LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225!!)

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 have announced new concerts for September and October, as per their website's calendar, so where will fans be able to see them next? We'll get into their "uncorked" show on Thursday during our next round of concert previews due to the proximity of the event, as the band did not publically confirm their involvement early enough for us to plug it without being considered "short notice". We already knew about their August 29th show at The Water Tower Pub, and we'll address the band playing there on Friday, August 28th in an upcoming post this week if able, given the ongoing backlog clearout here. The first brand new show will be on Friday, September 11th, when your local 225 will kick off the fall season by headlining the annual Bruce Mines Fall Fair (a.k.a. Central Algoma Exhibition)! Technically, this is the first time that we have covered an SMS-amenable band playing at this event.

However, classic/hard rock cover trio The Sidekicks were among the opening bands for last year's Saturday concert headlined by The Luxury. Apologies for missing that, but remember, I didn't know that they leaned towards hard rock last fall. This year, the band aspect of the Fall Fair an hour southeast of the Soo (basically on the edge of our coverage range going east on Highway 17) will allegedly include a Saturday concert again, even though I cannot find public confirmation of who yet, but Bone Yard will be performing right after the annual demolition derby on the opening Friday night program. If you like seeing cars get smashed up, let alone Bone Yard's hard rocking sound, keep this in mind! Bone Yard's concert and the demolition derby will both take place at the Bruce Mines Fairgrounds at Highway 638 in Bruce Mines, and the only start time given is for the derby at 7:00 PM (implying that they'd prefer if you come for that too and stay for the band.)

This is all ages, but there will be a beer garden on-site, and while admission is $10 for a day pass and $25 for the three day festivities (kids 12 and under are free), the concert tickets specifically are $30, but will include admission to the Saturday concert, whoever is playing. Despite the costs, it sounds like a fun day, so visit the above links for more details, including all of the other family activities at the Bruce Mines Fall Fair in four weeks! Two weeks after this trip east, Bone Yard will also hit the highway (albeit just 20 minutes away) to Echo Bay for a special "End Of Summer Bash" at the Elks Lodge #535 there on Saturday, September 26th! While this really isn't summer anymore by then, the southward equinox is earlier that week, so the shoe fits in that way.  We haven't covered an Echo Bay concert on here since Soundcheck played a couple of shows there in 2024, but alas, I missed one.

As it turns out, Soundcheck played at their slo-pitch tournament again on June 27th of this year, as confirmed via this AI-generated poster on the Echo Bay Elks Lodge's Facebook page. It's tougher to catch some Soundcheck bookings when they update their social media so scarcely, but apologies again, and I hope the guys had a good time and crowd in June! I don't know if there's an official reason for Bone Yard 225's booking next month beyond the end of summer, but hopefully they rock the lodge well and have a strong turnout! The Elks Lodge is located at 96 Church Street off of Highway 17B (that's the old highway.) That concert has an 8:00 PM start time, no stated age limit, and an admission fee of $15 (contact the names on the Facebook event page if you want advance tickets). In terms of typical nightclub gigs in the Soo, Bone Yard 225 will play a rare double header weekend at Beck's Bar in early October!

The former will be a regular nighttime show (their first plugged-in public concert in the Soo in two months) on Saturday, October 3rd at 9:00 PM and the latter will be an "uncorked" matinee on Sunday, October 4th at 3:00 PM. Finally, fresh off of their "uncorked" gig at The Water Tower Pub in two weeks, they will return there for another acoustic show on Friday, October 9th, which will take place on the Thanksgiving long weekend. As always, they exclusively play here "uncorked", so keep Greg, Alex, and Warren's softer side in mind for this upcoming one-nighter, which is 19+ at 9:00 PM with no cover. Busy times ahead for Bone Yard 225 as they round out their summer calendar and enter the autumn, so visit the above links for more on the southern fried hard rock action ahead! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (HeadF1rst & The Nameless) And New Year's Eve Concert Previews!!

In what will likely be our last normal post of 2025 (our annual "year-in-review" post is likely coming tomorrow), here's previews of tomorrow's known hard rock New Year's Eve concerts, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE! Just a reminder first though that Tym Morrison's planned Eagles Club show tomorrow was cancelled. Also, you may have seen reference on social media to a New Year's bash featuring The Apocalypse Afterparty, A.D.S.P., The Spaceship Opening, and Gimiiwan Ikwe, but that is a private event without a publically given address. Inquire with performers if that piques your interest though! Now, let's lead off with our New Year's Eve previews in Michigan!

Local hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will end 2025 in style by making their debut at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley TOMORROW NIGHT for their New Year's Eve party! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this gig via their Facebook page yesterday, and Bay Mills never acknowledged a New Year's concert on their website's calendar, though head there to see what other seasonal activities are happening there. Last seen on stage at The Merch on December 12th, TOMORROW's concert will be quite a way for Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie to make their first ever Brimley stop, and while no festive frills are hyped on the band's end, hopefully this will be the heaviest way for E.U.P. rock fans to ring in 2026 with! Owing to the New Year's timing, this show has an unusually late start time of 10:00 PM, a 21+ age limit, and no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's The Nameless live!

