Happy President's Day to our American readers, and if you count it as a Canadian holiday, happy Family Day! Today's post is full of some recent stories that we couldn't fit in recent posts due to the glut of weekend concert previews last week, including local musician searches, a new cover, a new song posting, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you need to know!
After two years away from the Soo, Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who will return to our area on Friday, March 28th for a show at The Rockstar Bar! My source for the above date is their official website's tour calendar. Canada's only AC/DC tribute act that tours the country full time, their accurate and hard hitting sound is sure to give a high voltage dose of rock n' roll to fans at The Rockstar Bar next month during the early stretch of their current tour, so don't miss the return of Who Made Who next month! No word on potential local openers yet, but for reference, their older local dates at The Canadian didn't have any that I remember. Though the venue has yet to confirm this show, I would assume a $5 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 10:00 PM start time will be in effect on March 28th, and for more details, check the above links! Sounds like a good time for you AC/DC fans, and I enjoyed them when they played here, so keep Who Made Who's return in mind for next month!
Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock collective The Highest of Fives have stayed busy by finally releasing some full new material recently, and while we'll touch on their new full video "The U.P. Song" in an upcoming post, a song named "Take My Time" was just posted onto member Devin Anderson's YouTube channel on Thursday. Described as "a tasty jam", it was written by singer Mitch Goetz & features him alongside Devin and guitarist Marcel "Crusty Puck" Grengs. Compared to their material written by fellow member Travis Theel, this is closer to their hard/alternative prior work, but assuming a release of their CD "Bang!" is still forthcoming, I won't comment too much on it. Sounds good though, so give "Take My Time" a listen below!
Also in new videos, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's newest cover video is of Stone Sour's "Through Glass", as uploaded to his YouTube channel on Wednesday! A bit of a return to his older covers of heavier bands (albeit sung too like on other recent videos), he handles this softer track well musically, though his vocal range doesn't suit the more dramatic later verses. Solid cover though, so give it a look below!
Finally for today, here's three recent musician searches that could have metal/hard rock ramifications, as per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group in recent days (specifically, Saturday, Monday, and Friday respectively), so keep them in mind if you need to fill out a lineup! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
Local pianist Damjan Binda is looking for a drummer to jam with while he's in the Soo, though a specific genre wasn't cited. His solo work has some interesting dramatic qualities, so if you're interested, message him at this link or via the ones above!
Local bassist Paul Stanghetta (ex-Smeltzer, The Fury) is looking for musicians (preferably female) of any instrument to fill out the lineup of his new band Keep It Lit (yes, the same "secret" band that dropped out of last fall's Viva La Battle.) He's looking for artists who will be committed to and devote time for performances, and genre wise, he described Keep It Lit as a band who "likes to rock really hard and also rap and sing hard poppy hooks." If you're interested, message Paul at this link!
Former Ashes To Dust bassist Kyle Breckenridge is looking to join a new band (preferably punk, rock, or metal), and he's willing to play bass or rhythm guitar. It'd be nice to see him playing again, so if you're interested in trying Kyle out, message him at this link!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
I wasn't expecting to have a new news post today, but given our busy Thursday and some new notes on a recent sad story and a late notice lineup change for TONIGHT'S battle of the bands, I thought I should get another up tonight. Today, we also have album updates (including a surprise release) from two Mike Haggith-featured projects, but first, here's some follow-up on a well liked local musician's recent passing.
Former local metal/hard rock drummer Ray Brown's obituary has been posted onto SooToday at this link, where it confirms that his funeral will be held on Saturday at 2:00 PM at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, with visitation taking place Friday from 6:00-9:00 PM and Saturday from 12:00-1:30 PM, and cremation and internment planned at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. The obituary also adds that memorial contributions to the Algoma Residential Community Hospice and the Sault Area Hospital Cancer Care Fund would be appreciated, and he's survived by his fiance Candy, two brothers, and four nieces & nephews, among other extended family. I'll also note that his former The Chosen bandmate Taryn Bugyra has launched this Facebook group as a memorial to him, with the hope of obtaining pictures of him for use at his services, so if you have any pictures of Ray, join the group and share them if you want.
The outpouring of condolences and memories has been really nice to see, and though I won't pretend to have known him, it does reinforce all of the good things I have heard from his friends and bandmates. I hope the funeral on Saturday continues the recent good feelings, and I send nothing but the best out to Ray's family and Candy at this difficult time. R.I.P. Ray!
Moving to some lighter recent stories, a band has dropped out of TONIGHT'S Viva La Battle at The Canadian Nightclub, that being debuting "secret" band Keep It Lit. Promoter J.D. Pearce confirmed on the Facebook event page this afternoon that a band member broke their hand, and though I'm not sure which member it was, note that Keep It Lit's intended secrecy prior to their debut hasn't noticeably bowed despite their exit from tonight's battle of the bands. With their withdrawal being so short notice, a replacement band will not be secured (making this the smallest battle of the bands in recent memory), but J.D. did note that the remaining bands can play up to 45 minutes in their set now if they want. Disappointing news to be sure, especially knowing Keep It Lit's lineup and sound descriptions, but hopefully they'll have some public news or a new show date sooner or later! With that said, we still have The Bear Hunters battling with the debuting North West and Punch TONIGHT to earn the right to open for Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian next month, so don't miss out!
With one less band, there's now a 66% chance that a Suicide Kings member will win their second straight battle tonight, but will North West throw a wrench into those odds? Find out TONIGHT, and you can help win by entering your ballot! First band goes on at 9:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and the cover charge is $5! See you guys there!
We'll close today with some news relating to albums featuring prolific local hard rock musician Mike Haggith, starting with the latest from Mike's new band, local funk/metal/jam trio The Strange Coyotes! The Project Legion successors recorded a live in-studio album at PaperClip Productions a few days ago and released it to their new BandCamp page
last night after some editing and trimming, and a YouTube upload of
said tracks is also planned. With 7 songs spread across 27 minutes, the
self titled album features all originals by The Strange Coyotes, and I don't think any of
them are expanded versions of Chase Wigmore or James Watterworth's
existing original songs. I'll note that like defunct Sault Michigan band Insipid Bruality's posthumous album, this is up on a name your price model, so while you can buy it free, I'm sure the band would appreciate if you paid a sum for the album! Knowing that it's on sale, I'll confirm that a review of "The Strange Coyotes" is now likely, but when can we expect it on the site?
