Oh!No III Festival Preview!!

Before we begin our extended Oh!No preview, just a heads up/apology, as Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished did play a morning matinee at Biggby Coffee today, as per their Facebook page shortly after showtime. In other words, "every Thursday" continued for at least one more week, though why not plug it as part of their advertising for this week's other concerts? In any event, I apologize for missing it, and hopefully it was a great show! Note that Tarnished have no advertised shows publically past Saturday in Ohio, so I'm not going to immediately jump the gun on more Biggby gigs until the band or venue confirms them. Stay tuned in any event!

Now, today's second weekend concert preview post is otherwise devoted to our extended preview of this weekend's third annual Oh!No concert festival, which returns to Robbie Adamson's old church in nearby Leeburn, Ontario for an expanded two night format TOMORROW & SATURDAY! As well advertised via diverse fundraisers in recent months (everything from dance parties & garage sales to car washes and punk rock ramen), organizers Six, Two, Oh. are going all out for year #3, and as usual, camping is encouraged for attendees taking the hour-long drive, and all of the usual fan-friendly experiences are presumably back this weekend, including vendors and hopefully another bonfire (any more pianos or organs they can use?) Check the official Facebook page for full non-musical details and even the precise location of the venue and camping areas, but let's dive into this stacked roster of local and touring entertainment, as 25 acts will hit the church stage in Leeburn this weekend, so who can you look for to start things off tomorrow night?

Only one touring band is playing tomorrow's shortened first half of Oh!No III, and they are Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists in their third local concert appearance and second straight Oh!No set, and with their high energy, intense, and theatrical stage show, they should leave a huge impression on Leeburn once again! They're up at 12:20 AM, while the all-local opening roster will be toplined by rapper (and festival newcomer) Kodex at 11:40 PM. Punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will become the first band to play all three Oh!No festivals at 11:00 PM, while hip-hop duo Planet Rock will return from last year at 10:20 PM. Jack Spades' sister punk trio Stegadeth will make their own Oh!No debut at 9:40 PM, and tomorrow's lineup will be opened by local alt-folk solo artist Brenton "Slumshine" Ellis at 9:00 PM, who previously played here in 2017. I don't know if the spacing of the heavier/punk bands alternating with the hip-hop/solo acts is intentional, but the lineup is very impressive overall!

For what it's worth, Planet Rock were originally slated to play on Saturday afternoon, but quietly traded timeslots with Hannah Lindsay for unannounced reasons. Doors open at 8:00 PM for tomorrow's concert action, this is an ALL AGES event, and a B.Y.O.B. policy is in effect. There are no single day passes, so if you want to come down, buy a $40 ticket at the door or at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street (for maximum value, camp out and stick around on Saturday!) There's a lot to take in tomorrow, so see above for more details, and here's The Therapists live!

As for Saturday's lineup, the other 19 acts are being crammed into a full day's worth of music, including all of the non-Therapists touring acts, so who all can you see then? The 1:00 AM headliners are (surprisingly) St. Catharine's crossover thrash quintet Pisser, but a prominent act for many will precede them at 12:00 AM, namely Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring Sault Ste. Marie native Mark Rand and his wife Tracy), and it will be great to see them back on a local stage after melting many faces at Oh!No II! The festival-ending block of out of town bands will also feature Sudbury punk quartet Lightmares (in their third straight Oh!No set) at 11:00 PM, as well as Thunder Bay hardcore band Femur at 10:00 PM, and Montreal classic rockers Wrecker (who just played at Dryer Fire yesterday) at 9:00 PM. Drone/noise trio Pointless will be the highest placed local band at 8:10 PM in their third Oh!No set, while Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface will precede them in his second festival appearance, and he'll be no stranger to local fans from Soo gigs either!

Thunder Bay hardcore group Lord Hidetora will make their local concert debut at 6:50 PM, as preceded by fellow Thunder Bay desert rockers The Franquilizers at 6:10, in their third Oh!No set. Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora will return from last year with a 5:30 PM set, but with two exceptions, every preceding band is local. Instrumental surf rockers The Dynowaves will return from Oh!No II with a set at 5:00 PM, while revived acoustic punk solo project Telephone & Address are advertised to end their almost two years-long concert hiatus with a set at 4:30 PM (though I have not seen Chris plug their return publically on the band's Facebook page, for what it's worth.) Funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will also join the three-timers club with a set at 4:00 PM, and rapper Conika will take the stage for a 3:30 PM set. New Barrie "witchy punk" trio The Angry Spells (featuring Beaver Slap frontwoman Midge Beaver) will perform themselves 3:00 PM.

Fresh off of the timeslot trade with Planet Rock, local folk/pop solo artist Hannah Lindsay (replacing Dusty Hazelwood) will perform on Saturday at 2:30 PM, while Barrie punk quartet The Speed Humps will play at 2:00 PM as the earliest touring band that day. The opening acts are indie/folk musician Shae Tull at 1:30 PM and cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm at 1:00 PM, though might that set morph into a C.T.W. set? Time will tell, but all of the pre-Elements bands are making their Oh!No debuts that afternoon. Doors open at 12:00 PM, and the same $40 ticket info applies as above, so be sure to visit the above links for full details on Oh!No III! The size, scope, and ambition of this festival continues to impress, but how will things go in Leeburn this time, and beyond adding a third day, how big can this get if it returns in 2020? Get down to Leeburn if you can for all of the action this weekend, and here's Pisser live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Oh!No & Doreen!!)

Before we dive into this weekend's post (devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS), just a heads up that I learned of a trio of shows this coming weekend too late to cover on here before their weekend concert preview cycle. Between low advertising and my own personal schedule, they should have been on here well in advance (which I apologize for), so just to get a jump on things, visit the links here & here for info on two FREE Roberta Bondar Pavilion shows next week with hard rock content, and here for details on this year's Rudyard Musicians Festival, before we preview them on Thursday. Now, here's what you should know for those new shows!