Next up, let's take a brief detour from New Year's concerts for a new show announcement for 2026, as Sault Ontario hard rock quintet HeadF1rst will play their... first show of the year at Beck's Bar on Saturday, January 10th! If this show is a surprise to you, I'm not surprised, as it was quietly tucked in their most recent Facebook page posting from this past Saturday, which was primarily to show off photos of them at the same venue back in June. You have to click "See more" to see the show announcement, and while they never did come back for "round 2" in this calendar year, the guys (and Claire) will return next weekend! This will be their first concert anywhere since rocking Shooters on December 6th. HeadF1rst's hard rocking brand of originals and covers will be on display next Saturday at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and Beck's should confirm things on their end on Monday!

Now let's head back to New Year's Eve concert previews, and while the mid-week timing of December 31st this year has stunted some concert booking potential, Thursday is a day off, and there are a couple more hard rock concerts in Sault Ontario to take in TOMORROW. Arguably the bigger of the two goes down in the east end, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will end the year in style by headlining the New Year's party at The Moose Lodge tomorrow night! A very rare SMS-amenable booking at the Trunk Road hall, this will be Bone Yard's first show in almost two weeks, and they should be in fine form to send 2025 out on a high note! Along with music from "the dirty three", there will be a pasta dinner and cash bar included, along with other seasonal frills, so mind all that given that tickets cost $50 at The Moose Lodge or via e-mail at lodge535@shaw.ca.

The band's own cache of tickets is sold out, and of course, you can chance paying at the door if this all interests you. If you'd rather see your local 225 with no cover, they'll be back next month with multiple bar gigs that we will be elaborating on here shortly. Doors open at 6:00 PM with the pasta dinner beginning at 7:00 PM, and Bone Yard take the stage at 9:00 PM. If you want the full shebang for your New Year's festivities, then head down to The Moose Lodge tomorrow night to ring in 2026 in hard rocking style! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here they are live!

Finally for TOMORROW NIGHT (and 2025), local hard rock cover quartet Half Past will end the year when they headline the New Year's Eve party at the aforementioned Beck's Bar! Playing their first concert since rocking the same venue in early October, this will cap off what was an eventful first full year back for Half Past after their decade+ breakup, and hopefully their brand of modern-leaning "hard rock (that) you'll actually feel" proves to be the right soundtrack for many to ring in 2026 with! In terms of seasonal frills, Beck's is promising drink specials tomorrow, and while I'm not one to go into massive details on the food offerings and menus at bars here, this is the first Beck's concert that we have covered since they struck a deal for the Matt’s Grill BBQ & Catering food truck to park on the premises daily from 5:00 PM-1:00 AM. Keep that in mind if getting a meal or some unofficial hors d'oeuvres for the New Year is of note! Here is the menu if you are curious. 

Unlike at The Moose Lodge, the New Year's Eve party at Beck's has no cover charge or tickets, but this remains a 19+ event with the band beginning at 9:00 PM, and note that the former Vibe Lounge will remain open until 3:00 AM, one hour later than normal. Hopefully there's a strong turnout at Beck's for their first New Year's bash, let alone Half Past's modern hard rock proficiency, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Half Past live at Beck's! 

That's all for now, but if all goes according to plan, stay tuned for our 2025 "year-in-review" post on the SMS next, with normal weekend concert previews to follow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bone Yard 225), Related News, And Toystock Lineup Updates!!

Before we get into this post, I wanted to profusely apologize for forgetting to preview Hornepayne classic/hard rock quartet Damage Case's concert at Soo Blaster on Saturday night in this weekend's concert previews. How that slipped me by, especially given the homecoming of bassist Will Tholberg, I'll never know, but note that 705Live Sound Co.'s Facebook post about the show from yesterday morning erroneously implies that the show was last night (it was 100% one night only on Saturday). Hopefully Will and crew had a great show, and that they come back our way in the near future! 

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will end 2025 by headlining the New Year's Eve party on Wednesday, December 31st at The Moose Lodge at 543 Trunk Road! Definitely an unexpected locale for "the dirty three", but The Moose Lodge has sporadically come up as a concert host for SMS purposes, most recently when Soundcheck played for Terry Eaton's Great Northern Opry induction in June 2023, and prior to that, in 2015. Curiously, Bone Yard have yet to publicize their involvement in this event on their own social media, but this is Toystock week, so they are definitely pre-occupied getting that rolling (more on that in a bit). This is a proper ticketed 19+ New Year's bash, complete with a cash bar, dinner, and more seasonal frivolities, so definitely keep tabs with the lodge for full details on how to ring in 2026 in style! As such, tickets run for $50 and you can buy them at the lodge or by contacting lodge535@shaw.ca.

Bone Yard proper take the stage at 9:00 PM, but doors open at 6:00 PM with dinner at 7:00 PM. This should be a fun event with all of the year-end frills you'd hope for (especially at that cost), so visit the above links for more on Bone Yard 225's last concert of the year! While we're on the subject, let's touch on some other recent Bone Yard updates while they've been taking a pre-Toystock break from the stage! As you may recall, a flash mob of over a dozen women dressed like Helen Roper from Three's Company showed up when the guys headlined at Reggie's Place last November, and the gang of Mrs. Ropers made their way to their Esquire Club show on November 8th! Your photo proof is on the left, courtesy of their Facebook page. What the end game of the Mrs. Ropers is, who's to say, but it's fun for classic sitcom fans! Two days later, they announced that their single "Fuck!" has been re-released on major streaming services with a new name.

