Project 906 Concert Preview, A New Live Album, And Much More!!

In what I project will be our last post of the month on the SMS, we have some assorted shorter topics from recent weeks, a new cover video, and a new album release to take note of, but first, here's one more concert preview for the Canada Day long weekend, ironically in Michigan!

We'll start today by wrapping up our publically known and advertised hard rock concert previews in Brimley, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will return for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT at the Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino! Quietly postponed two weeks from the venue's originally advertised date, this will be their first stop at "your perfect up north retreat" since August of last year, and it's the first of three scheduled stops that they're making at the waterfront bar and restaurant through September. Fans of 906's hard rocking covers should have a fun time in Brimley tomorrow, so don't miss out on all of the action then! This 21+ concert has a 10:00 PM start time and no announced cover charge. See the above links for more details, and for a preview, we have a new live video of Project 906 to share! This was filmed at their Strongs Tavern set last week during the Brenda Holmes benefit fun run afterparty, as filmed by attendee Tina Knox, so what should you know on it?

Shared to the band's Facebook page on Monday, this is of Project 906 covering Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" alongside a young attendee named Riley on his own guitar. Nice of the guys to invite the kid on stage, and while Joe Jenkins' placement isn't optimal for view of the band, he's clearly engaging with Riley and playing along with him, which is nice to see! The cover's solid, and Billy Bernier's vocals are particularly strong, so give this cover a look below, and don't miss Project 906 in Brimley tomorrow night!

Next up, we have a surprise album release to take note of on here, namely a new live album from Sault Ontario solo artist and former Din frontman Mike Haggith! Entitled "From The Nickel Stage", this was recorded at Mike's solo acoustic headlining set at the Nickel Days festival in Thompson, Manitoba this past Sunday, and was quickly released on a "name your price" model on his Bandcamp page on Monday. The album is comprised of 7 songs, 6 being newer originals (including the title track for his next planned studio album "Bridges"), as well as a cover of The Din's original song "Missing". Whether this set had additional outside covers or not isn't clear, but this does all fit into a half hour set with room to spare. This is Mike's first album as a solo artist since the release of "The Warinside" three years ago, and his first live album in four years, so this has been a long time coming for his revived solo project! With all of this stated, is a review imminent?

I'd say no, as precedent goes to studio albums, and with "Bridges" announced for later this year (if not with recording sessions underway), I'm inclined to wait for that album and not risk delaying it by reviewing a live album with versions of these songs that aren't the final studio copies. Plus, who knows if The Din's ongoing July 21st, 2018 teaser has anything to do with said album, as no one's showing their cards regarding the date yet. Still, give "From The Nickel Stage" a listen above to hear Mike's Manitoba-based new material, and consider buying it as well!

Also today, here's a new solo cover video from Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer, courtesy of the still-on-hiatus band's Facebook page on June 17th, but it's not of a song you might be expecting. The cover in question is "I Can Only Imagine" by the Christian rock band MercyMe, which Henry spoke above on how the song was inspiring to him and that hoped to "touch people's hearts" with this performance. This may seem out of left field, but Henry's singing is solid, and remember that Sault Michigan has more of a history with Christian rock than Sault Ontario, with notable bands like Seeking Reverence, Outshined, and OmegaRock in recent years. Give it a look below!



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

• Nashville hard rock quartet The Dead Deads have been added as the second openers for the Seether/10 Years concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on August 11th, as per promoters Allstar Promotions' Facebook page on June 18th. This 3/4ths female group have an energetic and creative sound with influences from grunge to science fiction, and they're definitely worth coming early for! Tickets are still available for $46, so act now before it's too late!
• Though curiously not advertised on Rotaryfest's website, their individual performer Facebook event pages indicate that Sault Ontario funk/hard rock quartet The Elements have been added as the opening band for Stage 2 on Saturday, July 21st at 1:30 PM! This makes them the only heavier band playing on the last day, which we already outlined in our post on the Rotaryfest schedules, so I won't restate our original write-up here. Hopefully The Elements have a blast in their Second Stage debut next month!
• If you've seen references to a concert from Jesse Cook at The Sault (Kiwanis) Community Theater Center on March 31st, 2019, be advised that this is not the prolific local metal and punk guitarist going solo. Rather, this Jesse Cook is a Juno Award winning flamenco/jazz guitarist from Toronto, and genre fans would be well served to give this show a look! Of course, you can see the Soo's Jesse Cook with Winkstinger, Handsome Sandwich, The Wyld Stallyns, and the aforementioned Elements at local stages near you later this year, but wouldn't it be something if he opened?

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Tym Morrison, And Rob Speers & Jesse Cook) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before everyone heads down to the OHL Championship Series opener at The Essar Center (and preceding street party on Queen Street East at 4:00 PM), here's this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Remember, you guys can watch game 2 at some of these venues on Saturday before/during the concerts in question, so if you want to cheer on the Greyhounds, I'm sure you'll have lots of chances! Now, let's begin this weekend's concert previews with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook (credited as "The Wyld Stallyns" again) will return to Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT to headline their Star Wars Day party! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday. Last seen at the Low & Slow sister bar last month, TOMORROW'S show coincides with the Star Wars fan holiday ("May the Fourth be with you"), and with that in mind, Room 21 have drink specials for the occasion, and attendees who show up in Star Wars costumes will get exclusive specials, so keep that in mind if you're planning to come out! As for Rob & Jesse, expect more fan favourite covers once again TOMORROW, with guest appearances and crowd involvement likely, so don't miss out at 10:00 PM! This show is a 19+ event with no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Rob, Jesse, and guests live at The Rockstar Bar!



Next up, we'll add local unplugged singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's May slate of Gliss Steak & Seafood shows to our concert listings, so you can see him there TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and then on May 11th-12th, 18th-19th, and 25th-26th! Again, apologies for the short notice on this weekend's shows, remember that we take Tym's Gliss bookings on a month-by-month basis due to their long term nature. TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows continue a busy week for Tym Morrison, who just played three nights at Mark's Breakfast Plus from Monday through yesterday, and with a new month of Gliss shows now listed, fans can get more of his acoustic hard rock hits over the coming days! As usual for Tym's long term run at The Quality Inn's house restaurant, expect 6:00 PM matinee start times TOMORROW, SATURDAY, and throughout the month, with no advertised cover charges or age limits.

