LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Who Made Who, Queen: It's A Kind Magic, Bon Jovi Forever, And Led By Zeppelin!!)

Today's news post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Sault Community Theatre Centre for later this month, and I do apologize for only finding out about these in one cluster just recently. I've gotta stay more on top of S.C.T.C. concerts, and they've been pretty busy for booking notable touring shows and bands this year, even if the last attempted one (Dr. Feelgood) fell victim to "unforeseen circumstances". In an SMS-amenable context, what is first up there this fall?

Hamilton-based Led Zeppelin tribute band Led By Zeppelin will make their local concert debut at the former Kiwanis Theatre on Saturday, September 12th! If this gives you deja vu, it's likely because we just saw a different Led Zeppelin tribute (London's Zed) headlining Rotaryfest Stage 1 yesterday, so the turnaround to have another Zeppelin tribute from Southern Ontario exactly eight weeks later seems really odd. I find it's unfair to compare tribute bands of the same source act due to inevitably subjective opinions, but what I can tell you is Led By Zeppelin deliver the goods musically! Not so much visually, there's no real attempt to dress like Led Zeppelin, but as Motorhead fans saw with M1 earlier this month, you don't have to mimic the original artists' hair and clothing to deliver a good show. Hopefully Led By Zeppelin get a strong turnout in September, especially if the Zed fans last night want a kinda-sorta encore!

This concert has an 8:00 PM start time and no age limit, but unlike Zed at Rotaryfest, this will be a paid and ticketed event (unless you are under 6 years old). As such, adult tickets cost $61.02, seniors 65+ and students 16-25 will cost $49.72, and kids 6-15 will cost $27.12. Those may seem high, but given the large and fancy theatre playing host, hopefully tickets move well, and there's plenty of good seats still available. Buy yours at this link or at the in-person box office at Station Mall, and stay tuned for more on what should be a solid concert for late 1960s and 1970s hard rock fans!

Next up, if you want another tribute to a legendary British classic hard rock act of the 1970s, you only need wait until Wednesday, September 30th, when Australia-based Queen tribute band Queen: It's A Kinda Magic return to the White Pines Collegiate-based theatre! Fans of Freddie, Brian, John, and Roger have been absolutely spoiled post-pandemic, as not only has this particular tribute band rocked the S.C.T.C. three times on their global tour runs (most recently in May of last year), but they're not even the most recent Queen tribute to play here, as the Great Britain-based Majesty just headlined at The Machine Shop in March. Again, I'm not comparing the two, but It's A Kinda Magic have gotten really solid crowds and high praise in their past local stops for how well they pay tribute to Queen musically and visually, so hopefully this show brings the goods all around again!

Like with Led By Zeppelin that same month, this is an all ages ticketed event, albeit with a slightly earlier start time of 7:30 PM. The show will have adult ticket prices of $75 with kids under 13 at $45 (no senior or student rates here), and if you're curious, prices here are slightly up from Q.I.A.K.M.'s show here last year. Based on the online ticket sale link (click here), there are still lots of good seats available still, though the show is moving tickets a little faster than Led By Zeppelin. Buy yours online and at the in person box office, and while this isn't the cheapest show going (and mid-week), there's a reason why this Queen tribute comes here so much!

Also this fall at The Sault Community Theatre Centre is the return of Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever, who will headline there on Saturday, October 10th! This Thanksgiving long weekend concert will be (at least) this particular band's third stop here, following a Rockstar Bar show in 2016 and their S.C.T.C. debut in September of last year. As I recall, B.J.F. drew well last fall, and you can see proof of how that show went via videos linked here. Baz and crew sound the part and deliver enough visually for fans of both early hair metal Bon Jovi and their later, more general rock material, and he definitely sounds better than Jon himself does nowadays, so hopefully things go well in their return to White Pines in three months! The 8:00 PM start time, all ages status, and ticket prices here are actually identical to the Led By Zeppelin show in every way, so see above for the ticket price breakdown.

Of note, tickets aren't moving nearly as fast yet for this concert, but Bon Jovi Forever drew well last year, so this should tick up, and it just means that you have time to get a really good seat! Click here or visit the in-person box office to get yours, and visit the above links for more details!

Lastly for new Sault Community Theatre Centre concerts of a hard rock persuasion, Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who will return to the Soo on Saturday, October 24th in a joint concert with Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band Green River Revival! This is being touted as "the ultimate rock concert", which is quite a claim, and while the two bands aren't even contemporaries for era, the two will cover a lot of ground for classic rock fans. Both bands share management, hence why it makes sense for them to share a bill if tour paths cross, and they've both played here numerous times, including as the featured touring headliner of Rotaryfest (Green River Revival in 2019, Who Made Who last year). Repeat local stops for both is a good sign, so fans know that Who Made Who will deliver their requisite high voltage rock n' roll again, while Green River Revival's faithful take on CCR and John Fogerty hits will go well for southern rock fans in the Soo in October!

This concert has a listed 7:30 PM start time, and will be all ages like the rest. The show was literally first announced last week, so this has the most available tickets of the four, and prices are a flat $55.37 for all, which is the cheapest of the four shows, surprisingly so given Who Made Who & Green River Revival's combined name recognition. Expectations appear to be high for ticket sales too, as this is the only one of the four with available balcony section seating, so get yours A.S.A.P. at this link and/or at the in-person box office while selection is good! Looks like a lot of good 1970s and 1980s hard rock tribute action is in store for the Soo this fall, so visit the above links for more on all four concerts! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Mammoth), A Surprise Band Breakup, And Sault Ontario Updates!!