Whether it will retain this name on their forthcoming CD, I don't know, but on Spotify and such, it's now called "The F Word", possibly in response to the title getting flagged for its blatant expletive. Nothing else has changed, but keep the new name in mind! A Facebook video that same day shows Greg Simpson playing a.... unique pair of drums, while this vertical video from five days later teases that they were "back at it", and based on the B.T.O. song as backing music, "takin' care of business". implying that they were recording in studio again. Later that day, guitarist Alex D'Ettore and bassist Warren Reville starred in this video where they teased that they "re-did something" while Greg was hunting, but they didn't want to send it yet because Greg was asleep at the time. I assume this relates to their album, but I'm sure we will see what they meant in due course!

Most other updates weren't directly related to new band activity, though embedded below is a video shot the night that the Mrs. Ropers brigade crashed their Reggie's show last year, and it features Greg and Alex trying out hula hoops at 2:00 AM after the show ended. Fun palate cleanser for sure, so give it a watch below, and stay tuned for more from your local 225!

We'll close today's post with clarifications (if not 100% ones) on the two mystery bands playing at the twelfth annual Christmas Cheer benefit concert Toystock at The Grand Gardens North on Sunday! On Thursday, organizers began sharing info on their Facebook page on "the 10 bands of Toystock" in scheduled performance order, which meant that Saturday's post was about the debuting Sunday & The Broken Hearts (the late replacements for Redundant). Toystock proper haven't said anything about band lineups yet, but the band is reportedly an "old-school rock & blues outfit" that plays "smoke-drenched blues, soul-soaked 70's R&B, and rock & roll" with "the spirit of the vinyl era". Shares of the post imply that Eight Seventies/Dark Eyed Junko singer/guitarist Jason Gasparetto will be leading this group, but we await fuller details. Likely not hard rock-leaning, but there should be lots of talent here! Now, how about The Reeves?

They won't get their "10 bands of Toystock" write-up until Friday, but personal Facebook postings suggest that The Reeves are successors to 2023-2024 Toystock performers The Haze (f.k.a. Skinbox), with singer/guitarists Steve Edwards (ex-Pixo Control) & Brad Irwin (ex-Gnaeus) now joined by bassist Adam Dawe and drummer Jeremy Ganuelas, who were the rhythm section of mid-2010s hard rock quartet Long Shot. The Haze were an indie/alternative rock band, so will The Reeves lean to that, or members' heavier past band work? We'll know more soon! Stay tuned for more on Toystock in our preview this weekend, and for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck) Plus More Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

This busy weekend concert preview slate begun early with Thursday nighters yesterday, and moves into Friday-Saturday shows in Sault Ste. Marie city limits for post #2. The plan is to preview the Northern Vibe Festival next (I did get a tentative schedule from one of the performers), with this weekend's two ARCH benefit motorcycle rally concerts and Wax Mannequin to follow where space and time allows. Stay tuned on those fronts, but here's what you should know for this weekend otherwise, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will head just outside of town to Echo Bay TOMORROW NIGHT for a second concert at The Elks Lodge there linked to slo-pitch baseball! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this show via the band's Facebook page yesterday, though the Echo Bay Sunday Slo-Pitch League Facebook page first confirmed their involvement last week. Soundcheck had first rocked Echo Bay in June as part of the Elks Bay Days tournament, but things clearly went well for the baseball players and fans in Echo Bay then, as their return TOMORROW's concert is for the league proper's end-of-season banquet, and will be preceded by a catered dinner with cash bar. This is a ticketed and publically attendable event, and admission will be $20 (kids 10 & under are free), which will also enter you for the door prize.

Soundcheck's set TOMORROW NIGHT at 96 Church Street is at 9:00 PM running for your standard nightclub runtime, and free on-site camping is also available. Hopefully TOMORROW's concert is another home run for Soundcheck as they rock Echo Bay one more time to end the slo-pitch baseball season there, so don't miss their fan friendly hard rocking covers there or this evening at the newer A&W for the Cruisin' The Dub car show! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, joining his regular weekly concerts TOMORROW at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post and on SATURDAY at Misty's Fifties, local acoustic classic/hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will play a rare gig at a more standard nightclub when he returns to Reggie's Place on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Reggie's gig, it was only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday. Tym is way more commonly seen at atypical and more unplugged-friendly venues than he is at nightclubs known for hosting bands regularly, so keep his return to Queen Street East in mind on SATURDAY NIGHT for his own entertaining blend of classic and hard rock covers! Remember, he had played in the vicinity of Reggie's at the former Tazzi's a few times in the past year. Of course, his regular weekly shows at The Mike Case Memorial Stage tomorrow and at Misty's on Saturday prior are still going on as those series march on into (at least) next month.

The Reggie's show is a one-nighter due to or resulting in a karaoke night there tomorrow. Tym's triple header this weekend has start times of 7:00 PM tomorrow, 4:00 PM at Misty's on Saturday, and at 9:30 PM at Reggie's on SATURDAY NIGHT! The Trading Post show has no age limit, and none have a cover charge. Weather-wise, tomorrow's Mike Case Stage show is looking to have cloudy weather at 21°, but it's not expected to rain. Click here & here and visit the above links for more details, and here he is live!