Probably not until next year, as I've reserved this month for SweetKenny's "Perception", and I tentatively have Haggith's "Apocalypse II" planned for next month to go along with their impending demise (if it does come out for sale, of course), but stay tuned for it in early 2014, and give The Strange Coyotes' self-titled original debut a listen above!
Finally for today, here's some announcements on his upcoming 48th solo album! As per his solo project's Facebook page yesterday, tracking & mixing is underway for this album, which will be called "A Place Of Our Own" (album cover on your right), which will be a concept album. It replaces his original planned next CD "The Tower", which is now on "an indefinite hiatus", though he's pushed back planned album ideas before, so I wouldn't immediately assume that it'll never surface. A release date and samples/indications of the album's sound are yet to be confirmed, but Mike tentatively pointed towards a possible completion date in February 2014. I'll note that if "A Place Of Our Own" comes out on time from that projection, we won't review it (or "The Present Din" if it's heavier) until at least April, as it'll be within our 6 month buffer from our review of "Neighbourhood Watch II", but I fully expect to review a new Mike Haggith album by mid-2014, so stay tuned for updates on it and Mike's other solo work as it all comes in!
That's all for today, but I'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Canadian for Viva La Battle! Will The Bear Hunters, North West, or Punch earn the right to open for Bam Margera next month? Find out tonight, and stay tuned at midnight for a special look back at a popular former local concert series that recently celebrated it's third anniversary. Thanks everyone!
TOMORROW NIGHT marks the first Sault Ontario battle of the bands in 7 months, as four local bands will gather at The Canadian Nightclub for Viva La Battle, with an opening slot at the Bam Margera/Fuckface Unstoppable concert on December 14th on the line, so here's our extended preview of it! The first battle to take place at this central venue since the Kiss Battle almost 4 years ago, this will also mark the first metal-featured concert at The Canadian since their most recent post-flood renovations, and this is a nice way to return to normal on the concert front! Similarly to last June's Battle For The Blood, promoter J.D. Pearce is hosting this battle to fill the last opening slot for the aforementioned Bam Margera show next month, with the winners joining Fuckface Unstoppable, Wilson, and local openers Destroilet & Jack Spades on the bill. Like the Battle For The Blood, the winners will be chosen by a fan ballot, with all paid fans recieving a ballot to vote on at the door upon entry. After everyone wraps up, you can vote and submit your ballot, and the winner will be announced at the end of the night (no announced prizes for runners-up though), so keep all of that in mind!
Note however that unlike T-Rex Manning last year, there is not an announced non-competitive band scheduled to play tomorrow night. Performance order for the 4 bands will be determined tomorrow one hour before showtime, and each band has a 30 minute set to rock fans with. Like March 2009's YMCA Battle, this will be a good showcase for new bands, with 3 of the 4 making their debut at a live public venue tomorrow night, but there's some battle veterans in each band that will be aiming to win tomorrow night, so let's run through each in alphabetical order:
The Bear Hunters: By far the most experienced and well known of the competitors, local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters will look to continue their gradual improvement in their third local battle tomorrow night, following their 5th place finish at April's Rockstar Bar Battle. Though this will be their first battle as a quartet due to Josh Stephney's move, they're guaranteed a higher finish thanks to the lower band count tomorrow, but is first place finally in the cards for this brutal local band, and can guitarist Mitch Sirie's victory at the Rockstar Bar Battle with The Suicide Kings be beneficial?
Keep It Lit: Similarly to the now-defunct Sarah's Valley at the Rockstar Bar Battle, new local band Keep It Lit are intentionally going into tomorrow's battle as a "secret band", with no online page or public indications of their lineup & sound until showtime. Unlike Sarah's Valley though, I do know their lineup & genre, and while I'll respect the secrecy for now, I will confirm that their lineup features two local battle veterans who have both had runner-up finishes in the last 4 years. Will Keep It Lit hit the top of the votes in their debut tomorrow?
North West: Though they debuted on Halloween at a Oh! Right Arm!-promoted house party, this will be North West's first truly public live appearance. Currently sans an online page themselves, their lineup does feature recent solo acoustic favourite Greg Callaghan (who competed at 2008's Skid Row Battle with Terminal) and (I believe) Small Town Rivals bassist Mike Smykacz, which seems to point to an indie/alternative punk sound, but I've struggled to find out much else, including the identity of their other two members. We'll learn more soon hopefully, but will North West take the stage by storm tomorrow night?
Punch: An intriguing union of the top 2 bands from April's Rockstar Bar Battle, Punch sees Suicide Kings guitarist Steven Flint (moving to bass) and drummer Ben Boudreau aligning with Haggith singer Curtis McKenzie and guitarist Daniel Horton for what should be an anticipated debut set! It remains to be seen how they sound (or if they have original songs yet), but their members have had a lot of recent success both in concerts and at battles of the bands, so they're not to be overlooked! Will Punch "punch" their ticket for the Bam Margera show at tomorrow's battle?
Remember as well that the aforementioned Suicide Kings were replaced on the lineup by Punch, so they will not be defending their battle crown tomorrow, but they are still together, so stay tuned for updates from them! Though only 1 band tomorrow has extensive local familiarity, do not bypass the new bands! Both Sense of Truth and The Undead Warriors (later Bring The Fallen) won local battles in their live concert debuts in the late 2000s, and if they can do it, one of tomorrow's new bands can as well! Admission is $5 tomorrow night, you must be 19 to attend, there's an announced 9:00 PM start time, and as stated above, your admission will get you a judging ballot to help pick the winners (and an draw entry for a Destroilet/Jack Spades prize pack!) For more details, check the Facebook event page! It's great to have another local battle of the bands tomorrow night, and with a bunch of new (but often familiar) talent in store, you won't wanna miss out! The fan vote should be interesting to hear the results from, especially given the unknown variables of the new bands, so make sure to come to Viva La Battle TOMORROW NIGHT to help pick the winners!