Before we get into another round of weekend concert previews, here's a new news post on this Wednesday night, which includes a newly announced band breakup, new concert videos, a revived solo project, and leading off, a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the spring, so here's what you should know!

Los Angeles-based hard rock band Mammoth (formerly MammothWVH) will make their local concert debut on Saturday, March 28th when they headline at The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino! A quickly increasing presence on rock radio thanks to hit songs like "Distance", "Don't Back Down", and "The End", Mammoth are led by former Van Halen/Tremonti bassist (and Eddie Van Halen's son) Wolfgang Van Halen, who has emerged as a multi-talented virtuoso musician on his own in the 2020s, even performing every note of every instrument on Mammoth's three albums. It will be cool to see Wolfgang and his live touring band rock out here this spring, so don't bypass this show, especially as its on a Saturday night! Knoxville, Tennessee alt-metal veterans 10 Years (of "Wasteland" and "Novacaine" fame) will return to Kewadin Casino as openers, last seen there opening for Seether in August 2018.

10 Years had previously opened for Sevendust at The Dreammakers Theater in 2010, and I'm noticing an unintentional pattern. Good to see them back again after eight years, but should we not hold our breath for a fourth local date before 2034? A second opening band is to be announced. Presented by Allstar Promotions and sponsored by Rock 101, tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, with prices starting at $39.50. It will be interesting to see how this show goes, but Mammoth have a huge upside and a bunch of hits already, so don't miss out on their first Sault Ste. Marie gig in four months!  

Next up, we have some very surprising news that broke earlier today, as local hard rock cover sextet Exit 808 have announced that they are amicably disbanding. According to their Facebook page, personal life concerns (band members moving, health issues, other bands, and a band member having a baby on the way) mean that Exit 808 "just can't be a priority anymore", and "we want to step off the stage gracefully without falling on our faces". With hindsight, the fact that they have played just one date (in Brimley on November 1st) since the summer could be a sign that members' focus was drifting. Launching under the name Double Jack in the fall of 2023, they debuted with a third place finish at the inaugural Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands, but drummer Jackie Moon aside, the band was nigh unrecognizable by the following summer as members came and went, let alone their name change.

Exit 808 would become a popular sight at local venues and far flung locales in the Central and Western U.P., and even in the Lower Peninsula a tiny bit, and were known for networking and befriending non-local musicians along the way, who often helped fill in with and guest with Exit 808 during their two year run. This, along with their very modular lineup including two lead singers and a wide age range made them stand out extra, and they were always a fun and talented group, as seen in their ample live videos. Best of luck to Amy, Dillion, Alex, Nathan, Blaze, Jackie, and other former members in the future, and hopefully we see them in new projects when able!

Let's head north to Sault Ontario for the back half of this post, starting with some more new concert videos from Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel that didn't fit in Monday's all-E.U.P. post, as he was in attendance for Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever's return to the Soo at The Sault Community Theatre Centre in September! Like with his Night Ranger videos, these were only uploaded earlier this week, but better late than never! Chris filmed B.J.F. playing the Bon Jovi classics "Livin' On A Prayer", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", "It's My Life", "Bad Medicine", "Runaway", "Have A Nice Day", and as embedded below, "Bed Of Roses". I'm not a Bon Jovi fan, but this tribute does a solid job replicating multiple eras of the band, so hair metal fans should enjoy the performances on offer here, helped by Chris getting a good close angle of the stage from the center section. Check these out above and below, and stay tuned for more from Chris' channel!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary, who has revived his solo project after a 20+ month hiatus! In his first proper post since January 2024, Mike revealed on Saturday that the instrumental album that he was working on in the early 2020s "has officially been put on hold", and while he did not explain why he made that decision, he didn't completely close the door on the album, and is planning to post some material from the album on Facebook to show how it has progressed. However, Mike has signed a deal with Swedish independent label Rexius Records, and is planning to write and record an 8 song album over the next year, which will have "several singles" and contain "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". Mike also got spotlighted in this new article from aKtmusiC which promoted what they called "his first-ever release", namely his 2018 song "So Surreal".

This isn't his first release, but fans of Mike's will be aware that he was one to delist or take down old albums and songs based on where his life and music was going. To close, here's a 5 minutes-long instrumental from his unfinished album mentioned above, and while I won't comment on it pending the chance that he does finish and release it, it has more progressive dynamics, a lengthy guitar solo, and some of his heaviest musicianship yet, so you get the sense that he was spreading his wings when writing for this album. It's great to see Mike back at it, so check out more from him above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless & Dodge This) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

In today's second weekend concert preview post, we have some more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to help cap off a busy weekend in the Sault Ste. Marie area, so here's what you should know!

Local acoustic classic/hard rock cover trio Dodge This will reportedly return to The Water Tower Pub TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this show via personal Facebook postings about live music schedules this weekend, as neither Dodge This (who haven't posted online since July) and The Water Tower Pub (who haven't posted a monthly concert calendar since June) have publicized this booking on social media. If accurate, it's good to see Dodge This back after an apparent summer break, having last played a publically announced gig at The Dive in early July (they did drop out of a planned Beck's Bar gig last month though). Hopefully TONIGHT's show has a strong night of classic and hard rock cover favourites (and even some country tunes) from the July brothers and Jason, so keep it in mind! Remember, The Water Tower Pub hosts different nightly musicians, so Dodge This will not be playing there tomorrow.