No word yet regarding shows of Tym's at other venues this month, but his hard rock covers should go over well with Gliss patrons at supper time this month, and definitely consider a run downtown to see him in May for a prolific slate of acoustic rock classics! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Also this weekend, fans can check out classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck twice to start the month, including returns to The Water Tower Pub TOMORROW NIGHT and The Rockstar Bar on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, we only heard about the former show via the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page on Tuesday, and the latter via The Rockstar Bar's Facebook event page on Monday. The band proper has not publically plugged either concert online at press time, but for reference, they only mentioned their Esquire Club shows last month on their Facebook page hours out from the Friday nighter. The Water Tower Pub has been a more frequent venue for Soundcheck in 2018 so far, but SATURDAY'S show will be their first at The Rockstar Bar in almost three months. This talented veteran quartet should have a pair of solid nights of hard rock and classic rock covers in store, so don't miss them on Great Northern Road TOMORROW to start!

Note that Soundcheck's shows are split across two venues this weekend due to The Water Tower Pub traditionally booking different acts each night (a one-off Tom Petty tribute is there on Saturday), while The Rockstar Bar has booked bands for single nights often lately as it is. TOMORROW'S Water Tower Pub show is at 9:30 PM, while SATURDAY'S Rockstar Bar show is listed at 9:00 PM, with both having no cover and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and no public Soundcheck videos yet!

We'll close today's concert previews with shows that had lots of advance notice, as Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After taking April off from advertised concerts, this constant live favourite will play their first non-Sault Michigan concerts since February, where they played in Hessel, Engadine, and yes, St. Ignace. These may be Banned's only shows this month (barring a possible confirmation to come), so don't miss Alex, Don, and Wayne's hard rocking covers at The Northern Pines Lounge over these two nights! As usual for Banned's Kewadin bookings, these are 21+ concerts with 9:00 PM start times and no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Banned live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison And Rob Speers & Jesse Cook), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

With the first concert weekend of April 2018 drawing closer, here's most of this weekend's concert previews! Due to the amount, we're holding our preview of Saturday night's Don't Look Back show in Sault Michigan for our next news post, coming tomorrow or Saturday morning, so don't worry, it's coming! Now, here's what you need to know on the Ontario side of the border, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE! (Updated on Friday at 4:52 PM)

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook will join forces for another acoustic concert TOMORROW NIGHT at Room 21! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier today. Three weeks removed from their most recent joint concert appearance at The Rockstar Bar, this will be their first trip to the concert venue above Low & Slow since February, with event advertising crediting them under the Wyld Stallions name again (with Bill & Ted 3 rumblings, why not?) This show should see more acoustic hard rock and funk/blues classics for fans TOMORROW, and if you haven't seen Rob & Jesse in this setting, look for guest appearances (possibly including Daniel Horton again) and more encouragement of fan involvement. Note that the event page openly admits that they are up against "a certain other show", likely meaning tomorrow's Shit Liver concert, but they do encourage fans to head west and finish the night at Room 21 after that show wraps up!

A 10:30 PM start time is in effect for this show from Rob & Jesse (or The Wyld Stallions, or The Kariokeheads), while this is a 19+ event, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Rob & Jesse live at The Rockstar Bar!

Next up, and with a new month fully in force, let's add prolific hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison's slate of Gliss Steak & Seafood matinee concerts to our listings, including shows there TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and then on April 13th-14th, 20th-21st, and 27th-28th! Again, apologies for the short notice on this weekend's shows, remember that we take Tym's Gliss bookings one month at a time on here due to the long-term nature of it's scheduling. These shows join an already busy month for the former Caveman Morrison frontman, who just played a pair of matinees at Mark's Breakfast Plus and will return there thrice more in a few weeks, while his Thursday open mic nights at The Canadian are also marching on, though at press time, there had not been an announced continuation of his bi-monthly Roadhouse shows. Tym's talented and fan friendly brand of hard rock covers should attract another good audience at Gliss throughout the month!

Also, in case you heard reports of a kitchen fire at the restaurant proper, don't worry, they are back open! This month's Gliss shows (including those TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT) are 6:00 PM matinee events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this isn't a traditional nightclub venue, it's a sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!

Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll next look at the homecoming of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver as they kick off their Canadian tour here TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! Originally announced to take place at The Algonquin Pub, the venue was quietly changed in recent weeks to The Speak Easy, but the show was forced to relocate Friday afternoon due to venue staffing issues, forcing the late notice move to Rednecks. Kudos to them for stepping up and helping out with thhe local release concert for Shit Liver's new studio album "Hitting the Fan"! This will be Josh, Mike, and Matt's first show here since the "Trading Faces" release show last fall, so if you're hoping for a vinyl record copy or related merchandise, here's your first non-mail order chance! Of course, Shit Liver's brutal and crusty death metal onslaught is the headline attraction, but a surprisingly varied night of music will see them be joined by punk trio Stegadeth and indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota (replacing a drummer-less Vol.), so there should be a little something for everyone to rock out to at Rednecks, whether you're buying a record or not!

Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., tomorrow's show has an $8 cover charge, 9:00 PM start time, and (sadly) 19+ age limit, while copies of "Hitting the Fan" will run you $20. It's great to have Shit Liver back home after half a year away, and with good reviews already coming in (ours soon to come...), hopefully there's a huge response to help launch their release tour! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Shit Liver live!



