blood Shed Productions, one of their few brand new acts post-pandemic. I'm unsure if the band literally has three members or if it's a solo project, and while performer credits aren't given on their social media accounts, Blood Shed head Tyler Gibson (best known from Crucify The Whore and Rotopsy) has been sharing their content online, and he has multi-instrumental talent. The project is represented on social media by photos and brief animations of plush mice playing instruments, and so far, none of their music samples have vocals. Will the "mice" sing in death growls, and would they do the pitch-shifted chipmunk thing? An untitled & 92 seconds-long instrumental can be heard on their Bandcamp page.

That recording includes a brief cover of Gut's "Gia Paloma" plus an original song in progress, but embedded below is a drum sample clip from their new YouTube channel featuring one of the "mice" drumming on camera, and the emphasis suggests that they do have live drumming rather than programmed percussion (the video description credits the drummer as "Johnny Town-Mouse", a'la the Beatrix Potter character). It's too soon to accurately gauge 3GM, but there's promise there for fans of grindcore music! Vocals will definitely play a role into perception, let alone how far they take the mice conceit, but check them out for yourselves below!

Next up, the second advance single from reunited local emo band Fuller's upcoming sophomore album "II" was posted onto their YouTube channel on Friday! This time, the chosen song is "Kerosene", which they revealed on their Facebook page was "one of the last songs (that) we wrote as a band". For context, they disbanded originally in 2005, and by then, the band noted that "we were getting away from the midwestern emo stuff, and leaning more into post-hardcore and psych-rock". I'll hold comment on the song for now pending our eventual review of the album upon its release in "early 2025", but if the description piques your interest (or you loved/miss Fuller), check out "Kerosene" below, and look for the album soon!

Let's head south to Sault Michigan to wrap up this post, and we'll start with local hard rock cover quartet Dirty Musky, who rocked The Islander Bar in Hessel for the Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest's pub crawl on February 7th, and drummer Jamie Costner shared five videos from said gig to her personal Facebook page two days later, with the band subsequently sharing them on their own Facebook page. The videos (uploaded in a batch post and not individually) include Dirty Musky covering Tool's "Sober", A Perfect Circle's "Judith", guitarist Fran Blackwood playing a guitar solo, and Breaking Benjamin's "So Cold", which was filmed in two partial chunks (the longer first part is below, the second is linked here). All are short and vertical clips, but the band sounds good tackling some songs that you don't hear often in the E.U.P.. and Dave's voice holds up well for the most part, so give these videos a watch above & below, and look for more from them soon!

Finally for today, here's a new song from local metal solo project X's & Y's' YouTube channel! Entitled "Face The Moon, Forgive The Stars", this 7+ minute original track was actually uploaded twice on Valentine's Day, both in a version with vocals and a version without! The one with vocals (their first such song) is embedded below, but click here to check out the instrumental copy. This is a full-on doom metal song that drone-inclined fans are going to take to, and while it's not lyrically verbose, Jason gets the point across with processed and well layered aggressive vocals. It may take adjusting the video's speed to really make things out, but it's an impressive diversion, if an acquired taste, so check out X's & Y's' new song below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dodge This) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's dive head first into this weekend's hard rock concert previews on this Thursday night! Due to the amount of shows this weekend, I'll hold our preview of Saturday night's Bone Yard 225 and About:Blank shows for tomorrow's post. Now, here's what you should know to start the weekend, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local acoustic classic/hard rock duo Dodge This will return to The Water Tower Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we first learned of this booking via the venue's February concert calendar on Monday, though the band did confirm the booking on their Facebook page yesterday. Despite their quiet start to the year on social media, Jason & Jamie (and Jeff?) did rock The Dive last month, perhaps among other gigs that may have happened without online word from their camp before they resurfaced on Facebook this week. Fans of Dodge This' rocking acoustic covers should get a lot to like in their first Water Tower Pub show of the year TOMORROW! This show has a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and an early-ish 8:00 PM start time, while we will address Generations' month-ending show there in an upcoming post. See above for more details, and here's Dodge This live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will help kick off this year's Bon Soo Winter Carnival TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock The Machine Shop! The only SMS-relevant concert taking place at Bon Soo this year, this early highlight on Silent 9's 2025 calendar will see them cap off a day full of family activities & events at the Canal District and elsewhere downtown, so be sure to read the official schedule to get the full scoop on what's going on tomorrow and beyond! Tomorrow's concert takes place from 8:00-10:00 PM indoors at at The Machine Shop, this is an all ages event, and admission is free with your $12 Bon Soo button or $8 jacket tag. If you don't wanna buy yours at the gate, click here for the locations where you can buy them. Silent 9's hard rocking blend of covers should get get Bon Soo off on the right foot, so see above for more details, and here they are live!

Now let's head across the Ontario/Michigan border for some hard rock shows in the E.U.P., starting with local hard rock quartet Dirty Musky's return to The Islander Bar in Hessel TOMORROW NIGHT! If you liked/missed the I-500 pub crawl in the Soo this past weekend, you may want to consider stopping by Hessel and nearby Cedarville tomorrow, as Dirty Musky's show takes place during the annual Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest's pub shuffle across nightclubs in the two towns. Last year's pub crawl saw a scavenger hunt across the five participating bars, plus votes on who had the best decorations, costumes, and themed drinks, if 2024's pub shuffle is anything to go by, you can vote on which participating pub has the best decorations, costumes, and cocktails, while also taking part in a scavenger hunt across the locations. Technically, the concert takes place after the 8:00 PM close of the pub shuffle, but why not stay for some live hard rock?