If you're curious, the Saturday performers at the Great Northern Road nightclub will be new local country rock supergroup Elly McWatters & The Drifters. TONIGHT'S Dodge This concert has a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Dodge This live!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet The Nameless will visit The Well Diggers Watering Hole & Feed Lot in Kinross for the first time for an outdoor concert on SUNDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, this gig was first announced via the venue's Facebook page on Wednesday. When the band corroborated the booking later that night on their Facebook page, they indicated that the opportunity to play here arose despite previously planning a break to work on new material for their sets. As such, this will be The Nameless' first gig since rocking The Merch three weeks ago. Well Diggers will be familiar to Yooper readers from hosting Project 906 on occasion in 2023 & 2024, and it will be neat to see a different local hard rock cover band on their outdoor stage on SUNDAY, so keep this matinee booking in mind! Unlike the prior 906 gigs here, this will be a 3:00 PM matinee concert on SUNDAY, and there will be no cover charge.

It's too soon for an hourly forecast, but 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy skies, no chance of rain, and a high temperature of 71° (21° Celsius). Weather is looking good and calm for the next while, including 70+/20+° weather over the next week, so enjoy these outdoor concerts while we still can realistically have them! Visit the above links for more on The Nameless' Kinross debut on SUNDAY, and here they are live a few months back!

Now let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last gigs at Reggie's, this will be another prime opportunity for fans to check out Greg, Alex, and Warren's down and dirty brand of classic, hard, and southern rock covers, plus their three originals, and merchandise will be on sale as usual! "The Dirty Three" should be in fine form at their favourite venue, so don't miss out on all of the action on Queen Street East tonight & tomorrow! Your local 225 take the stage both nights at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges, and if you can't make it, they'll be back at Reggie's in two weeks. Visit the above links for more on Bone Yard's shows tonight & tomorrow night, and for a preview, here they are live!

Finally for this second weekend concert preview post, here's one more big show taking place on SUNDAY NIGHT, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to town when they headline at the Sault Community Theatre Centre! One of four Bon Jovi tribute bands to rock the Soo in the past 15 years, Bon Jovi Forever are the tribute that headlined at The Rockstar Bar in 2016, so it will be good to see their hair metal classics and later general rock favourites back on a local stage on Sunday, let alone on the huge theatre stage at White Pines! Of course, I won't judge which Bon Jovi tribute is better or more faithful than the rest, but B.J.F. deliver a faithful sounding and looking stage show, as led by frontman Baz Littlerock, so don't miss out on their local return in a couple of nights! This all ages concert at 8:00 PM has tickets running for $58.24 (adults), $46.94 (seniors or students with valid ID), or $26.60 (children).

You can buy tickets at this link or at the in-person box office at Station Mall. As of this writing, there are still seats in the third row and back in the left and right sections, while the center section has seats from the seventh row and back (the upper gallery seating is not open for this show). If you're a Bon Jovi fan, you won't want to miss Bon Jovi Forever at the S.C.T.C. on Sunday, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bon Jovi Forever), One More Weekend Concert Preview, And More Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing a late concert cancellation on the SMS, as Go Skateboarding Day did not take place as planned at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre due to yesterday's very rainy conditions. The worst of it was in the morning, but it rained off and on all day, which isn't safe to skateboard in, let alone play plugged-in live music. As far as I can recall, this is the first time that the local Go Skate Day was ever cancelled by rain, but organizers did have a back-up plan to keep the annual June 21st festivities going. They were able to host an indoor Go Skate Day 20 minutes east at the Prince Township Community Center's skating rink, while a concert did take place, albeit at a private house party last night. Unfortunately, Hails and Pillory were not able to play the delayed concert, and they were replaced by a new mystery act named Adam Smith Death Parade and... The Sole Aggressors?

How they were able to swing getting the Sault Michigan punk band to play across the border on short notice, I don't know, but that would have been fun to see if you were able to get the address and come out! Our source for much of the above info is Spaceship Opening member Ralph Barber's personal Facebook page. As for the Queen Street Cruise events yesterday (including Bone Yard 225's concert under The Roberta Bondar Pavilion tent), that all went on despite the rain, so hopefully the car show and other events went as well as they could for all involved!

Today's post otherwise features one more weekend concert preview, some assorted updates, and to start, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to the Soo on Saturday, September 13th at the Sault Community Theatre Centre! Since the SMS launched, at least four different Bon Jovi tributes have came here (the others being Bed Of Roses, Keep The Faith, and the hybrid Bon Journey), but Bon Jovi Forever are the ones that played at The Rockstar Bar in May 2016. What distinctions you can make between them will depend on personal preference of their talents and appearances, but Bon Jovi Forever have the classic sound down, both for their early hair metal hits and their later songs, and fans should have a good time in their return to the Soo after nine years! As best as I can tell, there is no opening act. This all ages concert has an 8:00 PM start time.

Loads of tickets are on sale for this newly announced concert in all rows (the balcony is not open for this one), so click here to buy yours, or visit the in-person box office! Prices are much higher than in 2016, running $54.24 for adults, $42.94 for seniors over 65 years of age and students 14-21 years old, and $22.60 for kids 13 and under, but the former Kiwanis Theater is also a much larger venue. Visit the above links for more details on Bon Jovi Forever's long awaited local return this fall! 