Will the third time be the charm for The Bear Hunters at local battle of the bands, or can Keep It Lit, North West, or Punch debut with a bang and earn the right to open for Bam Margera? I'm very curious to find out, and I'll definitely be there tomorrow night to help pick the winners and see the bands in action! I won't post a preview video just to avoid showing bias (even if The Bear Hunters are the only band with a video), but I'll see you guys at The Canadian tomorrow night! Thanks everyone!
Before we preview the Halloween weekend metal/hard rock concerts in the region, we have another news post today, including a bunch of assorted updates from upcoming AlgomA-related concerts, some very cool new live concert clips from a new local studio/sound company, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning a previously announced event that now has an official date, so here's what you need to know!
A final date is set for next month's battle of the bands Viva La Battle at The Canadian Nightclub, where the fan-voted winners will open for Bam Margera's Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian Nightclub on December 14th! The battle will now take place on Wednesday, November 13th (almost a month before the show itself), and while the mid-week setting might be unfortunate to some, I'm just glad to see that The Canadian's back up and running to host everything! As previously announced, the battle will have ballots given to attendees at the door to vote on after the bands wrap up (similarly to last year's Battle For The Blood), and I assume it's a 19+ event, but details on admission costs, a start time, and any possible non-competitive performers have yet to be announced. A fourth band has been confirmed for the lineup though (joining Rockstar Bar Battle winners The Suicide Kings, fellow finalists The Bear Hunters, and new local band North West), and they are a new local band named Keep It Lit! From what I've been told, they're a "secret band" (similarly to Sarah's Valley from the Rockstar Bar Battle), but like them, I do know that they have battle experienced membership.
If anything public comes out on their lineup, sound, or anything else before November 13th, we'll have it here! It looks like promoter J.D. Pearce is hoping for more than 4 bands for the battle, and registration ends on November 1st (next Friday), so if your band is interested in competing to open for Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian in December, apply A.S.A.P. at the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more updates!
Next up, we have a new recording studio and live concert sound company that you guys might be interested in! As some of you may know, Caveman Morrison/Redundant bassist James White (a.k.a. Yimmy Blanco) has been providing sound at concerts and doing some recording sessions with local bands in recent months, but only last Friday did he launch a Facebook group for his work in this area, under the alliterative moniker White Wreckords. Full details on his work in this area isn't too elaborated on yet, but feel free to message James on Facebook or on the group's wall if you'd like to have White Wreckords to provide sound or recordings for your events! His work is good, as some mp3 samples there will indicate, given that James posted a pair of live concert recordings to the group as Facebook videos in the past week! These both come from the benefit concert at The Roosevelt Hotel on August 1st for Frightlight bassist Mike "Eddie Fright" Gingras' upcoming short film "The Kid Who Made The Face", one of which being a high quality audio clip of the original Chronic Demonic lineup's only live appearance!
A cover of The Misfits' "London Dungeon" (as previously seen here), this featured current guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe & bassist Ryan Gratton alongside ex-singer Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie and then-drummer Rick "Styles" White. The only song they played during their surprise appearance that night, the quality's really good, and Sabrina's vocals are a nice change of pace with a solid tone, which is another positive sign for her current band Project Legion! Of course, the new lineup (featuring Bear Hunters alumni Nik Deubel & Mike Vincent) will likely sound very different at least vocally, but give the first Chronic Demonic live performance a listen below!
The other concert audio posting comes from Kevin & Rick's headlining set that night with their main horror punk/metal band Frightlight, featuring their performances of their original songs "Dead Town Anywhere" and "She Screams"! Their only concert since last fall featuring Eddie Fright on bass (and their last to date with this lineup), the songs are a bit messier than on some earlier dates, but their usual punk attitude and horror influences are clear as day, and they have been missed this fall! Check out the full video below, stay tuned for announced Bear Hunters studio clips from White Wreckords, and they're now in our Other Sault Ontario Metal Links!
Finally for today, here's assorted shorter notes relating to three upcoming concerts promoted by AlgomA frontman Darby Wigwaus' Oh! Right Arms! Promotions in a collective with/or drummer Jamie Vincent, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by the name of the highest slotted hard rock/metal band:
The announced concert on Tuesday, November 12th featuring local grunge duo Bad Back opening for Calgary experimental punk band If I Look Strong, You Look Strong has been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page on Monday. A reason hasn't been announced, but the show never had a confirmed venue publically, which is why we didn't officially call it on here when still scheduled. Disappointing, but hopefully I.I.L.S.Y.L.S. try again for a local date!
The Biipiigwan-headlined concert at The Moose Lodge on November 24th is indeed licensed for alcohol sale, so you don't have to worry about the all ages nature of it impeding any desire for a few drinks! My source is the show's Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more updates!
If you're wondering why we haven't plugged the upcoming Halloween night concert featuring local grunge/acoustic project Telephone & Address (joining the aforementioned North West as openers for Winnipeg punk quartet Clipwing), it's because the show is taking place at Jamie Vincent's home, with the address only being given out on request. As a rule, we don't plug house parties on here unless they're treated as a publically available concert with a public address, but if you want more information, click here!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for Halloween weekend concert previews TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
Packed update today, so here's what's on the docket! As it is the 18th of the month, it's time to reveal the final results of last month's SMS poll and launch a brand new poll, and as promised, our Sevendust preview is coming up today as well. But kicking things off today is a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!
Keep The Faith are coming back to Sault Ontario! Over four months after the self-professed "Quintessential Tribute To Bon Jovi" last played here, they will mark their return to The Canadian Nightclub next weekend to rock the night away! This is actually the second Bon Jovi tribute show in Sault Ontario in the past two months, following a concert by another Toronto-based Bon Jovi tribute band, Crush, on September 18th. But if you've specifically missed Keep The Faith, here's your chance to see them again! Like with their past shows, there's a start time of 10:30 PM and a $5 cover charge. You must be 19 to attend, as this is a bar. Note that Keep The Faith are hyping this concert as a Halloween party, so break out your costumes and enjoy some hair metal classics next Saturday! For more details, visit the band's Facebook group, and a huge thanks to Jay Perron for informing me about this show! If you like Bon Jovi, these guys pull off their sound VERY well, so make sure to head to The Canadian next Saturday if this is up your alley! More as I hear it, including news on a possible Led Zeppelin tribute show, which I'm waiting for extra confirmation on before I announce it here.