Finally for today's previews, local AC/DC fans will not want to bypass this one, as Who Made Who (the definitive tribute to AC/DC) will return to the local stage TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! About a year removed from their last show here, this fan favourite tribute band will be back for another night of high voltage rock 'n roll, and if you haven't seen their past local appearances here dating back to the early 2010s, then prepare yourself for a faithful looking and sounding experience from Who Made Who tomorrow! This one night only event has an advertised 10:30 PM start time, you must be 19 years of age or older to attend, and admission is $10 in advance (tickets are available at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk) or $15 at the door. However, venue staff is expecting this show to sell out, and are advising interested attendees to not chance it and buy tickets A.S.A.P., so keep that in mind. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Who Made Who live in Southern Ontario!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Don't Look Back preview and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Banned And Rob Speers & Jesse Cook), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's time for our St. Patrick's Day weekend concert previews! I know many of you are awaiting coverage of both Shit Liver's new album and A Dire Setback's recent debut CD-related announcements, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, I've gotta hold them until our next news post. Don't worry, they are coming! On the hard rock side of the spectrum, there's not a decent amount of shows to partake in with green beer in hand, so here's what you should know for this weekend! (Updated at 6:01 PM)

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Sportsman's Lounge at Dondee Lanes for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via it's Facebook event page last night, with the venue's Facebook page previously doing the same yesterday morning. These will be Banned's first shows at the Dondee in over three months, and their first anywhere since rocking Hessel last month, so if you're overdue for another night or two of Alex, Don, and Wayne's hard rocking favourites, you know where to be TONIGHT and/or TOMORROW! Note that a comment on their Facebook page heavily implies that they'll be performing at the first annual Michihistrigan Rendezvous event in Gould City over the Father's Day weekend in June, but remember that the Lower Peninsula is outside of our coverage range.

As usual for Banned's stops at The Dondee, TONIGHT & TOMORROW's shows are 8:00 PM affairs with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charge, and make sure to bring your green clothes and Irish spirit for presumed holiday festivities! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!



Next up, Elements bandmates and Jack Spades alumni Rob Speers and Jesse Cook will bring their acoustic hard rock show to The Rockstar Bar in Sault Ontario as part of their St. Patrick's Day festivities TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, Rob did plug it at the end of Jack Spades' set at the Archelon show this past Saturday, but it was only announced online via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. Three weeks removed from their last show of this nature, this will be Rob & Jesse's first Rockstar Bar stop in a month, but this time, the luck of the Irish will be upon TOMORROW'S concert, given the holiday trappings! As such, expect green beer (of course), some form of prize giveaways, and even lreprechauns themselves? Of course, in terms of the music, expect more unplugged cover favourites from Rob & Jesse, plus guest performers, and the venue did hype up that you can "bring your guitar and join in the fun!"

No cover charge was announced for this 11:00 PM, 19+ event TOMORROW NIGHT, but given the seasonal trappings, have cash on hand just in case. Visit the above links for more details, and here's "The Kariokeheads" live!



Moving to previously announced concerts, fans can also check out prolific local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison as he returns to Gliss Steak & Seafood for two more matinee headlining gigs TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Keeping up with his busy schedule of shows there, and fresh off of his minimally advertised Mark's Breafast Plus shows earlier this week (including one yesterday, apologies for missing it here), Tym's latest stops at The Quality Inn's house restaurant should provide more of the same acoustic hard rock classic action, so don't miss out on these next two supper-time gigs! Note that the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page advertises Tym as playing at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill tonight, but neither he nor the venue have otherwise confirmed that. If either does, we'll edit this post!  As usual for Tym's Gliss stops, expect 6:00 PM start times, and no announced cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!

This post originally ended with a preview of a New American Pub show THIS SUNDAY NIGHT to have been headlined by Louisiana punk trio Layden & The Lion, but it as confirmed this evening that they had to cancel their tour for unspecified "personal reasons". Our source is co-promoter/performer Jackson Reed via a share of the now-updated Facebook event page. Hopefully all's well in Layden and company's camp, it would have been nice to see them in town! Unusually, their exit means that the entire original lineup has dropped out of this show, as planned openers Telephone & Address and Greg Callaghan has previously dropped out for unannounced reasons too, leaving their spots to be filled by Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle, folk/pop artist Shae Tull, and the aforementioned Jackson Reed (who is also Telephone & Address' new drummer.) The show will go on though on Sunday night, and while it no longer contains no punk acts, consider a trip to The New A at 8:00 PM for the indie and folk rock on display! The $5 cover charge and 19+ age limit remain intact from earlier incarnations of this show.

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The 3 Day Millionaires & Rob And Jesse), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

The last weekend of February 2018 is fast approaching, so here's this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Though there's not much in the realm of original music to speak of, there's lots of cover action of the electric and acoustic varieties, including a debuting band, so let's begin with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook will continue their recent dalliance into acoustic hard rock concerts with a return to Room 21 above Low & Slow TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier this week. Two weeks removed from their Rockstar Bar debut in this setting, this will be Rob & Jesse's first joint unplugged gig at this newer Albert Street West venue of 2018, and continuing with their name ambiguity, they're called The Wyld Stallions rather than The Kariokeheads on the event page. Bill & Ted spelled it "Stallyns", but you can't hate the reference! The guys are again encouraging attendees to jam with them TOMORROW, and at least three guest performers are implied on the event page: Rob's wife Christina on vocals, Rob's Jack Spades bandmate Daniel Horton (who's pictured in the cover photo there), and "the sax man", presumably meaning frequent Elements guest performer Josh Norling.

A 10:00 PM start time is advertised for TOMORROW'S Rob & Jesse/Wild Stallions/Kariokeheads concert, which has no announced cover charge. No word on if these shows are a stopgap during an Elements hiatus or just picking up steam, but things seem to be going well for these acoustic nights, so keep things in mind for TOMORROW NIGHT, and here's Rob, Jesse, and Daniel live at The Rockstar Bar earlier this month!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to Reggie's West for another weekend of hard hitting and fan favourite renditions TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Monday. Already having rocked the former Roosevelt Hotel three weeks ago, this will be The Millionaires' third concert weekend at this west end venue of 2018 so far, and this should be another prime opportunity for fans of this veteran outfit to check out their entertaining live show once again! You can see The 3 Day Millionaires TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at 9:30 PM each night, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here they are live last year!



Moving to previously announced concerts, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has yet another busy slate of unplugged shows in store for this weekend, including his ongoing long-term arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood continuing for matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, plus a return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TOMORROW NIGHT! Still a regular weekly presence at Gliss for the foreseeable future, Tym's unplugged classics should find another receptive audience over these two evenings, while tomorrow's Roadhouse return will be his fourth of (at least) six bi-monthly shows there through the end of March. Fans have no shortage of opportunities to see Tym Morrison live this weekend, so don't miss out! Note that we will cover his Mark's Breakfast Plus matinees early next week in an upcoming post to give them more timely coverage, while we will address Tym's 10 Gliss and 2 Roadhouse gigs scheduled for next month during next weekend's concert previews.

