LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & Labour Day Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we get to our Labour Day weekend concert previews, just a heads up that the Bobaflex concert at Soo Blaster on September 10th has been cancelled, as have eight other dates they were to play in Canada and the Northeastern U.S.A. next month. The band cited "several unforeseen circumstances in Canada coming together at once" for the cancellations, but did not elaborate further. Disappointing, but hopefully they come back north down the road if this doesn't prove to be their last tour! Now, here's what you should know on this quiet weekend for hard rock concerts locally, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, two on SHORT NOTICE!

Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term run at Gliss Restaurant with matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but that's not all to add to our concert listings today! First off, Tym will be playing a special matinee concert TONIGHT at... Thomson Farms Cider & Winery?! Well, that's a new one for us! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only confirmed this event via his Facebook event page earlier this week. This show at Thomson Farms (at 4057 Third Line West) will take place as part of their "Sweet Corn Thursday" festivities to kick off the sweet corn sale period there, hence why this is a bigger deal warranting live music, and if you are so inclined, corn on the cob is all you can eat TODAY for $5! Moving to more familiar confines, Tym will also wrap up his seasonal run at La Terrazza Franzisi in nearby Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island with three more Sunday matinees there in September, including THIS SUNDAY and on the 8th & 15th!

Again, apologies for the short notice on SUNDAY'S concert, remember that we take Tym's abundant local bookings a month at a time on purpose. If you're in St. Joseph Island and want some wharf-front live entertainment, keep these shows in mind before they close for the season in a couple of weeks! Lastly for new shows from Tym, expect his Gliss Restaurant arrangement to continue unabated in September, with more acoustic matinees scheduled there on September 6th-7th, 13th-14th, 20th-21st, and 27th-28th! With Tym's skilled, fan favourite blend of hard and classic rock covers, fans at restaurants and farms alike will have a lot of music to like in the next month+! TONIGHT'S Thomson Farms gig is FREE & ALL AGES at 5:00 PM, and while admission details are similar for the other gigs, mind the locale, as these are restaurants, not nightclubs. The Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM as usual, while the La Terrazza Franzisi gigs are at 1:00 PM. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here, here, and above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, we'll move to a show that had advance notice (more or less), as new Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's "every Thursday" run of morning matinee concerts is presumed to continue at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Prior advertising of this arrangement has fallen off in the last couple of weeks, with August 15th's show not receiving any Facebook advertising, and Biggby Coffee only plugging last week's that same morning, but of course, "every Thursday" means what it means, in theory. Given Alex Traynor's continued Mount Pleasant residency(?) and the impending fall season, I'll hold on listing more Thursday gigs here until the venue or band confirms them. In any event, all of Tarnished's currently advertised concerts on their Facebook page are out of our coverage range after September 6th, but we'll keep you posted with updates. Alex & Josh should be up to their usual hard rocking tricks for tips and coffee today, so don't miss the unplugged action then!

As usual for this summer run at Biggby Coffee, this is a 10:30 AM matinee show with no cover or age limit, and if they're playing Ashmun Alive tonight, it hasn't been publically advertised by Tarnished at press time. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!



Finally for this weekend's known hard rock concert previews, let's head to the aforementioned Soo Blaster, where Worcester, Massachusetts speed metal quintet Seax will make their local concert debut THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! Bringing a meld of thrash and NWOBHM-inspired material to their Soo Lounge stage, Seax's fast, old school-inspired sound should get lots of fans' interest, and expect strong material from their new album "Fallout Rituals" as well! Co-headlining on Sunday are Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, marking their first local concert appearance since headlining Swampstravaganza III at The Oddfellows Hall six years ago. Fans who saw Warsenal here in 2013 can expect more of their hard hitting and rough & tumble speed metal attack on Sunday night, so don't miss out! Lastly, local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters (who opened for Warsenal last time out) will open the proceedings in their Soo Blaster debut and first public concert since last fall, which is a huge pull in & of itself!

Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny don't play live all that much anymore, so dont' bypass The Bear Hunters' brutal return set on Sunday either! Note that Vancouver speed metal band Road Rash are only playing on this tour for 7 dates next month, and will not be on the local bill. This 19+, 8:00 PM show has a $10 advance ticket charge that apparently jumps to $17 at the door, which is a massive jump compared to other local concerts we've covered of this scale, so this is all the more reason to get to Soo Blaster before Sunday to snag a ticket! Thrash and speed metal fans should be in great hands for this one, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Seax live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review next, if all goes according to plan! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck), Plus Rotaryfest Fallout!!

Before we dive into this weekend's Sault Ontario hard rock concert previews, just a minor clarification. The Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page lists The Wyld Stallyns as playing at The Whiskey Barrel tomorrow night, but as best as I can tell, this is an accidental remnant of last week's concert preview post there, as the venue is actually hosting The Crossroad Magdalenes tomorrow (source here.) Now, let's dive into this weekend's non-Sault Michigan previews, including some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE, plus some more fallout from Rotaryfest this past weekend!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Soundcheck only confirmed this show via their Facebook event page on Monday, though it was listed on this concert calendar shared on the aforementioned Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page as recently as July 1st. (Ignore the "SOUNDCHECK growlers" listing, it looks like a remnant of an Angry Joe & The Growlers gig was left in.) While not listed on Soundcheck's own 2019 concert calendar image from the winter, neither was their last show there in April, and if they can add on some bookings at this popular central venue, why not take advantage! A one nighter as usual for Water Tower Pub shows, this should be a fine way for Soundcheck to get back into a regular groove after their Rotaryfest headline set, so don't miss their solo headlining date there TOMORROW NIGHT! As usual, this is a 19+ gig with a 10:00 PM-ish start time and no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live in a few different concerts!



