Defunct Local Band Profile Series: The 3 Day Millionaires

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile at the SMS, continuing our monthly look back at inactive or defunct local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, all as randomly selected from our band links! This month's selected group is more recent than commonly seen here, but they are loaded with familiar veteran faces and carved out a lot of good will in their 2+ year run, so here's what you should know about them!
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The 3 Day Millionaires

Genre: Alternative/Classic/Hard Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)

Steve Dowding (Boxcar Junction), vocals/bass
Jeremey Salatuk (Wishbone), guitar
Bill Brouillard (Sneaky Pete), guitar
Scott McLurg (Turner Up, Havadder), drums
Travis Sharpe (Carbon Black, Havadder), guitar/vocals

Audio/Video: As a covers-only band, The 3 Day Millionaires' available media is limited to live concert videos. One shot by us features them covering Candlebox's "Far Behind" at Toystock V back in 2016, and their Facebook page's visitor posts contain some fan shot videos shared there, but the best source for live videos of theirs is their official YouTube channel, which features six videos from a Rockstar Bar concert in November 2016. Here they are covering "Far Behind" again, Oasis' "Cigarettes & Alcohol", and The Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep" that night!

Info/Analysis: Debuting at The Rockstar Bar in February 2016, The 3 Day Millionaires immediately stood out on the local cover band circuit with their familiar lineup, including then-Havadder bandmates Travis Sharpe & Scott McLurg, with both bands co-existing until Havadder fell inactive that summer. The Millionaires quickly became a frequent sight at local concerts that year, including sets at Rotaryfest Stage 1, Toystock, and the Ride For Sight. After Travis left the group that fall, they added Bill Brouillard to the fold, completing their longest-lasting lineup, who were primarily seen on stage at The Rockstar Bar and (from mid-2017 onward) Reggie's West. The band abruptly announced that their end-of-June 2018 concerts at the Reggievelt would be their final shows, which remains accurate two years later. While nothing groundbreaking locally, The 3 Day Millionaires delivered a talented and reliable brand of hard and classic rock covers every night!

It was neat seeing Steve in a heavier band, and he acclimated himself well on their wide array of covers, with Jeremey, Bill, and Travis all effective on guitar, and Scott's drumming was steady and strong as usual! In a sense, this band was the final stop for Scott's nine year run of locally bands who were succeeded by new acts with common members (from Turner Up onward), which surely helped attract fans, and it's disappointing that The Millionaires didn't last longer. Hopefully everyone stays active musically!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile!  For the first time this year, our random selection will yield two bands for our next entry, as the first chosen band does not have enough surviving information or material to fill out a profile alone, so a second band was picked. We're straddling the Twin Saults on or around April 10th, so look for our profiles of mid-2000s punk band Busted and inactive Sault Michigan progressive metal solo project Galactic Alignment then! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Tattoos and Scars & 3 Day Millionaires

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as we continue our monthly spotlighting of YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and punk artists and/or concerts! As usual, this month's channels were randomly selected, and due to the first only having two distinct kinds of videos, I picked one more channel randomly with only one distinct video type to round things out with. We have a solid subsection of hard rock covers to focus on this month from two bands not seen as of late, so here's what you should know!
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Tattoos and Scars (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3SK_ofDsQH408Qfsy0fy5Q/)

Owner: Halfway Loaded/Tattoos & Scars guitarist Shane Biron

Channel Timeline: Launched on December 23rd, 2015; Videos posted from that day through May 2017

Channel Summary: This is (was?) the official YouTube channel for local hard rock band Halfway Loaded, and it features 8 videos of their in-studio jam sessions, six in a sit-down casual format and two in more of a full band presentation. Despite being launched under Halfway Loaded's name, and only featuring videos of that band, it has since been renamed to Tattoos & Scars, reflecting their acoustic side project duo that has seen more recent activity.

Why You Should Watch: As Halfway Loaded have only played private gigs and open mic nights to date, this is one of the few extant public sources to check out fuller versions of this band on video, and there is promising stuff here from this talented group that deserve a more active and prominent shot! While the "Tattoos and Scars" channel name is a misnomer at present, you can check out videos of Shane & Justin in an acoustic setting via pre-launch videos on Halfway Loaded's Facebook page.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

Simple man-Lynard Skynard/shinedown (cover): Six of Halfway Loaded's videos (all but one from late 2015-early 2016) feature Shane, singer Justin Grayson, and rhythm guitarist Ryan Mazzapica jamming hard rock covers in a laid back acoustic setting. These include renditions of Thriving Ivory's  "Angels on the Moon", Slipknot's "Snuff", Theory of a Deadman's "Santa Monica", Seether's "Broken", and Saving Abel's "The Sex Is Good", but featured here is their first & most popular video, a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", in what was allegedly just their second time playing together. Despite an unideal camera placement (admittedly improved on later videos), this southern rock ballad is well handled across the board, and their comfort and talent was expanded on in the covers linked above!



