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!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison, Dodge This, And The Isolation Sessions!!)

A busy final concert weekend for March 2025 is upon us, so much so that I'll have to hold our previews of this weekend's previously announced Generations and Headrush concerts for our next post. Don't worry, they are coming, but this post is 100% devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know, starting with a surprise band reunion at a special charity event!

Local acoustic hard rock band The Isolation Sessions are back and will play their first ever public concert at The Grand Gardens Downtown (the former Queen of Hearts Club above Shooters) TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band's involvement was only confirmed via the official Facebook event page on Thursday. The event in question is Helping Hearts For Helping Hands, a fundraiser being held by Sault College's social service worker program's 2025 graduating class for Sault Ste. Marie Helping Hands, a local non-profit that donates basic and household items for those in need. For this special event, a dress code of red, pink, and white is suggested, and there will be food from The Grand Gardens on offer, as well as live music. The Isolation Sessions (a side project of hard rock quartet Half Past) had been inactive for the past four years after only previously offering up at-home covers from 2020-2021 during the first year of the pandemic.

No word on how their lineup will look, but Half Past singer Jordan Rains and bassist Arthur Lacasse (on guitar) should still be involved. In their original run, they were joined by guitarist Todd Kidd (who isn't in Half Past) and the late Chris Thompson on drums. TONIGHT'S other musical performers are DJs, namely Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson and DJ "Dark" Mark Millington (last seen on the SMS at Toystock last fall), who is in the social service worker program himself. Cash only activities will also be offered TONIGHT, including a silent auction and door prizes. While there is an early 6:00 PM start time in effect, this is sadly a 19+ event. Admission is via $15 tickets at this link and presumably at the door, while $10 support tickets for those who are unable to attend in person have sold out. Sounds like a great event is in store for supporters of both Helping Hands and the SSW program, so keep it in mind for TONIGHT!

Gotta be honest, I didn't have an Isolation Sessions reunion on my 2025 bingo card (their original run seemed like something that only the early pandemic could have fostered, and members focusing on full live bands since made sense), but kudos to Jordan and Art (and crew?) for supporting these worthy causes, and hopefully there's more in store from The Isolation Sessions in the months ahead! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview of TONIGHT'S Helping Hearts For Helping Hands, here's Jordan & Art from The Isolation Sessions in their original run!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover duo Dodge This will bring their acoustic live show back to The Water Tower Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced on the band's Facebook page on Tuesday, and the venue has not posted a March concert calendar on social media that I have found. Last seen two weeks ago at the Up & Down Lounge on Second Line West (at least TOMORROW'S show got a few days' notice!), this will be Dodge This' first show at The Water Tower Pub since early February. Hopefully things go smooth for Jason and Jamie (and Jeff?) as they rock this popular central venue again TOMORROW! You can enjoy Dodge This' often heavy range of covers TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Dodge This live!

Finally for this post, local acoustic classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison will return to The Fraternal Order Of Eagles Club at 246 Wellington Street West for three more solo headlining matinee gigs THIS SATURDAY and then for two more Saturdays on April 19th & May 3rd! Apologies again for the short notice on SATURDAY's concert, all three were only announced via their batch Facebook event page on Tuesday. Tym had just debuted his solo unplugged show at the Eagles Club two weeks ago, and clearly that show went well for him to get re-booked there thrice, including the April 19th show over the Easter long weekend. If you want to see Tym somewhere other than Misty's Fifties, maybe a trip to Steelton for his talented covers on SATURDAY or beyond will do the trick! All three of the new shows at Aerie #3991 are at 2:00 PM with no cover or announced age limit. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Headrush and Generations previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: The Isolation Sessions

To keep the stream of normal posts going thanks to our current backlog, let's double up with this month's Defunct Local Band Profile as a second post today! This monthly feature looks at randomly selected local metal, hard rock, or punk bands who are defunct or functionally inactive for a year+, in order to spotlight them and their run for modern readers! This band was very much a product of their time, if full of familiar faces playing familiar hard rock hits, so here's what you should know on them!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Isolation Sessionsr

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Acoustic Hard Rock

Lineup:

Jordan Rains (Half Past), vocals
Todd Kidd (8ight Past Nine, King Misfit), guitar
Arthur Lacasse (Half Past, The Soo Fighters), guitar/bass
Chris Thompson (Fitswitch, Frightlight, Half Past), drums

Audio/Video: The Isolation Sessions never played live, partially due to publically forming at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a handful of covers featuring just Jordan and Arthur were posted on Art's YouTube channel, including two takes of Three Days Grace's "Never Too Late", plus one of Seether's "Plastic Man". That song is the only surviving video on their Facebook page, also their only publically posted media with the full band (if not visually), so give it a listen below! Staind's "Epiphany" and Fuel's "Bad Day" were among now-deleted covers posted to Facebook.