None of this weekend's three shows have an announced cover charge, and while the Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no announced age limit, tomorrow's Roadhouse concert is at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



Finally for this weekend's known hard rock concert previews is the long awaited live concert debut of new local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive as they hit The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Almost a year and a half removed from their public launch in late 2016, this new band from singer Colin Nelson, guitarist Joe Miller, bassist Pierre Anthony, drummer Jeff Pennett, and keyboardist Rob Irving should have an entertaining night of hard and classic rock covers in store for their first show, so keep them in mind for something new on the bar scene on Saturday! This is a one-night-only event, no word on if it's due to a separate Friday booking or if they're starting slow. For what it's worth, Fluid 5ive have been unusually quiet on their Facebook page in the past month, but as the venue is still actively promoting this concert, I wouldn't read into anything. There is no announced cover charge on Saturday, this is a 19+ event, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time is likely.

With covers of everyone from Deep Purple and Van Halen to Tom Petty and The Allman Brothers Band teased in their setlist, Fluid 5ive sound promising, but how will they do on Saturday, and might there be videos to follow? Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Big Wreck Concert Videos, The Din's New Live Album, And More!!

Happy President's/Family Day, depending on which side of the border you're on! Today's post on the SMS is loaded with some recent news and material from Sault Ontario, including a new album release and linked new solo video, and another new performance clip, but let's start with videos from last Tuesday's Big Wreck concert at The Machine Shop! While videos from this one are surprisingly scant on YouTube, Rock 101's Facebook page has things covered again, with videos of both of last week's bands being uploaded mid-show. One was of opening Winnipeg alt-rock trio Attica Riots playing their song "Misery" from a distant corner angle to the stage, and while it sounds good and lively for the genre, the vertical camera angle and stage setup don't help the view (at least the filmer zoomed in!) As for the headlining Toronto/Boston hard rock quartet, WSUE filmed Big Wreck playing "That Song" and, as embedded below, "Look What I Found", so how'd they turn out?

Both filmed from the back of the crowd section, these are again on a vertical camera angle, but the audio comes through fine, and it's nice to see both a single and a deep cut from "In Loving Memory Of..." filmed for Rock 101's page!  Give each clip a look above and below, and hopefully there's some more footage floating around from this show!

Next up, here's another new album release already for this still-young new year, as defunct local alternative hard rock trio The Din released their posthumous live album "Suburban Sendoff" to their Bandcamp page on Friday! They only announced the release date on Wednesday, so when they teased it was coming soon, they were true to their word! Recorded via soundboard audio at the album's eponymous farewell concert at LopLops Lounge on October 21st, this purportedly comprises of the entire concert's audio without edits, but as they noted in the description, "the human element is on full display." The extended 19 song setlist features every song from The Din's two studio albums, except for "The Rose", plus frontman Mike Haggith's old solo original "We Met At The Circus" (or "...As Surrogates".) In a mild surprise, they also left in the encore cover of The Tragically Hip's "Blow at High Dough", despite previously axing the four external covers from the Bandcamp release of "The Din Does Laundry" last year.

No word on if it's in continued tribute to Gord Downie, worth the copyright hassle to keep the set intact, or a combination therein, but it's welcome to see it make the final cut! "Suburban Sendoff" is available on a "name your price" model through Bandcamp, but consider paying an amount to support The Din's hard work, even after their breakup! With all of that said, when can you expect to see a review of "Suburban Sendoff" on the SMS? Honestly, with our self-imposed 6 month anti-bias buffer period between reviews of albums from the same act, it can't come until June at the earliest, as we just reviewed "Suburban Dream" in December, which was itself delayed a couple of months for similar reasons. That said, our album review schedule is set for the first half of the year (May aside), assuming nothing gets delayed! Also, there is new solo cover video from the aforementioned Mike Haggith from his current Thompson, Manitoba home base, so what should you know on it?

The first posting on his YouTube channel in almost two years, this is an acoustic cover of Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With", and it's an entertaining cover of this folk classic, with the well-bearded Mike handling this with a light and optimistic air! Give it a look below, and check out his new Thompson pop rock band Between the Ditches!



Finally for today, here's a new video of local acoustic hard rock duo Rob Speers & Jesse Cook (a.k.a./p.k.a. The Kariokeheads) from their show at Room 21 on December 16th, as uploaded by the venue's Facebook page shortly afterward! However, the cover performed is not what you may expect, with the Elements bandmates playing a surprise unplugged version of Khia's "My Neck, My Back" alongside Rob's wife Christina (I think) on guest vocals, and Rob's Jack Spades bandmate Daniel Horton on guest guitar. I'll just say that everyone's got a sense of humour, and it's a nice casual performance, so give it a look if you want below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (I Mother Earth & Redundant), Live705 Updates, And More!!

Here's a big news post for your Tuesday delectation, and with other big news and announcements piling on, there was no need to delay things! Today's post features some assorted shorter items,

Three local punk bands will unite for Punk Covers Night at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, March 3rd! A presentation of Tidal Records, this show's lineup will include veteran punk favourites Redundant in a rare LopLops appearance from them, and they definitely know their share of punk classics! While this is a covers-centric show, might we hear originals from their long-awaited debut EP, currently in progress at Tidal's own Mission Control Studios? Sporadically seen punk cover quartet The Cover-Up will play their first publically advertised concert in three years next month, with frontman/Tidal Records head Dustin Jones & ex-Lion Ride guitarist Marco Pedalino now joined by Dustin's Rising Tide bandmate Marshall Jaaskelainen & K.I.C.K. drummer Aaron Dunn, replacing Clint Wilson and Mike Yorke respectively, as per personal Facebook postings. Reasons for the lineup changes haven't been publically announced, but remember that The Cover-Up don't have any known band pages on Facebook or elsewhere. Solid and familiar choices for Tidal loyalists, and they should deliver a fun set!

The third advertised band is The Bananas Guerrillas, and while the name is new to the site, this band is either a renaming of or successor to Enema of the Soo, the Blink-182 tribute from the Halloween Party events at The Algonquin last year. If the lineup's identical, look for ex-Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci, ex-Long Shot bassist Adam Dawe, and ex-Gnaeus drummer Brendan Garlick in this band. No online pages yet, but they have an intriguing lineup! A $5 cover is in effect for this 19+ concert, whose doors open at 8:00 PM on March 3rd. Visit the above links for more details, and look for a high impact night of punk rock at LopLops next month!