Now, to last month's poll results! As you may remember, last month's poll asked this question: "What's your verdict on last month's Kiss concert?" This is a straightforward question, and probably our last major SMS posting about the Kiss show, just in case some of you are Kissed out. We had 21 votes for this question, which is a bit small, but at least the results were telling! As is normal, we'll go in ascending order to say the results. Tied for last place with a vote each were "It was disappointing", "It sucked!", and "I couldn't get a ticket". I'm not too surprised for the former two choices, as I could tell from the crowd reaction that they enjoyed it, but I have to say, I figured more people would have chosen that they couldn't get a ticket. With only about 5,000 people in attendance, I would have assumed more people would be in that camp for the poll. Tied for third with 2 votes each were "It was alright" and "Other". I can't comment on "Other" without the voters' reasons, but I'm not shocked that a few people said it was just alright. I'm sure some fans might have not been blown away, but still had fun, so having a couple here makes sense! And in second place with 6 votes, was "It was awesome!" I had a hunch this would be high in the voting results, and you could definitely see at the Kiss show that the vast majority of fans loved the show! If I was to vote, it'd be for this choice, and with no reservations!
But in first place, with 8 votes, 38% of the total, was "Kiss sucks, I didn't go". Now, I have to admit, I'm not surprised this won the poll, because Kiss can be polarizing, and I know of many people who visibly don't like Kiss and never considered going. I am glad to see that, as a whole, more choices implying people went outnumbered this choice, but I will admit that Kiss aren't universally loved, and this is proof. But aside from that, of the people who did go, the majority said it was awesome, so I'd say that speaks for itself!
So now it's time for our next poll, which will run until November 18th. So what is the question this month? Well, after some thinking, I decided to tackle an aspect of local bands' live shows that can be a point of discussion from fans. Some friends of mine have been vocal on this, others don't mind, but let's see what you think. This month, I pose this question to you guys: "What is your opinion on local bands & cover songs?" The idea of covering other bands in a set or concert is a frequent sight in the twin Saults. Bands like Caveman Morrison and Turner Up are known for sticking to sets largely comprised of covers, among other bands of varying genres. Many others will include covers in setlists that at least have a balance of covers, while some only play originals from the get-go. What do you guys think? Voice your opinion with these choices!
I love covers, they're great!: Many music fans love to hear familiar songs, hits from their favourite bands, and a local band's take on them. Some just want to hear the music, others will enjoy to hear these songs locally because it's easy and convenient to hear them at a nearby bar than at a major venue elsewhere. I even know a couple of people who don't like originals because they want to attend a concert and immediately know every song that will be played. So if you're in the grouping that loves covers without question, vote here!
Covers are OK, but play originals too!: Let's say you like hearing covers, but at the same time, you don't want to hear them all concert long. Many local bands play a balance of both, like Browbeat or Half Past, be it their standard method or as a slow progression to an all originals set, like Garden of Bedlam and Sense of Truth have done. If I was voting, I'd pick this choice, as I like the familiarity of some hits and want to hear the original songwriting from the band members too. What do you think though, is this the choice you'd vote for?
That depends on the band: Vote for this choice if you like hearing covers ONLY if you like the band or their take on certain songs. It's perfectly understandable if you dislike one band's version of a song and wouldn't want to hear it, and like another band's rendition. Or, you just like one band more than another. Straightforward choice, so if you agree, vote for this one!
I don't care, as long as the music's good: Covers, originals, if it doesn't matter to you, this should be your vote! Maybe you go to concerts for the musical talent, the concert atmosphere, and the good times, rather than to hear a specific song. If you prefer the music to the songs being played, then vote here!
Covers are pointless, why bother?: Ah yes, the other end of the spectrum. I know of a number of people who don't get the appeal or point of cover bands or playing sets of mostly covers. Likewise, there are a few notable bands locally that only play original songs, be they for this reason or just evolving from covers. Maybe some of you think that the original songs should only be played by the band, or maybe you just don't want to see bands take up all of their time playing the same old songs over and over. I think there's a place for covers from local bands, and they have a clear appeal, but if you don't enjoy them, you know where to send your vote!
Other: If I missed an opinion or option, feel free to vote "Other"! Nothing much else to say here, I just added this to make sure all bases are covered.
VOTE TODAY!!! You have until November 18th to cast your votes, and then after a couple more new polls, we'll begin our "Best of 2010" polls in January with on the biggest news story, best concert, and maybe best CD release if enough make it out by January 1st. But worry about our current poll right now, cause I'm really interested in what you guys have to say!
And capping things off today is our preview of a major local metal concert taking place TOMORROW, so here's what you should know! Yes, Allstar Promotions is proud to present The Harddrive Live North Americal Tour 2010 at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino tomorrow night, and here's the lineup! Your headliners are Atlanta metal quintet Sevendust, who have sold over two million records, with such hits as "Unraveling", "Driven", "Enemy", and "Angel's Son"! I'm a huge Sevendust fan, and it's great to see them playing in the area, so expect a great night of alternative metal! There will also be three support bands, including Knoxville, Tennessee hard rockers 10 Years (best known for their hits "Wasteland" and "Beautiful), Florida Christian metal band Since October, and Austin Texas hard rockers Anew Revolution. All of these bands are really good, and though 10 Years and Sevendust will be most familiar, don't count out any band from delivering some great hard rock and metal! Note that Oklahoma rock band Aranda (who opened for Papa Roach at Kewadin last year) are NOT scheduled for the show tomorrow night, though they are on certain other Harddrive Live shows this year.
