New Videos From Late 2023 Of Fuller & Silent 9!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family & friends of veteran Toronto punk bassist Phil Page, who passed away earlier this week, as per numerous personal Facebook postings. While not a local musician, Phil was known to many in the local punk scene via his friend and long-time bandmate Mikey Hawdon, with the two collaborating musically for the past 15 or so years during Mikey's time living in Southern Ontario. SMS readers will best recognize Phil as the bassist in Mikey's first Ramones tribute band The Merves, who played five concerts in the Soo from 2010-2015 before reuniting at Soo Blaster in November during Mikey's pre-wedding concert. Original music-wise, Phil played with Mikey in The Fairmounts, who came here for a single show at The Algonquin Pub in 2012. Mikey also drummed in Phil's band Teenage X, who I don't believe ever played up here.

Phil was also known from GTA bands like The Outbred Inlaws and The Downbelows, and was also an avid skateboarder. My interactions with Phil during his local concerts were limited, but he was a good man and a proud father, and my thoughts are absolutely with his wife Hollie and their kids at this difficult time. If you're a fan of modern skate punk and/or The Ramones, do check out Phil's back catalog to hear some very solid performances both on stage and in studio. R.I.P. Phil!

Today's post otherwise focuses on new videos, and we'll actually start with another ex-bandmate of Mikey Hawdon's, namely his old Lion Ride/Detroit cohort Mark Rand & his emo/punk band Fuller, who reunited after an 18-ish year hiatus for a one-off concert at LopLops Lounge in December! As I noted in our post last week about Jimmy Polnick's live-streams from that night, the Facebook event page saw an abnormal usage as a bulletin board for videos from the event (remember, the bands that night either don't have a Facebook page or barely post on theirs), with two more attendees posting videos there from the show! Ashley Lace also filmed Fuller's entire set for the event page, posting her footage on January 2nd. Now, her videos were split in two chunks (the second video begins with their Moneen cover with guest vocalists), but thankfully, hers were shot horizontally!

It's always more ideal to shoot a band in landscape orientation, so kudos to Ashley for going widescreen for her footage! Even beyond that, I'd say that her videos are better quality for visuals and audio than Jimmy's, but of course, thanks to both for filming everything that they did! I won't do another blow by blow of the set, as I covered that ground last week, but definitely give Ashley's Fuller videos a watch above & below!

The other video was posted by Mark on New Year's Eve, but was shot by his wife & Cross Dog bandmate Tracy Ashenden. It features their last song (whose name was obscured in the setlist picture from his personal Facebook page), which was more of an extended jam compared to what came before it. Tracy got more of a central angle than what Ashley filmed concurrently, and while the audio is a little muffled by comparison, you can't go wrong with the crystal clear visuals and horizontal orientation! It does feel like there was a stabilization setting added to it, based on how some of the motion looks, but it's another solid video, so throw back to Fuller's long awaited return concert again below!

We'll close with a new video from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook page! Filmed at one of their Rockstar Bar fundraiser gigs from late last year (they did not specify which one), the video features guitarist Ryan Robb playing 19 seconds of the guitar solo from their cover of Metallica's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Whiskey In The Jar". Note the fan laying on his back giving "moral support", which hopefully was sent accurately! The drums are a little loud given the camera setup and focus on the guitarist, but what we see is well performed, so give it a look for yourselves below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations) & The First Half Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this first weekend concert preview post on another busy weekend, just a heads up for fans of 705Live Sound Co. on Facebook that local funk/hard rock cover band The Wyld Stallyns reportedly played at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre tonight opening for no less than My Son The Hurricane. From what I have gathered from M.S.T.H.'s social media accounts, this was a private event, hence why I never heard about it, let alone covered it here, but kudos to whoever put this event on to get Danno & crew home for a private booking, and hopefully they and The Stallyns had a blast! Now to the first half of this weekend's concert previews, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage for concerts at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced on their Facebook group on Saturday. After skipping the Halloween weekend, the Jus' Chillin successors will be take stage at the former Reggie's West for their first shows there in almost a month. Hopefully their old school and varied mix of covers find a strong audience at Jay's TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Like with their Esquire Club shows two weeks ago, Generations' concert on SATURDAY NIGHT takes place the same day as The Soo's Got Talent (the finals, in this case), but singer Valerie Powley's judging commitments will not conflict with the concert as the finals begin at 6:30 PM and will end with time for Valerie to drive to the west end for the Generations concert once again, so don't worry!

Look for our Soo's Got Talent finals preview on the site tomorrow! As for Generations' Jay's concerts, they take place TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Generations live!

Next up, let's move to shows that had advance notice, starting with the arguable main event of this weekend, as local punk quartet The Inner City Surfers will reunite for a special concert at Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT! The impetus for this, their first gig in four years, is that drummer Mikey Hawdon and his fiancee Ali Rainone are getting married, with tomorrow's well-hyped concert serving as a public stag & doe of sorts, with the public welcomed to buy tickets to come see what could be the last Surfers gig for a while (Brad living out of town being a key reason why). A reunion this big deserves a big stage like Soo Blaster, and hopefully The Surfers deliver another knockout blow of their classic punk originals tomorrow at 12:00 AM! All three opening bands will feature Mikey on guitar, including co-headlining Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band AMY/DC in their local debut. Great to see Mikey bring them to town at last, hopefully it won't be the only time!