Monster truck - Dont tell me how to live (cover): The other two videos from March 2017 are of Halfway Loaded covering Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome" and, as embedded below, Monster Truck's "Don't Tell Me How To Live". In these videos, Halfway Loaded are represented by Justin & Shane alongside ex-bassist Jesse Gottwald and former Mustang Sally drummer Dylan Newman, with Ryan absent on both. The covers are faithful, solid, and nicely fleshed out, but Ryan's absence is noted, and the camera placement isn't great again, with Justin's back to the camera, Dylan largely obscured, and lighting sometimes being a detriment to the view. Hopefully Highway Loaded resurface in the near future, there's something here!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 Day Millionaires (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj2loBcCI2TPi317M3QffkA/)

Owner: A member of 2016-2018 local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires, specific identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 3rd, 2017; All videos posted that same day

Channel Summary: The 3 Day Millionaires' channel solely features videos from a Rockstar Bar concert of theirs from November 2016, featuring singer/bassist Steve Dowding (Boxcar Junction), guitarists Jeremey Salatuk (Wishbone) & the recently debuted Bill Brouillard (Sneaky Pete), and drummer Scott McLurg (Turner Up.) The videos feature The Millionaires covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", Don Henley's "Boys of Summer", Radiohead's "Creep", Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", and in one lengthy 3-song video, Candlebox's "Far Behind", Oasis' "Cigarettes & Alcohol", and The Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep" (with Scott on vocals.) Featured here is their most popular video, a cover of The Flys' "Got You Where I Want You". These are well performed covers from a good stationary angle, if suffering a bit in vocal clarity, so fans of The 3 Day Millionares 2+ year run should be right at home with these clips, and hopefully they resurface down the road!
 
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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around June 26th when we spotlight one randomly selected channel for a change, namely The Canadian, the slightly incorrectly named channel launched by Live705 featuring some 2016 videos from early concerts of theirs!  Look for that then, and for more news and this month's CD review on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The 3 Day Millionaires & Tym Morrison) And Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Helping to end this month on a busy note, we have another busy weekend of hard rock concerts to cover this weekend (on the Canada Day long weekend, no less.) As such, we're pushing our preview of Project 906's concert in Brimley to tomorrow's post to spread everything out, so don't worry, it's coming! Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend off right, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Local classic hard/rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will reportedly end their local run when they headline at Reggie's West TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via the official Facebook event page on Tuesday. Yes, advertising for TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows indicates that The Millionaires are disbanding after this weekend's bookings, though they have not publically stated a reason for this surprising news. The 3 Day Millionaires have been a steady sight on the local bar circuit for over 2 years now, and they had solid chemistry and a nice long setlist for fans wherever they went, and I just hope their breakup is amicable! For what it's worth, drummer Scott McLurg's old band Turner Up is reuniting for Rotaryfest next month (alongside former Millionaires bandmate Travis Sharpe), but I have seen no reference to that being more than a one-off.

As usual for The 3 Day Millionaires' Reggievelt gigs, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts are 9:30 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits. Visit the above links for more details, here's The Millionaires live, and best of luck to Steve, Jeremey, Bill, and Scott in the future! They're all talented musicians that will be assets wherever they go next!



Next up, local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has a busy weekend ahead, though with some changes. Joining his previously announced matinee gig at Gliss Steak & Seafood TOMORROW and nighttime show at Room 21, he'll be playing a special SUNDAY NIGHT concert at the latter venue as part of that venue's Canada Day festivities! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Sunday show, we only learned of it via SooToday's events calendar. Regarding his Gliss shows, the planned Saturday nighter this weekend is not taking place for unannounced reasons, but it could be related to Canada Day weekend event conflicts. As for rumours regarding Gliss' future at the Quality Inn, I will wait until there's public confirmation before elaborating here, but see Tym there TOMORROW, just in case! As for SUNDAY, Tym's personal Facebook page implied that he'd have two shows on Canada Day, but I have seen no public reference to the second, so it may be a private booking, and wouldn't be covered here as a result.