Next up, let's go to Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street, where prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term weekly concert arrangement with matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! However, with a new month drawing ever closer, let's add his August slate of shows there to our concert calendar, as Tym is highly expected to keep rocking Gliss on August 2nd-3rd, 9th-10th, 16th-17th, 23rd-24th, and 30th-31st... but that's still not all! As it turns out, Tym also struck a deal to play matinee concerts at La Terrazza Franzisi in nearby Richards Landing (an hour southeast of the Soo on St. Joseph Island) every Sunday from July through September 8th, so we'll add his shows there THIS SUNDAY, and on August 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th to the site as well! He'll also be there for the first two Sundays in September, before the wharf-front restaurant closes for the season, but we'll cover those events next month, as we take Tym's regular weekly bookings a month at a time for ease of management.

Yes, this also means that Tym played at La Terrazza Franzisi on July 7th, 14th, and 21st, all having been missed for coverage on the SMS. I profusely apologize for those slipping us by, but aside from their Facebook event page, public promotion was minimal. Aside from a presumed accidental listing for this Saturday, all of Tym's Sunday shows (THIS SUNDAY included) are basically doubled up with four hour blocks at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, so if you're there, you'll get lots of chances to hear his fan favourite covers! The Gliss shows (including this weekend's) are at 6:00 PM, and none have an announced cover. Click here and above for more details, and here's Tym live!



Also, here's our promised Rotaryfest fallout write-up, so what all went down musically that was made local news media in the past week? Well, The Sault Star's Brian Kelly was in attendance, getting photos during one-off Beatles tribute band Beatles '69's Stage 1set on Saturday, while also interviewing Ottawa musician & Stage 2 performer Jack Pine, among other articles and photos published online and in physical copies of the newspaper, so see above for those! Most relevant to our genre ranges is this pre-festival article where Brian interviewed Rotaryfest musical director Shaun Antler about the Woodstock theme for this year's Stage 1 lineups. Therein, Shaun revealed that bands were asked to cover two or three songs each that would have came from bands that played at Woodstock, which is a fitting tie-in to that classic festival! As well, the Saturday set from the one-off supergroup The Woodstock Show was seemingly done in stages featuring certain highlight performers leading the band for specific covers.

In particular, late replacement Liam Seymour led a suite of Jimi Hendrix covers, which will have interested anyone who remembers his early cover hard rock work, while Obsession singer Valerie Powley tackled Janis Joplin to end their set, plus Jefferson Airplane earlier on.  Sounds like everything went well with the Woodstock theme, and see above for all of The Sault Star's recent coverage! Despite sponsoring the Second Stage, SooToday's only article that explored either stage in depth was this one by Darren Taylor focusing on local indie punk quintet Northwest, who played on Stage 2. Along with six colour photos from their set, the article features remarks from frontman Wayne Watkins (with input from guitarists Greg Callaghan & Mike Yakasovich) about their set at the Rock on the River Festival in Timmins on Friday, their sound, their name's inspiration, and what drives them, especially as every band member is a father now. Solidly informative article, so give it a look at this link, and best of luck in Timmins!

Aside from one photo of an unidentified band setting up, Sault Online's photo album largely focused on the midway and vendors. Last but not least, I regrettably missed a later addition to the Stage 1 lineup, as Korah Collegiate school band Mustang Sally actually opened on Saturday at 12:00 PM, in their own second straight appearance at the festival. I severely apologize for missing that in our Rotaryfest coveragee, but hopefully the kids from "Sally" put on a great set once again! That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), Plus The First Half Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

An exceedingly busy concert weekend is upon us in the Twin Saults, possibly due to timing with Canada Day and the (mid-week) Fourth of July, so here's how we're blocking things out for this week's hard rock concert previews. Today's post will focus on bands playing tomorrow in some respect, with Saturday's Re:Born-headlined concert joining remaining Sault Michigan-area previews in a post tomorrow. That all said, here's what you know to start this busy weekend, including a SHORT LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Yet another busy concert weekend for local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will see him continue his long-term Gliss Restaurant concert arrangement TOMORROW & SATURDAY, sandwiching a nighttime concert at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! However, that's far from all for this talented solo artist, as Tym will return to La Terraza Franzisi in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island for a special Canada Day concert THIS MONDAY, so if you missed him there last week, and want some live entertainment on the holiday, keep MONDAY'S show in mind! Apologies for the short notice, the gig was only announced via it's Facebook event page this morning. Now, Tym's personal Facebook page also lists upcoming dates at such diverse locales as the Pointe des Chenes campground, The Old Stone House, and The Duty Free Shop, but as none of these have been plugged on his Facebook group, I am treating these as private bookings unless stated otherwise.