Edmonton art punk quartet Doreen will make their local concert debut on Tuesday, August 20th when they headline at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street! Not your typical sound for a punk band, Doreen take a lot of inspiration from indie and garage rock, but they have a creative blend of styles, as seen on their new CD "Ruthless Severance", and they should be a fine fit at this temporary venue later this month! Local experimental musician Chase Wigmore (not playing as Awokest) will open with a set of his own irreverent, in-your-face original material, and it's always an experience seeing him live, so don't miss his set either on this special Tuesday nighter! Yes, we have a lot to discuss regarding him and Awokest, stay tuned for what we've missed as of late. This ALL AGES concert has a $10 cover charge and a luckily early start time of 7:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on this show, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, the full schedule for this year's third annual Oh!No concert festival at Robbie Adamson's church in nearby Leeburn was finally announced via their Facebook page on Wednesday, so what should you know in this regard? We announced the lineup for the September 6th-7th event on the SMS two months ago in this extended write-up, but as Oh!No III is a two night event, I waited to call these as a true LOCAL CONCERT ALERT until organizers Six, Two, Oh. confirmed each day's itinerary, and there are a few changes from what was announced in June. The band lineup on Friday, September 6th is a shorter nighttime affair, which will be toplined by Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists, who are night #1's only touring attraction. Remaining performers will include rapper Kodex at 11:40 PM, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades at 11:00 PM, folk/pop musician Hannah Lindsay at 10:20 PM, punk trio Stegadeth at 9:40 PM, and alt-folk solo project Slumshine opening at 9:00 PM.

In case you didn't notice from the lineup reveal in June, Hannah Lindsay is a new addition to the bill, replacing Dusty Hazelwood for unannounced reasons, though note that everyone but drummer Mitchell Harris will still be present as a promoter or in other bands. As for Saturday, September 7th, the surprise headliners will be St. Catharines crossover thrash band Pisser at 1:00 AM, as preceded by Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog at 12:00 AM, Sudbury punk standouts Lightmares at 11:00 PM, Thunder Bay hardcore band Femur at 10:00 PM, and Montreal classic rock project Wrecker at 9:00 PM. Local drone rock trio Pointless (no longer billed as a Bill Priddle solo set) will be the only local act playing after dark via their 8:10 PM set, with Peterborough rapper Garbageface, Thunder Bay hardcore group Lord Hidetora & desert rockers The Franquilizers, and Toronto indie quartet Forest City Aurora playing at 7:30, 6:50, 6:10, and 5:30 PM respectively.

With two exceptions, earlier acts that day are all local, including surf rock band The Dynowaves at 5:00 PM, revived lo-fi punk project Telephone & Address at 4:30 PM, funk/hard rock quartet The Elements at 4:00 PM, and rapper Conika at 3:30 PM. The mystery band named The Angry Spells (who are on at 3:00 PM) actually aren't local, as their updated Facebook page reveals that they're a new side project of Beaver Slap vocalist Midge Beaver's, so if you were hoping to see them back this year, hopefully this new band will fill the void! Local hip hop duo Planet Rock will play at 2:30 PM, following Barrie punk quarter The Speed Humps at 2:00 PM, while the two local opening solo acts will be indie/folk musician Shae Tull at 1:30 PM and C.T.W. side project Malignant Neoplasm in a rare live set at 1:00 PM. As previously announced, tickets are $40 for both nights, and tickets are on sale at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and at Dryer Fire.

Remember that camping on-site will be available for fans making the 45 minute trek to Leeburn, and this is a B.Y.O.B. event. It's great to finally have each night's schedule, and there's lots of hard rock and punk action to go around on both nights, so visit the above links for complete details on Oh!No III!That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Oh!No Concert Festival Lineup Information, Plus The Anvil/Striker Concert Preview!!

Today's post features a preview of a big Sunday night concert, but first, here's the full lineup for the third annual Oh!No festival is now out! Returning to Robbie Adamson's church in nearby Leeburn, this year's installment is the biggest yet, as Oh!No III will be a two night event on Friday, September 6th and Saturday, September 7th! As such, we're not calling this as a proper local concert alert until daily schedules are revealed, but the odds that there will be a day without heavier acts are basically nil. After having an 18 act marathon last year, the two night structure will allow promoters Six, Two, Oh. to spread this year's 25 acts out, but who all is scheduled for this fall? Eleven of the scheduled performers are from out of town, including 6 returnees from past Oh!No festivals. Sudbury punk quartet Lightmares and Thunder Bay desert rock quintet The Franquilizers will return to Leeburn for a third straight year each, while Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring the Soo's own Mark Rand) is among the returning performers from last year.

The other touring attractions back from 2018 include Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists, Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface, and Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora. No Beaver Slap this year, but the five Oh!No (and Sault Ste. Marie-area) newcomers from afar will include Thunder Bay hardcore-influenced bands Femur & Lord Hidetora, St. Catharine's crossover thrash quintet Pisser, Barrie punk quartet The Speed Humps, and Montreal classic rock solo project Wrecker. Lots of old and new talent here, be sure to check all of these bands out before September! The local performing roster will feature punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and funk/hard rock quartet The Elements back for their own third straight appearances, while surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, hip-hop duo Planet Rock, and indie/folk musician Shae Tull will all return from last year, and Dynowaves bassist Brenton Ellis will bring his online page-less solo project Slumshine back to Oh!No after last playing there in 2017.