Of course, tomorrow's Room 21 show is part of their new Finger Food Friday theme nights for you appetizer fans, while SUNDAY'S show is timed so attendees above Low & Slow can see the fireworks, so keep that in mind to kick off the month! Tomorrow's shows are at 6:00 PM (Gliss) and 10:00 PM (Room 21), while the Canada Day show there has a special 8:00 PM start time. The Room 21 shows are 19+, and none of these concerts have an announced start time. Visit the above links and the Facebook event pages for the Friday nighters linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Moving to shows that were entirely previously announced, we'll next head to Outspoken Brewing at 350 Queen Street East for our first ever concert preview there, as London "true-psych/post-metal' quintet Whoop-Szo will rock Sault Ste. Marie for the first time TOMORROW NIGHT!  With a creative hybrid sound melding experimental, post-punk, folk, and psychedelic sounds into one package, as well as socially conscious lyrics, Whoop-Szo should have a little something for everyone while bringing enough heavy sounds to make SMS fans happy tomorrow! The opening act is Hamilton garage rock band Billy Moon, who have some punk influences in older material, and have an up-tempo indie vibe that should be a nice match tomorrow as well! A rare hard rock headline booking from Ears & Eyes, this concert will be held at the aforementioned craft brewery on Queen Street East beside Shabby Motley Handcraft, and with bookings ramping up there, it'll be interesting to see what else comes to Outspoken Brewing!

Tickets for this 19+ concert can be bought online at this link for $10 (there's no stated hike for admission at the door), and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. This should be a fun concert for fans of the more experimental fringes of hard rock and punk, and at a relatively unique locale to boot, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Whoop-Szo live!

Finally for today's concert preview post, we'll take a detour to St. Ignace, where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Cousin Eddie are slated to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at St. Ignace's Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After a 3+ month hiatus from announced public concerts, the Highway 63 sister band should have another entertaining weekend of live cover action in store for patrons in the southeast U.P., so consider a trip to the St. Ignace Kewadin to see the guys in action this weekend! Note that Cousin Eddie have not confirmed these bookings on their Facebook page, nor have they posted on there yet this year, but the venue has advertised them right along. As usual for Kewadin lounge bookings, these are 9:00 PM concerts with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, and when some public preview videos of Cousin Eddie turn up, we'll let you know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Project 906 preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Stegadeth, The 3 Day Millionaires, And Tym Morrison), And More!!

Before we get into I Mother Earth/Finger Eleven fallout and such on here, we have a weekend concert preview post to tackle, and unusually, every hard rock band playing in the Soo this weekend has SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as all announced a show or two with seven or fewer days notice! To round things out, we have some new videos from the E.U.P., but let's get our concert announcements/previews rolling!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their official Facebook event page yesterday. After spending their last few concerts at The Rockstar Bar (including last weekend), this fan favourite group will return to the former Roosevelt Hotel for the first time in almost two months TOMORROW & SATURDAY, so if you're up for another hard rocking weekend of classic hits, head to the west end! As usual for The 3 Day Millionaires' Reggievelt stops, expect 9:30 PM start times, no announced cover charge, and 19+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live!

Next up, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will add to his existing Gliss Steak & Seafood matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY with his debut SATURDAY NIGHT at... Boston Pizza?! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Boston Pizza show, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Monday. This announcement is very unexpected, especially given how you don't often see musical performers at chain restaurants locally, but this should be an intriguing locale to check out Tym's acoustic hard rock classics, so consider sticking around at the restaurant and sports bar at 601 Great Northern Road once the Leafs game wraps up on SATURDAY! Of course, Tym's ongoing arrangement with Gliss will continue with matinee shows tomorrow and Saturday evening, so keep his regular supper-time shows in mind this weekend too!

The Gliss matinees are 6:00 PM shows with no announced cover charges or age limits (but mind the locale), while SATURDAY NIGHT'S concert at Boston Pizza (beside Soo Mill) has an oddly specific start time of 10:15 PM, with a presumed 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit this link and above for more details on these three shows, and here's Tym live!



Finally for this weekend's concert previews, here's one more new announcement, as local punk trio Stegadeth will play their first ever solo headlining concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at Room 21! Apologies again for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page this past Saturday. Last seen earlier this month opening for Shit Liver, this should be a prime opportunity for fans to see Bill, Tiffany, and Johnny in a more intimate locale, and with their fan favourite covers and growing roster of originals, don't miss out above Low & Slow on SATURDAY! Note that there have been no public indications as to whether Stegadeth are playing acoustically or with electric instruments, but given the usual artist range and venue size, don't be shocked if the former is an element. A 10:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charges are in effect. See above for more details, and here's Stegadeth live at The Rockstar Bar!