Info/Analysis: Former (and future) Half Past bandmates Jordan Rains & Art Lacasse formed The Isolation Sessions in March 2020, with the name and their initial setup capitalizing on the real isolation that everyone was dealing with during that initial pandemic lockdown. Once things opened up a bit that summer, they added fellow Half Past alum Chris Thompson and Windsor native guitarist Todd Kidd to form a full lineup, but only that "Plastic Man" cover in October and the aforementioned YouTube videos in January 2021 followed. By March of that year, Art & Jordan had joined the new local hard rock band Dealing Without, who gave way to the Half Past reunion that fall, with The Isolation Sessions falling by the wayside regardless. The Isolation Sessions hit at the right time with the right approach to make an impact, but it wasn't meant to be despite best intentions.

Prior Half Past chemistry helped, and they played to Jordan's vocal strengths, but I'd have liked to have seen The Isolation Sessions do some live-streamed concerts or somesuch to really seize the moment they were born out of. Perhaps this served its purpose as a laid back creative outlet before Jordan & Arthur could get a full normal band going, so look for more from Half Past soon, hopefully we hear from Todd again, and R.I.P. Chris!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! We'll jump across the border for a Sault Michigan-area project next, namely Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's inactive solo project, as randomly selected from our links! Look for that on or around July 10th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (These Magnificent Tentacles), New Videos, And Much More!!

Late news post to check out on this Friday night, including some new video discoveries, a few shorter assorted notes, and leading off, a somewhat unique LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next weekend!

Local alt-punk duo These Magnificent Tentacles will play their first public concert of 2022 when they open for surf rock trio The Dynowaves on Saturday, May 21st at the return of promoters Dryer Fire's temporary venue! In this case, Dryer Fire have been renting space at 285 Wilson Street (off Bruce Street, near The Breakfast Pig), and they're celebrating their recent growth with an open house featuring the aforementioned live bands, and even refreshments from the Sweet Aisle Candy Store that's also set up at this building. It is worth noting that in their promotion of the concert, These Magnificent Tentacles said on their Facebook page that this will be "our first show as a full team", so did their teased search for new band members prove fruitful? In any event, frontman Brenton Ellis will be selling his own art on this event on a pay-what-you-can basis, which you Slumshine fans should like!

The open house proper has a 1:00 PM matinee start time, no cover charge, and is definitely all ages, which goes with the community art/candy sale aspect well too! This should be a fun change of pace if you're up for some Saturday afternoon concert action next weekend, and between T.M.T. and The Dynowaves, you'll get some diverse musical entertainment! Visit the above links for more details on this unique matinee concert!

Next up, here's two new videos from local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek at their Soo Blaster concert last week! Filmed by attendee Eddie Hernando, one is another acoustic interlude just featuring singer Justin Grayson and bassist Robin "Bones" Lee on acoustic guitar covering Luke Combs' "Beautiful Crazy". I'm not a country guy, but it's a solid rendition! Embedded below is the full band clip of Fort Creek covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", and it's a well done version that builds in the instruments well, and fans on the floor definitely appreciated dancing to it, so give both of these a look above & below!

Also today, here's some videos from former Leaked/Mustang Sally drummer Nic Buckner on his YouTube channel in the last few years! While Nic didn't become a major name as a local rock drummer, he did move to the States to further his career, and his YouTube videos reflect his later musical education! Alongside covers of Maroon 5, Sweet Machine, Michael Jackson, and The Color Black songs, Nic posted a cover of "Rule of Nines" by the Victoria, B.C. metal band Spiritbox in April 2020, complete with an inset second camera showing his foot pedal work. Nic's a very talented drummer and I like how he mixed the backing song with the drums to optimize his performances, so give these a watch above & below!