Locally based newcomers to Oh!No this fall will include punk trio Stegadeth, cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm, rappers Conika and Kodex, and new pop rock band Dusty Hazelwood (featuring co-promoter Jamie Vincent & Dynowaves members.) A new & yet online page-less punk trio named The Angry Spells are also advertised, though we await information on them beyond a description of their sound. We'll let you know when/if anything is said! Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle is advertised with a solo set this year after playing in his drone/noise band Pointless in the past two Oh!No festivals, though note that Oh!No's own 2019 artist bio on him credits him jointly as Pointless. Finally, local lo-fi acoustic punk solo project Telephone & Address are advertised to play this fall, marking their first live appearance since 2017 after being on public hiatus for well over a year. This is very encouraging news, and hopefully Chris has more in the pipeline, so Telephone & Address are back in our active band links!

No sign of A Dire Setback or Winkstinger this year, but still, how's all this for a stacked and nicely varied lineup? Tickets will go on sale for a flat $40 at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and Dryer Fire's pop-up location on Bruce Street, while camping will be available on site as usual, and while there's no stated age limit, a "B.Y.O.B." policy remains in effect. Doors open at 8:00 AM on Friday and 11:00 AM on Saturday, with daily schedules to be revealed. This should be another excellent time for concert goers able to make the trip an hour east to Leeburn, but there's still a lot to learn, so visit the above links for complete and ongoing details on Oh!No III!

Finally for today, here's our preview of a special Sunday night concert TOMORROW at Soo Blaster, as Toronto metal legends Anvil will return to Sault Ste. Marie for their fourth local show in the 2010s! It's been a long four year wait since we last saw Lips, Robb, and Chris deliver their requisite "metal on metal" to a local audience, and with the momentum of their newest CD "Pounding the Pavement" still ongoing, they should deliver another heavy set of classic hits and newer originals tomorrow night! Co-headlining tomorrow are Edmonton metal quintet Striker in their first local concert appearance since headlining at The Rosie six years ago, and with their finely tuned NWOBHM throwback sound, they should melt many faces in their own right at Soo Blaster! Remember, this was originally advertised as a Striker headlining show before Anvil were confirmed. The aforementioned Jack Spades will join power rock quintet Re:Born as openers, who should set the tone well with their own diverse takes on their genres!

Advance tickets are on sale for $20 at Soo Blaster (or $25 at the door), this is a 19+ event, and a somewhat early 7:30 PM start time is advertised. Also, note the $200 VIP booth option for a party of 6, if you are so inclined for that experience. It's great to have Anvil and Striker back for a night full of old school metal intensity, with Re:Born more than up to the task on another big stage for them, and don't forget about Jack Spades' punk-influenced attack either! Don't miss out on all of tomorrow's action if you can swing it, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Anvil live!



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

This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus New Videos!!

A quiet concert weekend is upon us, so barring a late notice confirmation, today's post features this weekend's previously announced concert previews, plus some new videos from two very different local acts. Without any further adieu, here's what you should know!

We'll start our previews with the Sault Ste. Marie debut of Sudbury punk trio Lightmares, who will rock LopLops Lounge TONIGHT! After two fan favourite appearances at both of the Oh!No concert festivals in Leeburn, this will be a long overdue chance for Oh!No attendees and newcomers alike to see Lightmares in the Soo proper, and with their alternative-tinged, upbeat blend of originals, they should get a solid reception among the LopLops faithful! Openers were quietly confirmed in recent weeks, and they will include new local hip-hop jazz quartet Bom Kronik (spelled "Bomb Chronic" on the Facebook event page) and local surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, who also played at Oh!No this year. Diverse but talent-laden lineup, so don't be late for the opening acts! Advertised as promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s 90th concert to date, this show has a 19+ age limit, $5 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time.

With this show tonight and The Therapists returning to our area later this month, this is a good time to be a fan of this year's Oh!No lineup, so if you can swing a Thursday nighter, head to LopLops for all of tonight's varied action, and for a preview, here's Lightmares live last month!

Next up, the only other advertised local hard rock concerts this weekend will take place at the re-opened and relocated Gliss Restaurant, as Tym Morrison's weekly arrangement there begins it's second week since the big move TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Following the grand re-opening on October 27th, Tym resumed his regular run there last week, and will play his second public concert weekend at the former Cesira's location over the next two days. Fans of Tym's regular and proficient blend of hard and classic rock covers should welcome his weekly Gliss matinee gigs back after a 3+ month hiatus, and you can expect more of the same high quality entertainment on Spring Street tomorrow and/or Saturday! Unless there's a late confirmation, these are Tym's only publically announced shows this weekend, and they are 6:00 PM gigs with no announced cover charge or age limit, but mind the more intimate restaurant locale. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



We'll close today with some new videos, starting with a surprise song posting from.... Room 206?! This comes from bassist Brad "Example" Lacell's YouTube channel last week, and while your first guess may be that the song (entitled "Last Stance") is a 20 year old demo from the punk quartet's original run, that doesn't appear to be the case, as the video's description says that it was "recorded for Tidal Records' compilation #1." This seems to imply that former Room 206 members recently reunited to record at least one more song, presumably at Tidal Records' own Mission Control Studios, for an apparent compilation album featuring Tidal-signed artists & collaborators, though this is largely conjecture until there is confirmation beyond this video. For what it's worth, Brad is on Tidal's roster already as a solo artist, and was a bandmate of Tidal head Dustin Jones in The Inner City Surfers. Also note that much of Tidal's recent online posts have revolved around the big Jesse Merineau concert yesterday, so outside topics may have been on hold then.

I was a kid (as in, under 10) during Room 206's heyday, so I missed out on the glory years of the Windsor Park Hotel concert era, but this new song should highly pique the interest of mid-1990s local punk fans! I can't confirm full credits for who's representing Room 206 here, and I'll hold on reviewing "Last Stance" pending teasers of a Tidal compilation album being true, but give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more when and if it comes in!