Also today, here's one more weekend concert preview that really fell through the cracks while we jumped into our Rotaryfest coverage, and it goes down TODAY, as local alternative/punk cover sextet Bookclub and veteran R&B/soul band The Hustle Brothers will both return to Thomson Farms Cider & Winery at 4057 Third Line West for their second annual teddy bear picnic! Once again, this special matinee concert will see outdoor performances alongside family friendly entertainment at the cider mill. Of course, kids are welcome to bring their teddy bears for the picnic proper, but attendees and families will also get lots of activities to enjoy, exhibits from Entomica, prizes, vendors, food and drinks, tractor rides, and much more, so visit the Eventbrite ticket page and the above links for complete non-musical details! Admission is $10 per person, though babies 2 years old and under will be admitted free.

The teddy bear picnic begins at 1:00 PM (running until 4:00 PM), and if you do come to Thomson Farms, please prepare for the weather given today's heat warnings, including a 40° humidex, so dress accordingly and drink lots of fluids. It's great to see Bookclub and The Hustle Brothers back for year #2 of this fun family event, so keep it in mind this afternoon, and hopefully Bookclub's varied blend of covers finds another willing audience, humans and teddy bears alike! See above for more details, and here's Bookclub 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 name:

 

• Toronto deathcore band Beguiler have been added as an extra act on the Insurrection-headlined concert at Soo Blaster on July 30th, as per promoter Mikhal Muto on the Facebook event page on Thursday. If the name Beguiler rings a bell, it may be because they were slated to play at the cancelled Crucifest metal festival in Leeburn in July of last year, making them the first of the planned five touring bands at Crucifest to land a new booking in the Sault Ste. Marie area. Very cool to see Beguiler finally make their way here next month, and they should add to the brutality well!
• In another instance of an additional act on a Mikhal Muto-promoted concert next month, Sylo frontman Eli Russell will also be performing at the Ricky Mullen/Washout-headlined folk punk show at The Distraction next Friday, as per the Facebook event page on June 14th. While Eli's solo material doesn't really cross our radar, his original acoustic folk material will fit that side of this concert, so don't miss him on the bill next week!
• I will likely be moving local industrial metal solo project Molten Imp to our inactive band links tomorrow. Led by former AlgomA guitarist Boyd "Lord Unterbiss von Wigwaus" Rendell, Molten Imp had retreated from updating most social media in recent years, with their most recent public update (to my knowledge) being the upload of their song "Diesel On The Steamship 1 & 2" to their Bandcamp page on June 23rd of last year. Hopefully all is well with Boyd, and that we hear more from him musically when the time is right, as Molten Imp were a very unique and distinct project with lots of potential! 

 

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

Rotaryfest 2023 Fallout & Videos (Part 1)!!

After managing to dodge most of the rain in the weather forecast, Rotaryfest is in the books for 2023, and there is a fair amount out about the Soo's summer festival from its music stages! We'll start with Stage 1 bands at Clergue Park on Saturday night, and while a featured touring band hasn't closed the main stage since 2016, it does make sense on paper to start with Winnipeg-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bed of Roses, who had pictures taken by an uncredited Sault Star photographer that you can see at this link, There are also photos by Ron Jokelainen from First Local News, which is the rebranded and relaunched SaultOnline, whose website was abruptly taken down on June 12th despite posting new articles just two days prior, as well as videos of new local cover band Bourbon Blue on their Facebook page. While site staff were vague on the reason for the change, issues with the prior domain host may have been a factor.

Losing years of site content is not ideal whatsoever, and a little transparency in that regard may have been ideal for SaultOnline readers, but First Local News has improved in the ensuing weeks, and hopefully they can pick things up reasonably well! New name's not especially "local" to the Soo though. As for Ron's Bed of Roses coverage, the photos are not on the same quality as The Sault Star's, but you do get more of a write-up of their set, so click here to see everything of his! The only other Rotaryfest coverage there to touch on the music was this article featuring a photo of The Wyld Stallyns' set on Saturday, coincidentally also the Stage 1 band performing in three photos from Alex Flood's coverage on SooToday (he also got one of Stage 2 performers Distich's set). One more news coverage note, as Renegade/Bed of Roses frontman Darryl Clayton was interviewed by The Sault Star!

In advance of Rotaryfest's kickoff, this article by The Sault Star's Brian Kelly went up on Wednesday where Darryl talked about the differences in paying tribute to both Bon Jovi and Styx, what it was like playing live in front of Bon Jovi bassist Hugh McDonald, and how he first got into covering Styx, among other related topics. Good read for fans, and apologies for being late to the party in addressing it here! As far as videos go, we do have some public footage to check out of the closing bands on Saturday, as the ever-prolific Christopher Paci was back at Rotaryfest to film a few bands this year for his packed YouTube channel, including two clips of Bed of Roses' sister band Renegade in their headline set on Friday. I wouldn't say Styx are a "hard rock" band, but you can check out their faithful renditions of "Come Sail Away" and "Mr. Roboto" by clicking there or above, and they had a good turnout!