Now let's head to Sault Michigan, where "weird Wisconsin hard rock" trio Sunspot will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This will be Sunspot's fourth annual trip from Madison to Sault Ste. Marie to coincide with the annual Michigan Paranormal Convention, which returns to the Soo Kewadin this weekend from today through Saturday for what will actually be its final year (click here for more details on why the MiParacon is "bidding the mortal realm adieu"). Suffice to say, if you are at all into ghosts, aliens, cryptids, and anything else paranormal, you'll definitely want to check out all of the action at the Kewadin ballroom this weekend, and click here to see who all is coming to the Soo for this year's festivities! Of course, you don't need a MiParacon wristband to see Sunspot at The Rapids Lounge, but they're quite fitting for the weekend.

Sunspot actually have ghost investigators in their lineup, many of their songs are about mythical and fantastical concepts, and their hard rock/power pop hybrid sound (including some violin input) has definitely turned local heads since 2021, and hopefully the end of the convention doesn't mean the end of Sunspot making 7 hour trips northeast to play here! Expect 9:00 PM start times and 21+ age limits tomorrow and Saturday, and these absolutely have no cover charge, paid MiParacon admission isn't needed. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Sunspot live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to Gateway Casino for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last date at Shooters alongside bassist Pierre Anthony Vaillancourt's son Liam as a guest singer, regular frontwoman Valerie Powley will be back on Saturday, in what will be their first show at the downtown casino since they ended Rotaryfest weekend there. Hopefully Generations' skilled blend of classic and hard rock covers find another solid audience of fans and casino patrons alike on Saturday! No, they're not playing elsewhere tomorrow that I'm aware of. Saturday's concert has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' casino return on Saturday night, and for a preview, here they are live at Rotaryfest last month!

That's all for now, but look for our preview of this year's Northern Vibe Festival next! Thanks everyone!

Canada Day Weekend Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

With the Canada Day long weekend upon us (not to mention Engineers Day in Sault Michigan tomorrow), this weekend's non-Poutine Feast hard rock concert calendar isn't as packed as you may expect, partially due to Canada Day proper being on Saturday and not all nightclubs opening that day as a result. There are shows on both sides of the border to take note of, all getting some advance notice too, so let's lead off today in Sault Ontario!

First up for this weekend is local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's special Moose Lodge concert TOMORROW NIGHT as part of singer/guitarist Terry Eaton's inductee celebration into the Great Northern Opry! As is traditional in the lead-up to the induction ceremony in November, the Northern Ontario Country Music Association puts on special concerts in the preceding months to spotlight the forthcoming Opry members in their hometowns, and Terry (a veteran country musician in addition to his rock work) will be feted as such tomorrow with Soundcheck backing him up! Expect this show to skew heavily towards country as a result, but long-time fans of theirs know not to be surprised when they break out a country cover. This special event has a 19+ age limit, 6:00 PM start time, and $20 advance tickets that can be bought by calling the phone number on the event poster or presumably at the door.

While not (yet) a Hall of Fame induction, being put in the Great Northern Opry is a huge deal for Northern Ontario country musicians, so congratulations to Terry for being honoured this year, and hopefully a solid crowd heads east to The Moose Lodge to enjoy him and Soundcheck tomorrow! Visit the above links for more details, don't miss his Soundcheck bandmate Cameron Oliver's acoustic country gig at Reggie's on Sunday afternoon, and here's the full band live!

Next up, let's head from east to west, as local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard will rock Jay's Piston Broke Pub with traditional concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As they are doing for all of their Jay's weekends this summer, they are replacing Soundcheck as the Thursday jam night hosts too, but remember that we don't cover jam nights as "concerts" due to their unpredictability by design. The long weekend is a busy one for Greg, Alex, and Warren, with these shows also joined by their Poutine Feast headlining set on Saturday outside of the Old Stone House before they pack their gear and head back to the former Rosie for their Canada Day bash. Perhaps a little far to see fireworks, but if you want a heavy capper to the holiday itself, your best bet is Bone Yard at Jay's! All of this weekend's Jay's shows (tonight's jam night at 8:00 PM included) are 19+ affairs with no cover charges, and the two normal shows begin at 9:30 PM as usual.

Counting jam night, Bone Yard are playing live four times in three days this weekend, so if you are at all a fan of their southern fried classic and hard rock covers, you have plenty of chances to see them ahead! Visit the above links for more details on their "Triple Threat Canada Day Weekend Bash", and here's Bone Yard live at Jay's earlier this year!

Now let's hes south to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews will return to the stage for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch! Last seen at The Merch in April (a show that they never publicized on their Facebook page), these will be their first shows at The Rapids Lounge this year (again, unless I missed something that they didn't announce beyond personal Facebook accounts). Note that in the post plugging this weekend's shows, they seem to have confirmed a lineup change/reversion, as original bassist Chris Leask is pictured in their Photoshopped (as always) band picture rather than Brett Blackwood. Chris had left Rhythm & Brews shortly before their live debut in July 2021 due to medical issues that would impair his bass playing, and it is good to see him back on stage again almost two years later!

If Brett has indeed left the band, then a reason for his exit wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and don't miss him with classic rock cover band Fake Chow! This union of two members each of Nixxon Dixxon & Highway 63 will rock out at The Rapids Lounge tomorrow and Saturday night at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and no sign of public videos to preview them with yet! Hopefully even one turns up in time!