Yes, I will get to his July slate of Gliss shows on the site within the next week, but on a weekend this busy, I don't have the space to fit them in without making today's or tomorrow's posts too long. Stay tuned! The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees, tomorrow's 19+ Roadhouse show is at 10:00 PM, while his La Terraza Franzisi show on MONDAY is at an early 5:00 PM timeslot. None have announced cover charge, but mind the restaurant locales for the matinee concerts. Visit the official Facebook pages linked here, here, and above, and here's Tym live a few years back!

Next up, let's head to Soo Blaster for a very big show taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, as Hamilton southern hard rock band Monster Truck will make their long awaited local concert debut! Winners of the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year in 2013, Monster Truck have since became one of the biggest newer hard rock bands on Canadian rock radio thanks to hits like "Sweet Mountain River", "For The People", and "Old Train", and it'll be great to have their bluesy yet hard hitting brand of original music on a local stage to kick off their 2019 "Canadian Bonus Round" tour, so be sure to check them out! Sudbury grunge/hard rock quartet The Fortunate Losers are advertised to make their own local concert debut tomorrow, 2½ years after dropping out of a Blackwood Sinners show locally, and their own entertaining originals would be fun to hear locally! A Musicians Wanted Facebook group post by Fortunate Losers bassist Brent Boileau indicates that a local opening band is being sought on short notice.

Message Brent A.S.A.P. at this link or above if you want in on this big opportunity! A presentation of Thunder Bay promoters Loffredo & Associates, this 7:30 PM concert has $35 tickets available at Soo Blaster and/or at this link, albeit with a $5 service fee, and this is a 19+ event. Also, note the contest on the Facebook event page where attendees could win tickets to see "Weird" Al Yankovic in Toronto, which would be a great show in & of itself! I am very curious to see how Monster Truck goes over locally, as they're a big deal for modern Canadian hard rock, so don't miss out, see above for full details, and here's Monster Truck live!

Also this weekend, a couple of more bands are playing TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, including local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck, who will return to The Esquire Club for a couple of nights! After two weekends straight at the re-opened Reggie's Place and a Sunday matinee outside of the new A&W, gigs that largely didn't get much in the way of advance notice, fans may be happy to note that Travis, Terry, Paul, and Glen announced these shows in February via this concert calendar, so we've had lots of time to prepare! This is Soundcheck's first advertised concert weekend at the Esquire this season, so if you've missed their hard rocking yet diverse range of covers, you know where to go this weekend! 10:00 PM-ish start times are in effect for these 19+ shows, which have no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Finally for this preview post, let's take a trip south to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quintet Highway 63 will rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! This will be just the second concert weekend for this veteran band since they enlisted ex-Mamas Boys drummer Russell Mayer into their lineup, and it's a good weekend for them to be hitting up the St. Ignace Kewadin, as Saturday night's show will coincide with the Slaughter/Autograph concert there (preview coming tomorrow), so hopefully fans can hit up the on-site nightclub after the hair metal wraps up and get a double concert for their trouble! Fans can see the Switzers, George, Russell, and Brian at The Northern Pines Lounge at 9:00 PM both nights, these are 21+ events, and there are no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63's old lineup live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Slaughter, Project 906, and Re:Born concert previews (and more?) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison), Plus New Videos!!

A new standard news post wasn't planned for today, especially with some big one-topic posts in the works, but with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS popping up, my hand was forced this way. As such, we have a couple of new videos to round things out, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will play at the newly re-opened Reggie's Place on Queen Street East TONIGHT, after previously playing there this afternoon, yesterday and even on Thursday! Profuse apologies for the short notice and for missing most of their bookings there this weekend, they were only acknowledged on their Facebook page last night, after the Thursday nighter took place. As you'll recall from Soundcheck (and Mourning Wood) bookings at the original Reggie's, public advertising of shows there was either on limited notice or non-existent, so in that respect, not much has changed! Drummer Glen Thomas was able to fill in more of the details on his personal Facebook page, noting that today's afternoon matinee was a shorter gig to coincide with the Queen Street Cruise, so hopefully that attracted a good crowd! The Thursday nighter may seem atypical for Soundcheck, but recall that Mourning Wood once played for over a week straight at Reggie's, so this isn't anything new for them.

TONIGHT'S (and yesterday's, and Thursday's) shows are likely 10:00 PM engagements with no announced cover charges and 19+ age limits, while adjust things as expected for this afternoon's gig. Hopefully Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen have a great gig of hard rocking classics TONIGHT after a 2 year wait for Reggie's return after the fire! Here's Soundcheck live, and again, I severely apologize for missing most of their shows this weekend, we'd have plugged them on Thursday had they given them more notice!

Next up, here's one more surprise matinee gig for local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison this weekend, as he'll return to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing TOMORROW! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. Fans and regular readers will recall Tym playing frequent weekend gigs at this St. Joseph Island restaurant last August and September, including a few Sunday matinees in the process, so TOMORROW'S show isn't completely out of left field. This wharf-front restaurant proved to be a popular venue for Tym's unplugged covers last year, and while I don't yet know if this is the first of many for him this season, keep TOMORROW'S La Terrazza Franzisi concert in mind if you're on St. Joseph Island or up for an hour's drive east for some supper-time entertainment!