Next up, here's a huge show announcement for The Machine Shop on Wednesday, April 18th, as Juno award winning, multi-platinum-selling Ontario hard rock bands I Mother Earth and Finger Eleven will co-headline this already highly anticipated show! Best known for hit singles like "One More Astronaut", 'So Gently We Go", and "Another Sunday", this will be a long anticipated gig for fans of I Mother Earth's alternative and prog-tinged hard rock sound (they last played here at Club Princess, so there's an idea of the wait!) This will be I.M.E.'s first show here with Salads bassist Chuck Dailey in place of Bruce Gordon, while it'll mark frontman Edwin Ghazal's return after his 2 prior stops here with Crash Karma. As for Finger Eleven, this will mark their first stop here since headlining at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion back in 2004, and their first Soo gig since having their biggest chart success with the dance rocker "Paralyzer", so look for that and other hits like "One Thing" & "Living in a Dream" in a couple of months' time!

Also, this will be Finger Eleven's first local show since Steve Molella replaced Rich Beddoe on drums. Tickets are $40 for this ALL AGES concert, which has an advertised start time of 8:20 PM, and tickets will go on sale TOMORROW at 10:00 AM at this link and at the in-person box offices at The Machine Shop and Station Mall. Fittingly announced the day of tonight's Big Wreck concert at the same venue, it's great to see The Machine Shop booking more non-country acts, and with this double whammy of Canadian hard rock, I know the buzz will only build in the next two months! Visit the official Facebook event page for current and future details as they come in!

Also today, here's the latest from local concert promoters Live705's Facebook page, starting with a post on January 20th where they held a "roll call" for bands that would be interested in playing future shows of theirs, or to be "placed on our talent list" if they're contacted with information about band-for-hire slots. No word yet on when Live705 will end their concert promotion hiatus (they teased the summer), but send your band's name, contact info, description, lineup, and available links to Live705 above if you're interested! With that said, a Live705 representative was in attendance for Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook's acoustic concert at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, and this is an unplugged cover of Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels" alongside Rob's Jack Spades bandmates Daniel Horton and Johnny Belanger on guest guitar and percussion. The vertical footage doesn't help, especially at this sharp angle, but it's a solid rendition of this roots rock classic! Give it a look below, and I wonder why there were so many balloons?



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:

• The aforementioned Daniel Horton is thinking about starting a new side project that would play originals and select covers. Influences would include bands ranging from Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle to A Perfect Circle and Tool, among others. No word on what instrument Daniel would primarily play (he's usually a guitarist, but was the bassist in Project 421), so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Thursday if you're interested in more details!
• Former A Dire Setback/A Fall From Innocence singer Larry Babic is looking to get back into the scene, and is interested in jamming with other musicians. He is currently learning to play guitar as well, he cited bands like Taking Back Sunday and Tiny Moving Parts as some of his favourite current bands, he likes "making sad lyrics", and he indicated that he loves doing promo work. If you're interested in jamming with Larry, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Friday!
• Sykotyk Rampage's Facebook page has quietly returned after being briefly deactivated late last month, so we can quote the posts there that acknowledged their hiatus. On January 16th, the band said "Sorry we have been out of the loop, but we will be back with more", and "we should be getting together soon so we can bring the sweet creativeness to all of you.", while thanking fans for the love & likes. This isn't a firm declaration of imminent activity, so we'll leave them in our inactive band links for now, but I know fans of the crash are hoping that Sykotyk Rampage come back in full force in 2018!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rob & Jesse) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

This weekend's concert previews are here for your delectation, and just a disclaimer: This is a shorter post than usual due to recent quietness for other news, and a relatively quiet weekend for hard rock and punk shows ahead. Of course, we'll touch on next week's Pop Evil and Big Wreck shows early next week, but it's way too soon to preview them now, so look for them on Sunday or Monday. Now, let's start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook will join forces for an acoustic concert at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier this week, though it was previously advertised on the venue's physical marquee board as a Rob Speers solo concert.  Making their first live appearance in this setting of the year, fans may recall Rob & Jesse playing as "The Kariokeheads" at Room 21 late last year, but that name is used nowhere on the event page. No word on whether they've dropped it, they're not incorporating live karaoke TOMORROW, or if the name was Room 21's idea, but it's the same base act! Now describing their sound as "bluesy acoustic rock", but surely with a harder edge akin to their electric bands, Rob and Jesse will be playing covers for assembled fans, and expect guest appearances from their friends and bandmates, as well as Rob's wife Christina, who guested with them at one of their Room 21 shows.

No word on why they're not playing on Saturday, but Rob & Jesse/The Kariokeheads are on at 10:00 PM TOMORROW, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and hopefully the guys launch an online page or post some public media at some point!

Moving to previously announced concerts, fans can take in another two matinee concerts from ex-Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison also as his weekly concert arrangement continues for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Only playing at Gliss this weekend (Wednesday open mics at The Canadian aside), this weekend's shows should provide fans and restaurant patrons alike with another entertaining pair of evening concert sets from this prolific veteran performer, so don't miss out at The Quality Inn's house restaurant tomorrow and/or Saturday! As usual for Tym's long-term gigs at Gliss, these are 6:00 PM events with no announced age limits or cover charges, but mind the non-traditional locale (well, outside of Tym's shows, at least.) Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Lastly for known hard rock concert previews this weekend is a big show for blues rock fans, as Sault Michigan hard rock/blues quartet Project 906 will be among the openers for Ann Arbor blues rock singer/guitarist Laith Al-Saadi as he makes his local debut on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch! Entitled “The Best of Michigan Blues”, fans will recognize Laith as a finalist on The Voice in early 2016, but don't judge on that, as he has since carved his own path in solo music with a rich and skilled blend of blues rock, so don't miss out on Laith's headlining set on Saturday! Fellow Ann Arbor blues/funk act The Chris Canas Band will co-headline with their own powerful take on the blues, so definitely keep them in mind, especially with how well their shows tend to be recieved! Project 906 will add a hard rock touch to this show, which is just their second announced gig with new drummer Tommy Korcal, so see how they do on this big stage on Saturday!