We'll close today's previews with local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906's return to Jack's Grub & Pub in nearby Brimley on SATURDAY NIGHT! While Saturday is not a holiday in the US, Jack's is promoting this as being part of the lead-up to their Fourth of July festivities on Tuesday, so keep that angle in mind! Saturday's show is a bit of a rain date for Project 906, who were scheduled to play there in February before an in-band illness called the show off. Five months and a new drummer later, hopefully this rescheduling proves to be a hit for 906 and attendees alike! You can enjoy Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Jason's blend of hard rocking covers on Saturday night at 8:00 PM with no cover charge and a 21+ age limit, and if you can't make it, they'll be in Eckerman next weekend. See above for more details on this show at 9915 West 6 Mile Road on Saturday, and here's Project 906 live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Go Skateboarding Day), New Videos, And More!!

With a couple of big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS coming to my attention in the last few days, let's spotlight those in today's news post, as well as clearing out some backlogged news items and videos. Here's what you should know!

Tidal Records' annual Go Skateboarding Day festivities return to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre on Wednesday, June 21st, and live music is planned once again! As announced via a "Reel" shared to Tidal Records' Facebook page yesterday, this will be the seventh installment of the local Go Skate Day to have bands playing atop the big ramp, and all four bands are new to the event this year, so who can you expect? In advertised order, they include two online page-less local bands, namely punk trio Hails (in just their second announced gig) and alternative/punk supergroup Bookclub. Members of these bands played last year with The Cover-Up, Vanity First, and These Magnificent Tentacles, so there will be some familiarity there! For the first time since 2016, hip hop will be part of Go Skate Day via local rap collective Sound Syndrome, who feature ex-As It Stands frontman Justin "Nadj" Pregent in their ranks.

I'm a bit surprised that it's taken this long for rap to return to this event, but hopefully the Sound Syndrome crew delivers a fitting soundtrack during their block! Rising young metal trio The BAG will open in their first show since rocking The Esquire Club in March, and they should set things off on a heavy foot later this month! As always, expect food, local vendors, games, and more at Go Skate Day on Wednesday the 21st, absolutely an ALL AGES event with all skaters welcome of any skill level, plus general attendees too! This remains a FREE event, which starts at 4:00 PM. Should be a fun time as always, so visit the above links for more details!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will make a rare trip to The Moose Lodge on Friday, June 30th when they honour singer/guitarist Terry Eaton's induction into the Great Northern Opry this fall! The ceremony is in November, but inductees traditionally get celebration concerts set up by the Northern Ontario Country Music Association a few months prior where they are the sole guest of honour. Of course, Terry has a long history as both a rock and country musician in the Soo, notably playing with Asylum Country and as a backing musician with other artists, and he still covers select country songs in Soundcheck's setlist. Thusly, this show will no doubt skew quite heavily towards Soundcheck's country covers, but it's a big platform regardless, and Terry deserves this honour after all of his work in the local music community! He will join SMS-familiar names like Kyle McKey and Ric Datson in the Opry once inducted at The Quattro Hotel in November.

Given the purpose of this event, there will be advance tickets running for $20 (call the number on the poster if you don't want to chance getting them at the door), and a 6:00 PM start time is advertised. My late step-grandpa Len Nevin was an Opry inductee in 2003, so I'm familiar with the honour even without covering local music, so this will definitely be a big night for Terry, and don't miss out on Soundcheck's presumably quite country-centric set at 543 Trunk Road for the occasion! See above for more details!

We'll close today with SaultOnline's coverage of both the Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre on May 6th! Heidi Ivany was on hand to cover this event, via an article you can read at this link, Her comments on the Festival of Beer bands were summatively general, if positive, but she does give good insights into the craft beer and local vendor aspect, so fans on that wavelength will like her coverage! Nine pictures are included, with two of the aforementioned Bookclub's headlining set and one from The Wyld Stallyns (though none of The Hollow Heads). That sure looks like Odd Man Out/ex-Sense of Truth guitarist Steve Myers filling in for Jesse Cook in the Stallyns picture, but I have heard nothing about any lineup changes, temporary or otherwise. No sign of Josh Norling either, but he has missed Wyld Stallyns gigs before. Also, there was one concert video shot for SaultOnline's Facebook page!

Heidi (I presume) shot 9+ minutes of Bookclub's set, with Mikey, Dave, Dustin, Al, and Erin's cover of Sloan's "Everything You've Done Wrong" in progress when recording began (watch for The Northwest's Wayne Watkins on guest backing vocals). The only full song captured is Vampire Weekend's "A-Punk" (with Mikey just singing), and they closed with most of Doug & The Slugs' "Making It Work". Despite the unfortunately vertical camera and just the middle song being complete. True to their early descriptions, they had an eclectic group of covers here that you don't hear covered locally very much, if at all, and it's a lively performance with good crowd response, so check it out below, and look for more from SaultOnline soon!

From a Go Skate Day band this year to the 2016 headliners (then as Jack Spades), we'll close with the latest from local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, so what have they been up to this month, album release aside? Well, "Reels" have come hard and heavy on their Facebook page, starting with this one to hype "Sewer City Radio" being on sale, even on platforms like Tidal, Google Play, and Deezer, so if you'd rather stream it there, you know where to go! A clip of the title track can also be heard. Starting on Wednesday, they've gotten in the "one reel per day" mode again, including this montage of live footage set to the studio copy of "Black on Black", followed by three videos shot by attendee William Wai Yun Lum at the Indie Night In Canada concert in Toronto on Tuesday, including clips of their cover of Turbonegro's "All My Friends Are Dead" and their original "Negative Headspace", ...