Preceding AMY/DC's female-fronted high voltage rock n' roll, online page-less local alternative/hard rock cover quintet Bookclub (featuring the three local Surfers in mostly shuffled roles) will take the stage at 9:45 PM, and more on their LopLops show next month soon. The openers tomorrow are the one-off reunion of Mikey & AMY/DC singer Amy Zuccheto's early-mid 2010s Toronto-based Ramones/Joan Jett tribute band The Merves, in their first local gig in over eight years. Also featuring Mikey's old Fairmounts bandmates, it will be very neat to see The Merves' two-pronged cover attack back on a local stage, so be there at 9:00 PM for their show-opening set! This 19+ event has a $30 cover charge at the door unless you bought $25 advance tickets at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Long & McQuade, Soo Blaster, or through Mikey directly (in-person or via e-transfer.)

If you've been a fan of The Inner City Surfers from their 2000s heyday onward, let alone Mikey's eclectic musical career in the Soo and the GTA, this will be a huge concert, and who knows when we'll see most of these bands on a local stage again, so don't miss out on all of the action tomorrow at Soo Blaster! Visit the above links for more details, congratulations to Mikey & Ali on their upcoming nuptials, and for a preview, here's The Inner City Surfers live at their last show to date in 2019!

We'll close this preview post by heading north to The Water Tower Pub, where newer local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will take the stage for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen at The Water Tower Pub two months ago, this should be a fine opportunity to hear their strongly performed and fan friendly brand of covers, so don't miss Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve at this central venue tomorrow! Remember that The Water Tower Pub traditionally hosts different acts on Fridays and Saturdays, with the acoustic show from Bone Yard there on Saturday night to be previewed on the SMS tomorrow. Silent 9 take the stage there tomorrow at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. For a preview, here's a brand new video from their Halloween party at The Esquire Club on Saturday night, courtesy of their Facebook page, where they covered Michael Jackson's "Thriller"!

The (mercifully horizontal) video features a well done rocked-up cover that makes good use of Jess Amadio's voice, but it is a shame that the video is only 45 seconds long. The description notes that the band was supposed to be dressed like The Addams Family, and while Jess is clearly Wednesday Addams, the rest of the band's characters are more ambiguous, if not with the theme at all. Good close angle too (if sharp), so check out Silent 9 on Saturday below, and don't miss them out of costume tomorrow!

That's all for now on this busy weekend, but we'll resume our hard rock concert previews next by looking at this weekend's Scarkazm and Bone Yard shows, plus the finals of The Soo's Got Talent! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Inner City Surfers) & Mike McCleary Updates!!

Two topic post on the SMS on this Sunday morning, but we're leading off with a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this fall, and punk fans of the 2000s and beyond will absolutely want to mark this one on their calendars, so here's what you should know!

If you're a fan of veteran local punk musician Mikey Hawdon, then you may want to head to Soo Blaster on Friday, November 3rd, as multiple past/present bands of his will take the stage on this night! This concert is being put on as "a pre-wedding rock n' roll party" in the lead up to his upcoming marriage to his fiance Ali Rainone, and despite the seemingly personal trappings, it is 100% a concert that the public can buy tickets for, not a stag & doe intended for friends/family only. Your headliners on this night are local punk quartet The Inner City Surfers in a one-off reunion, marking their Soo Blaster debut, their first gig in over four years, and just their second concert set in the past decade. The Facebook event page somewhat worryingly says that this may be The Surfers' "last show for quite some time" (remember, Brad lives out of town), but whether this proves true or not, it'll be awesome to welcome these local punk legends back after way too long!

Their set is scheduled to take place at 12:00 AM, so strap yourselves in! Co-headlining this event are Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band AMY/DC, who Mikey himself is a guitarist in, and remains a band member despite his move back home (they just don't play live as often). AMY/DC proper have never played here, but you will recognize frontwoman Amy Zuccheto (a.k.a. Amy Gabba; more on her in a bit) from multiple local concerts in the 2010s, and from this Mikey & His Uke cover of "Shoot To Thrill". Should be fun to see AMY/DC in town, and a female-fronted AC/DC tribute band is definitely unique for the Soo! Before their 10:45 PM set, Mikey's current online page-less alternative/hard rock cover quartet Bookclub will take the stage for a set at 9:45 PM, and it will be interesting to hear how their generally more mainstream setlist goes over with the punk-leaning crowd on November 3rd!

The openers will be a one-off reunion of Mikey & Amy's old Toronto-based Ramones/Joan Jett tribute band The Merves, who were active from 2010-2015, playing local dates five times in that span. Note that this is not the same band as Mikey & Amy's later Ramones/Joan Jett tribute The Gabba Heys, who played here in 2018 (the two bands had different rhythm sections and social media pages). Regardless of name, it's been a minute since Mikey channeled his inner Joey Ramone on a local stage, so be there nice and early for this tribute action! Note that The Merves also featured Mikey's old Fairmounts bandmates, so if you miss that band, keep that angle in mind too. This 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time on November 3rd, and tickets will run for $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Advance tickets will be on sale at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Long & McQuade, and Soo Blaster.

