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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Telephone & Address And Fluid 5ive), A New Local Band, Concert Previews, And More!!

As promised, our 3 Day Millionaires previews are in this post, but we've loaded it with some more big news, including a handful of unfortunate deletions from our band links, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one involving a debuting group, and the other involving a touring band from afar and a local band's new lineup addition! Here's what you should know!

We have a new-ish classic/hard rock cover quintet to add to our active band links, and they are Fluid 5ive! This band actually publically launched via their Facebook page back in September 2016, and while they have yet to play their first live concert, that will be rectified soon, as their public debut will be with a one-nighter on Saturday, February 24th at The Rockstar Bar! Fluid 5ive's current lineup features a few familiar faces for long-time fans of local rock bands, including former Five Below Zero singer Colin Nelson (who even plays saxophone occasionally), guitarist Joe Miller, bassist Pierre Anthony, former Route 69/Swamped drummer Jeff Pennett, and Rob Irving on the keyboard. As well, ex-Flat Stanley bassist Mark Brandow was in their original lineup before departing by last summer, but that's as publically "fluid" as their lineup has gotten. As of their launch, Fluid 5ive teased covers of everyone from AC/DC and Aerosmith to Van Halen and ZZ Top, and even acts like Blackfoot and Henry Lee Summer.

This band aims to primarily play "select cover tunes not usually played in bars" and if that holds true, fans should get a unique spread of music when they hit The Rockstar Bar in just under one month's time! Expect no cover charge for this 19+ show, and while there is an advertised start time of 8:00 PM, I'd gamble on closer to 10:00 PM that night. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this show, and the above links for more on Fluid 5ive, and hopefully some media of them performing turns up soon!

Next up, here's another new show announcement for later this year, as local post-punk/acoustic project Telephone & Address will hit the stage for the first time in 2018 with a set at The New American Pub on Sunday, March 18th! Though they're the advertised headliners, touring Louisiana acoustic punk trio Layden & The Lion will take the middle slot for this concert in their local debut, and their indie-influenced yet gritty originals should be a fine compliment, so be sure to check them out in advance! This will be Telephone & Address' first announced live set since August, and first since expanding to a duo, as Chris has enlisted local folk musician Jackson Reed to become their permanent drummer. Jackson had guested with Telephone & Address for their new songs that same month, but confirmation that he's now an official member didn't hit the wires until Tuesday on their Facebook page. Hopefully the guys maintain a similarly solid chemistry live!

No word yet though on what this means for Telephone & Address' yet-released album "Monster", which was recorded before Jackson joined. Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan will deliver some entertaining acoustic renditions as an opening act for this concert, promoted by Jackson's own agency Ears & Eyes in association with Six, Two, Oh.. An early 8:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ event, which has a $5 cover charge. Fans of acoustic rock and punk should definitely check this one out on March 18th, so check out more details at the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for potential updates on this concert if they roll in!

Also today, here's our previews of TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT's concerts from local classic/hard rock cover veterans The 3 Day Millionaires at The Rockstar Bar! Unusual as a double header at this venue for The Millionaires rather than a one nighter, this will be just the second concert weekend of the year for this band, so if you missed them at the Reggievelt two weeks ago, here's your next best bet! The 3 Day Millionaires lineup is well tested and very skilled, so look for some entertaining cover action tonight and/or tomorrow! As usual for their Rockstar Bar trips, there are 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges in effect, and while the Facebook event page lists an 8:00 PM start time, the poster pictured here confirms that they'll be starting at 10:00 PM both nights, so don't come down too early. See the above links for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live at this very location last year!



Finally for today here's three assorted shorter news items, all relating to deletions from our inactive Sault Michigan band links due to Facebook pages being taken down. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• I have deleted Pickford hard rock quintet Beyond the Surface from our band links due to the closure of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the past year or so. Featuring ex-Unleashed frontman Eli Reilly, Beyond The Surface ran from 2010-2011, primarily playing at Pickford High School events and regional talent shows. The guys were talented for their ages, and hopefully everyone is staying active in music in some form!
• I have also removed defunct local hard rock band The Bottom Line from our band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the past year. A union of Highest of Fives and future Ten Kings bandmates, The Bottom Line only played a handful of community events in mid-2014 before going their separate ways, and while I hate seeing another band page vanish, they admittedly weren't around for very long. Don't miss guitarist Joe Jenkins with Project 906!
• Lastly, I have removed local metal solo project East Branch from our band links once again, as their Facebook (and only online) page was taken down once again. The page had initially been de-activated in 2014 before being resurrected last year, but no new public updates followed, and the page was gone again at press time. Hopefully J.R. returns with new music down the road!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, plus this month's CD review in short order as well! Thanks everyone!