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

 

• I have moved local acoustic hard rock band The Isolation Sessions to our inactive band links. The band has not issued a public update since posting a cover of Three Days Grace's "Never Too Late" on their Facebook page in January of last year, with members Jordan Rains & Arthur Lacasse since focusing on Dealing Without and the revival of Half Past. The Isolation Sessions seemed like a promising stopgap band in worse pandemic times, and hopefully we hear more from Jordan, Arthur, and Todd soon (and R.I.P. Chris!)
• Prolific local metal musician Mitch Sirie is looking for a bassist for a hard rock/alternative metal band that he's working on with a sound comparable in range to The Deftones or System of a Down. The sonic description implies that this is not for The Bear Hunters, Exploring Detritus, or Handsome Sandwich (where he is the bassist), so Mitch is definitely keeping busy as things pick up locally in 2022! Message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post yesterday for more details!
• A Facebook event page has been launched for the Parabol-headlined concert at Soo Blaster on June 4th, and it happens to feature a new local band as openers named Short & Sweet, who are an acoustic two-man project from former Skeyes of Seven bandmates Cory Murchison & Kyle Sweet (hence the name). I don't think Short & Sweet have an online page yet, but Cory & Kyle should deliver an entertaining set beforehand, and see above for more details on what should be a solid concert!
  

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek), New Videos, And More!!

As you may have gathered by the lack of proper news posts yet this week, things remain slow for local metal, hard rock, and punk activity, which is very atypical for Halloween week (especially with Halloween on a Saturday this year.) Of course, this is not a normal year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial and state restrictions on nightclubs, and social distancing & closing time restrictions on the few places that are hosting live concerts. As such, we only have one pair of newly announced shows from the same band to cover here for SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (and for clarification, J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party at the Algonquin Hotel is not taking place.) I'm hopeful that 2021 will bring some more normalcy, but hopefully everyone can make the most of a screwy year and have some spooky fun in a way that keeps everyone safe this weekend, and if you bring the kids trick-or-treating, use common sense. Now, here are those new shows and a couple of new videos!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, with the latter being the venue's Halloween party! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced on the band's Facebook page on Saturday.  These will be Fort Creek's first dates since rocking Reggie's West two weeks ago, but fans at the re-opened downtown Reggie's will have waited four weeks for their brand of southern-tinged hard rock covers. TOMORROW'S show is business as usual (well, given the circumstances), but SATURDAY'S will indeed have a Halloween costume contest, with attending fans picking the best male and female costumes, plus the scariest costume. Keep all of that in mind on SATURDAY, but be advised that venue rules do not allow Halloween masks that cover the whole face (obviously, COVID face masks are still required.) As such, you may want to get creative if you are entering!

8:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover charges are in effect for TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts, and despite the holiday weekend festivities, capacity limits are still in effect at Reggie's, and don't forget your face mask. Hopefully this weekend's shows are hits for Fort Creek, so see above for more details, and here they are live! Also, note that SooToday's entertainment page lists a band named "40 Creek" as playing a Johnny Cash tribute set on Saturday afternoon at The Moose Lodge. If this is a typo, Fort Creek haven't publicized it (we'll let you know if they do), but Forty Creek is a brand of domestic whiskey.

Next up, we'll close with a couple of new videos, including a new song from local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's YouTube channel! His first upload there since his last Motley Market live-stream on September 5th, and his first original song upload since the summer, this is for his song "Together In The End", a ballad about a couple forgiving each other for the sins of their past. Pretty song with a bit of Tym's usual guitar tricks before the bridge, but it can be a little repetitive in structure as it goes. Check this one out below!

Finally, here's a new audio cover from new local acoustic hard rock band The Isolation Sessions' Facebook page on Monday! Now featuring what appears to be their full quartet lineup (complete with Chris on a cajon or equivalent hand drum), this is a cover of Seether's "Plastic Man", and they even set the audio track to a slideshow of relevant images with lyrics. Nice and laid back rendition, but it would be nice to see a video with the full group. This works in the interim, so check it out below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes when enough material for a post rolls in, and if all else fails, our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post could be bumped up to Sunday. Thanks everyone!

An Inactive Band Note, New Videos, And Much More!!