This show will take place TOMORROW NIGHT at 7:00 PM at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino, with Anew Revolution kicking off the concert. Tickets are just $20, which is a fantastic value for the amount of metal you'll get at his show! Now I have heard nothing about this being sold out (there were some early criticisms of the slow sales), so there should still be some tickets available. If you're interested in going and don't already have a ticket, you can pick them up at this location, at the Kewadin Casino box office, or by phone at 1-800-539-2346 (that's 1-800-KEWADIN). And yes, this concert is ALL AGES! As it currently stands, this is the last major metal/hard rock show at a major venue of the year, so be sure to hit this show! I'd go if I had a ticket, I'm a huge fan of Sevendust especially, and hopefully a great crowd shows up! I'll have all the fallout on this show mid-week as it comes in, and for a preview, here's the music video for Sevendust's hit song "Driven"!
That's all for today, but stay tuned likely tomorrow for a post full of assorted news, including the latest from Riverin, Sneaky Pete, possibly that Led Zeppelin tribute if I get confirmation, and more! Stay tuned!
Bit of a slow stretch for news, but I have some good stuff today, so here's what's today! Previews of this weekend's concerts, the return of a certain local band, plus some more assorted updates! So here's what you need to know for today!
Three local metal concerts to my knowledge this weekend, and we'll start in Sault Ontario for a concert that I'm sure will appeal to Bon Jovi fans! But before I go into details, I wanna clarify a contradiction in the latest issue of Sault This Week. In the Hot Spots section this week, the ad for The Canadian Nightclub says that the Bon Jovi tribute band playing there on Friday is named Bed of Roses. Now there IS a Bon Jovi tribute band from Winnipeg named Bed of Roses, but they are NOT the ones playing here tomorrow night. The info I reported to you guys on Friday is completely accurate, don't be confused by the ad in Sault This Week. The ads in the Hot Spots section can be susceptible to misinformation and typos, like with this one, though they're usually accurate!
As previously reported (with a verified source at their Facebook group), the Bon Jovi tribute band playing at The Canadian tomorrow night is Keep The Faith: The Quintessential Tribute To Bon Jovi, the same band that played there back in March! Fronted by Chris Newman, who looks and sounds just like Jon Bon Jovi, Keep The Faith will bring their authentic Bon Jovi sound and live show back here, and if you love Bon Jovi of any era of their history, you're bound to enjoy yourself tomorrow! There's no detailed information about the concert itself online, but going by the past track record of concerts at The Canadian, I'd imagine it will start at 10:00 PM (likely later), with a cover charge of $5 and a 19+ age limit. I heard good things about Keep The Faith's show here in March, and though I'm admittedly not a Bon Jovi fan, I recognize Keep The Faith's talent and musical ability, and I guarantee this will be something any fan of Bon Jovi won't wanna miss! For a preview, here's Keep The Faith performing the song they named themselves after and a Rolling Stones cover from a show last spring in Toronto!
(Before I get to the next preview, an e-mail by The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnson to members of their Facebook group yesterday was hyping a Alice Cooper tribute band as playing there next Friday. I've done some searching to try and figure out which one, because it wasn't stated in the e-mail, but I haven't been able to find out the specific one. If you know which Alice Cooper tribute band is playing here next weekend, so I can properly cover it on the SMS, e-mail me at robertfigures@hotmail.com!)
The other concerts this weekend come courtesy of Sault Michigan hard rockers Blind Baby, who will be at Cozy Corners Bar & Grill in Barbeau, Michigan (just outside of the Soo) for two shows this weekend, tomorrow night and Saturday night! All credit to frontman Tadd Gravelle for telling me about these shows, I wouldn't have heard about them otherwise! If you're up for a trip to Barbeau, get ready for some solid hard rock and some covers as well! Good band, though the samples I've heard don't do them justice, you'll have to check them out live! Nice groove, good singing, solid instrumentation, take my word for it! Now, Blind Baby doesn't update show listings, and Cozy Corners has no website, so I again don't have verified show details, but going by past shows there that I've reported, expect a 9:00 PM start time, I doubt there's a cover charge, and I'm pretty sure you must be 21 to get in. If you want something heavy this weekend in Sault Michigan, Blind Baby will have you covered!
Next up, Browbeat are back! The local hard rock trio most recently known as Social Play are back from a recent hiatus and have a new internet page, this time hosted on Reverbnation! It's nicely updated so far with some band information and a link to the video I shot of them performing "Walk Away" at their lone show under the "Social Play" name in January! The page also confirms the current lineup, including current Caveman Morrison bassist Dutch Vanderploeg on lead vocals and guitar and the returning Tiffany Emmerson on bass! Now on drums is Sean See, replacing the departed Chris Smith. Nice to see them back, I know how much Dutch wanted to keep this band going, they really were a fun band to check out, and I can't wait to see them live again in the future! For now, check out their new page at this location, and as I hear more on them, I'll have it for you guys!
And to close today's post, three quick news updates, in alphabetical order by band name:
Garden of Bedlam officially entered Stereo Soul Studios this past weekend to begin recording sessions for their first full length album! According to producer Miguel Gauthier at his Facebook page, the scratch tracks and demos are done, and the first recordings tracked were by drummer Derek Turner, who Miguel concluded must not be human by his skills. Miguel says "this is shaping up to be a mean, mean album" and "prepare to have your teeth punched in." I'll take his word for that! When I hear more, I'll let you all know!
Local experimental hard rockers SBD have posted two new songs onto their SoundClick page! One, "Rio Bravo", has a definite "southern/grunge" feel, while "Rubber Hose/Throwing Pies" is actually very hard to describe. You'll have to listen to it for yourself, they have a wide variety of stuff ranging from moshable songs to trippy fare over at their page, so click here for those songs and more!
Woods of Ypres have added two more dates to their American tour, with stops now booked for July 12th in Stockbridge, Georgia and July 13th in Philadelphia! Get full details at this location, I have both shows listed in the out-of-town listings on your right! Also, a fan of Woods of Ypres in Montreal has started a Facebook group to help get a booking for the band there, click here to check it out! Still waiting for a Sault Ste. Marie show though...I hope a local booking pops up, we'd love if David brought Woods back to our burial ground!
