LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest & A Dire Setback), Soundcheck Preview, And Gliss Updates!!

Let's cap off this weekend's announced hard rock concert previews and more updates, but before we dive in, just a clarification on Tym Morrison's busy slate of solo concerts. His personal Facebook page was advertising shows at The Machine Shop yesterday and in St. Joseph Island on Sunday, bookending private gigs, but I have found no public promotion of these events, so I believe they're also private. If I'm wrong, I'll let you know, but look for his return to Gliss at it's new home soon! Now, let's dive into today's post with a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will make their Room 21 debut with a headlining concert there TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Tuesday, and we didn't preview it yesterday because it would have gotten buried under our Northern Vibe Festival coverage. After a month-long break from the stage following Rotaryfest Stage 2, A.D.S. have hyped "some changes" to their set and forthcoming debut album, so how will things sound for this high energy outfit? Head to the nightclub above Low & Slow to find out TOMORROW! Two more punk/alternative bands will open the proceedings, including fellow punk favourites Stegadeth, and the Room 21 return of Handsome Sandwich, with that "no genre" band hitting the stage for the first time since June. Solid lineup overall, and it's great to see this trio of trios joining forces before the summer season wraps up at this popular rising venue!

A late 11:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has no announced cover charge, nor does it have an advertised "Sangria Saturday" theme (though whether punk pairs well with sangria may be up for debate.) This should be a fun night of punk rock action for local fans TOMORROW NIGHT, so head to Albert Street West for all of the action! Check the above links for more details, and here's A Dire Setback live!



Next up, we have one more new show that has lots of advance notice, as four local bands will join forces at The Marconi Club (also on Albert Street West) on Saturday, September 8th for Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest! Sponsored by Joe's Sports & Surplus and Sault Ontario radio station Country 104.3, this special event will commemorate the release of Northern Superior Brewing Company's new Weekend Warrior Wheat Ale, with a craft beer social, taste testing, food, and musical entertainment planned at the downtown event hall. A local concert at a beer launch is new for us, but it'll be interesting to hear how this event does for beer lovers and music fans alike! Despite the Q104 sponsorship, only one country band is on the bill in two weeks' time, with the advertised lineup featuring local indie/punk quintet Northwest, online page-less punk favourites The Cover-Up, blues/country standouts The Barn Board Trio, and indie rock artist Jesse Merineau with his solo band.

A poster floating around on personal Facebook accounts also lists Country 104.3 DJ Jeff McNiece as playing a solo set, but he's not publically advertised from what I've seen. Admission for this presumably 19+ event is $25, but remember that this includes the beer tasting and meal, while a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. The Weekend Warrior Fest sounds like a fun event to help launch it's namesake ale in style, and with some high profile punk bands providing some attitude within, so keep this concert in mind for next month! Visit Country 104.3's website for continuing coverage and updates!

We'll move back to this weekend's concert previews now, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are returning to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW! Fresh off of their set at last week's Ride For ARCH fundraiser and the preceding week's Wawa road trip, this will be their first trip to the Great Northern Road nightclub in about two months. Soundcheck's tried and tested brand of covers should get another solid reception tomorrow night, so don't miss out then! While we're on the subject, we should note that former Turner Up drummer Scott McLurg does appear to have replaced Steven Flint on drums with Soundcheck, which was quietly confirmed in recent months via personal Facebook postings, but was never publically stated online by the band. A reason for Steven's departure hasn't been announced, but things seem amicable, given that he filled in on bass with Soundcheck at The Esquire Club earlier this month. Hopefully we hear more from Steven musically in the future, but Scott's a solid fit!

As usual for Soundcheck's Water Tower Pub concerts, expect a 9:00 PM start time tomorrow, and a 19+ age limit, while there remains no announced cover charge. Classic and hard rock fans would be well served to head to The Water Tower Pub for all of the action tomorrow night, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Finally, I wanted to touch on the recent closure of Gliss Steak & Seafood at The Quality Inn on Bay Street, as the site of Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement ended it's run at that location last month, with plans to move elsewhere announced then as well. While rumoured previously, Gliss management confirmed at the end of July that they were indeed moving the restaurant to the former Cesira's Italian Cuisine building this fall, ending a 2 year dormant period at the 133 Spring Street location. Renovations are ongoing at the new locale, and the target appears to see Gliss re-open next month, with Tym Morrison's weekly run there expected to resume at that same time. Meanwhile, the new restaurant taking Gliss' place at The Quality Inn is Johnny's Chophouse & Bar, which is a new upscale barbecue restaurant, though they do happen to still have steak and seafood on offer. You can check out it's menu here if you're so inclined, though I don't believe they've opened yet either.