An early 5:00 PM start time is in effect for this show, which has no announced age limits or cover charge, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant, not a traditional concert venue. Hopefully Tym delivers another fun show of classic hits at La Terraza Franzisi TOMORROW, even with the late notice, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



We'll move on to some new videos today, including a new video of defunct local 1960s-centric classic rock quartet The Peace Vibe covering Deep Purple's "Hush" at a car show outside of the new A&W at 659 Great Northern Road last year! A specific date wasn't given, but The Peace Vibe played a couple in August and September. Posted to drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel on May 30th, this was filmed on a vertical cell phone camera, but the angle is too distant and top-centric to add up to a decent visual clarity. The cover's solid enough for fans of the Rod Evans era, so give it a look below, and don't miss Glen with Soundcheck TONIGHT at Reggie's!



Finally, here's a somewhat belated write-up on another commercial for an upcoming Loffredo & Associates concert at Soo Blaster, namely the Monster Truck-headlined concert there on June 28th (one week from Friday!) A commercial plugging the Hamilton rockers' shows in Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, along with a contest to win tickets by liking and sharing the video, this is set to clips from the music videos for "Denim Danger", "Sweet Mountain River", and "Don't Tell Me How To Live". Strong way to help promote both shows, so give it a look below, and click here for more details!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Carried Away Concert Preview, And New Sault Michigan Videos!!

Due to a very SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, I'm bumping this month's YouTube Channel Profile to tomorrow, so don't worry, it is coming! However, I don't want to let this concert slide, so that's leading off this post, alongside a weeknight concert preview, and some new videos from the Sault Michigan area, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison will indeed return to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing TODAY for a matinee concert! Profuse apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show publically via it's Facebook event page this morning, though he had alluded to a Sunday gig on St. Joseph Island last week via his personal Facebook page without naming the venue. Over two weeks following his public debut at this riverfront restaurant, Tym is back for another daytime concert with more hard and classic rock favourites expected for patrons, so if you're on St. Joseph Island or are up for a Sunday drive, keep this one in mind for later TODAY! An early start time of 4:00 PM is advertised for TODAY at La Terrazza Franzisi, and there are no announced cover charges or age limits, but keep in mind that this a formal sit-down restaurant. Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



Next up, here's our preview of a special TUESDAY NIGHT concert, as Toronto pop punk quartet Carried Away will rock Sault Ste. Marie for the first time as headliners at The Rockstar Bar! Heading out to Western Canada for the first time, this energetic, alternative-influenced band should deliver a fun set of catchy originals, so if you ca swing coming out on a Tuesday, don't miss out on Carried Away in a couple of nights! Two local opening bands will kick off the proceedings, including new local alternative quartet Man Feelings, whose lineup features former Bizotic keytarist B.J. Swire, among others. You can see a video of them in action on their Facebook page, and while the song isn't heavy, it's well performed, and it'll be interesting to see how Man Feelings do in their debut appearance! Rising local surf rock quartet The Dynowaves (now featuring fellow Bizotic alum Louise Lamothe) will look to keep the momentum rolling following their Northern Vibe Festival set, so come early for their locally original stylings!

Promoted by former A Dire Setback singer Larry Babic and photographer Josh Pace in their first 2018 booking, this 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge, and while the 8:00 PM advertised start time seems early, remember that this is a Tuesday nighter. Punk and alternative fans with accommodating schedules should definitely consider a trip to The Rockstar Bar for all of this high impact action, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Carried Away live!



Also today, we have some new videos from the Seether-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino earlier this month, courtesy of attendee Jeff Hagan's YouTube channel this morning! Despite posting his 10 Years video shortly afterward, we had to wait almost two weeks for his videos of Seether proper, but better late than never! As he did at the Alter Bridge show here, Jeff filmed most of Seether's set via abbreviated videos, including of their songs "Stoke The Fire", "Gasoline", "Let You Down", "Words As Weapons", "Country Song", "Fine Again", and "Remedy", plus a cover of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box". Embedded below is Seether playing their classic ballad "Broken", albeit not the duet version, though Shaun does let the crowd sing parts. Filmed from the same sharp angle on his 10 Years clip, the audio makes up for the deep lighting here, but again, these are not full songs, with none exceeding 2:30 in length. Kudos to Jeff for getting so much, and give these a look above & below! (No, he didn't post anything of The Dead Deads.)



Finally, here's a new song from local classical metal project Theatre of Night, as shared by keyboardist Craig Harrison from his personal Facebook page to their Facebook group earlier this month! Entitled "Dark Acoustic Revenge" (which is a hint as to how this track sounds), this is a well composed song with particularly elegant guitar work by Steve Giles, and the thunder and lightning effects on the band logo are a nice touch! Give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night as it rolls in!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Northwest & Tym Morrison), And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Another busy concert weekend is drawing closer, so let's kick things off with the first of this weekend's previews! Due to the amount, we're covering SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and the previously announced Scarkazm gigs in St. Ignace today, and saving this weekend's remaining gigs for tomorrow's preview post, namely the Seether and Project 906 shows, plus Banned at the Sugar Island Music Festival. Don't worry, they are coming! Now, let's kick off this weekend's previews with those late notice announcements, with a new song tied into one of them!