Reunited local blues group Chord On Bluz (featuring Clownsack alumni) will open this show as well, and it'll be nice to see them back on a local stage! Despite an earlier rumour, this show (presented by U.P. Beat Entertainment) is not cancelled, and will go on as scheduled for Saturday night at 7:00 PM, with tickets going for $30 at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. At press time, seats are still available from the second row and back, so act A.S.A.P. for the best possible spots! This should be a fun time for fans of the blues, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Laith live tackling a Jimi Hendrix classic!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next, in all likelihood! Thanks everyone!

Battle Of The Bands Rewind Profile: The 2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands

At last, let's tackle our final installment (until a year after the next battle) of our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile Series! One day removed from our look back at last year's second VM Radio Battle of the Bands, let's reflect on the other March 2016 battle of the bands that also entertained local music fans during this busy month. Like our prior installments of this series, this is strictly an informational feature with trivia, facts, and results, and no personal criticism or reviews of the competing bands. Now, here's what you should know on last year's second local battle of the bands!
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The 2016 Speak Easy Battle of the Bands (March 10th, 2016)

Background: Following the success of the Battle of the Bands at Algoma University's campus bar The Speak Easy on March 5th, 2015, organizers at the Algoma University Students Union indicated plans to hold further battles on at least a biennial basis, announcing a planned second installment for November 2015, though it was postponed due to unspecified "sponsorship issues". Instead, the second battle took place on March 10th, 2016, just over a year following the previous event. Like in 2015, seven competing acts played 15 minute sets each, and results were determined by a fan vote with no formal judging panel.
  
Prizes: Winnings were identical to 2015's Speak Easy Battle, with $400, $200, and $100 respectively going to the first, second, and third place bands.

Competitors: Two of 2016's competing acts were returning from 2015, those being alternative/hard rock trio The Din (who dropped "Mike Haggith &" from their name over the winter) and local/Toronto indie rock musician Jesse Merineau. The other five bands were all newcomers to a local battle of the bands, and they included alt-electronic project Aldous, former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown in  a rare solo set, modern hard rock quartet Eclipse, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, and reunited death/thrash metal trio Pillory. Impressively, all of the confirmed bands from the original November date were still able to compete in March.

Results: Fans at the battle selected Jesse Merineau to win the 2016 Speak Easy Battle and the $400 top prize. The Din came in second place to win $200, while Eclipse claimed the $100 third place prize.

Aftermath: Jesse Merineau rode the momentum of his battle victory to work on his upcoming solo CD (scheduled for release this summer), while he also returned home for a handful of notable concerts last year, including one with runners-up The Din opening at LopLops in September. The Din and Eclipse would both go on to finish in identical spots in that month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, with The Din releasing their debut CD in the summer and continuing their upwards momentum well into 2017, and Eclipse playing steadily until suddenly disbanding for four months in November, though they will return to the stage next month. Pillory and Jack Spades remain familiar sights on local concert stages, with the former in pre-production of their second CD, and the latter teasing their new lineup's debut and first gigs since the fall in the near future. Aldous remain active in studio, but haven't advertised a live show since August, and Bryan Brown hasn't been publically advertised since as a musician, though both have indicated that they're now based out of town.

Some Notable Performers' Newer Bands (Metal/hard rock in italics, ex-members noted with an *):

The Bear Hunters (Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades)
The Elements (Jesse Cook from Jack Spades)
Great Chamberlain (Anthony Marcello from Jesse Merineau's backing band; Based out of Ottawa)
Handsome Sandwich (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades)  
Heavy Head (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades and Daniel Horton from Eclipse) 
Project 421 (Curtis McKenzie, Daniel Horton, and Chris Thompson from Eclipse)
The Steeltown Girls (Tammy Hill from The Din)
Stegadeth (Tiffany Stocco from Jack Spades)
Winkstinger (Jesse Cook from Jack Spades)  

Trivia:

• New local hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head were advertised to compete at this battle, just one night after they finished in third place in the first VM Radio Battle semifinal, but they dropped out the day of this event due to scheduling conflicts for frontman Mike Gaetano. However, the remainder of the band still competed as members of Jack Spades or Eclipse.
• As was the case in 2015, the second Speak Easy Battle was held one day after the first semifinal of last year's second VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, which again differed by being a multi-band event over multiple nights, though the performer lineup actually fell from 11 competing bands in 2015 to 5 in 2016. The Din (who competed the day before) and Eclipse (who competed the following week) made the finals and finished in second and third place in both events, while Jack Spades played a non-competitive guest set on night #2 of that battle due to frontman J.D. Pearce's promotional involvement. The winner of the second VM Radio Battle was indie rock quartet K.I.C.K..
• After missing the podium in 2015 with a strictly solo set, Jesse Merineau recruited local power pop/glam rock trio Caroline Divine to serve as his backing band for his Speak Easy Battle return last year, which apparently did the trick, giving him some "divine" intervention for his first place victory. While the set was entirely comprised of originals from Jesse's upcoming CD, this was technically Caroline Divine's last publically advertised concert before singer/guitarist Anthony Marcello moved to Ottawa, though his old bandmates joined Jesse & guitarist Mitchell Nielsen when he headlined at LopLops in September.
• Similarly to Jesse Merineau's reversal of fortune from 2015 to 2016, The Din and 3/5ths of Project 421 (in their side project Eclipse) also moved from missing the podium to claiming top 3 placements in 2016, foreshadowing similar improvements in the VM Radio Battle later that month, which they also didn't place at in 2015.
• Pillory's set at this battle marked their return to the stage after a nearly two year hiatus following their final shows as a thrash quartet in mid-2014. The band debuted new bassist Jordan Leach, their trio lineup with no rhythm guitarist, and a heavier, death metal-influenced sound at this event, completely abandoning their older originals from their debut CD "Cringe At The Cross".
• Jack Spades' all-original set at the Speak Easy Battle was filmed by Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie personality (and VM Radio Battle guest judge) Christian Lemay for a feature that aired on channel 10 in mid-late 2016, interspersed with interview footage taken from an Oddfellows Hall concert around that same time. This can be seen as a precursor to Shaw TV's recently-debuted series OnStage, featuring full concert sets from recent local events.
• Twin City Sound & Entertainment were on hand to provide sound for the duration of the battle. Notably, Twin City Sound co-owner Steven Flint was a former bandmate of Eclipse's Curtis McKenzie and Daniel Horton in the short-lived hard rock band Punch, who were the 3rd place finishers in November 2013's Viva La Battle.
• The most notable band from the inaugural Speak Easy Battle to not return for year #2 was defending champions Gnaeus, who won both of 2015's local battles. The post-punk quartet are believed to have missed both events due to the departure of drummer Brendan Garlick over the winter, with his replacement Alex Proulx not debuting with Gnaeus until their Ontario tour run that April.
• While then-Haggith bassist Jordan Leach and experimental musician/Gore Street Cafe co-owner Sam Decter had promotional involvement in 2015's Speak Easy Battle, neither were publically involved with the event's return last year. Jordan did compete in the 2016 battle with Pillory, but as he wasn't promoting anymore, there were no concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest.
• Despite prior hopes to hold further Speak Easy Battles of the Bands at least twice a year, there has been no official public word on a third installment from the A.U.S.U. since last year's event, be it this month or at a different date. A third VM Radio Battle of the Bands also did not occur in March 2017.
• The Din later performed at Landmark Events' Showcase Festival in Toronto in January 2017, which was a competitive event to feature rising young bands to  music industry executives who would judge bands and select ones to get music industry grants. It's not known if The Din progressed any further in this showcase, but they did praise the event and the oportunities it brought afterwards.