This will be an absolutely massive night for local punk fans, and the Surfers reunion alone would be reason enough for many to come to Soo Blaster, let alone Mikey playing four sets with different bands in one night! Given the Surfers' reputation from their 2000s heyday, who knows what will happen when Dustin, Dave, Brad, and Mikey take the stage, so do not miss this show when it comes around! Visit the above links for more details!

We'll close today with a different local guitarist named Mike, namely hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary, so what's new from his camp? On Thursday, he revealed on his Facebook page that he has decided to indefinitely focus on instrumental music rather than material with him on lead vocals, after realizing that "that's where my true passion is", and he has more freedom & creativity when he focuses on music over lyrics. Mike knows better than any of us what is most comfortable for him, I just hope that his pre-2023 back catalog isn't delisted forever, as he has (had?) good songs with vocals! Mike did also suggest that he'd be willing to do backup vocals in a live band when/if he joins one, though note that he hasn't been in a proper band yet due to anxiety about playing live (he stated this on Facebook in July). In terms of new media of him playing guitar, we do have a new video to check out, so what is there to see here?

Nothing, it's just a black screen, but the 52 seconds-long clip is from an instrumental song he's working on that is inspired by horror movies that he was watching. What we hear is promisingly heavy and has a good melodic base to it, plus some room to show off a bit of soloing, so fans of Mike's heavier material will enjoy the teaser below!

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

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Merves

As the 26th of the month is today, we have this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile now up! As always, this monthly feature series looks at a hard rock or metal band that's not based locally, but has featured a Sault Ste. Marie resident (past or present) in their official lineup at any given point, so readers can know more about them and their sound! This month's band was selected in part because they just played at The Rockstar Bar a few weeks ago, and they have a familiar name up front, so here's what you should know! (Updated on November 27th)
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The Merves (Toronto, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics)

"Amy Merve" Amy Zuchetto (vocals)
"Mikey Merve" Mikey Hawdon (vocals/guitar)
"Philly Merve" Phil Page (bass/vocals)
"Andy Merve" Andrew McMullen (drums)
Keith Carman (guitar)
Mark Rand (drums)

Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/themerves
Official MySpace page: http://myspace.com/themerves

Local Info: Local music fans will surely recognize Merves singer/guitarist Mikey Hawdon (a.k.a. Mikey Merve) and ex-drummer Mark Rand for their contributions to the local music scene in the past decade and beyond, perhaps most notably Mikey's drum work with The Inner City Surfers and his & Mark's roles in the defunct local metal quintet Lion Ride, both of which became very popular and successful sights in the area, releasing well recieved CDs with both in the process! You also might recognize both from Bin Hawdon &nd the Taliband and Detroit, among numerous other projects both locally and in Southern Ontario. Today, you can catch Mark on bass in the Peterborough hardcore punk band Cross Dog, while Mikey juggles The Merves, original Toronto punk band The Fairmounts, and locals Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide among his active bands, so follow their current work above!

Band Bio: Launched circa early 2010, The Merves were one of two punk tribute bands fronted by Mikey Hawdon in the early 2010s (joining the inactive Green Day tribute The Dookies.) Initially featuring Mikey and Fairmounts bandmate Phil Page alongside Mark Rand and Maximum RNR's Keith Carman, The Merves have became a steady sight at Southern Ontario concert venues since, largely at solo headlining dates. After Andrew McMullen (also of The Fairmounts) replaced Mark in 2011, and the departure of Keith that year, The Merves made their local debut at The Canadian Nightclub in January 2012, and they've followed that with annual January dates in Sault Ontario, plus a return weekend earlier this month. In an added twist for hard rock fans, The Merves enlisted Amy Zuchetto in late 2013 as a singer for Joan Jett & Runaways songs, making The Merves a dual cover band for future gigs, which have been well recieved, so keep an eye out for their next shows!

Whether you're a fan of The Ramones or Joan Jett, The Merves should entertain with their proficient tribute to both acts! Admittedly, Mikey is not a close vocal match to Joey Ramone, but he has a lot of spirit and knowledge of that half of their set, and fans of Mikey's other fronted bands shouldn't have much to worry about! It helps when he has so much chemistry with Andrew and Phil from their other bands, they're solid in their roles too! In terms of their original lineup, I think they sounded a bit more cluttered with two guitarists, especially when The Ramones didn't have two at once, but Keith and Mark fit in talent-wise. Amy's vocals bear more of a similarity to Joan Jett, and she adds an extra element to their live set that shakes things up well, though in videos that I've seen, she could be more animated on stage. The Merves are definitely on the rise, and well worth checking out, so stay tuned for word on their next Sault Ste. Marie dates!

The Merves don't have recorded material beyond live concert audio & video, but Mikey, Andrew, and Phil have recorded and released original material with The Fairmounts, so follow that band to hear what they write together! The Merves have assorted concert audio on their MySpace page linked above and through numerous YouTube uploads, but the best sources from both their pre-Joan Jett and current eras are Mikey and Andrew's individual YouTube channels, so check out both for much of their live show videos, and here's their cover of Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You" in Sudbury!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month in this series, we'll be taking a long overdue look at Alpha Trion, the current Vancouver metal project from Sault Ontario native Jon Morrison, who some may remember from a brief stint as a session drummer with Gates of Winter! Watch out for that on or around May 26th, and stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, And Album Updates!!