I don't know if Johnny's opening is due to or the cause of Gliss leaving The Quality Inn, nor do I know if Johnny's will feature live musicians in any capacity, but I hope these moves are the best for the hotel's and Gliss' management, and we wish Johnny's the best on their upcoming launch! And no, the Derek Turner who co-owns Gliss is not the Derek Turner of Garden of Bedlam fame. Stay tuned for more on Gliss' relaunch and the resumption of Tym Morrison's weekly gigs there, and for more news and updates on the SMS next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Darwin Project), Upcoming Concert Updates, And More!!

Anyone out there want some local metal news and updates? I've got you covered! Today, we mostly clear out my old backlogged news stories, along with sharing some big news from a pair of bigger upcoming concerts, and more! But first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

For the first time since the summer, Cheboygan hard rockers The Darwin Project are coming to Sault Michigan for three area concerts later this month! Firstly they'll be at Joe's Bar in nearby Rudyard for a pair of weekend dates on November 19th and 20th, followed by a show at The Savoy Bar in Sault Michigan on Wednesday, November 24th! Rudyard is in our "local" range, so if you wanna make the drive out there to see The Darwin Project, then make note of that! I'm trying to get better in tune with shows at bars in our range but not in town, hopefully I'll have more soon! And the Sault show is slightly different in location and in time, being in the middle of the week, but there's no wrong day to rock! No cover charge is listed for any of the above, but there's a listed start time of 10:00 PM on the band's MySpace page. Expect a 21+ age limit at all three shows. Expect solid nights of accessible but heavy hard rock from these guys, who seem to have developed a good following in the area! Check out the above links for more details, and to check out some samples of their originals!

Now, to some big updates on a pair of upcoming shows featuring metal bands, and we'll first discuss this month's anticipated Total Chaos punk show at The Oddfellows Hall featuring local metal acts as openers! The first headline is that this show has been bumped up from November 25th to November 21st. No reason for the date adjustment was publicized, but according to Total Chaos' MySpace page, they're actually playing a show in Ottawa on November 25th, so it looks like a simple tour itinerary adjustment to me. Secondly, the poster for the show is now out, and you can see it on your left! Looks good, nice punk feel! Promoter Aisha Day is also looking for people interested in putting up posters for this show or handing them out, so if you would like to help get the word out, message Aisha at this location! The poster also confirms there that the show will have an $8 cover charge, with doors opening at 6:00 PM on the 21st. Sounds about right, hopefully there's a good turnout!

My last point is that local death metal band Bring The Fallen are back on the bill, as per the poster and the Facebook statuses of various band members. But wait, didn't they drop off of this show following the departure of lead guitarist Andrew Chiarello? Well, there hasn't been any official updates on their pages since he left, but bassist Nolan Rainville's Facebook page does feature a wall conversation from Monday with some band members where Andrew does refer to taking part in an upcoming BTF jam session. So what's the situation here? Is Andrew back already? Is he playing the Total Chaos show only and leaving again? Or is there something else we don't know? I'll keep you guys posted if I hear more! Check out the above links for all of the current updates on this concert!

While we're on the subject of concert updates, here's some news concerning Grady's long awaited return to Sault Ontario on November 16th at The Grand Theater! Firstly, an opening band has been announced for this show, and they are The Motorleague, a punk rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick! I wouldn't call them metal, but they have a nice energy level and some entertaining hard hitting tracks to boot, so definitely give them a spin! Also, SooToday have jumped on the promotional bandwagon for this show by posting their own event page for it! It seems like their event pages for upcoming shows are fewer and farther between lately, so it's nice to see this one get some exposure! This was actually my source for The Motorleague's involvement, and their MySpace page backed that up, in case someone doubts that. Seriously consider hitting this show, guys, cause the promoters have had some setbacks when it comes to getting the word out on this concert, and there's some great quality music in store! Grady will bring a ton of great stuff to the table thanks to their "country metal" stylings that definitely have a unique coolness to them! Remember, this show starts at 8:30 PM on the 16th at The Grand Theater, tickets are $15 at LopLops Lounge or at this location, and I assume it's 19+. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

And finally for today, remember last week when I talked about the Sault Star article on CD Plus' closure that never came? Well, an article on the closure is finally online... just not from them. As it turns out, Glen Thomas of The Barking Eye posted his own retrospective article where he discussed what CD Plus meant to him and to music lovers in the community. He included some remarks about what we'll have to resort to now for music, and some notes on another fondly remembered music store, Mr. Disc. Things definitely are changing locally for music stores, as now we've lost CD Plus, Mr. Disc, and Music World, along with New Moon Records in Sault Michigan, and I could be missing others too. I did notice that Glen didn't refer to HMV or The Rad Zone in his piece, which some could see as alternatives on varying levels. But I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't mention that CD Plus was great for recognizing local musicians and selling their albums, instead mostly focusing on it as an outlet for underground and obscure titles. Still, it's a nice read, and hopefully a new similar music store, CD Plus or not, comes to town down the road! Read Glen's article, and more, at this location!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, along with my review of Sunday's Crash Karma/Desperate Union show on Monday! Thanks everyone!