There, I think we're mostly caught up for news now! Stay tuned for much more in the coming days, I guarantee a new post of some type will be up by Sunday, likely sooner!
Hey guys, you ready for some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS?! I have a bunch to share today, so here's what you need to know on them! Afterwards, stay tuned for previews of this weekend's concerts, and info on the SMS 3rd anniversary on July 4th, and how YOU can help out with it!
Yesterday, I mentioned in my paragraph about the 2112 cancellation that The Canadian Nightclub was hyping a Bon Jovi tribute band as playing there next Friday, and I would be checking online to find out which specific one would be here. Well, I didn't have to look far! Keep The Faith: The Quintessential Tribute To Bon Jovi will be back at The Canadian once again on June 11th for another night of faithfully performed Bon Jovi classics! My source for this is the band's Facebook group. You may remember seeing Keep The Faith there in March at a well advertised concert, and are returning! Fronted by Jon Bon Jovi look and sound-alike Chris Newman, the band do really sound like Bon Jovi, performing hits of theirs from their 1980s hair metal heyday all the way to their more accessible country-influenced songs of recent years! Though I'm not a huge Bon Jovi fan, Keep The Faith always impress with their sound, and fans of the band will be sure to have a ball! I'd expect a $5 cover charge for this show, expect a start time of 10:00 PM, and it will definitely be 19+. As I hear more, I will share it with you guys! For more information and samples of Keep The Faith, click here!
The next new concerts I have for today come courtesy of Kewadin Casino's Entertainment page, which was recently updated to reflect concerts at The Rapids Lounge for all weekends through August! Some we knew about already (Peril and Nixxon Dixxon), some are non-metal bands (The Hixx and The 2nd Hand Band), and others still I still don't know a genre for (Rainbow, Gary's Driving, and Crossroads.) But there are two more local metal bands returning to The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino this summer for some concerts, so here's what you need to know about them! We'll start with Sault Michigan hard rockers Monkey's Uncle, who are returning to The Rapids Lounge once again for a pair of weekends this summer! Though the band still does not plug upcoming shows on MySpace (though they still update it), Monkey's Uncle will indeed be back at Kewadin's bar on June 25-26th, and August 6-7th! All four shows have a free admission, they all begin at 9:00 PM, and you must be 21 to get in. Nice to see them back for a few shows, though I really wish they would update their MySpace for full dates! If they have shows at The Bird or The Satisfied Frog, I have no way of knowing! Really good band though, check them out at this location!
Now I actually went out of chronological order for the concert announcements, the final band actually should be first chronologically, but I'm putting them last to segue into the weekend concert previews, as they're a part of them too! Sault Michigan hard rockers Blind Baby will be at The Rapids Lounge themselves this summer, but first, they've got shows a LOT sooner! According to frontman Tadd "Booze" Gravelle (thanks for adding me on Facebook!), Blind Baby will be playing at The Bird THIS WEEKEND for two shows, tonight and tomorrow night! Then, the band will be at Cozy Corners Bar & Grill in Barbeau (just outside of town) for shows next weekend on June 11th and 12th, followed by the Kewadin shows on July 3rd and 4th! This comes straight from Blind Baby's singer, so there's my source. The band haven't announced these shows on their Facebook page, and The Bird and Cozy Corners don't have an online page to my knowledge, so I can't 100% verify additional details, but let me say this: The Kewadin shows have a 9:00 PM start time with no cover charge, the rest of the shows can't be terribly different!
Should be good shows, especially this weekend at The Bird, sorry for the short notice of announcing it! I've probably missed some other Blind Baby shows too, my apologies for any I did miss! I can actually tell you a bit about Blind Baby's sound now too, as Tadd was kind enough to send me some audio samples via e-mail, and they aren't bad! A mix of heavier and lighter originals, good musically but I assume the samples won't do justice to the live experience! Good vocals (especially the heavier material), I like the guitar too! Kinda hard to define, but if you like some hard rock originals, you can't go wrong! As I hear more on Blind Baby, I'll have it for you guys!
Seeing as the Blind Baby concert alerts discussed concerts taking place this weekend, we'll continue from that with the other local concert preview for this weekend, as Turner Up will play just one concert this weekend, as they bring their live show to The Canadian Nightclub tomorrow night! Expect a night full of rock covers (with heavier stuff to be seen the later you stick around) from a band full of local music veterans! They're a great band to dance to, if you're into that kind of stuff also! A start time of 10:30 PM is listed on the Facebook event page, there should be a cover charge of $5 or less, and you must be 19 to get in. Turner Up are always fun to see live, head on out to The Canadian on Saturday if you want to enjoy yourself with some live hard rock! Check out more from Turner Up at this location, and for a video preview, here's a live clip of the band covering the Def Leppard classic "Hysteria"!
Finally for today, it is now June 4th, just one month away from The Sault Metal Scene's third anniversary! Hard to believe, isn't it? To start the countdown to July 4th, I have a third anniversary-specific banner on the blog and a special logo for it on our Facebook page, which will be up until our anniversary on July 4th (with a week's exception from June 20-26th, when we'll have a special logo and banner up for Tesla's show at Kewadin Casino on June 26th.) But that's far from all! As you may know from following the SMS over the past 35 months, you'll know that I try to celebrate the anniversary each year by having something special in store! Like how last year, I unveiled the current logo and launched our Facebook page, or with the SMS CD giveaways that I likely won't repeat this year due to waning interest. This year, I definitely want to do something special, and my plan is to add a new special feature to the SMS of some type! But, here's the problem: I'm not entirely sure what I want to do.