Let's end the work week strong with a new news post combined with this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Slow weekend for heavier shows (barring any really late notice gigs), but there's some notable ones going down (including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS), and some info on new local albums at the end, so read on below for what you need to know!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Pub & Grill will continue through this entire month, and for more than just Fridays, as his weekly appearances have doubled to Friday AND Saturday night concerts! He hasn't said why they're expanded, but it has to be a good sign for both how well recieved his Harp gigs are, and for how well his temporary Saturday show two weeks ago went, so congratulations are in order for the continued success! That said, his website's calendar still lists the constant weekly dates through 2028 (yes, including the new Saturday bookings), but whether they're extremely optimistic or accidental is not clear yet. Also, note that while the Friday shows are still the weekly jam nights that Tym hosts and performs at, the Saturday shows appear to be traditional solo concerts a'la his shows at other venues, if the descriptions on his calendar are correct.

Given the immense length of the calendar's apparent bookings, we'll still take them one month at a time, so look for Tym at The Harp TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, next Friday & Saturday, and on April 18th, 19th, 25th, and 26th! All dates have 10:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits. For more details, click here and visit the above links! If you're up for some entertaining hard rock covers in an acoustic setting, be at the former Madison's Pub this weekend or later this month, and for a preview, here's Tym live at Mill Square!



Moving to previously announced gigs, Toronto's own joint Ramones/Joan Jett tribute band The Merves will return to Sault Ontario for a full weekend at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Featuring prolific local punk musician & ex-Lion Ride frontman Mikey Hawdon on guitar & Ramones cover vocals, you may remember seeing The Merves in January at the same venue (they've played a local date that month for a few years now), but it must have went well for them to come back so soon! Remember, their set has included Joan Jett & Runaways covers since adding singer Amy Zucchetto to their lineup last year, lending a hard rock kick to their entertaining live repertoire, so if you missed their January show, keep that in mind! The Merves will be rocking The Rockstar Bar tonight and tomorrow at 10:30 PM, there are $5 cover charges likely for both nights, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

It's great to see Mikey back in town with one of his current bands, so if you love The Ramones and/or Joan Jett, don't miss The Merves' return for some punk and rock tribute action! For a preview, here's The Merves covering Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You" in Sudbury in January!



Next up, I finally have a recent local hard rock album in my possession, so what should you know? It's the "Rotten EP" released by local musician Chris Shoust's lo-fi/grunge solo project Telephone & Address, that you may remember from it's launch show on December 28th at The Algonquin Pub (when he opened for Tim Day.) Things sadly couldn't work out for me to make the show, and Chris hasn't played a public concert that I'm aware of since, but he was kind enough to mail me a copy this week, so now I can talk about it here! Registered with SOCAN, this was part of a limited pressing of just 50 physical copies (which were on sale for $10), and it's credited to have been released through Harmisntus Productions. Packaged in cardboard, this is the cover art, with the inside just saying "Consume" repeatedly, while liner materials include a business card promoting Chris' book "The Beggar", a card that just says "I Am With You", and track listing information. The included songs (in order) are "Get Ready To Run", "Bought & Sold", "Broken Head", "Fucked From Birth", "Fight", "Drunk & Disorderly", and "We're All Fucked".

Save for "Broken Head" & "Fight", the songs are streamable on Telephone & Address' Soundcloud page, while the total disc runs about 17 minutes. Now that I have the "Rotten EP", when might a review of it be coming? Perhaps this month, but given talks of Jack Spades, Shit Liver, Mike Haggith, and Rotopsy all releasing paid discs this month, there could be quite a glut to manage, but I fully expect Telephone & Address' first album review on the SMS to take place soon! Stay tuned for updates, thanks to Chris again for sending me a copy, and message him above to see if you can get your own!

Also today, here's the latest from local solo hard rock artist Mike Haggith and related projects! For one, his solo Facebook page confirms that the current lineup of his reunited acid jam band Mike Haggith & The Din does indeed feature Rotopsy bassist Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson as an official member, after replacing Curtis McKenzie on an interim basis for their January return at The Oddfellows Hall. Nice to see, hopefully The Din play live again soon! As previously covered in Wednesday's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, Mike has also announced plans to release a new compilation album of top songs from his last 4 solo albums, with it's own artwork pictured on your right. The title isn't known yet, but "The Best of Mike Haggith: Volume 3" would make sense, given the similar title of his preceding compilations. You can view the track listing at this link, and it confirms that it will have 14 songs, including 3 from 2011's "Suspended Animation", 4 from 2012's "Neighbourhood Watch", 2 from last year's "The Present Din", and 5 from his latest "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends".

Also note that he changed the name of his song "The Issue (Resurfaced)" to just "Resurfaced" for unannounced reasons. Mike's hoping to independently release this compilation through Galactic Records in the next few weeks, though it's not clear yet whether it will be on Reverbnation and/or Bandcamp, and he's open to pressing physical copies pending demand. Now, a review of this isn't imminent, as priority on the site goes to albums with new content (not counting vocals he may be re-recording), but Mike's upcoming album "A Place Of Our Own" is definitely likely soon, so stay tuned for updates on both fronts!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Merves), A New Music Interview Series, And New Videos!!