Local indie/punk quartet Northwest will play a special outdoor set TONIGHT as part of the second of this season's Downtown Street Parties on Queen Street East! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard of Northwest's involvement publically yesterday via the Downtown Association's Facebook page, but it had been mentioned on personal Facebook accounts for the past week. The second of three such events in 2018 (with the third coming next month), this Downtown Street Party will again Queen Street closed from Brock to Elgin TONIGHT for all night shopping, food and drinks, kids activities, prizes, and more, so visit the above links for complete details on the non-musical activities! The musical lineup was incrementally revealed Downtown Association yesterday, post by post, which confirms that Northwest are opening the March Street stage TONIGHT, and their set will be at 7:40 PM. The headliners at 10:00 PM are jazz supergroup The Hustle Brothers.

The other band on the Spring Street stage is veteran country cover quartet Bone Yard at 8:40 PM. Separately, three other bands (The Ride, Bold Noize, and Johnny & The Revelators) will play at a stage on Spring Street, but the set times there don't appear to conflict with bands on March Street.  TONIGHT'S Downtown Street Party is FREE & ALL AGES, and the festivities proper begin at 6:00 PM. This sounds like another fun event for locals to enjoy and support local businesses & entertainment, and with a dash of punk for good measure, so don't miss out TONIGHT, and for a preview, here's the first new song from Northwest's forthcoming sophomore EP! As quietly uploaded to their new YouTube channel last week, this is their original song "True North", and it will be on their second CD, which will indeed be called "Songs From 2015-2017". Sort of a clunky name, but it gets the point across!

The description also notes that the EP was mixed by Kyle Whittaker at Strange Pumpkin Studio in  St. Catharine's, who previously mixed former Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci's solo album. Pending our likely review of "Songs From 2015-2017" later this year, I'll hold comment on "True North" for now, but fans of Northwest and their 2014 debut EP will definitely want to take note, so give their new single a listen below, and don't miss them at Queen and March TONIGHT!



Next up, here's some more newly announced concerts for this weekend, as Tym Morrison will bring his unplugged hard rock covers to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY at... La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing?! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page on Sunday. Yes, Tym is hitting the road for these St. Joseph Island concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and while the locale is atypical for both his solo shows and our coverage, he isn't new to playing there. Tym played a Richards Landing function of some kind back in September 2011, and has played in nearby Hilton Beach in the past as well, so if you live on St. Joseph Island or are up for a trip east, you know where to go! Located at 1140 Richards Street, La Terrazza Franzisi is an Italian restaurant on the St. Mary's River waterfront, which should prove to be a nice backdrop for Tym's acoustic covers this weekend, so keep the locale in mind!

Much like Tym's on-hold Gliss Steak & Seafood arrangement (we'll let you know when it's new location is open), TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows are restaurant-set matinee concerts, but with an earlier start time of 5:00 PM to go along with their lack of announced cover charges or age limits. Visit the above links for more details on these concerts, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today's previews, we'll head across to nearby St. Ignace, Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for shows at The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! While we're on the subject, the Peril sister band have two more newly confirmed gigs at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino's Rapids Lounge as well, with this concert calendar confirming dates there on September 14th & 15th. Another busy schedule is continuing into the fall for Jeff, Adam, and company in Scarkazm, Peril, and their acoustic side project Project 6 (more on them shortly) and with another high impact weekend of covers and favourites in store for St. Ignace fans tomorrow and Saturday (plus in the Soo next month), you'll want to keep these in mind for some hard rock action in the E.U.P.! These four gigs are 21+ affairs with 9:00 PM start times and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Project 906, Sugar Island Festival, and Seether previews next! Thanks everyone!

Battle Of The Bands Rewind Profile: Viva La Battle

Hey guys, in a surprise second post today, here's our overdue latest installment of our Battle of the Bands Rewind series! As you may remember, we're profiled a selection of recent battles of the bands on the site in the last few years, in order to spotlight what happened, who competed, what were the stakes, and where the bands are now, with new installments coming a year after the original battle took place. However, we admittedly forgot about our profile on the most recent Sault Ontario battle last month, but with two new ones coming up in early 2015, now's better than ever! Remember, our battle of the bands profiles are strictly informative and do not feature reviews or criticism of the bands or their sets. With that said, read on below for our newest Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile! (Updated on February 17th, 2016)
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Viva La Battle (November 13th, 2013)

Background: Seven months after his successful Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, local concert promoter J.D. Pearce hosted Viva La Battle in November 2013 at The Canadian Nightclub. Much like his Battle for the Blood the previous summer, this was a smaller battle featuring less bands, fan voting rather than judges, and an opening concert slot for the winner being the only prize. In this case, the winner of Viva La Battle would be named as one of the local openers for Bam Margera's Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian on December 14th of that year, similarly to the past year's prize of opening for 3 Inches of Blood at The Rosie. All competing bands would play 30 minute sets, and after they wrapped up, concert attendees marked their chosen winners on a paper ballot to be tabulated after the show. The battle's name was inspired by Bam Margera's MTV reality show "Viva La Bam".

Prizes: Again, just the opening slot for Bam Margera the next month, where the winners would also join Detroit party/hard rock quintet Wilson and two other local bands on the lineup, including punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and hardcore punk notables Destroilet. There were no other announced prizes for the winners or runners-up.