Finally for today, here's the latest from local cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm, who returned after a lengthy hiatus with two new digital albums on their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! One is entitled "Jesus Died For Our Tins", and the other (embedded below via label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel) is entitled "No More Medical Songs." This seems to signal a shift away from songs named after medical terminology and conditions, though this isn't new, as their 2016 album didn't have any medical song names either. In fact, Malignant Neoplasm's 2018 songs have more in common thematically with their sister goregrind act Crucify the Whore, so if that's more your thing, these will be familiar! While less cyber-influenced than previous material, these new songs (some with suitably provocative titles) remain a quick listen, as despite having 8 and 9 songs respectively, neither crosses 10 minutes in total length. Only 3 songs between them exceed 2 minutes, and 6 don't run for more than 20 seconds, so don't lose track of time when checking them out, as a song could end before you know it!

These albums are both available at the above links on "name your price" models, and while the polarizing gorenoise originals and typically undecipherable vocals will not win over any prior detractors of Blood Shed's grind acts, the aggressive noise rock will be right up the alley of existing label fans! Give all 9+ minutes of "No More Medical Songs" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Tyler and company when it rolls in!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Lightmares & The Wyld Stallyns), Soo's Got Talent Updates, And More!!

With the snow coming down, here's a new news post for your Monday afternoon, and it includes some new videos, updates to a recent music competition, and leading off, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming weeks! Here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will make their Harp Bar & Grill debut on Saturday, October 27th! No word on if this show will have a Halloween theme, but this will be their first announced show since their Tom Petty tribute-themed gig at Room 21 earlier this month. This event is part of the former Madison's Pub's return to live concert bookings, under the stewardship of recent Room 21 booker (and ex-Suicide Kings frontman) Mike Gaetano, complete with a brand new Facebook page and a refreshed Pizza King menu. They've been promoting the new music schedule by saying that "live music begins", and that The Harp is "the Sault's newest live music venue", despite Madison's hosting many concerts in the 2000s, and Tym Morrison performing there regularly from their 2013 relaunch through early 2016. Clearly, The Harp isn't counting the Madison's era, and aside from Tym's shows, they didn't really host live music at the time.

Among other concerts, open mic nights, and karaoke events, The Wyld Stallyns' fan-friendly hard rock covers should go over well in two weeks' time, so don't miss the Elements side project at 701 Pine Street then! This is a 19+ concert with a 9:00 PM start time and no announced cover charge, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more from the Stallyns and the Harp's new concert calendar as it rolls in!

Next up, another out of town band from last month's Oh!No festival in Leeburn will make their way to our area again this fall, as Sudbury punk trio Lightmares will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut on Thursday, November 8th at LopLops Lounge! Fans of the annual Oh!No fest will be no strangers to Lightmares following their sets at both installments, but now fans can see them in the Soo proper, and with their upbeat yet edgy brand of "deadly rock & roll", fans should be eager for more original action from Lightmares next month! Two opening bands are to be announced, and while fellow Oh!No acts would seemingly make sense, none from this year are opening for The Therapists next month, so it's anyone's guess. A presentation of Six, Two, Oh. in what they advertise as their 90th concert to date, this 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Also today, the results are in from Friday night's The Soo's Got Talent second round competition at The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium at The Tech, and unfortunately, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison did not advance to this Friday's third round. As per the official Facebook page, judges chose singers Daniella Brewer and Michaela Lynn, rapper Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow, acoustic rock quartet The Primarinas, and magician Darren Emond as the announced "top 5", while blues singer/guitarist Leon "Li'l Eagle" Kyle & singer Bethany Pelletier were also advanced as wild cards. You can see those 7 acts hit the stage again for the third of four rounds of this competition, and our best wishes go out to everyone as the showdown heats up! As they did for the prior rounds, video footage of the surviving acts was uploaded to Facebook yesterday, with all but Darren in the video below (his magic performance was posted separately due to technical difficulties.)

There are some hard rock covers from the musical acts, so what should you know there? After an introduction by co-organizer Barbara Rajnovich, you'll see Li'l Eagle playing an original song (I believe), Daniella covering Evanescence's "My Immortal (at 7:25), Bethany covering Katy Perry's "Roar", The Primarinas covering Nirvana's "All Apologies" (at 15:26), Michaela covering Meghan Trainor's "Better When I'm Dancing", and Bold Noize rapping an original composition. Best of luck to the talented lineup moving onto Friday's third round, so check everything out above and below, and we'll let you know if more hard rock performances surface!



Finally, here's a surprise find from a recent YouTube search: A rare live cover song by Woods of Ypres! In the defunct local black/doom metal band's final Toronto-era concerts from 2007, they added a cover of Katatonia's "Deadhouse" to their set, including at the January 2007 Moonsorrow concert there, as documented at the time via their old message board. Frontman David Gold even stated there in 2008 that they planned to record a studio version of "Deadhouse", but if it was ever completed, it was never released, much like their earlier cover of Bathory's "Lake of Fire". A prior live video of Woods' cover of "Deadhouse" has long since been taken off of YouTube (Toronto-era live videos are rare enough already), but YouTube user ruinedcities quietly uploaded an audio recording of this very cover last month from an unidentified concert, which appears to have circulated in Katatonia cover bootlegs. The audio quality isn't great, especially for vocal clarity, but how does this sound?

Woods of Ypres seem to do Katatonia justice with this rendition, and given that it's from Katatonia's first full doom metal album without death growling vocals, this could be seen as a bit of foreshadowing towards Woods' own shift to a more melodic doom metal sound from 2009 onward. I just wish the audio quality was better, but give this rare cover a listen below, and hopefully more media from Woods of Ypres' mid-2000s concerts surfaces down the line!



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

Oh!No 2018 Video Showcase, Part 2!!