We have a lot of updates to clear out, so if something you've expected to see isn't up yet, it's coming! Today, we have new videos from two Blood Shed Productions-associated acts, news on a recently launched video/interview series with local musicians, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, so here's what you need to know!

Toronto-based Joan Jett/Ramones tribute band The Merves will already return to Sault Ontario for a full weekend next month at The Rockstar Bar! Bucking their usual trend of playing locally once a year around January, the band will bring their unique hybrid tribute sound to the Soo on April 4th & 5th almost three months after a successful first local stop since adding singer Amy Zuccheto and Joan Jett/Runaways covers to the fold, and after their positive reception at The Rockstar Bar in January, things should go awesome again! Remember, The Merves feature prolific local punk/metal musician Mikey Hawdon on vocals & guitar, so there's some added incentive if you've missed his more recent local stops! As announced via this poster and advertising at the venue (The Merves haven't confirmed the dates yet), admission should be around $5, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is likely. For more details, visit the above links!

The Merves' exciting blend of classic hard rock and punk should get a solid crowd again next month, so keep their return in mind for the first weekend of April, and stay tuned for potential updates!

Next up, and I apologize for this being late, but local news website Local2 has launched a new online video series on local music! Called Tuned, the first installment was posted on February 21st, but none have followed yet (so it might be monthly, or a test episode to gauge reactions.) Hosted by SooToday journalist/photographer Donna Hopper, it features interview segments and concert announcements, with Donna interviewing Machines Dream singer/bassist Craig West and Tragically Hip guitarist Paul Langlois (from his LopLops show last year), along with including concert footage of Paul and Canadian rock supergroup Crash Karma from their Rockstar Bar show last year, and some bloopers at the end. In terms of metal inclusions, Donna plugged last week's Heavy Thursday at The Rosie and the upcoming Skynet/Chronobot show at 180 Projects in a concert calendar segment, with a photo of The Elements from the first Heavy Thursday also being featured. Click here to check it out! (The video host that Local2 uses doesn't allow external embedding, hence why the full video's not posted here.)

I love the idea of a music interview/feature series on Local2, and I hope it returns! Donna did seem a bit nervous, but that will only improve with time, and she has some on-camera interviewing experience from past SooToday features (like this Econoline Crush interview from 2008.) Really, musicians of any genre haven't had this kind of feature video coverage in quite a while from local news media, so hopefully Tuned has a second installment soon, and check out the first episode above!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with a new concert clip from local funk metal band The Strange Coyotes! Courtesy of singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore's YouTube channel on Saturday, this comes from their most recent show on January 24th at The Oddfellows Hall (their last with ex-drummer Mike Haggith), and it's of the guys playing a 7 minute song by the odd name of "The Sapphoerotic Asphyxiations of Shannon and Linda", which uniquely doesn't feature guitar or bass. Instead, Chase plays the violin while singing, and bassist James Watterworth plays saxophone (similarly to his brief role with Mike Haggith & The Din), so this song definitely has a different feel than their usual songs! Seemingly their set-closer, the video really suffers from poor dark lighting, but I like the originality of this song and the creative energy being shown, so give it a look below! (As for updates on their vacant drummer position, the band hasn't made any yet, but they updated their Facebook page to remove any lineup mentions and to make a forest fire their cover photo. Make of that what you will.)



Finally for today, here's a new video from the newly returned death metal project Brutaly Fatal! Uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' Facebook page yesterday, this is of frontman Austin McCrae playing an instrumental take of their new song "Shadow" on bass, followed by a new remastered take (with vocals) of their song "Table For One". Even with the recent Re-Born transition to more accessible songs, the new Brutaly Fatal material sounds like a solid progression from their early work, and I'm curious to hear how Austin's vocals and bass evolve in the coming months! The video angle could be better though, you can barely see Austin's head at this angle when he's playing. Also, no word yet on if Ringsnaps Gibson is back on drums, or if Re-Born will continue independently, but we'll let you guys know if we hear updates on either! Check out Brutaly Fatal's new video below, and click here to hear Austin cover a Johnny Cash song in a separate new video posting, which doesn't sound too bad!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news likely tomorrow, and hopefully throughout the week! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Heavier Concert Previews, Including Bret Michaels!!

Today's post is 100% devoted to previews of this weekend's hard rock & metal shows, though of course, any with a late/short notice will be covered if possible in the next couple days. This weekend also features a major Kewadin Casino show for you Hair Scare fans, but let's begin in rough chronological order with shows you should take note of in Sault Ontario!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his current weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT for another evening of unplugged classics! Though unannounced on Facebook from what I can tell, his website's calendar confirms that Tym will be back at the former Madison's Pub for an seventh straight Friday night acoustic event tomorrow, and if you're familiar with Tym's talent and extensive setlist, you should enjoy his latest solo show tomorrow night! Remember, Tym's Harp dates double as open mic events too, so keep that angle in mind. Like his past 6 gigs in his current Harp stint, Tym should be on at 10:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, check the above links! Tym's diverse hard rock and metal covers should get another solid response tomorrow, so keep it in mind, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Heart at The Service Grill!