...and in today's "Reel", another song from that night with the camera focused on singer J.D. Pearce and drummer Tyler Reiner. William's footage is really solid, but they were uploaded as "Reels", of which my complaints are unchanging until Facebook lets you embed them externally, play them in background tabs, and let them be longer and horizontal... but then it's just a video, right? Speaking of which, they did upload just a video on May 31st of them playing "Final Girl" at the Anti-Queens show in Barrie in April (the same footage was used for the "Black on Black" "reel"), which has excellent side-stage footage of the full song at The Rec Room, so give it a look below, and look for more from Spades GT soon!

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

Chase Wigmore's 12 EPs Of Christmas (Part 1!)

I profusely apologize for the delay in starting coverage on these, but let's finally tackle the first half+ of local experimental/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore's "12 EPs of Christmas", which began being posted on November 25th! Kicked off before December began as he was "sick of waiting", this was Chase's plan to record and upload 12 free streaming albums to his Facebook page under his own name as well as alternate project titles. As per Facebook updates, he planned to issue one bonus release on his 27th birthday last month, to total 27 canon albums that he has recorded, including prior releases with his old bands Squirrelboy & The Smiling Giraffes, The Strange Coyotes, This Is Your Band On Drugs, and The Coyote Speedfreaks. Not all of these have seen a full paid release that I'm aware of, at least not with the cover artwork depicted on Facebook, but I recall seeing a few at Blood Shed Productions events in the past, and Chase did imply that some could get individual CD prints if there's demand.

As of this writing, Chase had only posted 8 of the above 12 EPs credited to the "12 EPs of Christmas" event onto Facebook (which he lampshaded via a Futurama screenshot already.) If he does conclude the series, the last four will be "The Mostest Awokest" by his late 2018 project Awokest (it appears "Dick Jerkins" is an alias of his), a belated(?) Smiling Giraffes release, an EP entitled "How To Totally Sell Out & Still Not Make Any Fucking Money", and an album credited to Chase & The Bastards, which is the band name he has attached to more recent plugs of live concerts, and who he has hinted will be a larger focus this year. We'll let you know if these surface! Chase had previously also indicated that the 27 canon solo albums of his will be reissued as "The CxJxWx Collection" in a flash drive collection to encompass his mid-late 2010s solo work, and it would be really neat to see that come to fruition, especially as a means of getting his solo oeuvre all at once!

As for the 8 EPs of Christmas so far, six of them are all tied to his techno/electronic moniker The Black Lodge Masters, including three linked releases ("The First Degree", "The Second Degree", and "The Third Degree"), plus three unrelated EPs ("Secret Rites", "Forbidden Sanctum", and "The Shadow Crowd".) Each runs for 15-25 minutes in length, so the EP branding is apt, but if you let these run, you'll have 2 hours of intriguing electronic action! Often dark and industrial tinged, these are more thematically heavy than instrumentally heavy, but Chase has fun with the production, effects, and musical performances within, and I like the progressively more ominous tone (on average) that the "Degree" EPs have as they go along! For heaviness, "Secret Rites" is arguably the leader in that regard, but these are hard to sum up in just one paragraph, especially without given song names. Check out "The First Degree" more, and hear much more above!



We'll close this look at (most of) Chase's 12 EPs of Christmas with "Stray Dog and the Holy Mother of Chaos Church Band", which is a 14 minute jazz EP. I can't confirm whether "Stray Dog" et al is the name of a real project of Chase's or just the EP's title, but this is definitely a departure in styles for him! The jazz influence is present, but the keyboard instrumentation gives this more of an ethnic European flair, and you do get a lot of electronic undercurrents as well. I don't know that this would be a clean fit on 98.3 FM overnight, but the experimental mashup is definitely an interesting listen, and showcases Chase's range nicely! Give this EP a listen below as well!



We have much more from Chase to cover, including the other remaining EP of Christmas (with 4 more still to come?), plus even more solo albums that he's working on that aren't attached to the 12 EP project. so stay tuned for all of that, and for more news and updates elsewhere! Thanks everyone!

New Video Postings, Plus Lots Of Assorted Recent News & Notes!!

Today's post is mostly of the catch-up variety, in order to cover some recent assorted updates and tackle a couple of new videos, so here's what you should know on this Monday morning! We'll start with the newest song from Sault Michigan metal solo project The 1,000,000,000's Who Died, as posted to their label Werehold Records' YouTube channel on New Year's Eve! Entitled "Long Walking Upright", project leader Jason Mills indicated that this is his first new song recording with his new 9 string guitar. While it's a short showcase, it's a strong technical go for a first unveiling, and while the guitar's the star, I can't fault the bass either! Give it a listen below!

Next up, here's a surprise cover of AlgomA's "Reclaimed By The Forest" by The Black Lodge Masters, a new Sault Ontario electronic project from former Strange Coyotes guitarist & recent Autumn Roots member Chase Wigmore! Perhaps the end result of Chase's earlier plans to form an industrial band, The Black Lodge Masters already have a YouTube channel chock full of material, including their entire intended debut album, and while not a hard rock or metal band in the usual sense, there are glimmers of heaviness on many tracks. Creative and original, especially for this area, and despite these being instrumental, note that the song names seem to have a concept about a secretive fraternal lodge. That all said, The Black Lodge Masters do dip into metal waters with this cover of the title track from AlgomA's debut CD, so how does it sound? Definitely harbouring an industrial bent, this is a solid and unexpected cover of who Chase called "one of (if not) the best Sault bands ever"!

