Dragonfly Run, Wax Mannequin, And The Fixer Concert Previews!!

(Updated on Sunday at 12:38 AM) Let's finally wrap up this weekend's concert previews after five posts on this very busy penultimate weekend of the summer months! Just as a reminder following yesterday's ARCH Run preview, I will not be taking sides or elaborating on the schism between the Dragonfly Run and Jay's Piston Broke Pub (leading to the launch of today's ARCH Run), but if you want to read the Dragonfly Run's side of the issues, click here. Regardless of what happened between both sides, both are benefits for the Algoma Regional Community Hospice and any support that we can give ARCH is more than welcomed, no matter how you do it!

Now, TOMORROW'S motorcycle rally/concert is the annual Dragonfly Run (rebranded from the Ride For ARCH last year), which has moved from Jay's to The Grand Gardens on Great Northern Road, which is also the homebase of Toystock (both events share common organizers). This event will feature a motorcycle rally starting and ending at The Grand Gardens from 1:00 PM onwards, while there will be family friendly activities, vendors, a silent auction, and games inside and outside throughout the day, plus a pasta buffet, so be sure to visit The Dragonfly Run Facebook page for complete non-musical details! In terms of bands playing tomorrow, all will be inside The Grand Gardens a'la Toystock, and while there will only be three bands, all have 90 minute sets so you'll get to see more of them than you otherwise might at a community festival! Veteran classic rock quartet Mid Life Crysis have been bumped up as headliners at 7:30 PM.

As such, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 now have the middle set at 5:00 PM. In their second charity motorcycle-related concert in a four day span (following the Cruisin' The Dub bike show on Thursday), Bone Yard should be in good spirits to cap off a busy stretch in terms of getting the new look Dragonfly Run put together, and hopefully they rock the house as only they can! Alt-rock band The Haze (who played one of their first sets at last year's Dragonfly Run under their old name Skinbox) will kick off the day's musical program at 2:00 PM. Entry is by donation to this ALL AGES event, unless pledging to take part in the motorcycle rally, and things run in person at The Grand Gardens from around 1:00-9:00 PM aside from the rally registration beginning at 11:00 AM. The bands will be indoors, but for the sake of the outdoor activities, the forecast has 24-27° temperatures with sunny-mostly sunny weather and no chance of precipitation.

It sure looks like Greg, Alex, Warren, and crew have got a great event in store for the community, be you a rider, music fan, or just want to enjoy some family entertainment, and ARCH is extremely deserving of any help that you can give it, so consider biking down to The Grand Gardens for the second Dragonfly Run tomorrow! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard 225 live!

Next up, there's more SMS-amenable concert action taking place TOMORROW NIGHT at two downtown venues, and we'll start at Soo Blaster, where two female-fronted metal bands from out west will make their local concert debuts! Thunder Bay gothic metal quartet The Fixer are the headliners here, and with their dark but melodic brand of original material getting some decent buzz so far in the 2020s, they should leave a strong impression on local fans tomorrow! Joining them on tour and in the Soo tomorrow is Winnipeg metal quartet Indigo, whose sound is a touch heavier with some harsher screaming thrown into the mix, so don't bypass them at Soo Blaster either! Your local support here are death/thrash metal trio Pillory in their Soo Blaster debut, their first show in Sault Ste. Marie proper since 2019, and just their second show of 2024 following their long awaited reunion. Not everyone was able to travel to Leeburn last month, so hopefully Pillory get many heads banging as they continue their reintroduction to local fans tomorrow night!

Another concert brought to us by promoter Mikhal Muto (fresh off his Southern Ontario road trip with Hails), this stop on The Fixer's Love & Misfortune tour is ALL AGES with an 8:00 PM start time, and admission is $15 in advance at this link or $20 at the door. Metalheads will definitely be curious to check out this concert, even on a work/school night, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The Fixer live!

Finally as we wrap up one of the busiest non-Rotaryfest concert weekends I've ever previewed, we'll head to The Whisky Barrel, where Hamilton "weird folk art punk" solo act Wax Mannequin will play the Soo for the second time in under three weeks TOMORROW NIGHT! While definitely not a regular occurrence, the conceit of a touring band playing here twice in both directions on a tour is not unheard of, and this is an example of that, with Chris Adeney bringing his creative hybrid of indie rock subgenres with some punk and metal sounds back to a local stage eighteen days after returning here for a public show at "Adrian's house". Despite this show being at a formal venue, it is a smaller deal, with just Wax Mannequin playing, but it is FREE (though tips are welcome!). It is a 19+ affair and it also starts at 8:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Wax Mannequin live in Sault Ste. Marie earlier this month!

Uploaded by promoters Piecing It Together Shows to the event page (nice to see a public embeddable video as opposed to a "Story"), this minute-long, square-dimensioned video from the outdoor show at "Adrian's house" features Wax Mannequin playing their original song "Sick Boy", which has quite evocative lyrics as Chris plays along to a backing track. The audio quality is great, and it's a shame that more videos from the show weren't uploaded (not counting vanishing "Stories"), but if you liked what you saw on August 7th, or want to see what the fuss is about, head to The Whisky Barrel on Gore Street tomorrow night as Chris makes his way back home!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Selias & Wax Mannequin!!)

Now that we have escaped four posts of weekend concert previews and gotten this month's Defunct Local Band Profile up on schedule, let's start playing catch-up for the items that lapsed during the past few days and beyond, and we'll start with two big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know on this Sunday afternoon!