Next up on the heavier weekend concert schedule, local hard/classic rock quintet The Thrill Junkies will make their first live appearances of 2014 TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they return to The Roosevelt Hotel! Last seen at The Rosie almost two months ago, the Turner Up successors will be the second act for at least tomorrow's entertainment at this Korah Road venue, as local classic rock veterans Highway 17 are playing a matinee set tomorrow afternoon, so keep that in mind. The Thrill Junkies have been thrilling fans constantly since their local debut last fall, and their return to The Rosie should continue the trend, so if you're up for some entertaining hard rock, head down to the West End this weekend! There should be no cover charge for these 19+ events, and both Friday and Saturday night will kick off at 10:30 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's The Thrill Junkies live at Toystock last month!

Moving to some out of town hard rock action to close today's post, prolific local musician (and former Lion Ride frontman) Mikey Hawdon will bring his Toronto-based Ramones tribute band The Merves back home TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar, continuing their annual trend of playing a Soo date in January, but there's an added hard rock wrinkle. While they still cover Ramones songs that all you punk fans should enjoy, they added singer Amy Zuccheto to their lineup last year, and began dividing their setlist to cover Ramones and Joan Jett songs in equal measure, so they'll have a lot of hard rocking Blackhearts & Runaways songs to play tomorrow as well! The Merves will be on at 10:30 PM tomorrow night, there's a likely $5 cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I haven't heard a lot of The Merves doing Joan Jett, but Amy's a talented singer, and the guys all rock out well on Ramones songs, so don't miss The Merves' new half-sound tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's their original lineup covering "Judy Is A Punk"!

Finally for the known heavier concerts today is the first major hard rock show of 2014 at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as Poison frontman and reality TV personality Bret Michaels will play his (at least) fifth local concert date THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen locally almost two years ago in December 2011, Bret's proven to be a local favourite with his mix of Poison classics like "Talk Dirty To Me" and newer diverse original songs, and with his new collaborative CD "Jammin' With Friends" still on sale, he's bound to have lots of quality and memorable tunes to rock his Saultite fans with on Saturday! Opening for Bret are North Carolina glam rock notables FireHouse, who will finally open for Bret almost six years after dropping out of his March 2008 show due to singer C.J. Snare's wife going into labour. Though we saw them open for Skid Row at Kewadin the following year, we're finally getting the original 2008 package, so don't be late for FireHouse's hits like "Don't Treat Me Bad" either!

Tickets for this stop on Bret Michaels' "Life Rocks Tour" have went fast, with only 7 seats (from the 9th row and back) and 100 or so standing room tickets remaining as of this writing, but if you don't have a ticket yet, buy yours A.S.A.P. at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office before it's too late! The show has a 7:00 PM, it is ALL AGES, and check the above links for more details! Bret Michaels & Firehouse (and Poison) have a lot of local fans, and Bret's held up well over the years if his successful past local dates are any indiciation, so don't miss it THIS SATURDAY, we'll have fallout as it comes in, and for a preview, here's Bret live in the Soo in 2011!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as soon as we have it! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Merves, That's Chester, And The Danger Cats) & Much More!!

News has been slow lately, but for the first time since Monday, we have a post without any concert previews, and there's some big things to take note of! Just to clarify, this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are coming, but given the recent quiet news stretch, I'm bumping it to tomorrow to spread things out better. Today, we have some random assorted recent news, some new drum cover videos, and first, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

Remember The Merves, the Toronto-based Ramones tribute band featuring ex-Lion Ride frontman Mikey Hawdon? Well, they'll be back at The Rockstar Bar next Friday (January 17th) for the first time in almost a year, but with a hard rock twist. They're splitting the song selection to cover Joan Jett & The Blackhearts for half their set, so now there's a hard rock edge to this popular band! Featuring respected Toronto-area punk musicians, and with talented Toronto-area singer Amy Zucchetto channeling Joan Jett, it should be nice to have The Merves back in town after such a long time away, so don't miss their return next week! A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ concert, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to have Mikey back for another local concert, and hopefully punk and hard rock fans get an equal dose of great tunes from The Merves' Ramones & Joan Jett covers next Friday! If any updates roll in, we'll have them here!

Next up, local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester will return to Docks Riverfront Grill's Playroom for a full weekend on February 14th & 15th! Though yet unannounced on their Facebook page, we can confirm these dates through Docks' event calendar on their website, so there's my source. Last seen at Toystock on December 1st (and at Docks that same weekend), these currently sit as That's Chester's first shows of 2014, and it will be nice to have their diverse and often heavy covers back after a two and a half month break, so keep these shows in mind next month! These are 19+ events, 10:00 PM start times are likely, and like other recent Docks events, there is NO COVER CHARGE. For more details, visit the above links! Though live gigs for That's Chester have been more sporadic since their reunion, That's Chester's talents and skill are still ready and present, so keep their (presumably) first shows of 2014 in mind for next month, and stay tuned for updates!

Lastly for our recent batch of new Docks concert announcements, all female hard rock quintet The Danger Cats will make their official Docks debuts on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st! Apologies for the late announcements on these shows, as they were originally announced on December 20th, but they slipped through our radar until today. Barring an interim announcement, these will be the girls' first live dates of 2014, but not the first time that they've played there, as Stiffler's Mom invited them to play a few songs during their October 2013 weekend there. That should be some solid experience for these early March dates, so don't miss their entertaining covers and slowly expanding original repertoire then! Like the aforementioned That's Chester shows, there is no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more as we hear it!