On a quick glance, you wouldn't even connect the two songs, but it's strongly performed with quality drums and effects, and if you're at all a fan of electronic and doom metal, this will be worth checking out! You can do so below, and hopefully Chase keeps churning out some quality music here!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer announced on their Facebook page yesterday that, despite some fans fearing that he quit the Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet, they're just taking time off until May, adding his automotive repair business Hank's Body Shop & his health as additional reasons for the break. However, Henry did announce plans to play a half-hair metal/1980s set when they do return, as he wants to play music he likes & excels in while he can, so keep their planned return in mind for then, and don't miss their side project Cousin Eddie in the interim!
• Former Sneaky Pete/Glitch drummer Mike Oakley is looking for a keyboard player (preferably one with a synthesizer or piano/organ tones) for a new "rock & blues" band that he's working on in Sault Ontario. No word on if the band in question will fit our coverage range, but just in case, message Mike at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from New Year's Day if you're interested in trying out!
• Want to hear more studio material from defunct local indie/punk quartet Nebraska Arms? Good news then, as drummer Adam Sauve posted 11 studio tracks to their new posthumous Soundcloud page last month! At least four of the songs aren't publically available elsewhere that I know of ("Presenteeism", "Clockwork", and two untitled demos), but this isn't entirely comprehensive, as "I Was A Runner" isn't featured. No word on if we'll ever get a full album-formatted posting of the entire "We'll Never Sleep Again" CD, but it's great to hear more from Guy, Dave, Wayne, and Adam, and you can do so at the above links!
• Ride For Sight Northern Ontario chairman Dave Ostrowski-Gallant announced on their Facebook page on New Year's Eve "that there will not be any (Ride For Sight) events" locally this year. Dave and his wife Nicole had previously announced that they were stepping down in September for personal reasons, but a search to find new organizers doesn't appear to have panned out in time to put on the annual blindness motorcycle rally/concert in July. Very disappointing, especially given the event's successes and reception, but hopefully someone can take it on for 2019!
• By chance have you seen reference to a new hard rock band named Sault on social media? Just to clarify, this band has nothing to do with Sault Ste. Marie, with the name being an intentional misspelling of "salt", in it's informal definition of having a resistance or toughness. Sault are actually the new side project from Kamelot bassist Sean Tibbetts, but they have more of a mainstream hard rock sound compared to his usual power metal material. While there is no local connection, give Sault a listen above, they aren't bad!
• I have regrettably deleted local pop punk quartet Stereo North from our inactive band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point late last year. Stereo North had been on hiatus since June of 2016, but with their Facebook page gone (I hate when bands delete their pages like this), it's clear that they've fully disbanded. Hopefully we see them back again down the road, they were a fun sight in the mid-2010s, and don't miss Andrew Pucci's solo project or Bill Bennett with Stegadeth!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Iskra, Stiffler's Mom, And Project 906), Plus New Videos!!

Before we get to our profile of last year's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, let's sandwich them with a new news post to keep things rolling for our regular posts. Today, we mostly have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one of the SHORT NOTICE variety), but we also have some videos from one of the involved bands to cap things off. Now, here's what you should know!

Local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only quietly announced the show on their Facebook page on Tuesday. Coming about a month after their last show at the same venue, this popular veteran trio should be in fine form for another night of fan favourite covers, so if you don't have existing plans, consider a trip to The Rockstar Bar for Greg, Mike, and Jon TONIGHT! Note that this is a one-nighter due to last night's 3 Day Millionaires show. Expect a 19+ age limit, 10:30 PM-ish start time, and no announced cover charge, but bring cash on hand just in case. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Stiffler's Mom live a couple of years back!



Next up, here's some concerts with more advance notice, starting with the fourth announced show from new Sault Michigan blues/hard rock cover quartet Project 906, who will make their debut at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in nearby Brimley for one night only on Saturday, April 9th! We only sporadically hear about Bay Mills hosting a local hard rock concert (the last one I've heard of was the November 2013 "Nick Cam Jam" fundraiser), but Project 906 must have Brimley ties given that their debut show in two weeks will be there at Pickles Bar & Grill. The Ten Kings successors will specifically be rocking out at The Back Bay Grill & Games, which is the resort & casino's sports bar, notably the only one in the E.U.P. on the waterfront of Lake Superior, so there should be a nice backdrop for this show! A 10:30 PM start time is in effect for this gig (at 11386 West Lakeshore Drive in Brimley), which has a 21+ age limit, and has no announced cover charges.

Time will tell if this is the first of many hard rock shows at The Back Bay Grill or not, but Project 906's promising lineup should deliver a fun night regardless, so check the above links and the official Facebook event page for more details on next month's show at "your perfect up north retreat!"