Videos:
Shaw TV's video of Jack Spades' set
(No other public videos known; Videos of the top 2 acts from 2015 featured to supplement this section)




Sources/More Info:
Official Facebook event page
Event press release from SooToday
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I hope you guys liked this month's Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, and hopefully this series will return next year, saying that someone holds a new local battle later in 2017! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews as this week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood), Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Results, New Videos, And More!!

We've been busy in recent days on the SMS, so let's keep things going today with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, new videos from two bands, some related updates therein (including an apology for a missed show), and yes, the final results for last night's second fan-voted battle of the bands, so here's what you need to know!

Local classic/hard rock cover veterans Mourning Wood will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, after just playing there last night! Apologies for the short notice (and obviously for missing yesterday's show), band members only announced the gigs last night via their personal Facebook pages, again continuing their trend of not plugging Reggie's Place gigs publically through the band's own Facebook page. According to drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook posting about the shows, last night's was as a trio sans Steven Flint and Paul Belair, with Havadder/3 Day Millionaires bassist Travis Sharpe filling in, and he'd be a natural fit given that he and Terry Eaton were former bandmates in Carbon Black many years back. As best as I can tell, the full lineup is playing TONIGHT & TOMORROW, so if you're up for some late notice classic, hard, and country rock, head to the original downtown Reggie's this weekend!

There's no announced cover charges, 10:00 PM-ish start times, and 19+ age limits for this weekend. See above for more details, apologies again for missing yesterday's show (we'd have plugged it had we have known!), and for a preview, here's some new Mourning Wood drum-cam concert videos! As uploaded to Glen's YouTube channel a few weeks ago, these join YouTube postings of their INXS and Wild Cherry covers from last month that we had previously shared via Facebook copies. The new videos are of Mourning Wood covering REO Speedwagon's "Take It On The Run" at The New American Pub, and as embedded below, ZZ Top's "Tush" from their latest Rockstar Bar show (and apologies for erroneously crediting the Wild Cherry cover as being from The New A originally, it was from The Rockstar Bar show too.)

Thanks to a GoPro being mounted on Glen's head for filming, these remain shaky like before, and Terry's vocals can be muffled, but it's nice to get some more unique angles of Mourning Wood in action, and the effectively add some grit to both! Give these new drum-cam videos a look above and below, and don't miss them at Reggie's TONIGHT & TOMORROW!



Next up, we have the final results from last night's second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, so who won the fan-voted second year battle at Algoma University? Here are the podium finishers!

1st Place: Jesse Merineau

2nd Place: The Din

3rd Place: Eclipse

After all finishing outside of the top 3 last year, Jesse Merineau, The Din, and members of Project 421 (as part of Eclipse) have all pulled a 180° turn to claim the top 3 spots in this year's field, and of course, huge congratulations go out to Jesse for winning the battle's $400 top prize in his second try! It must have helped having Caroline Divine as a backing band for his set, with that "divine" intervention filling out his songs for his upcoming solo EP "That Night", and hopefully Jesse rides the momentum here and in Toronto! The Din's runner-up total is their best in a battle of the bands yet (and it matches Mike Haggith's 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle finish with the band Haggith), so the $200 prize will be a nice feather in their cap going into the VM Radio Battle finals on March 23rd! As for Eclipse, a third place run for this relatively new band is pretty good, and it gives Curtis McKenzie and Daniel Horton their best battle finish since Haggith's aforementioned 2013 battle run, but we'll have to see if they can maintain or improve on their $100 win when they face K.I.C.K. in next week's VM Radio Battle semifinals!

Also, we can confirm that new local pop/hard rock quartet Heavy Head did not play at the Speak Easy Battle, with members confirming in Facebook conversations that being "not ready for the competition" and scheduling conflicts for singer Mike Gaetano both factored in to their withdrawal. Disappointing, but hopefully we see them back at it soon, and hopefully the other performers (Aldous, Bryan Brown, Jack Spades, and Pillory) rocked it last night! Aside from personal postings & this great photo album from Id Iota's Christian Lemay, we're awaiting public media from the battle (perhaps from Sault Online), so stay tuned for more fallout from this battle when it comes in, and congratulations again to Jesse, The Din, and Eclipse!

Finally for today, here's the latest from Speak Easy Battle runners-up & VM Radio Battle finalists The Din (well, for non-battle related news), so what have we missed from Mike, Tammy, and Brandan lately? Well, in terms of their acoustic show at The Gore Street Cafe last week, label PaperClip Productions recorded the whole thing, and a CD copy was left at the laundromat for their music rotation. A picture of the setlist was also shared on their Facebook page, which indicates they played 10 originals or Mike Haggith solo songs, as well as 4 covers, with their entire VM Radio Battle semifinal set being among the playlist that night. Future public availability of the set was also teased, so we'll let you know when it turns up in some form! A prior Facebook post also noted that an additional late notice performer played with them and Stereo North that night, namely Morgan Steele, a local country/pop musician who you may have seen in a recent incarnation of Mustang Sally.