As for Bed of Roses, Chris filmed three videos of them tackling the Bon Jovi classics "Wanted Dead Or Alive", "It's My Life", and as embedded below, "Living On A Prayer". Chris was nowhere near the stage (a possible consequence of arriving for just the later sets), but he got a good central vantage point and made optimal use of the zoom function. Bed of Roses delivered a solid sound for Bon Jovi fans, especially compared to how the real thing sounded in concert last year, and the crowd was very receptive and eager to sing along, which you love to see! Check out Chris' videos above & below, and stay tuned for more from him soon!

We'll close today with the one-off headlining reunion of local classic/hard rock cover quintet That's Chester (yes, their recent Facebook rehearsal video is also coming soon), as Chris filmed them covering Judas Priest's "Breaking The Law" and as embedded below, AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock". Of course, this set was fronted by original singer Richard Fullerton rather than Greg Simpson, so mid-2000s That's Chester fans were definitely excited. Everyone performs strongly in both clips, and the Chesters get lots of time to rock out and show off during the AC/DC cover, with guitarist Gabe Tessaro (nice to see pause his retirement for a night) even pulling off some Angus Young moves and a nice extended guitar solo! Whether you prefer Ritch or Greg (or even Jim) is a matter of personal preference, but Ritch had strong enthuasiasm and vocals to match on these covers, so check everything for yourselves out above & below!

That's all for now, but look for more from Rotaryfest and elsewhere on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest Stage 1 Concert Previews!!

The Sault's Summer Festival returns to Clergue Park this weekend, as Rotaryfest is (according to promotional material) "celebrating 100 years" this year! The first Community Day parade was held in 1922, and if you omit the parade-less 2020, this will be the 100th year since, so I think that's how they got to that milestone count. This year's Rotaryfest is even more a return to normalcy than last year (proof: the midway is back), so visit the official website or read the program that came in the mail last week for full non-musical details about this year's community events downtown! We'll start by looking at the covers-focused Stage 1, which returns to its usual outpost beside the Centennial Library, with Valerie Pluss as stage manager and Andrew Stuetz as the M.C. between bands. Band names below are linked to their Facebook event page from Rotaryfest, who made one up for (almost) each set once again.

Musically, things begin TOMORROW NIGHT when local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith returns home for the second straight Rotaryfest when he opens Stage 1 at 6:00 PM! Coinciding with the release of his brand new album "All The Best In All You Do" (more on that when able), expect to hear cuts from that and other recent albums during this full band set, with Mike joined by returning local bandmates Chris Nielsen (A Dire Setback) on guitar and Brandan Glew (ex-The Din) on drums. Now on bass is Sainte-Marie/Bad Chug alum Jacob Quarrell (replacing A Dire Setback's Matt Quinn), who ironically was supposed to be Mike's guitarist for his pandemic-cancelled album release show here in 2020. Should be a big way to kick off Rotaryfest, so don't miss out tomorrow! The other three bands include local Abba tribute band Abba Soo at 9:30 PM, ...

... blues/jazz sextet The Hustle Brothers at 8:00 PM (both in their festival debut), and The Northern Jazz Ensemble at 7:00 PM in their fourteenth Stage 1 set (and fifth straight) since the modern format was established in 2001. As always, Stage 1 entertainment is FREE and ALL AGES, and while 9&10 News is calling for a high temperature of 21° tomorrow with partly cloudy skies, they also have a 20% chance of rain in the forecast (yes, Stage 1 has a roof). There is a little something for everyone tomorrow at Rotaryfest, and Mike's high profile album release set will be quite a kickoff, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Mike live last year!

Six bands take on Stage 1 on FRIDAY NIGHT, with two newer bands that cross our genre radar playing Stage 1 that day, including punk/alternative cover quintet Bookclub at 9:00 PM and classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down at 8:00 PM. The former's unpredictable trumpet-infused covers and Surfers-majority lineup will definitely turn heads, while Double Down's talented & familiar lineup will be right at home on this big stage, so don't miss them on Friday! In a change from past norms, there will be a touring headliner on Friday AND Saturday, with Friday's being Renegade: The Ultimate Tribute To Styx, a Winnipeg-based tribute to the 1970s-80s classic rock/AOR icons, and if you like Styx, their 10:20 PM set will do them justice! The opening three bands on Friday include classic rock cover quartet RPM (in their third Stage 1 appearance) at 7:00 PM, new country/classic rock cover group The Way Backs at 6:00 PM, ...

...and classic rock trio The Sidekicks (debuting at Rotaryfest here after dropping out of Stage 1 last year) opening at 6:00 PM. Once again FREE & ALL AGES, 9&10 News is calling for warmer and cloudier weather with a high of 23° on Friday, but the chance of rain (including thunderstorms) moves up to 50%. Hopefully the weather cooperates for the bands this weekend, including new and familiar faces alike on Friday, so visit the above links for more on that day's bands, and here's Bookclub live!

As usual, the SATURDAY lineup is the longest of all, and the closing band this year will be a one-off reunion of local classic/hard rock cover quartet That's Chester! Making their eleventh Rotaryfest appearance, we haven't seen That's Chester (who oddly didn't get a Facebook event page from Rotaryfest) since playing this festival in 2018. For this year, Gabe, Aubrey, and Ric will be joined by original singer Richard Fullerton rather than Greg Simpson for the whole set, while Dan Belanger will return in place of late guitarist Eugene Orlando once again. The program erroneously says that their last show was their involvement in The Who's Tommy in 2015 despite playing two Rotaryfests since, but it will be neat to see them back again, especially if you were a fan of mid-2000s That's Chester with Ritch on the mic! Their set is at 10:30 PM on Saturday, ahead of the featured touring headliners, as usual for Rotaryfest.