Competitors: Though four bands were scheduled for Viva La Battle, only three would end up playing, including local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters, debuting local indie/punk quintet Northwest (then spelled as "North West"), and the debuting hard rock quartet Punch, a supergroup merger of Suicide Kings & Haggith alumni.

Results: The fans voted The Bear Hunters as the winners of Viva La Battle, scoring 21 of a possible 43 votes and giving them the right to open for Fuckface Unstoppable the following month. Northwest made a strong impression in second place with 13 votes, while Punch rounded out the podium in third with 9 votes. 

Aftermath: The Bear Hunters continued their success with a number of high profile concerts throughout 2014, and also released their debut CD "Eternal Hibernation" that same December, with more big concerts and recording sessions towards their sophomore album following! Northwest have played more sporadically, but have opened for the likes of Gob and The Sunparlour Players over the past two years, and also released a debut self-titled EP in mid-2014 with their original lineup. Finally, Punch played a handful of concerts over the following months, such as opening for Diemonds and playing at one of the Roosevelt Hotel's short lived Heavy Thursday shows, before falling inactive in mid-2014 due to members' other band projects.

Some Notable Performers' Newer Bands (Metal/hard rock/punk in italics):

Chronic Demonic (Nik Deubel from The Bear Hunters)
The Cover-Up (Clint Wilson from Northwest)
Eclipse (Curtis McKenzie & Daniel Horton from Punch)
Heavy Head (Daniel Horton from Punch & Johnny Belanger from The Bear Hunters)
Jack Spades (Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger from The Bear Hunters)
Late Shift (Clint Wilson from Northwest)
Lorrie Lynn & The Sinners (Greg Callaghan & Clint Wilson from Northwest) 
Mourning Wood (Steven Flint from Punch)
Project 421 (Daniel Horton & Curtis McKenzie* from Punch)
The Suicide Kings (Mitch Sirie from The Bear Hunters, and Steven Flint & Ben Boudreau from Punch)

Trivia:

• A new (and intentionally secretive) local band named Keep It Lit were originally scheduled to play this battle as the fourth band, but dropped out on the day of the show after an undisclosed band member broke their hand. Keep It Lit would never play a live concert, but their lineup was to have featured singer/bassist Paul Stanghetta, guitarists Alice Rose & Paul Fowler, and drummer John Mignacca. Had they competed, Paul Stanghetta & John would have had a chance to better their second place finishes at past battles with The Fury and As It Stands respectively, though Paul plays similar material in his current band The Apocalypse Afterparty, with that band placing in fourth place at 2015's VM Radio Battle.
• Local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings (later known as Beaumont Avenue) were originally slated to play Viva La Battle, but were replaced by the debuting Punch a few weeks prior due to frontman Mike Gaetano having external commitments, though Steven & Ben were also in Punch, and bassist Mitch Sirie was still playing the battle with The Bear Hunters. Had The Suicide Kings competed, they could have tried to win their second straight battle, following their Rockstar Bar Battle win that March.
• The Bear Hunters' victory at Viva La Battle was their first in three tries, following their 6th place run at 2012's Sault Humane Society Battle of the Bands, and their finals run in the aforementioned Rockstar Bar Battle. Unlike at those battles however, the band played Viva La Battle as a quartet due to Josh Stephney's move to Brampton that summer, but Josh made a surprise return to The Bear Hunters at the Bam Margera show on December 13th, where the band debuted some new original songs in the process.
• While Punch are now inactive, members Daniel Horton & Curtis McKenzie carried over their original songs ("By The Hand", "Road Rash", and the self-titled "Punch") to their primary band Haggith after they reunited the next spring. Haggith continued to play these songs live until their ultimate demise in mid-2015, and later included a studio version of "Road Rash" on their final EP "XIV".
• While this was the first battle of the bands to take place at The Canadian Nightclub since the Kiss Battle of the Bands in November & December 2009, this was also the first metal/punk concert to be held at the Pim Street bar since their most recent major renovations following serious flooding during a major rainstorm last September. The new look features more of a rustic/garage motif, including a number of road signs on the nightclub's walls.
• Though they didn't have to compete in that show's battle to get on, The Bear Hunters also played the 3 Inches of Blood show in July 2012, which saw the Battle For The Blood take place the previous month to find the opening band (which was won by Winkstinger.)
• Along with being ballots for the Viva La Battle fan vote, everyone who voted was also entered for a prize package of merchandise from the pre-selected local openers of the next month's Bam Margera concert, Jack Spades & Destroilet. The winner of the draw was Christine Purvis.
• Though they didn't win Viva La Battle, Punch members Steven Flint and Ben Boudreau did finish in second place with The Suicide Kings at the Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish, Ontario in April 2014, earning the right to open for Randy Bachman at the annual summer concert festival that August (though under the Beaumont Avenue moniker by that point.)
• Surprisingly, this was the last local battle of the bands to be held in Sault Ontario until March 2015, when two battles of the bands were hosted, including the fan voted Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, and four-night-long, judged VM Radio Battle of the Bands, which was also held at The Canadian Nightclub. The Bear Hunters (sans Josh Stephney once again) competed in both battles, finishing in third in the former and two points out of first in the latter, losing both to post-punk quartet Gnaeus.
• Punch's Curtis McKenzie and Daniel Horton spread their resources out to three different bands when competing in both of the local battles in March 2015. The pair played together with Haggith in the VM Radio Battle, finishing in second in their semifinal (but not advancing to the finals), while they each played in both battles with separate projects (Curt as Mike Haggith & The Din's then-guitarist, and Daniel as Project 421's bassist), but neither band placed in these battles of the bands.