Eighteen days after their well received local return at "Adrian's House", Hamilton "weird folk art punk" solo project Wax Mannequin will return to the Soo on their way back home when they headline at The Whisky Barrel on Sunday, August 25th! It's been a while since we've heard about a concert at the Gore Street nightclub, let alone one with a touring band, but stay tuned for an even bigger outlier there in an upcoming post! Chris Adeney's creative and genre-fluid originals got a solid reception in their relocated return date this past Wednesday, and now setting up shop at a proper downtown venue again, hopefully there's a good crowd to see Wax Mannequin in action once again in two weeks, in spite of also being on a work/school night! Yes, promoters Piecing It Together Shows did post photos from the show on Wednesday on Facebook, albeit solely as "Stories", so they are impossible to share here.

What I saw pointed to a well laid out locale in this downtown backyard with string lighting, but alas, "Stories" can only be viewed once or twice before vanishing forever, and I really have never seen the point of the conceit. Wax Mannequin's return has a 19+ age limit, no cover (thought tips are welcome), and an 8:00 PM start time. It's not unheard of, but certainly not common, to see out-of-town musicians play the Soo going both directions on tour, so if you enjoyed Wax Mannequin on Wednesday or are sad that you missed out, take advantage of the encore! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this concert!

Next up, a big extreme metal show was announced last week that was announced as we was beginning that busy stretch of weekend concert previews, so what should you know here? On Saturday, September 28th, Toronto melodic death metal quintet Selias will make their local concert debut when they headline at Soo Blaster! A relatively new band, Selias (named for guitarist Steve Elias) do feature two familiar faces, as Spades GT bassist & drummer James Roy Daley & Tyler Reiner are in their ranks, so if you've missed them locally since the Josey Scott show last summer, keep this in mind! Granted, Selias are much heavier with harsh vocals and an assortment of extreme metal influences, and they'll definitely get the pit opened up next month! Note that Spades guitarist Daniel Horton guested on bass for a recent Selias gig in Toronto too, and yes, we will have more on recent Spades GT news soon.

Joining Selias on tour are Barrie blackened death metal trio Out Of Spite in their own local debut, and while also relatively new to the GTA metal scene, their intense and distorted brand of in-your-face death metal should be welcomed by local metalheads with open arms! A healthy & diverse roster of local openers includes alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (in their second Soo Blaster show in under two weeks), hard rock quartet Half Past (in their Soo Blaster debut and their first multi-band concert since Hempfest in 2011), new & online page-less hardcore quintet The Sault Side Squad (as seen in Leeburn last month), and grindcore solo project Crucify The Whore, who have only been seen sparingly at public concerts post-pandemic, so it'll be good for old Blood Shed diehards to see Tyler back at a formal public stage! Also returning next month are local death metal/punk band Them in their first public concert set in over seven years!

Singer/guitarist Tyler St. Amour (who is promoting this concert in his first full booking since relaunching his agency Heavy North Entertainment) had announced last month that Them had reunited with a four-piece lineup and "a list of brutal original works", but they have yet to reveal who is joining Tyler in the new lineup. For reference, current HeadFirst drummer Anthony Boudreau was a constant during their original 2014-2017 run, and while they did have stints as a four-piece band, they were best known at the time as a duo. It's great to see Tyler back as a promoter and musician after seven years away, so stay tuned for more on Them 2.0, and they're back in our active band links! The other band playing next month is Without Compromise, the rap metal project formerly known as Less Than Zero, In The Sun, and Failure To Remain, as continuously led by former Winkstinger guitarist Jason Ladouceur.

It's been way too long since we've talked about Jason's current project on the SMS, so look for more on them on the site soon, as he has been quite busy, but it will be neat to see him back on a concert stage, though in what form? This ALL AGES show has doors opening at 5:00 PM, and admission will be $15, though they are on sale for $10 online on Eventbrite right now, so click here to buy yours in advance! No word on if the price would be hiked at the door. If you have missed a very Oddfellowsy night of extreme metal and local talent, this show should fill the void very nicely, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dirty Musky & Soundcheck), Another New Local Band, And Concert Previews!!

Due to a surprising amount of Wednesday and Thursday concerts in Sault Ontario this weekend, we're starting our weekend concert previews a day earlier than normal, including two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and a new addition to our local band links, so here's what you should know!

We have another new local hard rock bands to add to our Sault Michigan band links, namely Dirty Musky! Self-described as "an alt/hard/prog rock-influenced band", Dirty Musky feature ex-415E singer Dave Menard, former Clownsack bandmates Fran Blackwood (Butter Cookie) on guitar and his son Brett (Doinky) on bass, and drummer Jamie Costner, who I'm not familiar with from other local bands, but it is very neat that they have a female drummer in their ranks. Dirty Musky made their public debut at the Government Bay Barge Bash in Cedarville last year, and after dropping out of a planned Cozy Corners Tavern show in Barbeau for New Year's Eve, they have since been seen in 2024 at The Merchants Bar, The Hilltop Bar in Sugar Island, The Islander Bar in Hessel twice, The Strongs Tavern in Eckerman, Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard, and a return for this year's Barge Bash.