Food specials will also be on tap for attendees at The Islander tomorrow, with Dave, the Blackwoods, and Jamie hitting the Hessel stage at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Hopefully Dirty Musky get a strong turnout from fans and pub crawlers alike for their 2025 kickoff, so visit the above links for more on both this show and Snowsfest in general, and here they are live last year!

Finally, Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm are advertised to return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! While not freshly promoted on their Facebook page this week, they posted Facebook event pages last fall to promote the gigs, so they appear to be on as scheduled. These will be the Peril sister band's third and fourth E.U.P. dates of 2025, following shows at the St. Ignace Kewadin over the first weekend of the year, and it will be good to see Adam, Dave, and Jeff unleash their talented blend of hard hitting covers and originals in the Soo for the first time in almost two months this weekend! Tomorrow and Saturday's Scarkazm concerts are standard fare for their Kewadin trips, so expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits both nights. Visit the above links for more details on Scarkazm's returns to the Soo this weekend, and here they are live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Bone Yard 225 & About:Blank previews and more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dressed To Kiss, Dirty Musky, And Curtis McKenzie), Plus Exit 808 Concert Previews!!

As promised, we're wrapping up this weekend's concert previews with this post, but we also have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS of an increasing scale to take a look at also, so here's what you should know!

Former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie will play his first formal headlining concert of 2025 on Saturday, February 1st at The Dive Gastro Pub, as per his Facebook page! Not counting his turn hosting the former Low & Slow's inaugural Monday jam night earlier this week (not to mention his involvement in the Din reunion at the same venue next week), this will be Curt's first traditional solo headlining gig anywhere since rocking The Dive in early November. No word on why he's been away from the stage for so long for full concerts, but head down to this Queen Street East restaurant and nightclub to hear some "banger tunes" from this hard rock and grunge veteran! As usual for Curtis' shows at The Dive, expect a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge in two weeks. Visit the above links for more details, and don't miss Curt solo and reuniting with Mike Haggith & The Din next Saturday!

Next up, let's head to nearby Hessel, Michigan, where local hard rock quartet Dirty Musky will return to The Islander Bar for one night only on Friday, February 7th! Making their first live concert appearance of the new year and their first stop at The Islander Bar since Halloween weekend, this concert will coincide with the annual Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest and their annual pub shuffle (crawl, if you will) taking place that night at bars in both Hessel and Cedarville. Outside of the music, if 2024's pub shuffle is anything to go by, you can vote on which participating pub has the best decorations, costumes, and themed drinks, while also taking part in a scavenger hunt across the locations. Fun if you're in the area, and Dirty Musky should have some solid hard rock tunes in store that night! For reference, roots rockers The Seth Brown Duo are playing at Snow's in Cedarville during the pub shuffle, and the other bars don't host hard rock acts regularly.

Dirty Musky's "original msusic" (sic) can be enjoyed at The Islander Bar that night at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge, and the band has teased having new setlist additions for this event. Visit the above links for more details on Dirty Musky's concert and Snowsfest proper!

Lastly for today's batch of new concerts, have you Kiss Army soldiers been relatively lacking in the past year+, last summer's Ace Frehley show in St. Ignace acknowledged? Well, you will want to circle Saturday, April 5th on your calendar, as Niagara-based Kiss tribute band Dressed To Kiss (or D.T.K.) will make their local debut that night at The Sault Community Theatre Centre! While local fans have seen Toronto-based Destroyer at least six times here in the past decade & a half (most recently in October 2023 at Soo Blaster), Dressed To Kiss will bring their own take on Gene, Paul, Ace, and Peter to local audiences this spring, and from what I have seen of their live show, they have the costumes, staging, and sound to please Kiss fans! You can see for yourself in three months at the former Kiwanis Theatre at White Pines Collegiate, and this show has an 8:00 PM start time.

Tickets run for $53.68 (adults), $42.37 (seniors and students with valid ID) or $16.95 (kids 14 and under) depending on where you apply. Whether you prefer D.T.K. to other Kiss tributes is subjective, but I think this band will appeal to local Kiss fans for obvious reasons, so click here or visit the in-person box office at Station Mall to get your tickets!

Finally for today, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews by returning to the E.U.P., specifically The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where local hard rock band Exit 808 will play their first local dates of 2025 TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen in Bergland (4½ hours west of here) for a New Year's Eve concert there, this will be Exit 808's first truly local date since rocking Rudyard over a month ago, so if you've missed this talented covers collective, head to the Soo Kewadin tonight and/or tomorrow! Now, be advised that tomorrow's show takes place during the Detroit Lions/Washington Commanders NFL divisional round playoff game, which would theoretically divert attention from the band, though I don't know if there'd be a true conflict of consequence (though note that the band was openly hoping that the game would be early or on Sunday because of their show.)

You can see Exit 808 this weekend at 9:00 PM tomorrow and/or Saturday with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges, though if you are at all concerned that the Lions game will cause Exit 808's show to be curtailed in any fashion, keep tabs with the band or venue closer to showtime (if you're curious, the game is on Fox tomorrow night at 8:00 PM). Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Exit 808 live!

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