Videos:




Sources/More Info:
Viva La Battle's official Facebook event page
SooToday's review & photo album from Viva La Battle
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I hope you guys liked our newest Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile! Barring a mass information dump on an older un-profiled battle (like a non-2008 Case's Music Battle, or one of the old Bon Soo Battles), this series won't return until February 2016, which will be a year removed from the Rednecks Saloon Battle early next year, but be sure to attend both of next year's battles to see what we'll profile in 2016! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes to come over the next week! Thanks everyone!

Viva La Battle Review!!

Hey guys, it's finally time for my review of last night's Viva La Battle, the first Sault Ontario battle of the bands in 7 months, but remember to check out our special look back at the former Roosevelt Hotel Thursday metal nights (to celebrate the third anniversary of their inception) in the post below this one! As you may know, last night's battle was the first metal concert event at The Canadian Nightclub since the newest major flooding over two months ago, and to go along with the re-opening, the Pim Street venue also had some cosmetic renovations, so what's different? The atmosphere in many respects, with the interior now having a vibe that recalls a garage, workshop, or man cave, with wood panelling, road signs, beer containers & signs, and more. I like what they're doing, and hope they expand the look more! In terms of bands, the stage is in it's normal spot still, but the soundboard is now on the stage's right rather than in front of the bar area. There's new lighting on the stage which is effective, along with road signs on the back wall, but I will admit that the reflective paint of the white road signs badly threw off the lighting on my camera unless I was very close to the bands (or had them out of shot.)

They look cool as a fan, but if you're taking pictures, be wary, but I do like the large orange construction sign behind the drumkit! In pictures, it looks like a permanently lit stage element, and it has a fiery look in the shots, so if anything's done about the signs, I'd leave that one alone. Now, let's discuss the bands in performance order, and remember, "secret" new local band Keep It Lit dropped out on short notice due to a band member breaking their hand, but promoter J.D. Pearce hopes to get them on another of his upcoming concerts!

Opening last night's battle was local death metal notables The Bear Hunters in their third local battle appearance (and first since rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney moved out of town), and they put out another sure-as-rain set of brutal classics for their fans! Their set included newer originals like "Servitude" and older classics like "Collapse The Sun" (plus their fan favourite cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard"), and their confidence from their three years of stage experience was in full display! I just saw The Bear Hunters at The Oddfellows Hall two weeks ago, and I'm glad to say that they performed just as well last night as they did then, with Nik Deubel's louder vocals being very helpful! Stage presences might have been somewhat stiff, and their sound wasn't as full as their earlier quintet appearances at battles of the bands, but The Bear Hunters delivered once again for fans of their devastating metal assault, though was it enough to finally win their first battle of the bands?

Second on the bill was new local hard rock quartet Punch (replacing bassist Steven Flint & drummer Ben Boudreau's other band The Suicide Kings), and while we knew their lineup going in (joining Haggith singer Curtis McKenzie & guitarist Daniel Horton), their sound was still somewhat of a mystery, so what did they play? They had a 6 song set that included originals named "Punch", "By The Hand" (which was a slower track), and "Road Rage", plus covers of Alice In Chains' "Them Bones", Van Halen's "Panama", and... Haggith's "Metal Cage"?! Yes, it looks like Punch are taking at least one Haggith original with them for after that band's impending demise, and overall, I'd say they sound closer to Haggith, but with a heavier, less grungy influence. I liked their set, especially their energy level and enthusiasm, with Curtis' stage presence noticeably more active and free-wheeling than I'm used to, and everyone shown their musical talents well! My big complaints would be that Curt's vocals weren't too strong on most of the covers, and "By The Hand" struck me as too soft of a song for the battle, but I was impressed with their debut!

Closing last night's battle was new local band North West, who I knew little on going into the show (having no online pages helps with that), so who all's in the band? They were essentially a merger of the partly local indie rock band The Small Town Rivals and the former local band Terminal, with singer/guitarist Wayne Watkins, bassist Mike Smykacz, and drummer Clint Wilson being joined by guitarists Greg Callaghan & Mike Yakasovich (so the Facebook picture I thought was them wasn't this lineup.) Their set included 5 originals (like "All We Have Is Time", "We Want It All", and "Phone Calls"), plus a set-ending cover of Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender", and overall, their sound reminded me of Wayne's old band Nebraska Arms a lot, taking on an alternative/indie punk sound that definitely got some good fan responses late! Despite Greg breaking a guitar string, this band of experienced local artists handled the crowd and their songs well, and their talents spoke for themselves, and Wayne's up to the task as a frontman, so hopefully we'll see more of North West (the band, not the baby) in the near future!

After North West's set, fans were encouraged to fill out their ballots received at the door to both determine the winners and enter a drawing for a Destroilet/Jack Spades prize pack (congratulations to Christine Purvis for winning that!), though a low overall attendance saw only 43 ballots returned. With that said, who won Viva La Battle and the right to open for Bam Margera next month? Here's the final results!