In the first new concert, the guys will return to The Islander Bar in Hessel THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (apologies for the short notice, they're new here) as part of the musical festivities during the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show weekend! Project 906's Saturday matinee there will be previewed on the site by Friday. Expect a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. For a preview video, there isn't much yet, as while they have six videos on their Facebook page, none exceed 20 seconds, and only this (vertical) cover of The Cult's "Fire Woman" features them performing, albeit focusing on fans. It'll be interesting to hear more from Dirty Musky, so don't miss them in Hessel on SATURDAY!

Next up, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will play a rare acoustic concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Dive Gastro Pub! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was just announced via its official Facebook event page yesterday. Originally, the "Think It Over Thursday" performer this week was supposed to be Curtis McKenzie, and while a reason for Curt's withdrawal was not announced, note that our coverage of him playing there TOMORROW was via his own advertising, as the venue never confirmed an August 8th date from him on their social media (also, remember that he just played there this past Saturday). Followers of The Dive's acoustic bookings this year will recall that Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver has played a few solo country sets there in 2024, but TOMORROW, he will be joined by his bandmate Terry Eaton (no Jim or Glen) for this indoor unplugged concert!

The event page calls them "50% Soundcheck", and alleges that they will have a "whole other vibe". This may be a partial gamble for SMS coverage given their country backgrounds and Cameron's definitely country-leaning solo dates, but with both of Soundcheck's guitarists collaborating here, I'll cover it. Just don't be shocked if they don't do as many heavy covers! TOMORROW's show is at 7:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

With the late notice shows addressed, let's leapfrog back to the earliest of this batch of new shows, as Hamilton "weird folk art punk" solo project Wax Mannequin will make their return to the Soo TONIGHT, but at a new venue! Originally scheduled for The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music, the show was moved to a new address at 1941 Queen Street East last week (Wax Mannequin's own advertising refers to the location as "Adrian's House"), with the show taking place in the backyard of the property. A reason for the venue change was not announced, but hopefully the shift works out for everyone involved! This will be Wax Mannequin's (at least) third local date here and first since 2022, and it should be a fine way to check out Chris Adeney's diverse and punk/metal accented brand of acclaimed original music! Watch for candles in unexpected places too! Local avant-garde comedy rock band The Floor Between Us are still opening.

Also note that Wax Mannequin was recently interviewed by Adrian Vilaca of local internet radio station The Borderline, and you can hear the 77 minute long interview at this link! Promoted by Piecing It Together Shows (who also booked Wax Mannequin here in 2022 as Dryer Fire), tonight's east-end outdoor show has $20 advance tickets available at this link and a $25 door charge, with a 7:00 PM start time and no stated age limit. As this will now be outdoors, 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy weather this evening with temperatures hovering around 21°. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Wax Mannequin live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, there's one more SMS-amenable concert taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, as local alternative/punk sextet Bookclub will headline at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion as part of this year's Summer Concert Series there! The only SMS-covered band to play on the Tuesday/Thursday series under the big tent for 2024, fans may recall seeing Bookclub kick off last year's Summer Concert Series last July as well. This should be a fine opportunity to see Mikey, Brandon, Dustin, Allan, Erin, and Josh's acclaimed and nicely varied selection of covers, including many that you don't see their cohorts covering locally, so don't miss out on all of tomorrow's action! This show has a 7:00 PM start time, and it is FREE & ALL AGES. 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy weather as well tomorrow with a high temperature of 22°, and while precipitation isn't expected in the Soo until Friday, the tent is acknowledged. See above for more details, and here's Bookclub live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Wax Mannequin), Hails Updates, And More Recent News & Notes!!

On this Saturday evening, we're playing catch-up with lots of shorter updates on the SMS, but leading off, we have news from a prominent local punk band, and to start, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

Hamilton "weird folk art punk" solo project Wax Mannequin will return to Sault Ste. Marie for a headlining concert at The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music on Wednesday, August 7th! Led by singer/guitarist Chris Adeney, local fans will have seen Wax Mannequin on local stages at least twice before, following gigs at the former Cafe Natura in 2014 and at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum in 2022. I actually hadn't covered those gigs on the SMS due to the project not seeming like it'd suit our coverage, but Wax Mannequin cross many genre lines with their varied original material, including metal, and there's a lot of ground to cover with their skilled (and often funny) alt-folk music dating back to the early 2000s, so don't bypass them in their (at least) third local stop! Your local opener on this night is The Floor Between Us, the avant-garde comedy rock project led by 2022 Soo's Got Talent finalist Colin Gasparelli.

Solid choice on the comedy/folk side of things, so don't bypass what Colin has in store next month! Presented by Piecing It Together Shows (who promoted Wax Mannequin's 2022 show here as Dryer Fire), there is no stated age limit for this 7:00 PM concert, which has $20 advance tickets available at this link and a $25 door charge. This is $5 higher across the board compared to 2022, but remember how high-end The Loft is as a formal concert venue. It'll be good to see Wax Mannequin back on a local stage, so visit the official Facebook event page for more on their return!

Next up, here's the latest from local punk/thrash band Hails, who did indeed add guitarist Mikhal Muto's brother Carmen on rhythm guitar, officially expanding them to a quartet, as per recent updates to their Facebook page. Carmen had debuted with Ha!ls in May at The Distraction, and he has seemed to fit in well in public videos shared since then! Note that their sister band Vanity First (who Carmen has played with in a similar capacity) still say that they're "a three (sometimes four) piece punk outfit" on their Facebook page, so is there a distinction between the two re: Carmen's involvement, or is that just outdated? We'll keep you posted! While we're on the subject, a brand new video of Brent, the Mutos, and Keeghan is now up on their Facebook page courtesy of their set at Go Skateboarding Day last month, so what should you know there?