Also, As It Stands drummer John Mignacca has posted a pair of new drum cover videos onto his/the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday! His first solo postings in 9 months, these are (once again) electric drum covers to songs you may not expect, including Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and (as embedded below) Christina Grimmie's cover of David Guetta's "Titanium". John's drum skills are on full display, and he adds well to these tracks, but the volume of his drumming is too muted, and it could stand to be louder. Note that while it's great to see some new work from John, As It Stands have not made any public updates since October (or played live in almost a year & a half), but John has stayed busy as a drummer with the Hamilton djent studio project Rancor. Hopefully we hear some more from As It Stands soon, but see Jon's new solo work above & below!



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

• Local metal/punk quintet Jack Spades aren't just opening for Anvil & Caym once in the Soo on March 15th, as they're actually hitting the road to open for the Canadian metal legends during their Sudbury & North Bay gigs on the surrounding days. Awesome news, and hopefully these are just a start for Jack Spades' rise and Anvil's northern takeover! Check the above links for more details on the other Northern Ontario dates!
• Are local classic metal quartet Late & Loud reuniting? A post on their Facebook page saying "Get stoked for February more details soon." was added this morning, and if it points to a reunion of some kind, it would end (at least temporarily) their inactive period since their Rockstar Bar Battle appearances last April. When we hear more, we'll be sure to let you guys know!
• Dafter, Michigan hard rocker Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton now has an official Android/Google Play application! Created through Reverbnation (similarly to Sykotyk Rampage's application), you can download it or get more details at this link, so give it a look!

That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Sneaky Pete) And The Merves/Frightlight Concert Review!!

I apologize for this being late, we got caught up in some stuff yesterday. This post is mostly focused on our latest concert review (our first of 2012 too), but leading things off, we do have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's all that you need to know on this Monday morning!

Local hard rock quartet Sneaky Pete will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY at The Rockstar Bar! In what looks like a one-night-only appearance, this talented veteran quartet will play their first show of the new year, their first public concert in almost three months, and first Rockstar Bar date in almost five months on Saturday, for what should be a hard hitting night of covers and good times! It's always good to see them back on stage, it's been too long, so don't forget about this latest Sneaky Pete concert! The show will start at 10:30 PM on Saturday night, you must be 19 to attend, and I'd expect there to be a cover of around $5, so don't come with empty pockets. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This sounds like a solid concert, and if things fall in to place, hopefully I can finally make it out to see Sneaky Pete this weekend! Stay tuned for more updates as they come in, and keep an eye out for another possible first show of the year from another classic-leaning hard rock band this weekend as well!

Now to the concert review, as I was in attendance for the Merves/Frightlight concert on Saturday night, and my first concert in way too long! A good (and growing) crowd was on hand for the opening band, that being Frightlight, who had a whole set of Misfits covers in store for fans in their Canadian Nightclub debut! Not an original in sight, but how'd they sound? Pretty good! Along with familiar covers like "Helena", "We Are 138", and "Dig Up Her Bones", Frightlight threw in lots of newer or previously unheard Misfits covers like 'Die, Die My Darling", "She", and "Hybrid Moments", and they did them justice for the most part! Johnny Pints' vocals started to get strained as the set went on, but I can't complain too much. Guest guitarist Tiffany Stocco handled everything well and fit in with the rest of the band, and Rick Styles seamlessly took over the drums in Chris FreakNStein's absence himself, so there was no worries on the lineup front! My big problem was that they went too short, and it'd have been cool to have heard covers of songs like "Last Caress" or "Where Eagles Dare", but Frightlight's one-night Misfits-only set was definitely fun, and hopefully they're back on stage sooner than later!

Headlining this Saturday night punkfest was Toronto's own The Merves, featuring prominent local musician (and Lion Ride frontman) Mikey Hawdon on vocals & guitar. It's been almost seven months since we've seen Mikey front a band locally, so it was good to see him back in town! Notably, The Merves operated as a trio last night, as guitarist Keith Carman was absent for unannounced reasons, but did that impact their set at all? Not a lot, but certain songs did sound emptier without the second guitar. Now, I'm admittedly not a scholar of The Ramones, but I like many of their songs and appreciate their musical impact, and I think that The Merves did a solid job last night covering their classics! Mikey's singing voice still screams Lion Ride more than Joey Ramone when you hear The Merves, but they handled Ramones classics like "53rd & 3rd", "Psycho Therapy", and "Suzy Is A Headbanger" very nicely! Phil Page's bass work was solid throughout their set, and Andrew McMullen (who replaced the Sault's Mark Rand in The Merves last year) was great on drums himself! That said, it'd have been nice to include a second guitar, but the big crowd and loud reception spoke for itself! Very nice set of Ramones classics, and hopefully Mikey's back with one of his projects soon!