Hey everyone, here's our second showcase post of videos from last week's Oh!No concert festival at Robbie's Church in nearby Leeburn, Ontario, with all videos courtesy of Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel once again! For our rundown of videos from the closing three acts, the bonfire, professional photography, and assorted household cleaning notes, visit yesterday's post below this one. Continuing in descending order, Chris filmed Thunder Bay psychedelic/desert punk quintet The Franquilizers next, capturing them performing the last half of a song which I cant 100% identify by name (maybe it's new?) The dark nighttime lighting doesn't help visibility here, but this song has a laid back feel while also harbouring some hardcore punk-tinged vocals. Not an optimal view, but The Franquilizers' got a solid reception last week, as they did last year, so give Chris' video of their set a look below!



Next up, here's some more Northern Ontario punk action from last week, courtesy of Sudbury trio Lightmares, who are seen here playing their original song "Soup". More of a modern indie rock-tinged sound here, but there's enough punk energy and swagger to go around with this solid performance, and the lighting is a little better on stage! Strong performance, if a little muffled in the video, so give Lightmares' video from Leeburn a look below!



Also performing last week (during the sunset, even) were Barrie punk quartet Beaver Slap, as this fan favourite, all-female group can be seen here performing three songs, though they were performing sans singer Midge Beaver for reasons unannounced in an online form. While they played some songs as a three-piece (including the Chris-filmed "Don't Bleed"), they also jammed an open mic selection for attendees to join in on. As seen in both Donna Hopper's and Mimi Abitbol's photos from the festival (the latter on the band's Facebook page), you can spot the likes of C.T.W.'s Tyler Gibson, festival co-promoter/ex-Fuller frontman Jamie Vincent, and even a young girl (as in, elementary age) taking over lead vocal duties for short turns. Chris did film two videos featuring guest singers, including one with Bear Hunters singer Nik Deubel channeling his inner Rick Astley by covering "Never Gonna Give You Up"?! I don't believe that's what Beaver Slap are actually playing, but beggars can't be choosers!

Nik reminds me a bit of Glenn Danzig with his cleans before unleashing his usual growl, but I want to hear him in higher quality before fully judging. The other video (embedded below) features Winkstinger frontman Josh Amendola singing a song I can't easily identify, and while he still faces the side of the stage too often when singing, his harsh vocals shred through the music well! Beaver Slap adapted nicely to being short-handed with a crowd friendly backup plan, and the girls sound good throughout the clips, so give their videos a look above and below as well!



Finally for our second Oh!No fallout/video post, let's tackle the remaining out of town bands from last week's festivities! The day's first touring attraction was Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora, who Chris filmed for this video, though I can't identify the song by name. Garbageface aside, F.C.A. were the only touring non-punk/metal band on the bill, but their melodic and easy flowing sound comes through really well on this video, so genre fans should get a kick out of them! As well, visit Forest City Aurora's Facebook page for one more video of their set courtesy of a band colleague. We'll close today with the second out of town band last week, as F.C.A. were immediately followed by London post-grindcore trio Fat Cop, who Chris filmed two videos of, partially because the first video's lighting is too bright thanks to the sun (the second video with better lighting is embedded below.) That said, this barely sounds like the same band as on their studio recordings, in some respects!

From what I've heard of Fat Cop on Bandcamp, I expected a lo-fi instrumental noise rock attack, but in these videos, they have more vocals and more of a punk influence. New sound, or just how things translate live compared to the studio? In any event, their aggressive sound looks like it got a positive response from attendees near the mid-point of Oh!No II, so give their videos a look above and below!



We'll likely close our Oh!No festival fallout and videos in the coming days by looking at the local openers, plus any odds and ends I missed regarding the event and out of town bands, so look for those and more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Wyld Stallyns), Plus Oh!No & Banned Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this weekend's first concert preview post, just a heads up that the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page is advertising 3 Day Millionaires concerts this weekend at Reggie's West, despite that band's dissolution in July. I believe those shows were once a thing, but obviously not anymore post-breakup. As for this weekend's official hard rock & punk concerts in the Soo area, we'll be holding our Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest and Tym Morrison previews for tomorrow's post due to the amount in today's, so things are spread out more evenly. Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to Room 21 as their Fishbowl Friday headliners TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Tuesday. Last seen as campfire jam hosts at the Northern Vibe Festival, this will be the Elements side project's first Room 21 gig in over a month, so if you've missed this fan favourite unit above Low & Slow, head there TOMORROW! The event page teases that there will be "all the Jonas you can take", which seems to imply that Elements drummer Jonas Gasperas will be a guest musician TOMORROW, but that's not firmly stated. This concert has a 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and no announced cover charge, while fishbowls full of adult beverages will be on sale for $8 if that floats your boat. Visit the above links for more details on TOMORROW's concert, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!



Next up, we'll take a quick detour to Kinross, Michigan, where local classic/hard rock veterans Banned will play their third and final 2018 concert at the Jack Passmore Grandstand at Kinross Speedpark during this year's auto racing season TOMORROW NIGHT! After two prior shows this summer as post-practice entertainment, tomorrow's previously announced concert will see Banned playing their familiar cover selection after the Four Cylinder Friday races during the Memorial Invitational weekend events to cap off this year's racing schedule in Kinross. Unlike their prior 2018 gigs here, Banned are not playing Saturday at the grandstand, with Rudyard classic rockers Steelhead playing post-race that day instead. Expect a 9:00 PM start time with no age limits, and admission is $5 for Friday's race (kids are FREE.) Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



Finally for today's concert preview post, let's head to nearby Leeburn, Ontario for the second annual Oh!No music festival, as Six, Two, Oh. are bringing 18 acts to "Robbie's Church" there for a day full of musical mayhem THIS SATURDAY! As well hyped in local news media, at 1990s dance parties, and via ticket sales at the MS Norgoma, this day-long festival will feature food vendors, overnight camping, and a "bring your own beer" policy, so if you loved last year's ambiance, you're in good hands for Oh!No II! The official schedule for the festival was quietly posted on the Facebook event page last month, and it confirms a few unreported band withdrawals and replacements, so who's out? Specifically, local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, local indie/alt-rock quartet Id Iota, and drone/noise rock trio Pointless, and while reasons weren't stated for their exits, note that Shit Liver hadn't publically ended their summer break at press time. Hopefully all's well in their camps! Also, remember that Vol. already dropped out upon their breakup earlier this year.

Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface (a favourite at 2017 shows here) will close this year's festival at 1:00 AM, while Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring former Lion Ride guitarist Mark Rand) will end a 5 year hiatus from the local stage as the highest slotted metal/punk band at 12:00 AM. Sudbury "psychedelic party rock" quintet The Therapists will ostensibly replace Shit Liver at 11:15 PM for their regional concert debut, while the preceding 3 bands are all out of town acts returning from last year's Oh!No Fest, including Thunder Bay desert rock quintet The Franquilizers at 10:15 PM, Sudbury punk band Lightmares at 9:15 PM, and Barrie punk quartet Beaver Slap at 8:30 PM. Two festival newcomers will open the out of town half of the schedule, namely London post-grindcore trio Fat Cop at 7:45 PM and Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora at 6:45 PM. Your closing local act at 6:00 PM is Planet Rock, the new hip hop project from 2017 performer DJ Seith and rapper St. James.

The all-local opening half continues with new surf-rock quartet The Dynowaves (featuring 2017 performer Brenton "Slumshine" Ellis) at 5:20 PM, and punk/metal quintet Jack Spades at 4:40 PM, while indie rock duo Mik & Steve will replace their predecessor band Vol. at 4:00 PM. Three more returning local bands precede them, including death metal quartet Winkstinger at 3:20 PM, alt-punk trio A Dire Setback at 2:40 PM, and funk/hard rock quartet The Elements at 2:00 PM. Indie/folk solo artists Jackson Reed & Shae Tull will play short afternoon sets at 1:30 & 1:00 PM respectively, while one more new confirmation will kick off this year's festival at 12:30 PM, namely former Honest Job frontman Mister Tahti in a rare solo set. Despite some lineup changes and a drop from 19 bands to only 18, this is a stacked all-day lineup, so be sure to check out the above bands, new and old! Admission for this ALL AGES festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the door, which may be higher than last year, but remember that this year's lineup has more bands.

Tickets are available at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and via local performers, while visit the Facebook event page linked above for details on how to get to "Robbie's Church". Also, given the relatively remote location, ride sharing is an encouraged method to get to Leeburn if you don't have an available vehicle or if you find a cab to be expensive. This year's Oh!No festival is shaping up to be another great day of local and out of town music, with a little something for many tastes, so be sure to check the above links for full details on all of the action in Leeburn on Saturday, and for a preview, here's Cross Dog live in Sault Ste. Marie back in 2013!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest preview and more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Oh!No Music Festival II & Banned!!)

Here's a new news post for your Saturday afternoon reading, and it's devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on each side of the border, including a big returning festival! Before I get too far, just a reminder that a musicians' mixer will be held at The Canadian Nightclub TONIGHT where local musicians can meet, coordinate, and arrange musical collaborations. This is not a concert, but it's being promoted by Jeremy Hannah's Sault MusicScene agency. 9:00 PM, 19+, no announced cover, so keep it in mind if you're looking for musicians to jam/work with! Now, here's those new concerts!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned have announced a handful of new concert dates for 2018, as per new Facebook event page creations through their Facebook page, and they start with three gigs at the Jack Passmore Grandstand at Kinross Speedpark on June 2nd, June 23rd, and September 7th! Remember, Banned played their hometown race track last September too, so this is nothing new for them. They'll be serving as entertainment after Saturday practice wraps up on June 2nd & 23rd (the practice sessions for the season opener and Triple Crown events respectively), while the September 7th show will follow the Friday practice for the Memorial Invitational race, so keep these relatively unique concert sets in mind for later this year! In more traditional realms, Banned will also return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on September 28th-29th and on December 14th-15th, returning there for the first time since March, so don't miss those either!

These concerts also join newly confirmed gigs on July 3rd & 11th in De Tour Village and Curtis, both of which are outside of our 1 hour coverage range. The three Kinross Speedpark shows are listed at 9:00 PM with no age limit or cover charge (though note that the races proper have ticket admission), while the Rapids Lounge shows are at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover. Click here for Facebook event pages on these and previously announced Banned shows in 2018, and don't miss this talented group at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace next month!

Next up, the Oh!No Music Festival is officially on for year #2, so what should you know on it? Taking place on Saturday, September 8th, the Six, Two, Oh.-promoted concert festival will return to "Robbie's Church" in nearby Leeburn, Ontario, with much the same atmosphere of last year's event, with overnight camping and "hangouts" available, and food vendors on site, though no word yet on a prospective bonfire. The performer lineup is expanded from 13 to 17 acts this year, with only four bands from last year not returning for 2018 (The Elements, Handsome Sandwich, and out of towners Run Coyote & Artificial Dissemination), so if you liked last year's roster, you should be right at home once again! The seven out of town bands will include Barrie punk quartet Beaver Slap, Sudbury punk standouts Lightmares, and Thunder Bay desert rock quintet The Franquilizers (all back from 2017), alongside four touring bands new to Oh!No '18, so who are they?