The video sees Hails playing their non-EP original "Pink Clouds Of Destiny" in the usual Go Skate Day stage locale atop the big ramp at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre. The video runs for 2:28 (incredibly long as Ha!ls' Facebook videos go), and while the skies were quite gray, it is good that the festivities went on despite some rainy weather earlier in the day! Mikhal is often hidden behind an amplifier at this vantage point though. Solid and well performed skate punk from this talented foursome, so check everything out for yourselves below!

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

 

• Despite his two nominations (for The Northwest & Handsome Sandwich's newest albums), Id Iota/Pixo Control alum Dustin Goodall lost the Outstanding Engineer award at last month's Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards to Sudbury's Matt Wiewel for his work on London alt-folk band Status/Non-Status' new album "Surely Travel". Congratulations to Matt on his win, and to every nominee, including Caddy Street Avenue alum Patrick Dal Cin's work with his current band Knkm!
• As per the official program for this year's Rotaryfest, we can finally confirm that the third guitarist added to local punk band The Gambit in 2022 is former Bankshot guitarist Christian Pasiak, reuniting with his old bandmates Lucas Schmiedendorf and Clint Wilson in the process! Oddly, The Gambit never confirmed him by name on their Facebook page when he came on board, and they still don't list their lineup in writing there. New official band photos can be seen there though, and according to the Rotaryfest program, they're releasing their teased original material on Bandcamp later this year, so keep an eye out for that!
• In the past two weeks for Shooters Downstairs Lounge's annual Talent Quest karaoke competition, the judges were members of local hard rock bands Half Past on June 23rd and Handsome Sandwich on June 30th. We don't cover straight karaoke-only events here, but it's neat seeing familiar musicians join the judges rotation! Opening round competition continues with night #5 tomorrow and into next month as the judges pick two singers each Sunday to make the top 25, so stay tuned to Shooters' Facebook page for more details!
• In another lineup note from the Rotaryfest program, former(?) Re:Born singer Elly McWatters is listed in the write-up for Mike Haggith's Stage 1 set as being on "guitar/vocals". If accurate, this likely points to her being a full member of his solo band this year and not just a backing singer on a handful of songs like in the past. No word on how she sounds as a guitarist, but Soo's Got Talent finals attendees last fall may recall judges suggesting to her that she play an instrument too if she re-enters in 2024. Regardless, Elly will be an asset however utilized in Mike's band in two weeks!
• In their first Facebook post in over two years, local power rock/classic metal band Re:Born said on June 14th that "I think maybe it's time for one last ride...". Re:Born succeeded Project 421 upon their 2018 debut and played a number of gigs over the next two years, but the pandemic and personal concerns kept them off the stage in the early 2020s, and they disbanded in March 2022 despite announcing a new lineup the previous fall. Even if not a full-time reunion, it would be nice to see Re:Born get some closure after not being able to get the chance previously, so we'll see if this gets any public follow-through!
• As per their Facebook page, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck recruited guest bassists for their late notice bookings at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this weekend due to the absence of Jim Michaud for unannounced reasons. Sidekicks/ex-Griphook bassist Dan Beaupre filled in for their normal concert last night and will do so again TONIGHT, while Toronto-based ex-Saultite Cory Valentine (who has guested with Soundcheck multiple times since 2019) sat in for their one-off jam night return on Thursday. Hopefully all's well with Jim, and that Cory and Dan fit in nicely!
   

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Apocalypse Afterparty), A Tribute Song, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Die Mannequin frontwoman Caroline Kawa (a.k.a. Care Failure), who just passed away according to numerous social media postings at the age of 36. Read her obituary at this link. A standout presence on the Toronto alt-rock scene from Die Mannequin's launch in 2005 onward, Care will be familiar to SMS readers from her set with Die Mannequin at the former Roosevelt Hotel in May 2012, when they and Dearly Beloved stopped in town on their Danceland Tour, but a planned June 2014 return gig at The Rockstar Bar was cancelled. Die Mannequin peaked in the late 2000s and early 2010s with songs like "Bad Medicine" and "Dead Honey", and would land songs on the final two Big Shiny Tunes CDs in the process. Care also had a well received turn as an actress in the 2010 film Hard Core Logo 2, with the band factoring into the plot & soundtrack of the long-awaited film.

I wasn't at Die Mannequin's local concert, nor can I find public videos from it, but Care was an original and a very talented musician who crossed punk and alternative genre boundaries to strong effect, and it's a shame to lose her at such a young age like this. Do check out Die Mannequin's original material and live videos, and consider donating to Musicares in her name to pay tribute. R.I.P. Care! Now, here's a new tribute song to another musician we lost, and first, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local rap/party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty will be among the openers at TOMORROW'S Madchild-headlined concert at Soo Blaster! Apologies for the short notice, organizers R-Evolution Media only confirmed The A.A. for this show in promotional materials posted online this week, though the Stanghettas were previously teasing their involvement on their personal Facebook pages. This marks a trilogy for rap concerts at Soo Blaster with The Apocalypse Afterparty as the lone rock band outpost, following their appearances at last fall's Tech N9ne and Afroman gigs, and clearly things went well for Paul & Amanda's minimalist hybrid sound to get called back TOMORROW NIGHT! Madchild is the Vancouver rapper best known from the Juno and MuchMusic Video Award winning rap group Swollen Members, who were easily one of the biggest domestic rap acts of the 2000s, so fans will want to note that aspect!