1st place: The Bear Hunters (21 votes, 49%)

2nd place: North West (13 votes, 30%)

3rd place: Punch (9 votes, 21%)

The third time definitely was the charm, as The Bear Hunters finally claimed first place in a local battle of the bands last night, earning them the final opening slot at the Fuckface Unstoppable concert on December 14th at The Canadian! The win was also the second straight local battle win for guitarist Mitch Sirie, who won the Rockstar Bar Battle in April as The Suicide Kings' bassist, so extra congratulations to him on that level! With their second place finish, North West members Greg Callaghan and Mike Yakasovich earned their best battle finish of recent memory (outdoing their Skid Row Battle run with Terminal in 2008), while Wayne Watkins equalled his second place run with Nebraska Arms at 2010's Sault College Battle. Though Punch did finish third, this is a step down from the members' finishes at the aforementioned Rockstar Bar Battle, where their members all finished either first or second, but they made a solid impression in their debut, and you'll be seeing them again later this month, so keep an eye out for news on that front soon!

Congratulations again to The Bear Hunters on their win at Viva La Battle, and check out SooToday's Donna Hopper's photos and recap from the battle at this link, featuring 18 quality photos from the event (albeit all in black & white), and get your Fuckface Unstoppable tickets before it's too late! My videos & colour photos from the battle can be seen at this location or at our Facebook page, and as it's a battle, I got equal shots and a video of North West too, even if they're not "hard rock", as it's only fair given the nature of the event. With that said, in performance order, here's The Bear Hunters playing "Transcend Judgment", Punch playing "Road Rage", and North West playing "I Got You"!







That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for weekend concert previews and more! Thanks everyone!

Ray Brown Arrangements, Viva La Battle Updates, And New Mike Haggith Albums!!

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!

Viva La Battle Preview!!

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!

A New Local Band, Viva La Battle Updates, And New Videos!!

Keeping the news coming as we clear out our cache of backlogged stories, today's post features a new concert video from a recent high school event, a new cover and album sample from a talented Sault Michigan outfit, and the lastest updates on our next local battle of the bands, but first, here's a new band who will debut at said battle, so check everything out below!

We have a new local band to introduce on here, and they're a new hard rock quartet named Punch! Little is known on them so far beyond their lineup, which features Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie and guitarist Daniel Horton joining forces with Suicide Kings guitarist Steven Flint (on bass) and drummer Ben Boudreau. Promising lineup that merges members of the top two bands from the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands in April, so keep that angle in mind! Information on their sound isn't out yet, but they will make their live debut in under two weeks when they compete at Viva La Battle at The Canadian Nightclub on November 13th, where they will be among the bands competing for the last opening slot at next month's Bam Margera/Fuckface Unstoppable concert! I will note that Punch replaced The Suicide Kings on the battle lineup, and while a reason hasn't been announced for their exit, bassist Mitch Sirie is still competing at the battle with The Bear Hunters, so I wouldn't be surprised if singer Mike Gaetano had an outside commitment.

The Suicide Kings haven't played live since August, so hopefully there's nothing bad concerning their status, but if I hear anything either way, I'll keep you guys posted! I would assume though that Punch are more or less succeeding Haggith after their December breakup, and their lineup is very promising on it's own, but how will they sound, what will they play, and how will they do at the battle? Find out on November 13th, where they're competing against the aforementioned Bear Hunters, "secret" debuting band Keep It Lit, and Greg Callaghan's new band project North West (info forthcoming, hopefully), and the deadline for band submissions has been extended too! Promoter J.D. Pearce revealed on the Facebook event page yesterday that submissions now end on THURSDAY, and he also confirmed that each band has a 25 minute set, performance order will be determined an hour before show time, and there will be a $5 cover charge that will gain you both entry and a ballot for the fan vote.

Check the above links for more details on Viva La Battle! This should be a great event, especially with three bands making their live public debut, but fans of The Suicide Kings and Haggith will wanna take notice of Punch, who are now in our active Sault Ontario band links! Stay tuned for updates on the battle, apply A.S.A.P. to compete at this link, and if you hear anything on North West's lineup/sound, let me know!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with a YouTube version of Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's cover of the "Halloween" movie's theme song! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Halloween (naturally) after it's prior Reverbnation posting, the cover is accompanied by their trademark slideshows featuring band members and assorted themed pictures in (mostly) red & orange filters to fit the seasonal theme, before closing with a credits and a teaser to their new all-original album in 2014, including assorted instrumental clips of the 13 songs to be on it. Everything sounds promising, and the "Halloween" theme's never been heavier, so check everything out below!



And finally, here's a new metal cover from a recent Superior Heights Collegiate event! Uploaded to Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel (his first live concert posting there), this is not of Ashes To Dust (unless their lineup has radically changed), but it is of Alex and a few other students covering Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine", which turns out well! Possibly from a Halloween costume day (given what students in the crowd are wearing), this is a solid cover with nice vocals from the female singer (I believe her first name was given as "Kat"), and while Alex's guitar work is solid, the solo actually was done by the guitarist on the far left, who has talent himself! Check out this full Superior Heights performance below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned tonight for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Thanks everyone!