Finally for today, here's the latest from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, whose teased return from hiatus is advertised for next month, but what can be said now? On April 8th, frontman Henry Switzer revealed on their Facebook page that "my wrist is now beginning to heal and I can play guitar a bit now." He had earlier pointed to focusing on his health as a factor in Highway 63's break, but we hadn't heard this much until this month. Good to hear Henry's wrist is feeling better! The following week, Henry shared two videos from his personal Facebook page of him tracking vocals for studio versions of Cheap Trick's "The Flame" and (embedded below) Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" that he recently recorded. Teasers for upcoming Highway 63 set additions, or just him getting back in the musical groove? It remains to be seen, but how do these sound?

These renditions are solid, and Henry puts his strong vocal range to good use on each, especially on "Immigrant Song", and they're quality teasers of what's ahead, I'd assume! However, the videos themselves feel like they have a frame rate issue, and Henry admitted to being "still a bit camera shy", hence why he's not facing the camera at all on either clip. Check these out below, and stay tuned for more from Highway 63 when it rolls in!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The 3 Day Millionaires And Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

(Updated on Friday at 1:35 PM) Before we get into this weekend's concert previews, I wanted to note that the obituary for former Fistmagnet guitarist Chuck Ayotte was posted on SooToday on Monday, which you can now read at this link. There, it's confirmed that Chuck passed away at the Algoma Residential Community Hospice on Saturday at just 51 years of age, and he is survived by his wife Danielle, three children, one grandchild, and four siblings, among other extended family. Chuck had requested that there be no funeral service, as he wouldn't want his passing to be mourned, but the family said to "raise a beer in celebration of a life well lived." A celebration of life is reportedly in the works for a later date, though no mention was made of the golf tournament in his name that was announced for May 1st, so keep tabs on that in case it is still a plan. Memorial contributions to ARCH or Tracy's Dream would be appreciated by Chuck's family. I've seen a lot of fond reminiscences on Facebook regarding Chuck as a person, father, and musician, so be sure to check there for kind words from those that knew him better than I.

Sadly, we never got that Fistmagnet reunion that had been teased since Hardcore Homecoming in 2014, but maybe that celebration of life will have a live concert component. Time will tell, but keep the Ayotte family in your thoughts, and of course, raise a beer for Chuck! Now, let's dive into a quiet weekend of hard rock concert previews in Sault Ontario, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Alongside shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY during his ongoing arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood, former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT as the musical performer for their Friday the 13th festivities! Apologies for the short notice on that show, we only received confirmation of his involvement on Friday afternoon. TOMORROW'S show will be Tym's first at the nightclub above Low & Slow in two months, but there will be a Friday the 13th twist, as the Facebook event page indicates that he'll be in costume as Jason Voorhees! Will Tym just have the mask, or be in full regalia? You can find out TOMORROW, and fans are encouraged to come dressed as a horror movie character or victim for the occasion! There will also be hourly drink specials, if you are so inclined.  Of course, Tym as himself will also rock Gliss for two matinee shows tomorrow and Saturday, but don't bring your horror costumes there!

With his extensive setlist always at hand, another fun weekend of classic and hard rock covers should be in store at Gliss and Room 21, so don't miss out! As usual for Tym's long-term run at Gliss, expect 6:00 PM start times this weekend, no announced cover charges, and no stated age limit (but remember that this is a formal restaurant), while the Room 21 festivities are at 10:00 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit. Visit the Gliss shows' event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!




Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to The Rockstar Bar for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these were only announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Sunday, though note that The Millionaires haven't posted on their Facebook page in almost two months. Marking their second concert weekend in a row at The Rockstar Bar after previously playing there three weeks ago, this should be another fine opportunity to hear their hard rocking array of classic hits, so don't miss out TOMORROW or SATURDAY! The venue will reportedly also be marking their customer appreciation day TOMORROW by offering free pool all day, so keep that offer in mind as well! These shows have 10:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live!