I hope all of our Canadian readers had a great Thanksgiving! We're back with a new news post on this Tuesday morning, including some shorter assorted stories, new videos from both sides of the border, and leading off, here's a notable band who have crossed our one year's inactivity threshold!

I have reluctantly moved local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band has not issued a public update since changing the business hours on their Facebook page on October 6th of last year, and while the effects of the ongoing pandemic are acknowledged, they have not played a live concert since opening for Dopethrone at The New A in May of last year (itself their only concert since 2017.) Launching in 2012 before debuting on stage at 180 Projects the following March, AlgomA united BeeFMoutH and Fuller alumni into a crushing package, giving the Sault area a much slower and doomier brand of metal that immediately set them apart, as heard on their 2014 EP "Reclaimed By The Forest" and their later splits with Chronobot, Hooded Menace, and the Soo's own Shit Liver. Local fans will recognize them from opening for bands like The Archaics, Beaver Slap, Biipiigwan, Fuck The Facts, and The Golers, often playing at shows under their own promotional banners.

 

As well, AlgomA found a far-flung audience of fans elsewhere in Canada and internationally via concerts in Southern Ontario, Sudbury, Quebec, and even in Europe, with their albums all getting solid press attention in metal news & review websites, partially owing to their label deal with Deadbeat Media. I definitely enjoyed AlgomA's slow and hard hitting brand of original metal, with lots of dark intensity packed into their generally long songs, and it was very encouraging to see local talent get so much exposure and fan support abroad at their peak. Hopefully this isn't the last we'll hear from AlgomA, but best of luck to Kevin, Boyd, and Jamie in the future!

Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished, who recently got a third spotlight on 9&10 News' lifestyle newsmagazine program The Four! As you may have seen on channel 10 (Spectrum) or 10.1 (over the air) this past Friday, the guys were seen playing their original "Metalyn" for their third (and final?) appearance on The Four's week-ending Friday Sessions series of music performances by Northern Michigan artists. This was filmed in the same August sessions that gave us prior CBS-aired takes on "Cocaine Riot" & "Shortcut", but neither of those has a mandolin! High quality performances and well shot videos as you would expect, so give Tarnished's third go-around on TV a look at the above links! I cannot embed 9&10 News videos here. In the meantime, Tarnished are filming their first ever music video (also for "Metalyn") with Jay London Photography, as per their Facebook page, which should be interesting to see the final product of! Stay tuned for updates from their camp as they roll in!

Also today, here's some new solo performance videos from prolific local folk punk/extreme metal solo musician Chase Wigmore's Facebook page! While uploaded on September 27th & October 1st, these were allegedly recorded at an earlier point, and serve as "COVID jams" while he can't play normal live concerts. The first video is embedded below, but the second (and much longer) video can be watched at this link. The 36 minutes of content in these videos are along the lines of his intense folk punk work, with rapid guitar work and his usual passion and irreverence, so fans of this side of Chase's music career will absolutely want to watch both videos above & below! 

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

 

• New local hard rock band The Isolation Sessions quietly added guitarist Todd Kidd to their lineup on their Facebook page last month, officially making them a quartet. As a result, Arthur Lacasse has moved from guitar to bass, much like he did with their predecessors Half Past. While Todd is unfamiliar locally, he was previously active in the Windsor-area metal bands 8ight Past Nine, King Misfit, and Against All Wisemen, and if you check out his work there, you'll see that he definitely has the chops! Stay tuned for more from The Isolation Sessions when it rolls in!
• Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl alum Mike Vincent has again posted searches for band members on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group this month. One post on October 1st was for a vocalist (and perhaps second guitarist) for the pop punk band he has alluded to working on in the past, while the other from last Tuesday was looking for country/southern rock musicians he's interested in jamming with. Message Mike at this link or above for more info!
  
• I opted not to cover local acoustic hard rock musician Tym Morrison's presumed Motley Market show this past Saturday, as it was not promoted in advance by him or the venue on social media. Tym's prior Motley Market booking on Saturday the 3rd was cancelled outright, and he has not signalled that his weekly run there will resume, at least not publically, so I have removed October gigs there from our calendar for now. Hopefully nothing bad happened, but we'll let you know when he plays live next!
  

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison) And More Updates!!