I don't know that Madchild does many Swollen Members songs live, but it'll be interesting to see him in town TOMORROW, and he has a deep solo catalog that dips into horrorcore now, even! Guelph rapper Robbie G (who also opened for Tech N9ne & Afroman here) is the top billed opener, and the other opening acts include Sound Syndrome, Sawbe & Stoney, RyxnNick, Ille$t, and Superskunk Lucas. For reference, Sawbe & RyxnNick were also seen at the Afroman show, and there may be other ties to the Tech N9ne and Afroman lineups if you count solo rappers who were seen in groups or ensembles (and vice versa). While uncredited on the poster, Madchild's own Facebook promotion of TOMORROW'S concert confirms that his DJ on this tour is Dow Jones. A later 10:00 PM start time is in effect, and tickets run for $34.11 online at this link or $25 if bought through local openers. 

Note that at there are higher priced VIP packages for meet & greets and signed posters and whatnot, plus a deal on a booth for 6 people, while at least The Apocalypse Afterparty were selling two tickets for $40. Also note that the online sale page says that this is all ages, but use your best judgement on that given the locale and timing of the concert. Should be a fun night for hip-hop fans, with The Apocalypse Afterparty back to bridge the gap between the rap and bass-led metal worlds, so keep TOMORROW'S show in mind, and here's The A.A. live at Soo Blaster!

We'll close today with a tribute song to a local musician who passed away two years ago, namely former Highway 63/Monkey's Uncle frontman Henry Switzer. A staple of the Sault Michigan scene since the 1990s, Henry died in February 2021 after a heart ailment at just 49 years of age, and he would have turned 52 this past Monday. In honour of his birthday, Soundcheck drummer Glen Thomas (who played in a band with Henry back when he taught guitar across the river & remained friends long afterwards) posted a song in tribute to Henry named "Forever Highway 63" on his YouTube channel. Glen had actually been working on this song since the spring of 2021, as Facebook friends of his may recall, and he elaborates about how quickly the song came together and what he went through writing it in the description (yes, it is a lyric video too). His old Flat Stanley bandmate Tony Kajnar provides lead guitar in the outro.

Other than some directly music-centric lyrics late, the song isn't hyper specific to Henry, but it comes from a place of loss and respect, and it shows in Glen's voice. He's not a skilled vocalist and he admits as much in the description but the mood is right and I'm sure Henry would appreciate Glen's gesture here! Glen has other original songs with him singing on his YouTube channel, and while they're generally not musically heavy, his talents are present! Give "Forever Highway 63" a listen below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Kiss'd), New Videos, And More!!

Before we head off to TONIGHT'S Jack Spades EP release show, we have a new news post for you guys today, so what's on tap? Some assorted recent notes (including a concert cancellation), a new cover video, recent coverage of a major all ages show, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for across the river this summer, so here's what you need to know!

Continuing the recent influx of Charlevoix, Michigan metal musician Jeff Hudson's bands into Eastern Upper Peninsula concert dates, his Northern Michigan Kiss tribute band Kiss'd will hit The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, July 4th and Saturday, July 5th! Note that these shows are still to be announced on Kewadin's entertainment page, but I imagine it's just a little behind. Joining already-announced 2014 dates for Jeff's other bands Scarkazm, Audio Circus, and (of course) Peril at our regional Kewadin branches, these will actually be Kiss'd's first announced shows on their Facebook page since 2012, though I'm not sure if they've played a show unadvertised there in the interim. Featuring Jeff on vocals and bass as "Paul Stanley", Kiss'd have a faithful sound that fans of Kiss should take to if their older videos are any indication, though the vocals aren't always close ringers with the original songs. Be sure to check them out in July though! You must be 21 to attend, there's no announced cover charge, and there are nightly start times of 10:30 & 9:00 PM, so check the above links for more updates on how to get Kiss'd!

Next up, we have some recent local coverage of last weekend's fourth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall to share on here! Posted to the YouTube channel of local event promotion and entertainment website Sault Online on Tuesday, this features video footage of Sudbury unplugged hard rockers Aggressive Acoustic covering Monster Magnet's "Space Lord" during soundcheck, which bookend a minute long interview clip with promoter Steve Mozarowski outside of the hall, so what is discussed there? Steve talks about how he started the annual event in 2011 as a RedD Monkey tour fundraiser, though it has since transitioned into a showcase for youth-centered local talent, while he'll also look into grants for next year's event and the possibility of free admission. Aside from the windy conditions impairing the interview, it's a solid promotional sample for the event, and the Aggressive Acoustic footage is well shot! I wonder what became of the Brutaly Fatal video footage that the same Sault Online correspondent filmed that evening?

Also to note: Steve described RedD Monkey as "broke up" in the video, though official Facebook statements only go so far as to say they're on a hiatus, so we'll go on that until/unless something else is stated. As well, the video description incorrectly lists both Ashes To Dust & Pillory as playing that night, misspells Aggressive Acoustic, and accidentally calls Haggith "Haggard", but hopefully that all gets fixed! Nice to see some new local media coverage of the Swampfest, so check out the full video below!