Finally, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to the stage for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT when they headline at The Water Tower Pub! After taking the month of March off, the Mourning Wood successors will return to activity with this concert up on Great Northern Road, as previously announced via this concert calendar from the venue. With Asylum Country, Carbon Black, Suicide Kings, and Rainhorses alumni in their lineup, there's a lot to like from this quartet, so keep Soundcheck's return to The Water Tower Pub in mind for tomorrow! Note that this venue doesn't typically have the same band on Friday and Saturday of a given weekend, with The Paul Dellavedova Band instead bringing the blues on Saturday night. Tomorrow's Soundcheck concert has no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and no, we still don't have any public videos to preview them here with, but hopefully we will soon!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906 & The 3 Day Millionaires), Plus This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Another weekend is upon us, so here's this weekend's concert previews, including some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, largely on SHORT NOTICE! Just before we begin, I have two clarifications. One, despite the Sault Music Newsletter page's new advertising, Cherry Crush are playing at The Esquire Club this weekend, not Stiffler's Mom (who have been on a break since last fall.) And two, I am well aware of a major punk show taking place at The Canadian in September that will make you scream, but we're covering it in our next post to give it proper headlining emphasis. Don't worry, it's coming! Now, let's begin with those new concerts!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Days Millionaires will return to The Rockstar Bar for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page yesterday. Almost a month removed from their last advertised shows, this veteran quartet will be hitting the Rockstar Bar stage for the first time in 5 months, so if you've missed them there or can't get to their Reggievelt gigs, these concerts should be right up your alley for more fan favourite classics! As usual for The Millionaires' stops at this venue, there are 10:30 PM start times in effect TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, you must be 19 years of age or older to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The 3 Day Millionaires live!



Next up, we'll head to Sault Michigan for a show with more advance notice, as local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will compete in The Superior Cafe's second musicians competition on Saturday, March 31st! An official performer lineup hasn't been announced (yet?), but Project 906 announced their involvement on their Facebook page on Monday. No word on if this battle of the bands-styled event will be taking place bi-monthly (the first one was on January 27th), or if this is just the second attempt at one from the Bird's Eye Outfitters-contained cafe, but this should be another fun night of live music from an array of local talent once again! This time, money from registered bands awaits the top groups, which will be fan voted, so if you want in, sign up at The Superior Cafe A.S.A.P.! This will be Project 906's venue debut, though Billy & Joe played an acoustic set at the January competition. They will be up against January's winners, alt-rock quartet Midnight Logic, but I can't confirm any other acts at press time.

For what it's worth, the acoustic act from Stuck In Reverse's Bob Helsten and Troy Earls (that played in January) are named The Tavern Stool Townies, but I don't know if they're competing next week. This ALL AGES event has no announced cover charge and a 5:00 PM start time, with Project 906 apparently playing at 8:00 PM. It's great to see that this event is back for a second go-around, so hopefully there's a great turnout for fans and bands! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Heading back to both Sault Ontario and this weekend's concert previews, fans will bear witness to the return of local/Toronto Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide as they open for indie rock standout Jesse Merineau TONIGHT at The Speak Easy at Algoma University! Though The Tide ended their over a year & a half-long hiatus on St. Patrick's Day in Sudbury, this will be Dustin & the Jaaskelainens' first show in their hometown since July 2016, so if you've missed their Celtic tinged punk originals, be at The Speak Easy tonight! Personal Facebook postings indicate that Lake Effect drummer Chris Johns will be behind the kit for this show, a guest role has filled in the past with The Tide. Of course, Jesse Merineau and his solo band (including Electric Church and Caroline Divine alumni) will be playing this rare headlining concert riding the momentum of his new "That Night" music video, and fans of his well written, lovely originals should be right at home at Algoma University tonight!

Co-hosted by Algoma University Radio with sound via Crank Sound Distribution, this special Thursday night concert is ALL AGES, doors open at 8:00 PM, and $10 tickets are available at The Speak Easy, The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and the Thomas Walls School of Music, plus through Jesse himself (even via e-transfer if that's an option.) This sounds like a big concert to help continue Jesse's rise to his teased solo album and welcome back The Tide to local soil, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Dustin & company (including Chris) live!



Finally for this weekend's currently announced hard rock concert previews, we're unusually closing with the ever-prolific Tym Morrison, whose long-term weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood continues for two more matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY! After a busy previous week, Tym appears to only be playing at The Quality Inn's on-site restaurant this weekend, so fans of his unplugged hard and classic rock favourites know where to be for his prolific setlist this weekend! Remember, he will be playing at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill next Friday, if you're hoping to see him at a later or more eastern setting. As usual for Tym's Gliss concerts, expect these two shows to have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon, including something about a "famous monster"! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The 3 Day Millionaires & Rob And Jesse), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

The last weekend of February 2018 is fast approaching, so here's this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Though there's not much in the realm of original music to speak of, there's lots of cover action of the electric and acoustic varieties, including a debuting band, so let's begin with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook will continue their recent dalliance into acoustic hard rock concerts with a return to Room 21 above Low & Slow TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier this week. Two weeks removed from their Rockstar Bar debut in this setting, this will be Rob & Jesse's first joint unplugged gig at this newer Albert Street West venue of 2018, and continuing with their name ambiguity, they're called The Wyld Stallions rather than The Kariokeheads on the event page. Bill & Ted spelled it "Stallyns", but you can't hate the reference! The guys are again encouraging attendees to jam with them TOMORROW, and at least three guest performers are implied on the event page: Rob's wife Christina on vocals, Rob's Jack Spades bandmate Daniel Horton (who's pictured in the cover photo there), and "the sax man", presumably meaning frequent Elements guest performer Josh Norling.