The other 4 out of town acts include Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring former Lion Ride guitarist Mark Rand) in their first local concert appearance in five years, and Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface (as seen at a few well received local shows last year), while Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora and London post-grindcore trio Fat Cop will be making their local concert debuts at the Oh!No fest. This lineup alone is stacked, and it's particularly cool to see Cross Dog back after far too long! The 10 local bands this year include four returning bands, they being punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, alt-punk trio A Dire Setback, death metal quartet Winkstinger (in their first announced show of 2018), indie/hard rock trio Vol., and drone rock trio Pointless, while 2017 solo performer  Brenton "Slumshine" Ellis will return in his new surf rock band The Dynowaves.

The new additions for 2018 include local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver and alt-hard rock quartet Id Iota, plus indie/folk solo artists Jackson Reed & Shae Tull, though no word yet on if DJ Seith will be back to spin tunes between bands. Quite a stacked lineup full of familiar faces, including a much sooner Shit Liver return than we anticipated (if only their splitmates AlgomA were playing too!) More details, including full timeslots, admission fees, and ticket locations are to be announced , but tickets go on sale on July 1st. For reference, they cost $25 last year, but there were also less bands. As well, with a shuttle bus likely not in the cards, remember that promoters encouraged ride-sharing and cab rentals for fans to get to Leeburn and back last year, given the relatively remote locale. There are a lot of unknowns yet for Oh!No II, but visit the official Facebook event page for full details, and it's great to have it back on September 8th! Stay tuned for more details as they roll in!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Din), Their Impending Breakup, And The Oh!No 2017 Music Festival Preview!!

This longer-than-usual news post is devoted to two extended topics: Our preview of a massive music festival in our area tomorrow night, and leading off, lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS relating to a prominent local band whose days as an active presence in the scene are sadly numbered. Here's what you should know on this Friday morning!

Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din have announced that they will be disbanding following a farewell headlining concert (and CD release show) at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, October 21st. As unfortunately announced on Tuesday via their Facebook page and related video below, The Din confirmed their impending split, saying that this was an "incredibly difficult decision to make", but frontman Mike Haggith says in the video that "there isn't very much opportunity (to) get all the living done that we want to if we keep going like this", with Mike's likely work-related relocation out of the Soo a contributing factor. However, the news isn't all bad, as they will release their second and final studio album at LopLops on October 21st, with a limited print run of 50 CDs for the occasion (no word on price or Bandcamp availability yet), with Mike noting that they returned to where they started to record it at Pretoria Hill Productions, presumably with earlier demos now being the final copies.

This isn't all for The Din's fall plans, as they will still play at THIS SUNDAY's Loud & Proud event at The Bushplane Museum (look for it's preview in our next post), but The Din also have four more shows to play in the interim! As first announced in the comments of the video below, they'll play a show next week at Sault College's campus lounge Odeno (basically The Outback's replacement) on Thursday, September 14th, in what may be a farewell/thank you event from aviation graduate Mike to his alma mater, but no details are out on this event beyond a 7:00 PM start time. A cosplay optional family picnic set for Sault Pridefest is also advertised for Saturday, September 23rd down at the Soo Locks, with their set planned for 11:00 AM (yes, AM!) The Din will also play a presumed solo concert at The Canadian Nightclub on Friday, September 29th at 9:00 PM, while their last opening set will be on Monday, October 11th when they open for Niagara Falls indie/pop rock trio James Blonde at LopLops Lounge. They're not going gentle into that good night!

Of the four new shows, the Pride picnic will be ALL AGES but the rest are 19+. The LopLops show will likely have a cover charge of at least $5, but the rest likely have no cover. See above for details where available on them, and look for our Loud & Proud preview soon! The news of The Din's breakup is very sudden and disappointing, but like the band Haggith's initial breakup announcement from 4 years prior, at least we have advance notice and more chances to see Mike, Tammy, and Brandan on stage before the big farewell and CD release on October 21st! In terms of that show, expect a 9:30 PM start time and 19+ age limit, but there has been no announcement yet on admission fees. As well, an opening band is expected to be named, and advance singles from the album will be posted online in the lead-up to the event. I hope everyone stays active in music after next month, be it in solo form or new bands, but enjoy The Din while you can, visit the official Facebook event page for more on the farewell show, and here's The Din's video announcement on their breakup!

Finally for today, here's our extended preview of TOMORROW'S Oh!No 2017 Music Festival in nearby Leeburn, Ontario! A spiritual successor to promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s prior Das Bunkerfest event, this end-of-summer festival will see thirteen bands and one DJ cram into Robbie's Church (truly a former church turned residence) in nearby Leeburn for a day full of musical intensity from out of town and local bands alike, including a few new confirmations, so who can you expect tomorrow? The nominal headlining act is DJ Seith with some night-capping turntable mixes at 1:00 AM, but in terms of bands, promoters impressively managed to get all 5 touring bands in the closing slots. Those bands are Toronto country/indie rock band Run Coyote at 11:30 PM, Barrie all-female punk quartet (and local headliners from June) Beaver Slap at 10:30 PM, Sudbury punk trio Lightmares at 9:30 PM, and two bands who played here last year, namely Hamilton punk rockers Artificial Dissemination at 8:30 PM & Thunder Bay desert rock group The Franquilizers at 7:15 PM.

Local bands will include new indie/hard rock trio Vol. at 6:30 PM, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades at 5:45 PM, drone/ambient rock trio Pointless (replacing a planned solo set from frontman Bill Priddle) at 4:30 PM, and alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback (in their second show in under 24 hours) at 3:45 PM. Prior to one of two mid-show intermissions, the opening acts will be funk/hard rock quartet The Elements at 2:45 PM, Brent Ellis' new project Slumshine at 2:00 PM, reunited extreme metal rockers Winkstinger at 1:15 PM, and indie/punk rock trio Handsome Sandwich (in their first show in 2 months) opening the festival at 12:30 PM. Notably, both The Elements & Handsome Sandwich are late confirmations for the festival lineup, with one/both replacing doom metal trio AlgomA for unannounced reasons, possibly due to their promotional duties for Oh!No 2017. Great to see the new bands the bill, and don't miss AlgomA on October 2nd! Six, Two, Oh. will also be filming the days bands, though no word yet on what form their public postings will be in.