Also today, Pillory frontman and Crimson Crusade guitarist Robert Sartini posted a new cover video onto his YouTube channel on Wednesday! His first video there in 5 months (and first solo cover video since last August), this is a guitar rendition of Wisconsin death metal band Putrid Pile's "Blood Fetish" that he learned by ear. Though I'm not too familiar with Putrid Pile, this a solid rendition, but I think the original backing track is a bit high in the video. This should tide Pillory fans over while we wait for public news from their camp, so give Robert's new video a look below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Former(?) Social Suicide guitarist Anthony Boudreau is looking for a high school-age guitarist who can play anything from old school rock to progressive metal for his new local band project. If you're interested in trying out, message Anthony at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from May 7th!
• The Die Mannequin concert scheduled for June 14th at The Rockstar Bar has been cancelled, as per updates to the Facebook event page by promoter J.D. Pearce on Tuesday. A reason wasn't announced there beyond J.D. saying that it was "out of my hands", but while this is disappointing, does the survival of the event page lend hope for a possible rescheduling? We'll have to wait and see!
• A 14 year old local metal guitarist named Jordan Attoni is looking to jam in a local metal project. He has played guitar for 4 years, and is influenced by bands like AC/DC, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold, so if you're interested in trying out or getting more details, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!

That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT for Jack Spades' EP release show! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), Blood Shed Productions Updates, And More!!

We're back to news on this Sunday morning, so what's on tap? Assorted recent updates for a prolific local concert promoter's upcoming shows, another local promoter's addition to a local band (and related updates), new videos, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, so here's what you need to know!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will extend his weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill into next month, so we'll add his next 5 weekends in May 2014 to our listings, but with one exception. It turns out that he did not play at The Harp last night due to their showing of UFC 172 (a fact he corrected online yesterday, our apologies for the late word on here), so with the assumption that The Harp shows each UFC pay per view, I wouldn't bet on Tym playing there on Saturday, May 24th due to UFC 173 that night. However, look for Tym's unplugged acoustic sets this coming Friday & Saturday (Facebook event page here), as well as on May 9th & 10th, May 16th & 17th, Friday, May 23rd, and on May 30th & 31st! Remember, due to the immense length of his apparent bookings on his website, we're only taking these a month at a time, so we'll approach June when it comes. Admission should be free for these 19+ events, and each show should start at 10:00 PM. Check the above links for more details!

Tym's current regular run at the former Madison's Pub will enter it's 26th week if he lasts through next month without interruption, and his talents are hard to ignore, so look for his acoustic hard rock covers both nights (with the regular jam/open mic night angle on the Fridays), and stay tuned for updates on his solo engagements!

Next up, here's the latest from the current version of local metal band Brutaly Fatal, including a lineup change, as they've enlisted local concert promoter Tyler St. Amour as their new drummer, replacing Tyler's former Pillory bandmate Bret Shuttleworth. A reason for Bret's departure wasn't announced, but hopefully things are amicable, and look out for Pillory updates! I'm not familiar with Tyler as a drummer (he's better known from his bass work with the likes of Bring The Misery), but we'll have to see how he fits in going forward! It looks like the talks of a quartet lineup have either fell through or were premature, as their Facebook page now promotes them as a "doom/stoner metal 3 piece band", which also confirms recent teases of their current sound, joining AlgomA and Giwakwa in the local camp of these metal subgenres. Also to note: frontman Austin McCrae is now advertised as their guitarist, with Rainey Vincent moving to bass, and lyrics for a planned song named "We Are Gladiators" are now up on Facebook, but how does the new lineup sound?

We have a preview via this new Facebook video posting yesterday, and it's of Austin playing the riff to an untitled song that he and Rainey co-wrote. It has a catchy element, but it's unrefined yet, and empty without additional instruments. Still, there's a sample if you haven't been at one of Brutaly Fatal's recent house party gigs, so check it out below, and stay tuned for the new lineup's debut at the fourth Sewer Swampstravaganza on May 10th, which we have a lot of updates to elaborate on this week!



Also from the world of Blood Shed Productions is this new video of flagship band Crucify The Whore playing their song "Seshing In June Bugs" at a house party event on March 28th! Uploaded to the Blood Shed YouTube channel on Wednesday, the video was well filmed to capture Ringsnaps' metal action and the moshing of fans, though the lighting looks a little off at times, and the video could have been uploaded in widescreen to avoid the letterboxing. Fans of the grind will be right at home though, so give the new C.T.W. clip a look!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all of which concern local promoter J.D. Pearce's upcoming metal/punk concert slate! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• There were briefly plans last week for the July 24th Cross Dog show (the last uncancelled Heavy Thursday at the former Roosevelt Hotel) to be moved to The Rockstar Bar with Jack Spades & Destroilet opening, but frontwoman Tracy Ashenden revealed on the Facebook event page on Thursday that their summer tour has been re-routed, so they can't come on that day. Disappointing, but the event page isn't down, so look for a rescheduling soon!
• Tickets for three of J.D.'s upcoming metal & punk shows are now on sale at The Rad Zone, those being the Die Mannequin show at The Rockstar Bar on June 14th, the all ages Havok/Anciients show at The Canadian on June 24th, and the Random Killing show at The Rockstar Bar on September 13th, so get them there A.S.A.P. if you don't want to buy online! Respectively, the tickets cost $10, $20, and $15, and no word as of yet on advance availability at either venue.
• Speaking of the Havok/Anciients show, a local opening band was quietly confirmed last month, as local thrashers Pillory are the listed openers on the Facebook event page! If this holds up, this will be Pillory's first public date since January, but it does follow bassist Tyler St. Amour's departure and their exit from shows he promoted, so who knows how they'll look on June 24th if they play. Stay tuned for updates, and don't miss this stacked metal show!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Shit Liver album review and more news (including on the upcoming Swampstravaganza) in the next few days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Die Mannequin), Dank Fest Lineup Updates, And More!!