A 10:00 PM start time is advertised for TOMORROW'S Rob & Jesse/Wild Stallions/Kariokeheads concert, which has no announced cover charge. No word on if these shows are a stopgap during an Elements hiatus or just picking up steam, but things seem to be going well for these acoustic nights, so keep things in mind for TOMORROW NIGHT, and here's Rob, Jesse, and Daniel live at The Rockstar Bar earlier this month!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to Reggie's West for another weekend of hard hitting and fan favourite renditions TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Monday. Already having rocked the former Roosevelt Hotel three weeks ago, this will be The Millionaires' third concert weekend at this west end venue of 2018 so far, and this should be another prime opportunity for fans of this veteran outfit to check out their entertaining live show once again! You can see The 3 Day Millionaires TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at 9:30 PM each night, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here they are live last year!



Moving to previously announced concerts, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has yet another busy slate of unplugged shows in store for this weekend, including his ongoing long-term arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood continuing for matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, plus a return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TOMORROW NIGHT! Still a regular weekly presence at Gliss for the foreseeable future, Tym's unplugged classics should find another receptive audience over these two evenings, while tomorrow's Roadhouse return will be his fourth of (at least) six bi-monthly shows there through the end of March. Fans have no shortage of opportunities to see Tym Morrison live this weekend, so don't miss out! Note that we will cover his Mark's Breakfast Plus matinees early next week in an upcoming post to give them more timely coverage, while we will address Tym's 10 Gliss and 2 Roadhouse gigs scheduled for next month during next weekend's concert previews.

None of this weekend's three shows have an announced cover charge, and while the Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no announced age limit, tomorrow's Roadhouse concert is at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



Finally for this weekend's known hard rock concert previews is the long awaited live concert debut of new local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive as they hit The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Almost a year and a half removed from their public launch in late 2016, this new band from singer Colin Nelson, guitarist Joe Miller, bassist Pierre Anthony, drummer Jeff Pennett, and keyboardist Rob Irving should have an entertaining night of hard and classic rock covers in store for their first show, so keep them in mind for something new on the bar scene on Saturday! This is a one-night-only event, no word on if it's due to a separate Friday booking or if they're starting slow. For what it's worth, Fluid 5ive have been unusually quiet on their Facebook page in the past month, but as the venue is still actively promoting this concert, I wouldn't read into anything. There is no announced cover charge on Saturday, this is a 19+ event, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time is likely.

With covers of everyone from Deep Purple and Van Halen to Tom Petty and The Allman Brothers Band teased in their setlist, Fluid 5ive sound promising, but how will they do on Saturday, and might there be videos to follow? Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Redundant & The 3 Day Millionaires), Weekend Concert Previews, And Project 906 Updates!!

Happy February, everyone! With a new month now upon us, it's time to dive into the first weekend concert previews for it, but due to the length of this post and related news items for one band playing this weekend, I am holding our previews of this weekend's Tym Morrison shows at Gliss and The Roadhouse for tomorrow's post, though it could go up later tonight too. They're coming though, don't worry! Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local punk quartet Redundant will play a rare acoustic concert TOMORROW NIGHT when they debut at Room 21 above Low & Slow! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook page on Sunday. Fans may have seen Redundant in an acoustic setting at Coch's Corner back in 2012, but a show of this nature isn't common for this veteran act, so keep the more reserved sound in mind if you take a trip to the new Albert Street West venue for this one TOMORROW! This should also be another chance for fans to see Redundant with new second guitarist Yannick Casavant, but for full disclosure, pictures posted to their Facebook page from the Joni Radford benefit last month don't show Yannick performing with the band. In any event, this one-night-only show has no announced cover charge, a 10:00 PM start time, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's Redundant live and unplugged six years ago!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to Reggie's West for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. Fresh off of a pair of gigs at The Rockstar Bar, this will be their first stop at the former Roosevelt Hotel in three weeks, and their third concert weekend out of four where they had shows booked. Fans have had lots of chances to see Steve, Jeremey, Bill, and Scott live so far this year, so if you want more or haven't been able to yet this year, you have two more chances TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY! As was the case last month, these shows have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Millionaires live!