This year's touring Saturday attraction is Winnipeg's Bed Of Roses: The World's Best Bon Jovi Tribute, whose lineup is made up of the members of Renegade from Friday night, hence why two are playing this year. 11 years removed from hybrid Bon Jovi/Journey tribute band Bon Journey's Stage 1 set, Bed Of Roses will bring just Bon Jovi classics (their hair metal era chief among them) back to Rotaryfest on Saturday at 8:30 PM, so don't miss out then! Classic rock veterans Mustang Heart are scheduled for 7:15 PM in their record eighteenth Stage 1 set under the modern format, while hard rock fans can check out new classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations at 6:15 PM in their festival debut, preceded by local funk/hard rock sextet The Wyld Stallyns in their third straight Stage 1 set at 5:15 PM before their Shooters gig that night. The opening bands on Saturday include country musician Brendan Hodgson (also back for a third year) at 4:15 PM, ...

...classic rock veterans Dorian Grey in their Stage 1 debut at 3:15 PM, new local bluegrass.country band Lands & Forest at 2:15 PM, classic rock sextet Ladies Sing The Blues in their second Rotaryfest set (third if you count Lady Sings The Blues) at 1:15 PM, and classic/party rock cover band Encore in their third Stage 1 set to kick things off at 12:00 PM. Expect FREE & ALL AGES entertainment to cap off Rotaryfest with on Saturday, and 9&10 News is calling for similar weather as on Friday, but the chance of rain drops slightly to 40%. If you are at all concerned about the weather forecast, keep tabs on your preferred local forecast in the leadup. It is worth noting that one more touring tribute band is playing at Rotaryfest this year, namely the Toronto-based Abraxas: The Ultimate Santana Tribute, who will be performing on Friday outside of The Machine Shop (no idea if they'll be at The Rink) as part of this year's Wheels On The Water car show.

How's that for an extra pull to come down to Mill Square? Click here for more details on that event, and as for Saturday, there's a stacked lineup of local bands plus some Bon Jovi classics to take in, with familiar faces and new bands alike for your delectation, hopefully with no weather-induced complications! It will be weird not seeing Bone Yard, Mid Life Crysis, and the now-defunct Obsession playing this year though, the first in-person Stage 1 that they have all missed since 2018. Visit the above links for much more on Rotaryfest's Stage 1 lineup for 2023, stay tuned for our Stage 2 preview and more next, and here's That's Chester live!

That's all for today, but more weekend concert previews are on the way tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 1!!)

Single topic post today, as the full lineup for Rotaryfest's music stages was announced via their official website and this SooToday press release earlier today, so what should you know there? This year's festival is considered to be "the 100th year" of Rotaryfest, which evolved from the first Community Day parade in 1922, and while I think you have to omit a year (likely the parade-less 2020) to get to the milestone number, this is still a neat accomplishment! Everything is the status quo from last year music-wise, with the covers-leaning Stage 1 at its usual spot at Clergue Park beside the Centennial Library, while the originals-focused Stage 2 returns for its 16th installment and second post-pandemic year beside the Art Gallery of Algoma. We'll discuss the Stage 2 lineup in an upcoming post, but click here for the details if you want to jump the gun. Sponsored by the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation once again, who can you expect to see on Stage 1 in July?

As usual, there are three days of live music starting on Thursday, July 14th, and the very first act this year will be that night's only hard rock performer, namely local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith! Making his second local appearance of 2023 (following tonight's Face To Face event at The Art Hub on Spring), this will presumably be a repeat of his Stage 1 set last year, featuring Mike and a band of locals doing his original material (including cuts from "All The Best In All You Do"), so be there nice and early to see Mike in full form to kick off this year's music at 6:00 PM! The Thursday headliners at 9:30 PM will be local Abba tribute band Abba Soo in their Rotaryfest debut, while local roots rock band The Hustle Brothers will also hit Stage 1 for the first time at 8:00 PM. Festival regulars The Northern Jazz Ensemble have the 7:00 PM slot in their fifth straight Stage 1 appearance and 14th since the current format was introduced.

As always, the music on Thursday the 14th is FREE & ALL AGES, as will be the case on Friday, July 15th, which has six bands this year, equal to 2022. Two of them are hard rock/punk acts, including online page-less alt-punk cover quintet Bookclub in their festival debut at 9:00 PM and classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down at 8:00 PM. Good to see some newer acts on tap this year, and with lots of familiar faces, so don't miss their sets on the Friday! Befitting a 100th anniversary, organizers are going big with a touring tribute band on Friday and Saturday, the first time that they've ever booked a Friday headliner of this scale since the modern format's launch. The band in question is Renegade: The Ultimate Tribute To Styx, a Winnipeg-based tribute to the classic rock/AOR staples of the 1970s and 1980s. Styx could dip into heavier waters at times, and from what I've heard, Styx fans will be impressed!