Rock The Border in Sault Michigan aside, we haven't had any true public concerts to preview and cover on the SMS in over four months, but today, not only do we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Sault Ontario, they're largely on SHORT NOTICE too! If you're up for some live hard rock this weekend, you do have options, including a show TONIGHT, so read on below for those and some more assorted updates! To space things out given it's size, our Squatfest preview will hit the site tomorrow.

Local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to the live concert stage TONIGHT and every Thursday this month when he plays special matinee sets at Motley Market at 132 Gore Street! Apologies for the short notice (it feels good to say that again) on TONIGHT's show, Tym only announced it and the rest of these dates via his Facebook event page this morning. If you're not familiar with the Motley Market, you're certainly not alone, as this business is a new addition downtown, located in the former Soo North Fly Shop/Eagle Golf building (just down the road from the old Princess Theater). As best as I can gather, Motley Market will be operating as a canteen selling various refreshments and offering casual activities, while also hosting live events, and they are looking for people interested in hosting or putting on live entertainment there, or renting space for their own businesses. Click here for more details on the Motley Market.

Sort of sounds like a smaller, more whimsical take on Mill Market, especially with the carnival imagery they're using, and I am curious to see how things go at the Motley Market in the months ahead! Tym has clearly taken them up on their offer to host live entertainment, as you can see him there TONIGHT and then on August 13th, 20th, and 27th! All are 6:00 PM shows with no age limits or announced cover charges, though I don't know how active the Motley Market proper will be at this early juncture, especially given their teaser photos. Nothing is stated re: social distancing measures, but if you go TONIGHT and beyond, please use common sense. This all said, what will happen to Tym's live-streamed concerts, which typically happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Well, Tym indicated on the event page that "the show will be online as well", implying that episode #35 will be live-streamed from the Motley Market TONIGHT to watch at home, so how's that for a change?

Fingers crossed the apparent live-stream goes well without any technical issues, but does this mean this live-stream will go beyond two hours? In any event, tune into Tym's YouTube's channel at 6:00 PM if you can't make it in person! Get more details on all four of these new concerts at the above links, and for a preview, here's Tym live last year!

Next up, we have more new concerts to take note of, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will end their pandemic hiatus by returning to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. After a month of kitchen/patio operations only, the former Roosevelt Hotel re-opened indoor services on July 17th, and they didn't wait too long to try having live bands again, with country rockers Bone Yard ending the dry spell there last week. Soundcheck are second up at the Reggievelt, and their hard rocking covers should be welcomed by assembled fans TOMORROW & SATURDAY! That all said, social distancing measures are very much in effect, so there will be a limit of 50 people inside the Korah Road nightclub. Face masks are mandatory unless you are seated or outside, and the pool tables and bar seating are unavailable.

Of course, please use common sense if you come out and are able to get in this weekend. Bone Yard's shows last weekend clearly went well if Reggie's West is pushing forward with a live music schedule, and hopefully things don't regress this weekend, as I know how much Cameron, Terry, Paul, and Glen have missed being on stage! Visit the above links for full details on TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows, and here's Soundcheck live!



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

• New local hard rock band The Isolation Sessions have officially added Frightlight/Bridge Heads drummer Chris Thompson to their lineup, making them a trio (for now), as per their Facebook page on Monday. Chris was already a bandmate of Jordan and Arthur's in Half Past, most notably in early-mid 2011, so he is a perfect fit once again! The band is still looking for a bassist and/or guitarist to help round out their lineup, so if you are interested in trying out, message them above for more details.
• I have restored local hard rock solo artist Shane "The Shaner" Solomon back to our active band links, as he has been working on and uploading new music to his Reverbnation page in recent weeks! One of my pet peeves about Reverbnation is how uploaded music isn't visibly dated, but Shane confirmed on his personal Facebook page that two new songs ("Silks and Dangling" & "Exit Cryosleep") are up, and they showcase distinct styles with strong production, and the former will satiate heavier appetites! Give both songs a listen above, and it's good to see Shane back after 8 years away!
• SooToday contributor Chris Belsito posted this article on July 25th where he asked local musicians about their most memorable gigs, and among others, it includes remarks from Soundcheck bassist Paul Belair, ex-Gates of Winter keyboardist Brian Holmes (though the show he referenced was in 2008, not 2009), Inner City Surfers bassist Brad "Example" LaSalle Lacell, and Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, who gives a rare elaboration on the famed "secret show" at Coch's Corner. Really good article with nice insights from a wide array of local musicians, so do check it out above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Squatfest preview and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

New Videos From Two Local Solo Acts, Plus Lots Of Recent Updates!!