This is where YOU come in, the faithful SMS readers! I want your opinions as to what I should start or launch or add or feature or edit on The Sault Metal Scene in time for our 3rd anniversary on July 4th! I have a few ideas, but I don't know what would be popular, worth your time, or feasible. So here's what I'm gonna do: I have a topic posted on the discussion board of the SMS' Facebook page called "SMS 3rd Anniversary Ideas" where I share many of the ideas I've been debating. I'd like you guys to voice your opinions there, in comments on SMS posts, by e-mail at robertfigures@hotmail.com, or through my Facebook page as to what YOU would want to see on the SMS for our third anniversary! It doesn't have to be something I mentioned on the topic, if you have a bright alternate idea! I can't promise that the most popular suggestion will be chosen, some are more feasible than others, while a few choices I didn't include because I can't pull them off either time-wise or financially, but I'd love to hear your ideas! Whatever sounds like the best option with a good size of popular opinion will be the newest SMS feature, addition, page, or edit! HELP ME OUT, GUYS! WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE ON THE SMS ON JULY 4TH?!!?
That's all for today, I will have more news and updates in the coming days, so stay tuned for more! Remember, I NEED YOUR HELP!!!
I can't recall a weekend this busy in forever for just the sheer numerical amount of metal concerts, and that's the entire subject of today's post! Remember the other day when I said we have 10 shows this weekend? Wrong, we have TWELVE. Why? Because we have short notice LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!! We'll start with them, then go in chronological order the rest of the way from tonight through Saturday night. So here's what you need to know!
Thanks to Ernest Beaumont for this information: Nixxon Dixxon's scheduled weekend dates at Dondee Lanes are no longer next weekend. They are THIS WEEKEND!!! Apparently, the band were asked to switch weekends with another band, hence the change. So Nixxon Dixxon will be rocking Sault Michigan's favourite bowling alley a week early, tomorrow and Saturday night at 8:00 PM! There is no cover charge. Ernest also tells me that the band's April 2-3rd dates at Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace have been moved up a week, and they'll be back at Driftwood Restaurant & Sports Bar in St. Ignace on April 17th! So there's two more shows for this packed concert weekend, and if you wanna hear some young exciting hard rock from one of the area's fastest rising bands, head to the Dondee! And as always, sorry for the short notice!
Keep this show in mind if you're trying to debate which Sault Michigan bands to see this weekend! For more from Nixxon Dixxon, check them out on Myspace! For a preview, here's a clip from The Rapids Lounge on February 27th of the band covering the Ozzy Osbourne classic "Mama I'm Comin' Home"!
Now we'll get back into chronological order for the remaining ten shows this weekend, and we'll start TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Head there tonight to see Stillbroke with their new look lineup! Not only will this be their first show with new guitarist Chris Villeneuve and former guitarist Sam DeDominicis' live drum debut, it will also be Stillbroke's first show at the upstairs bar at The Algonquin, so it's a night of firsts for them! For this show, they will be the openers for Vancouver indie/alt rockers Columbia! A frequently touring band of dedicated musicians, they're on the rise and hope to wow us tonight with their brand of music! Not metal, but talented for radio friendly alt-rock, check out more from Columbia at this location! Doors open at 9:00 PM TONIGHT for this show, there is a $5 cover charge, and it is 19+ (remember, it is a bar.) Should be a good show, I dunno if I'll be there (The joys of homework), but if you like either band, you should head on out to The Rockstar Bar tonight! Metalheads will no doubt prefer Stillbroke, and it will be really be interesting to hear how the new lineup sounds! No definite word yet, but I've heard some good things!
Confirm your attendance and get full details on this concert at this location! Check out more from Stillbroke at their official MySpace page, and in this preview video from their most recent local show, of their new original "Push Me"!
Back to Sault Michigan now for the next four shows this weekend, and if you've already made up your mind about seeing Nixxon Dixxon this weekend, hold up, there's more! If you happen to be at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino this weekend, get ready for Peril! The Northern Michigan hard rock trio make their long awaited return to the area tomorrow night and Saturday night, both shows of which start at 9:00 PM! There is no announced cover charge. Peril are a really good band, a nice heavy classic sound that always works well up here! Expect a good selection of covers and originals to rock both nights away with! For more from Peril, check out their official MySpace page to learn more and check out some of their songs! And finally, I have video to show you guys! Thanks to YouTube user maireadaniar for this upload, of Peril playing the Ozzy Osbourne classic "Crazy Train" at a recent show! Sounds good, I'd definitely consider going if I was of age over there! Hopefully some of you guys make it out!
But that's not all, Michigan metal lovers, for there is two more weekend shows, and they come courtesy of local hard rockers Riot! By Night! They will be back at a familiar locale, The Satisfied Frog, tomorrow night and Saturday night as well! Their shows start the latest of the three metal performers this weekend across the river, with a listed start time of 10:00 PM. No announced cover charge either. It's true, you can't keep Riot! By Night down for long, as they're back for yet another set of weekend shows, and I'm sure they'll be successes! I still don't have audio or video of them to share, but if you want to hear some "modern rock with feeling", these might be the shows for you! Check out more from Riot! By Night at this location, and don't let the lack of audio detract you from seeing them this weekend, they have the goods!
Now back to Sault Ontario for the remaining shows this weekend, as two more local metal acts are rocking the area tomorrow and Saturday night! And first we head to The Nicolet Tavern where local hard rock cover band Turner Up will play normal non-jam night concerts for the first time since Algoma Hope4Haiti! These will also be their first shows featuring former Johnny Lunchbox guitarist Jeff Gray, so that's of note! Both shows will begin at 9:30 PM, there is also no announced cover charge. Expect a night full of your favourite hard rock covers, as you've likely seen every Wednesday at Foggy Notions from their jam nights! Head on down to the Nicolet Tavern for a fun night of your favourite songs! Check out more from Turner Up at their official Facebook group, and confirm your attendance for their weekend gigs at this location! No audio/video of these guys yet, but expect a great show from these talented local veterans!
Your next two shows this weekend come courtesy of Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison, who will bring his acoustic solo project back to two local venues this weekend! First, he'll be back at Coch's Corner for the first time since Algoma Hope4Haiti tomorrow night at 10:00 PM! There is no cover charge. The time and lack of cover are the same Saturday night, but don't head to Coch's, Tym will be back at The Bottoms' Up Lounge on Saturday with a great night of acoustic rock and metal in store! Sure, it's not plugged in like a typical Caveman Morrison show, but don't let that stop you! Head on down, mellow out, enjoy some covers of some classic songs, and have a drink or two, it'll be fun! For more info on Tym Morrison, head to his official website! Confirm your attendance for both nights of his acoustic weekend by clicking here for tomorrow's show and here for Saturday's show! No solo video to share though yet.