Renegade are scheduled at the oddly specific time of 10:20 PM. Thursday's opening three bands are classic rock cover quartet RPM (in their third Stage 1 set) at 7:00 PM, newer local country trio The Way Backs (fronted by local musician Jeffrey Wright) at 6:00 PM, and local classic rock trio The Sidekicks (featuring ex-Griphook bassist Dan Beaupre) at 5:00 PM, one year after dropping out of their planned Stage 1 debut. Good to see them get a second chance! Not a bad lineup for classic rock fans in particular, so see above for more details on all six Friday acts!

As for the Saturday, July 15th lineup, that day is the biggest and longest as ever, and in one of this year's biggest surprises, defunct local classic/hard rock cover quintet That's Chester will close Rotaryfest in a one-off set at 10:30 PM! This will be their eleventh Stage 1 appearance (a number that only four other bands have hit since 2001), and their first since reuniting for the Rotaryfest Rewind theme year in 2018. Assuming Gabe Tessaro's retirement from live music will be paused for one night, it'll be good to see him, Greg, Aubrey, and Ric (and Dan?) back, so don't miss them on the Saturday night! As has been routine since 2015, the featured touring band is the second-to-last band (counting 2023, a Greg Simpson-fronted band has had the closing honours in five of the last six installments), and this year, the honours go to Bed of Roses: The World's Best Bon Jovi Tribute out of Winnipeg!

Rotaryfest is not new to having a Bon Jovi tribute here (the hybrid Bon Jovi/Journey tribute Bon Journey headlined in 2012), but Bed of Roses are solely tackling Bon Jovi... at least on Saturday. Members of this band also perform in Renegade, the Styx tribute on Friday, so why not make use of both guises on a big stage like this on the same weekend! Hair metal fans will surely get a kick out of Bed of Roses on July 16th, especially compared to how Jon Bon Jovi himself sounded on tour last year! Their set is at 8:30 PM, with classic rock veterans Mustang Heart playing their eighteenth Stage 1 set beforehand at 7:15 PM, a record in the post-2000 format of the festival. New local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will make their festival debut at 6:15 PM (surprisingly, Jus' Chillin never played Stage 1 previously), while local funk/hard rock cover sextet The Wyld Stallyns will play the main stage for a third straight year at 5:15 PM, surely one of many summer gigs from them.

Solid block of classic and hard rock to close the Saturday program via the above bands, so keep them in mind for your schedule planning! In the first half of the day, the 4:15 performer is local country musician Brendan Hodgson (also playing Stage 1 for the third consecutive year), while veteran classic rock band Dorian Grey will play at 3:15 in their own Rotaryfest debut. A mystery band named Land & Forest are scheduled at 2:15 PM, and with the schedule going live without Facebook event pages for each individual band (at least not yet), I truly know nothing about them at press time. We'll let you know when more comes out! Generations frontwoman Valerie Powley's classic rock/R&B side hustle Ladies Sing The Blues will return for a second year at 1:15 PM, and party rock cover quintet Encore will play Stage 1 for the third time as the 12:00 PM openers. Once again, the Saturday lineup is FREE & ALL AGES!

This is a strong lineup of covers-leaning bands, especially for classic rock fans, and while complaints about the lineup are common annually, note that half of the 18 local bands this year are Stage 1 newcomers, and only three of them have played more than thrice previously. Three bands who played the last three years are absent too (Bone Yard, Mid Life Crysis, and the now-defunct Obsession), though of course, Greg from Bone Yard is instead focusing on the That's Chester reunion set this year. Be sure to visit the above links for much more on Stage 1 at the Soo's summer festival in 2023, and stay tuned for the Stage 2 lineup reveal soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bon Jovi Forever & Handsome Sandwich) And A New Local Band!!

(Updated at 4:08 PM) It's a new month already, so here's our first post of February 2020! This post is half devoted to a new and promising local hard rock band with a lot to say already, with the back half focused on LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

We have another new band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are The Uncanny Valley, the band led by 2019 Soo's Got Talent winner Adrian Sullivan! He name-dropped this project when discussing his future plans after winning that event in the fall, but they only surfaced with Facebook & Instagram pages last month, plus a website. Adrian didn't play any hard rock songs in The Soo's Got Talent, but this band definitely skews that way, with their website citing inspirations from classic & psychedelic rock to country, and their original songs so far have a 1970s hard rock feel to them (helped by covering Kiss, Boston, and even Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young on video.) Adrian is on vocals & guitar here, as joined by guitarist Matt Ferlaino, bassist Adam Fahrer, and Stanley Hill drummer Dylan Turner (the son of Garden of Bedlam/Papa Fogals Chair alum Derek Turner.) Young group of musicians that aren't mainstays of our coverage, but they have the right skill set!

The Uncanny Valley made their live debut on New Year's Eve at The Canadian Nightclub when they opened for country musician Brendan Hodgson (who has featured Adam in prior studio material), and they followed that by playing at last week's relaunch party for The House Restaurant & Bar, which is located at the Community First Curling Center at 124 Anita Boulevard. That's a new location for us re: local concerts, but you may recall the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Battle of the Bands inside the curling rink proper 10 years ago. Will The House become a more prominent live venue going forward, or was this a special occasion? We'll keep you posted! And yes, I do apologize for missing those shows for coverage on the SMS, but I didn't know what The Uncanny Valley played yet. Seven videos are uploaded on Facebook, including three originals, like "Glowin'" and "Middle Man".