Happy April Fools Day, everyone! I have no secret plans or gags up my sleeve (I don't want to decieve readers in case it backfires), so everything below is 100% factual, including a new recent concert video, major lineup changes for an upcoming concert, and a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the early summer, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 12:12 PM)

Just days after announcing the long awaited return of Random Killing to Sault Ontario in September, local concert promoter J.D. Pearce has done it again for another big Rockstar Bar show this year, as Toronto punk/hard rock standouts Die Mannequin will return to the Soo for the first time in over two years on Saturday, June 14th! Last seen at J.D.'s first Thursday show at the former Roosevelt Hotel in May 2012, this popular and fast rising quartet (featuring Hard Core Logo 2 star Care Failure on vocals) are hard at work on a new album, but they're sure to bring another high energy set of originals back to the Soo on in June, so if you loved Die Mannequin's 2012 local date, don't miss the next one! Two local bands are signed on to open, and both also feature female members, including the Rockstar Bar debut (barring interim announcements) of J.D.'s punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, as well all-female hard rock notables The Danger Cats, and both will be right at home at this show, while also be on the lookout for Jack Spades' EP in case it's out by then!

This 19+ show has a 9:00 PM start time and tickets going for $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and while local advance ticket availability has not been announced yet, tickets are available online at this link, so pick them up there if you want yours before the local on-sale date! (For reference, Random Killing tickets are also available in advance online at this link through the same company, so don't wait until the last minute just in case!) Die Mannequin's 2012 show was a huge success, and hopefully their return in two months is just as big, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, the lineup for the massive Dank Fest all ages festival at The Oddfellows Hall on April 19th has seen it's second major overhaul, as per promoter Tyler St. Amour on the Facebook event page on Friday, so what should you know now? Two bands have dropped out of the event, including local goregrind solo act Crucify The Whore & Borderline Divine successor trio Viva Emptiness, as per their removal from the event page's lineup. Reasons for their withdrawals weren't announced, but Viva Emptiness still have not seen a public acknowledgement outside of event advertising (hopefully we see them live soon though!), and C.T.W.'s Ringsnaps Gibson is still playing Dank Fest with Rotopsy, so nothing bad happened in their camp. Though Viva Emptiness were replaced on the lineup, C.T.W. were not, leaving Dank Fest with 13 bands, so to accomodate the shorter (though still huge) lineup, no bands will have to start playing at 1:00 AM anymore. However, there have been a ton of timeslot switches for reasons yet announced, so who's playing where now?

In a complete reversal of placement, local goregrind duo Rotopsy have jumped from the opening slot at 2:30 PM to the closing slot at 12:30 AM, while classic metal quintet Project 421 are now a timeslot earlier at 11:45 PM. North Bay headliners Thekillingfield & Buried Out Back are each 45 minutes later at 10:30 & 9:30 PM respectively, while local thrashers Pillory have dropped from the 1:00 AM spot to 8:45 PM, and sludge/doom trio AlgomA are the only band remaining in their old timeslot (8:00 PM.) Resurgent death metal trio Brutaly Fatal have jumped five slots into the 7:15 PM timeslot, while hardcore/grunge duo Bad Back fell five slots themselves and are now scheduled at 6:30 PM. Orillia metal band Like Animals and new local alt-rockers The Pixo Control are each an hour earlier at 5:30 & 4:45 PM, while local funk/metal band The Strange Coyotes fell 4 slots to a 4:00 PM start time, and the aforementioned Danger Cats will play an hour earlier as well at 3:15 PM. Viva Emptiness' replacements will indeed be local/Ottawa indie trio Like Father Like Son (who opened for Commencing Human Desperation from the same promoters last month) in the 2:30 PM opening slot, after being confirmed by promoters this morning.

Big changes (again), but hopefully everything works out this time and there aren't any more massive adjustments in time for Easter weekend! If it's added incentive (especially given the length of this show), Tyler did announce that they'll be making sausages and selling drinks behind The Oddfellows Hall concurrently with Dank Fest, though this is pending the weather conditions. Great idea, especially for fans who stay through supper, so stay tuned for more updates on this massive show as they come in!

Finally for today, here's a new video from last Saturday's Who Made Who show at The Rockstar Bar! Filmed by staff member Hayley Warnock and shared on the venue's Facebook group on Sunday, this is of the popular AC/DC tribute band playing the classic "Highway To Hell", and the floor was definitely hopping at this point in the night! The audio's a bit scratchy, and the angle could be better (especially due to fan heads), but it's great to see video of Who Made Who's long awaited local return, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, plus this month's "Where Are The New Albums?' post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Frightlight), Fifth Way Concert Preview, And LAST Week's Classic Video!!