Things have been painfully slow as of late, but I have scraped together enough content for a post on this Sunday afternoon! This is half devoted to assorted short items, but leading off, we do have some videos from a pair of very different local solo artists. Here's what you should know!

Local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison hosted his 27th live-streamed concert on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, so what is there to see here? Nothing on the SMS directly, unfortunately, as Tym has quietly disabled external embedding on his last few YouTube uploads for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened, and hopefully I didn't do anything wrong by embedding prior live-streams on the site! Of course, you can still watch on YouTube proper, and Tuesday's show begins about 11 minutes in with renditions of Supertramp's "The Logical Song" and Tears For Fears' "Mad World", before Tym acknowledges the dreaded return of video lag, which has been an issue on a number of his prior live-streams. Afterwards, he tackles Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud", an instrumental composition and some banter, Prince & The Revolution's "When Doves Cry", Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", and Toto's "Love Isn't Always On Time".

Tym ended the show early after that due to the video lag issues, and that was it for his live-streams last week, as he did not do a public at-home concert at all on Thursday. I have not seen an announcement as to why online, but between his internet problems & last week's immense heat, they both could have been factors. Tuesday's show was entertaining while it lasted, and the choppy video wasn't as bad as it has been, but it was still noticeable late, and he did just do the Berlin & Toto covers the previous Thursday. Again, this live-stream does not work for external embedding at the moment, but watch it above, and look for more on Tuesday, one assumes!

Next up, here's a video that I can embed, courtesy of local death/trance metal solo project Black Cloud's YouTube channel! Peytan has recently been overhauling his content there, deleting all old videos (including the "Abstract Sounds" demo again), and re-uploading his original songs "Ghost Stomp" & "Bloodbaiting". Embedded below is the only brand new upload, the self-titled song "Black Cloud", which has a nice driving riff, but the structure and intensity of the harsh vocals need some refinement. Hopefully Black Cloud keeps at it, and give their new-ish songs a listen 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 venue name:

• In their first Facebook page updates in over two months, local extreme metal solo project Awokest announced that they have finished tracking for two new albums, a guitar-heavy release named "The Majestic Seagulls of Satan's Army", and an electronic-based album named "Beyonder", though they await a final mix and master. Cover artwork was shared for both as well. Time will tell if these will receive a paid release or be like Chase's prolific round of past free albums, but stay tuned for updates as they roll in!
• While there was no Go North Music Festival in Richards Landing this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers made due with a live-streamed concert on July 2nd featuring Calgary/Toronto indie rock band The Fast Romantics and local musicians Jesse Merineau & Frank Deresti, all festival veterans. No punk or hard rock on this reduced bill, but it's great to see organizers turning lemons into lemonade in a tough year, so click here or visit the Music & Film In Motion Facebook page to see the whole show!
• New local acoustic hard rock band The Isolation Sessions are looking for a second guitarist, bassist, and drummer to round out their lineup, and are "looking to have some fun." It'd be great to see this band have a fuller profile when they can finally play live, so message guitarist Arthur Lacasse at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on June 28th for more details!
• Kewadin Casino has quietly announced that their normal live entertainment schedule at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Michigan and The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace will "tentatively" resume after August 1st, implying that live bands will be back at both locations starting with the weekend of August 7th-8th. Hopefully there are no further setbacks this month, and that Kewadin puts all possible social distancing measures into effect! For reference, Paradise Excuse frontman Mark Bowen has already announced return dates there and elsewhere on his Facebook page.
• Sault Ontario/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has announced that episode #14 of his live-streamed #LockdownLive concerts will take place tomorrow on his Facebook page. The unusual scheduling for his first monthly episode is due to "a pretty crazy month ahead", and I believe fans were consulted on possible dates on his private fans-only Facebook group. No word on a theme, but keep watch on Mike's Facebook page tomorrow night for all of the action, with an SMS recap to follow!
• Veteran local musician Richard Overton is "looking for a drummer who loves classic rock", specifically one with "a heavy foot (and) lots of bottom end". There is already some interest, but just in case this apparent band project crosses the hard rock line, I thought I'd mention it here. Message Richard at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from June 29th for more details!