Morgan's talented for her genre, and hopefully she got a good reception of her own last week! Given that the show apparently had a great turnout for the ongoing Fishbowl Festival, hopefully things continue on the up & up! Lastly, the band shared this video onto their Facebook page on March 2nd of Mike and Tammy playing an acoustic version of "A Drive Through The Peninsula" during what appears to be a recent Gore Street Cafe open mic night, with Mike playing a tambourine in lieu of the bass. Well performed, but loose and informal (complete with a coffee break), so give it a look below, and don't miss The Din at The Canadian for the finals in two weeks!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

The 2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Preview!!

For the second time in as many days, here's our extended preview of a local battle of the bands, as for a second straight year, two separate battles are taking place on concurrent days! Just one day removed from night #1 of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, the Algoma University Students Union brings us the second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands TOMORROW NIGHT, where 8 acts will take the stage at Algoma University's campus bar for another night of action, with $700 in prize money awaiting the top 3 bands! Postponed from an originally planned November 2015 date due to "sponsorship issues", this year's Speak Easy Battle will largely be similar to last year's battle, with bands playing 15 minute sets each, while winners will again be decided via a fan vote rather than a panel of judges. With last year's podium finishers not back for this year's expanded 8 band event, the field's wide open, but which of the entered acts will win out tomorrow? Here's some extra info on each act before this battle goes down!

Aldous: One of the five acts making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, Nick Luck's alternative rock project Aldous will break out that strange electric taste that fans may have seen via the recent albums "Change2" and "The Fair", but many recent Facebook postings have been reasonably cryptic. How will Nick and company sound tomorrow, and will they impress fans to secure a podium finish?

Bryan Brown: Arguably the biggest dark horse in tomorrow's field, former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown will go solo for a set in tomorrow's battle, but I can't confirm much about what he'll be playing on his own. How will his solo performance sound? Is he taking a huge detour from his Coverfly work? Be at The Speak Easy to see how he does!

The Din: One day removed from their third battle of the bands appearance, alternative hard rock trio The Din will look to continue improving on their 2015 battle results, where the then-Mike Haggith & The Din (with Curtis McKenzie on guitar) didn't place in the VM Radio or Speak Easy Battles. With their new sound firmly in place, and with Tammy Hill now on guitar, can The Din improve on last year's run? Show your support via their own Facebook event page for this battle!

Eclipse: This new modern hard rock quartet will be making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, though 3/4ths of the band competed in both of last year's battles with classic metal quartet Project 421 & The Din, missing out on a podium finish in each. Less than a week out from their own VM Radio Battle semifinal, can the 421 side project channel members' past battle success with Haggith to place in the top 3?

Heavy Head: With just two concert appearances (including yesterday's VM Radio Battle semifinal) under their belts, new local pop/hard rock quartet Heavy Head will look to continue their early surge with a high finish in this fan-voted battle, and with battle winners from The Suicide Kings, The Bear Hunters, and Winkstinger in their lineup, they definitely have the experience to go far... but will they tomorrow? Show your support via following their own Facebook event page also!

Jack Spades: Surprisingly making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, punk/metal standouts Jack Spades will try to jack the battle as well as the planet in their set, and with battle alumni from bands like T-Rex Manning, The Bear Hunters, and Soldiers of Misfortune in their ranks, don't sleep on them! With a guest set at the VM Radio Battle coming next week as well, will they snag a top 3 position tomorrow?

Jesse Merineau: Joining The Din as the only returning acts from last year's Speak Easy Battle, local/Toronto indie rock musician Jesse Merineau won't be alone for his set this year, as he's enlisted local power pop/glam rock trio Caroline Divine to back him up this year, with songs from his upcoming debut CD expected to be played. Jesse didn't make the podium last year, but will some "divine" intervention do the trick in 2016? Follow Jesse's run via his own Facebook event page!

Pillory: After a two year hiatus from the stage, local death/thrash metallers Pillory will at last return with their new trio lineup for this year's Speak Easy Battle, with last year's battle co-promoter Jordan Leach (ex-Haggith) now on bass, and now sans a second guitarist. Fans are already eagerly awaiting their return and their heavier death metal-influenced sound, but can Pillory surge to the the top of the field tomorrow night?

Like last year, TOMORROW'S highest voted band will win the top prize of $400, with second place receiving $200, and third place netting $100. Twin City Sound & Entertainment will be on hand to provide professional sound for each of the 8 competing acts, and while each band only has a short set, expect lots of talent to be on display! For attendees, admission is $5, bands begin playing at 10:00 PM, and while this is generally a 19+ concert, underage Algoma University students may attend the event if they have valid student ID with them. And of course, you can also see Eclipse and (non-competitively) Jack Spades at this coming Wednesday's last semifinal of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, while The Din, Eclipse, and/or Heavy Head may also be back for the finals on March 23rd, pending how things go tonight & next week. Last year's Speak Easy Battle proved to be a bellwether for the VM Radio Battle results in terms of the common bands' finishes, but will that prove to be the case again in 2016?

Also, note that Heavy Head's Jesse Cook, Daniel Horton, and Johnny Belanger will all be pulling double duty tomorrow, as Jesse & Johnny are both in Jack Spades, and Daniel is Eclipse's guitarist. How will that impact their sets, and can any of them bring both of their bands to the podium? This should be an exciting battle, especially given the wide open field that guarantees one competing act it's first battle of the bands victory, but who will get the honours? Will Aldous' creative genre hybrid take them to the top? Is Bryan Brown's solo sound just what the attending fans are looking for? Will The Din improve on last year's battle finishes? Can Eclipse pick up where Project 421 left off with a higher placement? Can Heavy Head live up to their supergroup lineup's past successes? Will Jack Spades jack the $400 top prize in their first battle? Will Jesse Merineau claim a podium spot with Caroline Divine's help? And will Pillory reclaim their presence in the scene tomorrow?

Be at The Speak Easy TOMORROW to find out, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll see you at The Canadian TONIGHT for night #1 of the VM Radio Battle! Thanks everyone!