Closing with a previously announced concert, we'll take a detour to Sault Michigan next for local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906's special outdoor set TONIGHT at the beer tent at this year's International 500 snowmobile race! Bands under the beer tent are nothing new for the I-500 (remember when Banned and Power Slug played there?), but this will be Project 906's first turn in this setting, and hopefully they sufficiently warm things up before the race itself kicks off on Saturday! As far as I can tell, their set will be the entertainment during the I-500 stop of their annual pub crawl, so click here for full non-musical details on the ongoing race week and other events. Regarding their recent drummer switch, Project 906 confirmed that their new addition is Prizym Designs co-owner Tommy Korcal, though they still have not indicated a public reason for Will Storey's departure. Hopefully nothing bad happened, and that we see Will again soon!

I'm not familiar with Tommy from other local bands, but he is a past drum instructor at Grooves Music, so he has the chops! Also, it's worth noting that Tommy actually broke his left foot Saturday morning before their show in Strongs, and he had surgery for it on Tuesday, but will not miss any future shows. He played on Saturday with his foot on a stool, and will be at the I-500 and at the Laith Al-Saadi concert next week, so kudos to him for toughing it out from the get go! The above posting on their Facebook page implied that they did not play at the Superior Cafe's musicians competition/battle of the bands that evening, but guitarist Joe Jenkins has since confirmed that only he and singer Billy Bernier performed, and the band was erroneously advertised by organizers (Thanks Joe!) Sponsors Crooked Music featured photos of the 9 competing acts onto their Facebook page, and while they unfortunately didn't tag each performer by name, they did confirm that former Intrepid guitarist Nick Pavlat's new alternative rock quintet Midnight Logic won first place. Congratulations to them for sure!

FYI, that event also featured two solo performers (one being Dead Water Tapes alum Garrett Chevrette), while half of classic rock veterans Stuck In Reverse played an acoustic set as well. As for Project 906's I-500 beer tent show TOMORROW, expect a 21+ age limit, an 8:30 PM start time, and while there isn't an advertised cover charge to attend just their sets, follow the I-500 website and sufficient local media for details on admission fees and rules for the race and surrounding events just in case. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Project 906 live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Tym Morrison concert previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The 3 Day Millionaires) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

The second concert weekend of the year is nearing, so here's our weekend concert previews for you hard rock and punk fans! Barring any late notice announcements, here's what you should know for the next few days, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, half on SHORT NOTICE!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will play their first concerts of 2018 TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Reggie's West, with newly announced returns to The Rockstar Bar on January 26th & 27th also now on their calendar! Apologies for the short notice on the Reggievelt gigs, those were only announced via their Facebook event page on Monday. After the cancellation of their planned Top Hat one-off show last week, this weekend's trip to the former Roosevelt Hotel will be a more familiar site for many fans as this veteran fan favourite group kick off the year in stle, having not played there since August. Meanwhile, the Rockstar Bar shows in two weeks are part of a batch of new concert announcements at that venue from their Facebook group (one more hard rock show is coming soon), and will be their first bookings at The Algonquin's upstairs venue in about three months.

It's great to see Steve, Jeremey, Bill, and Scott back at it finally in the new year, so don't miss them TOMORROW, SATURDAY, or in two weeks at either venue! All four dates have 19+ age limits, 9:30 PM-ish start times, and no cover charge. Visit the above links and this link for more details, and here are The Millionaires live at the latter venue!



Next up, we'll move to entirely previously announced concerts with the next weekend of acoustic matinee concerts from former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison, who will keep up his ongoing run of Gliss Steak & Seafood shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Now in the fourth calendar year of his weekly run at The Quality Inn's house restaurant, this will be the second week of shows since he began his biannual retraction from thrice weekly gigs to twice a week, so don't worry, you didn't miss a Thursday nighter today! Tym's unplugged hard rock covers have been a reliable source of live entertainment for years now at Gliss, so keep these next two in mind for our evening plans this weekend! Both shows have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!

Also this weekend, we'll take a detour to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino  in St. Ignace, Michigan TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will make their first E.U.P. appearances of 2018! Playing their third and fourth shows anywhere of this young year, these will be Scarkazm's first stops in St. Ignace in just under a month, and they should be another good opportunity to see Peril's sister band in our neck of the woods, so don't miss this fan favourite outfit this weekend either! As usual for their Kewadin stops (hopefully there's more coming), expect 9:00 PM start times for these dates, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event pages (linked here & here) for more details on these shows, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live last year!