A bonfire, outdoor activities, vendors, food from The Gore Street Cafe, and on-site parking and camping will be available for festival patrons, so feel free to stay awhile and enjoy the festival's entire scope tomorrow! No age limit is stated for the fest, and tickets are $25 via the cafe, The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Northland Music, Coch's Corner, and Big Guns Barbershop, while you can also get hooked up from local performers, and presumably at the door, while directions to the festival (just outside of Bruce Mines) and extra details can be found at the official Facebook event page. Also, while early shuttle bus plans were cancelled due to cost concerns, promoters are encouraging prospective attendees to consider ride-sharing or cab rentals to get to Leeburn for the show tomorrow if unable to drive there yourselves, so you do have options to get to the Oh!No Festival! This presumably inaugural festival promises to deliver loads of entertaining music from many genres!

The unique setting in an old church outside of town should provide an intriguing backdrop to all of this action, so whether you can stay all day, can camp beyond, or can only see a few bands, definitely consider a trip to Leeburn TOMORROW if at all possible for this ambitious festival! See above for more details on tomorrow's action, here's a preview video of Beaver Slap live, and stay tuned for more news on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival & Curtis McKenzie), Plus More Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's round out this weekend's currently announced hard rock concert previews today, focusing on Saturday-only events, but to lead off, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one of a huge scale, the other on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will return to The Vape Escape on MacDonald Avenue for another solo concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Tuesday, and it was held for our second preview post due to it's relatively later scheduling among shows over this stretch. This will be Curt's fourth solo appearance at the new e-cigarette/vaping lounge behind Tim-Br Mart, and first in over a month, though he has played a pair of solo concerts elsewhere in the interim. That said, this show will be different from his prior Vape Escape sets, as he'll have a special guest on hand, namely former Haggith bandmate Caleb Cachagee, who is advertised to be playing a set on bass. It's not 100% clear whether Caleb is opening for Curt or is backing him up for one set, but it's great to see them back on stage together, so come out TOMORROW to see how this shapes up!

Like his prior Vape Escape shows, TOMORROW's event is a 7:30 PM affair with no announced cover charge, and you must be 18 or older to attend. Curtis' resurgent solo project has been impressing fans all over again locally, and it's clear that The Vape Escape has been a favourite venue for his solo sets in recent months, so definitely consider attending this one for some solo hard rock cover action! See above for more details, and here's Curt live!



Next up, here's one more huge show before our Destroyer preview, as Six, Two, Oh. are hosting the Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival on Saturday, September 9th! We waited to plug this on the site, as the venue was originally somewhat ambiguous, but we can now confirm it's taking place in Leeburn, Ontario (near the Bruce Mines town limits) at Robbie's Church near the Highway 638 & Center Line Road turnoff, though I don't know if this is a formal active church or just the name given to it. Sort of a distant spiritual successor to Das Bunkerfest, this concert will see twelve musical acts playing all day, including 5 out of town attractions, so who all can you expect? In no particular order, the touring bands will include Sudbury punk trio Lightmares, Barrie all-female punk quartet Beaver Slap (fresh off of their Rockstar Bar show last month), Toronto country/indie rock quartet Run Coyote, Hamilton garage punk rockers Artificial Dissemination (who opened for K-Man & The 45s here last fall), and Thunder Bay "desert rock" quintet The Franquilizers (who opened for 1971 here last summer.)

The roster of local bands at the Oh!NO Festival will include punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, doom metal trio (and Six, Two, Oh.'s own) AlgomA, a debuting local band named Slumshine (no word on their lineup, sound, or online pages at press time), alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback, reunited extreme metal quartet Winkstinger (in their first public concert in well over a year), new local indie/hard rock trio Vol. (featuring Pixo Control and Aldous alumni), and a solo set by Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle. How's all of that for a stacked lineup? I admittedly can't find any details yet on Slumshine, but it's great to see Winkstinger back on stage after a lengthy hiatus (they're back in our active band links), and it'll be interesting to hear how each band sounds! Also, just for clarification, Run Coyote no longer feature ex-Caddy Street Avenue drummer Andrew Dal Cin in their lineup, in case you saw the name and assumed he'd be back home for this event.

Six, Two, Oh. will be filming bands at the Oh!No Festival, which takes place at 11:00 AM until 2:00 AM with no stated age limit, and admission is $25, though this includes pick-up & drop-off at The Station Mall parking lot in a rented bus (a'la 2013's Big Loonie Bus Show), so if you'd rather not drive an hour, you have an alternative! Camping, a bonfire, and food vendors will be available on site, and tickets are now available at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Northland Music, Coch's Corner, Big Guns Barbershop, and maybe The Gore Street Cafe. This concert is shaping up to be a huge event to help ring in the fall, so visit the official Facebook event page for current & upcoming details!

Finally for today, we'll wrap up this weekend's currently known hard rock concert previews, as Windsor-based Kiss tribute band Destroyer will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario with a headlining gig at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Making their fourth local concert appearance on record tomorrow, this will be Destroyer's first trip north to the Soo in over two years, and for fans clamoring for Kiss classics on a a local stage again, this tribute should deliver the visual and auditory goods! You wanted the best, so here's the next best thing to the best! Unlike their May 2015 show here (opened by the now-inactive Griphook), Destroyer have no advertised local acts kicking off the evening tomorrow. This 19+ event has a 10:00 PM start time, and while official sources oddly aren't publicizing prices for tickets (available at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk), 2015's show saw $12 advance ticket sales that jumped to $16 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Destroyer live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks everyone!