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

More New Live-Streamed Concerts & Cover Videos!!

In our 41st straight day of new SMS posts, we're dipping into the video well once again, with new covers and live-streams for your viewing pleasure, so here's what you should know!

The fourth installment of Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s "Songs & A Six-Pack" live-streamed concert series took place last night, and this time, the host musicians were local acoustic hard rock band The Wyld Stallyns! Despite originally planning to play as a Speers-only duo (jokingly named "The Myld Stallyns") due to social distancing, they made due by getting guitarist Jesse Cook and drummer Jonas Gasperas to join in, albeit miced up outside of their home. The verbiage in the video and on their Facebook page ("half the band can still be fun, right?") is about as close to official as I have seen online that Jonas is officially a Stallyn, as their Facebook "About" page still doesn't list him in the band. In fact, their sister band The Elements don't list him yet either, but he's a natural fit to their live repertoire! As for the live-stream proper, this follows the third installment hosted by Jay Case last week, so if you haven't seen it, click here to watch his entertaining set.

The original plan was for this live-stream to be an hour or so long once again, but the video only runs for 13:41 due to technical difficulties, and if it was resumed, the remainder of the set was not posted on the band's Facebook page. We do get to hear The Stallyns cover Pharrell Williams' "Happy" and Prince's "Kiss" though, and plug some Northern Superior beer, albeit with some audio warping on the camera end. Everyone sounds good and enthusiastic while it lasts, and hopefully they get a chance to do an encore when the glitches are worked out! Watch what was filmed below!

Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished performed two more short-handed live-streamed concerts on their Facebook page on Thursday and yesterday as scheduled! Unfortunately, the audio issues that plagued their first five live-streamed shows are still present, and honestly, even worse than on Tuesday, though your mileage may vary depending on your device or audio setup. For me, Audacity was required again to amplify the recordings so I could even hear Alex talking between songs, alas. Thursday's stream is largely a solo affair while Josh Fair works on the audio behind the scenes, while frontman Alex Traynor plays solo covers, including of Matchbox Twenty's "Push", Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive", REO Speedwagon's "Take It On The Run", Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel", Matchbox Twenty's "Unwell", Santana's "Smooth", Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman", REO Speedwagon's "Ride The Storm Out", ...

...and Days Of The New's "Touch, Peel, and Stand", before Josh rejoins Alex on camera for covers of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long", Incubus' "Drive", and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Mary Jane's Last Dance." No original songs here, but a nice variety of covers, and if you like Rob Thomas, this one will suit your mood! Again, the audio quality is a massive liability, at least at my laptop with external speakers. Embedded below is yesterday's live-streamed concert, which features Josh on every song, and has slightly louder audio, but the sound quality still is not comparable to other recent local hard rock live-streams. In order, the guys cover Warrant's "Uncle Tom's Cabin", Alex's own solo song "Send My Soul Away", Ed Sheeran's "Don't", Oasis' "Wonderwall", Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'", Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock and Roll", and Stone Sour's "Through Glass", before playing their original "Shortcut", which will be on their debut EP.

The guys did note beforehand that the EP proper will be named "Down To The Wire", which is also the name of a track heard in one of last week's live-streams. Yesterday's remaining covers include Skid Row's "18 & Life", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary", Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", Cameo's "Word Up", Everlast's "What It's Like", and Greg Kihn's "The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)". With slightly better audio, two originals, and a heavier setlist than on Thursday, this is my favourite of the two live-streams, so fans will want to give it a look below, but see more above, and might more be coming next week?



Finally for today, let's return to Sault Ontario for the latest cover songs by new local acoustic hard rock duo The Isolation Sessions, all via guitarist Arthur Lacasse's YouTube channel earlier this month! Alongside a YouTube copy of their "Plastic Man" cover, the channel includes two renditions of Three Days Grace's "Never Too Late", with one recorded before social distancing and one afterwards with singer Jordan Rains framed picture-in-picture. Despite the unplugged setting, I think they play that one a little too reserved, especially with the chorus not being sung in full voice until later on, but it's still effectively done. Embedded below is their cover of Highly Suspect's "Little One" (recorded before social distancing), which Art seems to adapt to this format in a more natural way, and Jordan's vocals are dialed in extra well here. Promising covers so far, so give these a watch above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!