Here's one more news post before we upload this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, so here's what's on tap! Today, we've got a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (finally restoring a metal show to the Sault Ontario concert listings), a preview for the weekend's only heavier show (and related events), and last week's classic video, so here's what you need to know!

Frightlight have announced their next concert, and it will see their return to The Roosevelt Hotel next month! The popular horror punk/metal quintet will rock The Rosie on May 10th as openers for Toronto alternative/punk standouts Die Mannequin & Dearly Beloved! Die Mannequin in particular have made some big waves in recent years with their energetic female-fronted punk sounds, while Dearly Beloved have some interesting indie & punk mix sounds in their repetoire, so you'll wanna stick around for these bands, even if the show's not entirely metal! For Frightlight, this will be their first Rosie appearance since opening for The Dayglo Abortions last June, and it should be their first gig with their full current lineup in over 6 months, so this is a long time coming in both respects! It will be a 19+ show with a $10 ticket price, with advance tickets going on sale in the next couple of days, and a 10:00 PM start time is expected. At least one other local band is planned to be added to the lineup of this show, but more details are forthcoming. For more details, check the above links and the Facebook event page! It's always fun to see a stacked punk concert roll through the area, and with some metal touches, it'll be a can't miss show, so definitely keep Die Mannequin & Frightlight in mind come May 10th!

Also, I'll note that this show is taking place on a Thursday, so is it officially the 44th Roosevelt Hotel metal night? The metal nights' Facebook page hasn't confirmed it as such yet, and advance tickets at these shows aren't common, but May 10th is next on the "every four weeks" schedule that they'd been following this year (counting the skipped April 12th date.) Plus, the metal nights haven't been 100% metal exclusive, hosting acts like RedD Monkey, The Endprogram, and The Nailheads last year. It could very well be the next in the series, but even if it's just coincidentally timed, it'll be a great show, so circle May 10th on your calendars!

Next up, it's time for a concert preview in an otherwise light weekend in the local metal scene, but what we're getting is on a big scale, so here's what you should know! After 21 months away from the local stage, Detroit hard rockers Fifth Way are finally coming back to Sault Michigan on Saturday night for another public concert! Like their high profile 2010 sets opening for Tesla and Three Doors Down at Kewadin Casino, the band featuring Rudyard native Zak Stelmaszek will be opening for another major headlining band, that being platinum-selling Arizona pop rock band The Gin Blossoms! Though not metal, their 1990s hits like "Hey Jealousy" and "Follow You Down" will be sure to bring back great memories and entertain the masses at The Dreammaker's Theater on Saturday night! Notably, Fifth Way will also be debuting new bassist & drummer Mike McMann & Chris Castro for their local fans this weekend. Before they rock The Dreammaker's Theater though, Fifth Way will be playing a special private acoustic gig at Zak's alma mater Lake Superior State University for engineering alumni (click here for more details), and then (according to the Soo Evening News) they'll be in studio with Rock 101 tomorrow morning with Scott Cook & Brian Davie for an unplugged performance & interview, so tune in to 101.3 FM tomorrow morning at around 8:00 AM to check that out!

Tickets for their set opening for The Gin Blossoms on Saturday will be $32.50, which isn't bad for a Dreammaker's Theater show, especially if you like both acts! Tickets are still available from the 8th row and back, so click here to buy some online, or call 1-800-KEWADIN, or visit the Kewadin box office in person. It should be an all ages event, and a 7:00 PM start time is listed. Check the above links for more details! It's about time that Fifth Way come back to the area, and hopefully all of their sets go off without a hitch! They're a very talented and hard hitting band, and even though the Gin Blossoms show isn't a 100% fit for a band of their intensity, keep it in mind for your weekend plans! For a preview, here's Fifth Way playing an unplugged version of their song "Lose Control" in Detroit last year!



And finally, you may have noticed that we didn't post a weekly classic video on YouTube last week. I apologize for that, as I intentionally planned to hold it off until after the Humane Society Battle of the Bands to avoid a bias for any of the performers. My plan was to upload a video of or with members of the winning band, but it completely slipped my mind last weekend, so now it's time to catch up, as we've got a classic video of battle winners Late & Loud to share! Most of their videos are on YouTube by now, but one that isn't comes from one of their first gigs circa November 2010, where they played an original song named "Down Like This" at what appears to be Sault College's old concert venue The Outback! Featuring drummer Josh Hatherley and singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi swapping roles, this is a more acoustically driven composition, and Josh shows solid songwriting skills on this one, but it's not a frequent track in their more recent setlists. It's a solid different sound though, and it never hurts to show some diversity! Note that other videos from this set (including a Witchcraft cover and an original named "Dark Sunrise") are no longer on the band's Facebook page, but good thing this song still is, as it deserves an audience!

Uploaded onto Facebook on November 22nd, 2010, you can view the original video at http://facebook.com/photo.php?v=1706156332076, which is of pretty good quality. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!! All credit for this video goes to Late & Loud and the original filmer, I'm just trying to share this performance with wider audience like it deserves! It's a nice video, and hopefully we'll hear this song live again soon, so check out Late & Loud playing "Down Like This" in 2010 below, and stay tuned for THIS week's classic video soon!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Winter of Silence TOMORROW, and tune in to Rock 101 tomorrow morning for Fifth Way live on "Scott & Brian In The Morning"! Thanks everyone!