Embedded below is The Uncanny Valley's self-titled song. The videos aren't pristine quality for the audio, but the guys have talent and decent chemistry from what I've seen, and their older cover focus calls to mind a band like Electric Church, only with less of a blues focus. There are times when Adrian's voice doesn't seem to mesh with the song proper, but I am very curious to see where The Uncanny Valley go from here, especially as some welcomed new blood. Give them a look above & below!

Next up, resurgent local alt/punk (albeit genre hating) trio Handsome Sandwich will headline at The Rockstar Bar for one night only TONIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via the venue's Facebook event page this afternoon, after they were signed as late replacements for another Elements side project, The Wyld Stallyns. That band was originally scheduled for a short notice gig of their own tonight, but withdrew this morning due to a band member falling ill, as per the venue's Hayley Warnock on that show's Facebook event page. Their identity wasn't given, but it's not guitarist and Handsome Sandwich member Jesse Cook, who is playing TONIGHT. Hopefully all's well in the Speers camp, but kudos to Johnny, Jesse, and James for stepping in on short notice, and this could be a good chance to re-introduce yourself to their irreverent cover selection if you missed them over their dormant period in much of 2019!

As would have been the case for the Stallyns, TONIGHT's show has a likely 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's Handsome Sandwich live!



Finally, here's one more new concert to watch for later this month, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to Sault Ste. Marie when they headline at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday, February 22nd! This will be the third local concert appearance from this particular Bon Jovi tribute, following appearances at the same venue in May 2016 and last October, so fans of Bon Jovi should be familiar with this particular tribute. Delivering a faithful sounding and looking experience for fans of their early hair metal work and more general rock of the new millennium, Bon Jovi Forever have received acclaim over the years, and to come back to the Soo for a third time in 5 years, they must be doing something right! This 9:00 PM & 19+ show has tickets available at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, and while a ticket price is not listed on the Facebook event page, last year's show cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door. See the above links for more details!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fluid 5ive) & Much Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Let's dive into some more concert previews on this rainy Friday, and just as a reminder, The Soo's Got Talent will get it's own post next, with Saturday night's Femur and Arts Against Homelessness shows being covered tomorrow along with some other recent stories, while we already addressed Tym Morrison and Tarnished yesterday. Now, here's what you should know for today's previews, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Sporadically seen classic/hard rock quintet Fluid 5ive will reportedly rock The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned of this show via the venue's October concert calendar this week, and Fluid 5ive have not posted on their Facebook page regarding actual band or concert updates since May. That was the month when we last saw Fluid 5ive in publically advertised concerts, including their Water Tower Pub debut, so after apparently taking the summer off, this should be a prime opportunity for Colin, Liam, Rob, Pierre, and Jeff to get back in the swing of things! The lack of recent promotion by the band isn't immediately concerning, as the venue is still advertising it, but we'll let you know if anything to the contrary is announced. Look for this familiar veteran band tomorrow at around 9:00 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Fluid 1ive!

Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts, starting with fellow local classic/hard rock veterans Soundcheck, as they'll return to The Esquire Club for concerts of their own TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Fresh off of a Water Tower Pub show of their own last week, the Mourning Wood successors will be playing The Esquire Club for a second weekend booking in a three week span, though unlike those short-handed gigs last week, these have long been advertised on their Facebook page. Look for more entertaining hard and classic rock covers this weekend at this popular west end nightclub, with 19+ age limits, 10:00 PM start times, and no cover charges in effect. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Soundcheck, courtesy of drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel earlier this week! Ignore the thumbnail, this cover of The Eagles' "Take It Easy" was filmed last week at The Water Tower Pub by long-time SaultOnline journalist Mike Caruso.

This cover features Travis Sharpe on lead vocals, and Paul was definitely back on bass after missing the prior weekend's concerts. Mike had multiple cameras set up to get a nice view of Soundcheck in action, including a now short-haired Glen, though the video was not filmed on January 1st, 2000 (set the clock, Mike!) I'm not an Eagles fan, but the guys handle this cover well, so give it a look below, and maybe they'll play it again this weekend!

Also this weekend, let's take a brief detour to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Casino branch in St. Ignace, Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This will be the second time in as many weeks that Scarkazm have trekked across the Mackinac Bridge for concerts in the E.U.P., following gigs at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin to end September with. With Scarkazm's heavy and fan-friendly cover attack and original experience, you know that the lounge will be rocking as usual this weekend, so fans won't want to miss out on all of the action in St. Ignace! If you miss out, they will be back at The Northern Pines Lounge the weekend before Christmas. As usual for their Kewadin bookings, expect 21+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times on Friday & Saturday. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live in Traverse City!



Finally for this preview post, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return for a headlining concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub! The first of three touring tribute concerts at The Canadian during "Rocktober", this will be this particular Bon Jovi tribute's first local stop since playing at The Rockstar Bar back in May 2016. Whether you prefer Bon Jovi's 1980s hair metal work or their more mainstream rock sound of the 1990s and beyond, fans of either stripe should find a lot to like from Bon Jovi Forever, who have received acclaim for their faithful stage show and live sound, so look for more of the same from them on Saturday! Tickets (at The Canadian's front desk) are $15, with the admission price jumping to $20 at the door. This is a 19+ show, and a 9:30 PM start time is advertised. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Bon Jovi Forever live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Soo's Got Talent preview and semifinal fallout next, with Femur and Arts Against Homelessness previews hitting the site after that! Thanks everyone!