Lastly for today's new concert announcements, Victoria, British Columbia grindcore band Iskra will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Thursday, July 14th when they rock The Moose Lodge! Last seen here back at the former Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) in 2004, some fans may recall that a video from that show exists on YouTube, but their explosive crust/grind originals should be as heavy now as they were 12 years ago, so don't miss Iskra's return this summer! A triple threat of local openers will include reunited thrash trio Pillory (in their first announced non-battle of the bands concert in over two years), goregrind duo Rotopsy (in their first announced concert outside of house parties in almost a year), and doom metal trio AlgomA (who are promoting this concert via Six, Two, Oh.) Strong lineup with some faces that we haven't seen a lot of recently!

The first announced metal show of the year at The Moose Lodge on Trunk Road, there are $5 ticket charges (availability to be announced) for this 9:00 PM concert, while door admission will jump to $7. This is an ALL AGES event with licensing, so bring ID if you want to drink, and visit the Facebook event page for more details! This should be a brutal concert for local metalheads, especially to see some bands you haven't typically seen of late, so stay tuned for more on this show as it comes in! We'll close today with the latest videos from one of the openers of the Iskra show, they being Pillory, who posted two new videos onto their Facebook page on January 9th, and apologies for the delay on getting these on the site! These constitute Pillory's first public videos with new bassist Jordan Leach, and with their full current lineup, with both coming from jam sessions in January (one linked here), though none feature audible vocals or listed song titles.

If you've missed Pillory's thrash/death metal sounds, these videos will help rekindle their heyday, and they sound really solid here! Of course, their long awaited return to the stage is this Thursday at the 2016 Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, so be sure not to miss them there or in July, and check out their new videos above & below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our latest Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile on last year's Speak Easy Battle later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide), And Much More!!

In our last post of July 2015, we're tackling a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW and a related news article, but we also have a band's returning singer to note (and just in time for their next show, also tomorrow), with a new music video with punk ties to wrap things up. Now, here's what you should know, and check out our review of SweetKenny's new CD in the post below this one!

Local/Toronto Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will return to the local stage TOMORROW NIGHT when they head to The Voyageurs Lodge in Batchewana Bay (Highway 17 North, 45 minutes from the Soo) for their annual Musicfest! Apologies for the short notice, we only just heard about this show yesterday via this Sault Star article, more on that in a second. The second of two shows from Dustin and The Tide (with Late Shift's Clint Wilson on drums) this weekend, TOMORROW'S show will follow a Thessalon gig tonight, and will see the talented local band open for Waterloo folk sextet The Royal Streets, a talented and easy-going band that should get a good reception up in Batchewana tomorrow! As best as I can tell, this will be The Rising Tide's first regional show since The Boot Hill Crooners' CD release party in the spring, and they should be in great spirits to rock this show for their return,so keep a trip north in mind if you've missed them!

TOMORROW'S show starts at The Voyageurs Lodge at 7:30 PM, admission is $20 or $15 in advance, ans ask ahead if there will be an age limit in effect. For more details, check the above links, and as for the Sault Star article (entitled "No Rush for Rising Tide") is courtesy of the paper's own Brian Kelly, who talked to Dustin Jones about his recent Tidal Records focus and dialed down Tide tour schedule, how the guys will tackle planned covers tomorrow night, and plans for their fourth album, which will apparently begin writing sessions this fall, but Dustin emphasized that they hope to relax and take their time for it. Solid, if brief, article and interview that gives some good insights into Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's recent activity, but note that the included photo features former drummer Mikey Hawdon, rather than Clint or another recent skinsman.

Check out the article above, don't miss The Rising Tide's return in Batchewana Bay TOMORROW (or in Thessalon tonight), and here's the guys live!

Next up, here's a late notice lineup addition/return for TOMORROW'S Elements-headlined concert at The Rockstar Bar, as local openers Project 421 have welcomed former singer Curtis McKenzie back to the band, once again making them a quintet. The news was quietly revealed on the classic metal quartet's Facebook page in recent days, with Curt confirming his return yesterday on his personal Facebook page. Curtis (also well known from The Din & Haggith) sang for Project 421 in early 2014 before departing the band due to personal commitments, but with Haggith reportedly breaking up next month, there appears to be renewed time in his schedule! Of course, Blair Burch remains with the band on guitar and backing vocals, like during Curtis' first stint with the band, while his return reunites him with former Haggith guitarist Daniel Horton.

This is great news, especially given Curt's vocal talents, so be sure to welcome Curt back to Project 421 TOMORROW NIGHT (and remember, this is new drummer Chris Thompson's second show with ther band as well!) Check the above links for more on this Gonqshow event!

Finally for today, I wanted to give special mention to the new music video from local/Ottawa folk/indie artist Kalle Mattson, who doesn't normally cross into the SMS' genre range, but is a talented and extremely accomplished musician whose new music video definitely is worth a look! Yesterday, Kalle's new music video for his song "Avalanche" (off of the EP of the same name) went online on YouTube, and it's already attracting a lot of attention based on the creative theme, which sees him and bandmates recreating 35 of his favourite album covers in-studio, with most clumped for quick costume, prop, and effect changes. Though his music doesn't skew to this genre, punk fans will enjoy the Clash, Ramones, and Sex Pistols recreations within, plus many more classic & alternative rock covers, and overall, it's very well done and deserves the attention it's recieved!

Musically, I'm not the right person to judge this song, as folk and indie rock isn't in my wheelhouse, but it's well performed for the genre, and Kalle is a creative talent! Give the "Avalanche" video a look below,and keep an eye out for many familiar covers (I won't spoil them further!)



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more as we enter the month of August! Thanks everyone!