Overall, if you love old school punk, you'd have been right at home at this concert! Both The Merves and Frightlight did justice to the classics, and though things only really got heavy during Frightliht's set, you can't argue with a great night of punk rock! I got a bunch of photos on Saturday, so click here to check them out or visit our official Facebook page! I apologize for forgetting to get a "Tag Yourself!" photo, it never crossed my mind, and I especially regret it knowing the crowd that was at The Canadian on the weekend! I did get a video though, so here's Frightlight's cover of The Misfits' "Helena"!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news over the week and our first "Favourite ___ of 2011" poll on Tuesday, plus last month's poll results! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Frightlight), Garden of Bedlam & WLSO News, And An New Old Concert Video!!

It's time for some more news at the SMS before we devote tomorrow's post to our new poll (VOTE TODAY in our current poll while you still can) and possibly a concert review (Caveman Morrison?), so here's what's on tap this evening! We've got the latest news from an area radio station, a cool new classic concert video from a decade ago, and the latest news on Garden of Bedlam's Boxing Day return, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next year!

The first metal/hard rock concert of 2012 in Sault Ontario is now confirmed, and it involves the return of Frightlight to the local stage! The horror punk/metal quintet will re-emerge after an almost 3 month break to open for Toronto-based Ramones tribute band The Merves at The Canadian Nightclub on January 14th in what should be a very interesting concert! This will be Frightlight's second local appearance & third show overall with new drummer Chris "FreaknStein" Thompson behind the drumkit, and I think it will also be their first concert ever at The Canadian Nightclub as well. You know their high impact brand of punk & metal will go over really well next month for this concert, as they've been missed around here! As for The Merves, they feature Lion Ride's own Mikey Hawdon on vocals & guitar, and it's nice to see him back in town! With the break since the last Lion Ride show here creeping up on 6 months, this could fill the gap well while we wait. For reference, The Merves also feature Maximum RNR guitarist Keith Carman (a bandmate of ex-Lion Ride bassist Brenton Ellis) & Mikey's Teenage X bandmate Phil Page on bass, adding to the local ties. By all accounts, their Ramones covers should get fans moving and rocking out all night next month, so don't miss them!

This concert is a 19+ event, there will be a $5 cover charge, and doors open at 10:00 PM on January 14th. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a fun night of punk rocking with some metal sprinkled in, and it'll be nice to see Mikey fronting a band locally again, even if it's not Lion Ride! The Canadian is right near my place, so hopefully I can make it out, and stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Next up, more official details are now out for Garden of Bedlam's CD release show at The Canadian Nightclub on Boxing Day, courtesy of this Facebook event page! Doors will open at 10:00 PM on December 26th for this event, there will be a $5 cover charge to enter, and as previously expected, it is a 19+ event. As well, Crank Sound Distribution will be on hand to ensure an awesome sounding concert from start to finish, so there's no worries on that front! However, like most of Garden of Bedlam's headlining concerts over the past year and a half, there is no announced opening band, in case you were wondering. And of course, Garden of Bedlam's first full length album "Everything Will Die" will officially be released on that day, though other release details (i.e. the album's price and where locally & online you can buy it) have yet to be officially confirmed by band sources. Check the above links for all current details on Garden of Bedlam's CD release show! Sounds good to me, I wish I could be there to rock out with all the fans and reap the rewards of the new CD! Hopefully I'll get it by the end of the month, but if not, stay tuned in January for my review of "Everything Will Die", and keep an eye out for more band updates!

Also new today is a new classic YouTube video upload by former BeeFMoutH member Boyd Rendell, who posted this almost 23 minute long video of Victoria, British Columbia grindcore band Iskra playing live at Foggy Notions (now Feedback) in the early 2000s on his YouTube channel! I couldn't reliably date this video beyond what Boyd put in the video comments, so it could be anywhere from 2000-2003. The video quality isn't high (likely from a VHS camcorder), and the audio has a muffled quality to it, but Iskra sound very heavy and brutal here, and there's a solid turnout of fans from what I can see! I'm not familiar with Iskra, but I know they'd fit in well here for a metal show if they ever came back, so take in this classic 23 minute video of Iskra grinding up Foggy Notions in the early 2000s below, and thanks to Boyd for uploading this!



Finally for today, are you a current student at Lake Superior State University in Sault Michigan? Are you interested in working as a DJ next semester, possibly for a metal show? Then WLSO: The Sounds of Lake State (90.1 FM) are looking for you! On Wednesday, I received an e-mail from current WLSO station manager Mark Collins, who told me that WLSO are searching for DJs for the spring 2012 semester, and he added that they'd love to have a metal show on the schedule. Preferably, Mark's looking for someone with a deep knowledge of metal that could play interesting, obscure, and brutal material on air. Other details, like times, format, and radio-related questions would probably depend on your schedule and preferences. So if you're gonna be an LSSU student next semester, and are at all interested in DJing (metal or otherwise) starting in mid-January, shoot an e-mail to Mark at endless.summer.radio@gmail.com! Metal's always had a presence at 90.1 FM at varying times with varying DJs, and it's be great to see it continue next semester, so if you're at all interested, give Mark a shout! Also, WLSO's website has had a major facelift complete with a new design, reversion to an old station logo, a new forum, a now playing list, a calendar, and much more, so check the above links for all the current details from 90.1 FM, The Sounds of Lake State!

That's all for today, but I might see you guys TONIGHT at Feedback for the Caveman Morrison concert, and either way, a new poll and last month's poll results are on the way tomorrow, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!