And finally, the show that's gotten the most press this weekend is a hard rock tribute band! Keep The Faith: The Quintessential Canadian Tribute to Bon Jovi will make their way to The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday night! They'll deliver a faithful recreation of the Bon Jovi concert experience to The Canadian for this one night only concert, which will be Saturday night at 10:00 PM! Tickets are $5 in advance or $8 at the door, it's 19+ too, as you'd hopefully expect. Bon Jovi fans should have a hell of a good time at this show, and no complaints that they're not metal, their biggest successes came as a hair metal band, so they count! Check out more from Keep The Faith at this location, and confirm your attendance at the Facebook event page! They really do capture the Bon Jovi sound faithfully, even in look! For a preview, here's a clip of Keep The Faith performing the song of the same name and a Rolling Stones cover from a recent Toronto show!
That's all I'll have for today, any news would get overshadowed from all these shows I'm previewing! Tomorrow or Saturday, I'll have news concerning Lion Ride, Woods of Ypres, Out Of The Mouth Of Babes, Social Play, the local radio situation, and hopefully more! Stay tuned!
I'M HOME!!!! I caught a cold, but other than that, I'm glad to be home, where I can get back to normal SMS habits and update you all normally! I'm going to split up the stories I've missed during my slow Detroit computer spell to spread everything out. That being said, I'll start today with not one, not two, but THREE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!!
Another great tribute band is hitting Sault Ontario this month, as Keep The Faith: The Quintessential Canadian Tribute to Bon Jovi will be in town one week from Saturday! And yes, I know some may not see Bon Jovi as "metal", but before they commercialized their sound in the 1990s, they were one of the biggest hair metal bands going, so they do count for SMS coverage! That being said, Keep The Faith will bring an authentic Bon Jovi experience to The Canadian Nightclub on March 13th! Tickets cost $5 in advance starting tomorrow at The Canadian, or $8 at the door for this concert, which has a listed start time of 10:00 PM. Get full details at the Facebook event page! Now I am admittedly not a Bon Jovi fan, but when I checked out Keep The Faith's Facebook group, I was impressed by how faithful they are to the Bon Jovi sound and look! So if you're a Bon Jovi fan, keep this concert in mind!
Next up, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has scheduled another solo acoustic show, this one on March 12th at Coch's Corner! This will be Tym's first show there since his late-notice set at the Algoma Hope4Haiti benefit, and it will definitely be worth checking out! Tym's solo shows always impress, and if you wanna chill out to some mellower acoustic covers of your favourite rock and metal songs, this is a great way to do it! Admission is free, as is usually the case at Coch's Corner, and a start time of 10:00 PM is given at the Facebook event page for this show! Should be a good show, and if you can't make it out, don't worry, Tym will play a solo set the next night at The Bottoms Up Lounge too, so you have other options!
Now you may ask yourself, why did I discuss the later show first? Simple, because the Tym Morrison show goes hand in hand with my final new concert for tonight, also taking place this month! Caveman Morrison will also be playing at Coch's Corner this month, headlining there during the March 26th weekend! I know for sure they are playing there on the Friday and Saturday (March 26th and 27th), but the Facebook event page suggests that they could be playing on Sunday, March 28th as well (as it does say "All Weekend Long".) That seems unlikely though, so I'll just list March 26th-27th for the performing dates for now. Again, these should be great shows, the metalhead in me would love to head down there to check out some great heavy metal covers, maybe I'll go! No matter what though, fans of Tym/Caveman Morrison have a lot of live music to enjoy this month!
Closing today's post are two metal lineups that have been recently looking for a booking here: One who still is, and one who may be changing their plan. Firstly, remember on Tuesday when I mentioned that Alaskan and Killing Queens were looking to play here on May 17th? Well, it looks like they got the booking....maybe. Steve Smith from Killing Queens said that the band got a booking at The Rockstar Bar, which is awesome! However, in a thread on The705Scene forums, Steve may be looking to switch venues due to some recommendations on the thread that The Rockstar Bar may not be the best venue. I have no problems with The Rockstar Bar, never have, but I have heard about people getting some bad treatment. I can't back that up, or prove if it's widespread, all I know is I like it there, for what that's worth! So Steve is open to suggestions about moving it, I'll let you know if there's a change! I won't confirm this as a concert until the band (or a local venue) makes an official concert announcement!
Speaking of bands that potentially could play here, there's a couple of other bands that wanna hit Sault Ontario in May themselves! A pair of Calgary-area grindcore bands, Rape Revenge and Lab Rat (pictured), are hoping to play an all ages show in Sault Ontario on May 19th. Matt Elbows from Lab Rat posted a topic on The705Scene looking for help in making this show possible, and I'll do my part to help! Lab Rat are a solid hardcore band, fast short songs that are quite moshable, while Rape Revenge are a self described "feminist, straight edge, vegetarian grindcore band" with three female members, so they automatically stand out! Musically though, very good for grindcore, the moshing would be constant and high energy, I reckon! If you're interested in booking Rape Revenge and Lab Rat for a concert in Sault Ontario on May 19th, contact either band on their MySpace pages by clicking their names! It'd be cool to have another grind/hardcore all ages show, you know how few of those we get nowadays? The scene's getting older and moving into bars, what is there for the younger metalheads? Best of luck in them getting a venue, I'll update you guys if they do!
I like to spread news out so that nothing gets overlooked in the middle of a post, so I made sure to discuss upcoming concerts and potential ones today by themselves. Tomorrow, I will update you guys on The Bear, Silver Dream, the Pop Evil show from this past Saturday, Bring The Fallen, and anything else that I come across by tomorrow! Above all else, it's great to be home, I'm glad to be back doing SMS stuff regularly, and there's lots of stuff on the horizon, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!