Finally for today, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for the long awaited Joni Radford benefit concert at The Canadian Nightclub THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! As you may know, Joni is a local woman battling breast cancer for a second time, so this event is to help with medical expenses for her and her family during this difficult time. To that end, this benefit will feature numerous prize and raffle draws, plus a silent auction, toonie toss, pizza, and Northern Axperts' ax throwing cage, so be sure to visit the official Facebook event page for full non-musical details on Saturday! The musical lineup will include three local punk bands, including the long awaited return of the newly expanded  Redundant after a year+ stage hiatus (with debuting second guitarist Yannick Casavant in tow), and the second live concert appearances of punk trios A Dire Setback and Stegadeth's current lineups, so if you missed Chris' debut on vocals for the former or Johnny's debut on drums for the latter, here's your next chance!

Doors open at 7:00 PM for this 19+ benefit concert, and while tickets are $25, remember the charitable nature of this show, Joni and her family will appreciate all of the support! You can get tickets by phone from those listed on the Facebook event page, as well as at The Upper Deck Bar & Grill above the venue, and delivery is available for those who need it. I don't know Joni well, but she's a fighter with a good spirit, and hopefully she can beat this thing once again, so definitely consider coming to The Canadian for the cause on Saturday night! See above for more details, and here's Redundant (minus Yannick) live at The Canadian a few years ago!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Scarkazm, Banned, And Tym Morrison), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

(Updated at 4:41 PM) The first concert weekend of 2018 is about to begin, but despite that, things are fairly quiet among currently announced hard rock shows, with only a handful of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to speak of for proven heavier concerts through Saturday. As such, this post has been rounded out with more new concert announcements through next month, so here's what you should know for this weekend and beyond! We originally led off this post with the announced Top Hat Billiards debut of local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires tonight, but that show was cancelled this afternoon. Bassist Bill Brouillard confirmed this in a Facebook e-mail, noting that the venue called off the show due to low attendance for their recent live concert bookings this season. For what it's worth, neither Top Hat nor The Millionaires ever acknowledged the show publically, with our initial source for the booking being a post on Bill's personal Facebook page this morning.

Very disappointing, especially so soon into Top Hat's live band experiment, but hopefully Top Hat tries live bands again in the future, look for new bookings elsewhere from The 3 Day Millionaires when they're publically announced, and thanks to Bill for confirming both this show and it's fate!

Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will kick off his 2018 slate of acoustic solo concerts this month with the continuation of his weekly arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood for matinee shows TOMORROW,and SATURDAY, plus January 12th-13th, 19th-20th, and 26th-27th! But that's not all, as Tym has announced a twice-a-month schedule at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill through (at least) March, which kicks off with Friday night shows TOMORROW NIGHT & on January 26th! Apologies again for the short notice on this weekend's three shows, remember that we go month by month for Tym's regularly scheduled gigs due to the amount and longevity of them, so January's are new to the site. The Gliss bookings continue his weekly run of acoustic solo gigs that began at The Quality Inn's house restaurant back in 2015, notably returning to a twice weekly schedule through June once again (no Thursday nighters), while his return to The Roadhouse on Trunk Road will be his first announced gigs there since last summer.

In other words, fans of Tym's hard rocking covers have plenty of changes to see him this month and beyond, including SATURDAY and twice TOMORROW! The Facebook event pages for each venue's shows (linked here & here) confirm Tym's twice-a-week slate through June, plus him playing the first and last Fridays of the month at The Roadhouse through March, but we'll approach those as each month comes. The Gliss shows remain 6:00 PM engagements with no announced age limit, the Roadhouse shows are at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, and none have an announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Moving to shows with lots of advance notice, we can add our first hard rock concerts at Kewadin Casino lounges of the year to our concert calendar, as Kewadin's entertainment page has added shows taking place at Sault Michigan's Rapids Lounge and St. Ignace's Northern Pines Lounge through next month! That said, there's not much in the way of hard rock at press time, and a few bands are oddly credited in shortened form (TOC is The Touch of Class Band, for example, and I can't confirm who "Pard. Excus." are.) As far as I know, no confirmed Rapids Lounge bands are heavier, but a few playing the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace are, including Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm, who will play their first E.U.P. shows of 2018 when they hit The Northern Pines Lounge on Friday, January 12th and Saturday, January 13th! Coming just a month after their last shows at this venue, this should be another prime opportunity to check out this hard hitting and high profile Northern Michigan band on a regional stage!

Note that these shows are solely credited to Friday the 12th on the entertainment page linked above, but so is every other lounge show that's currently listed, so that appears to be another short form entry just to reference the entire weekend. In other words, don't worry! You can take in Scarkazm's heavy covers and possible originals next weekend at 9:00 PM both nights, these are 21+ engagements, and there are no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and stay tuned for more on when we'll next see Scarkazm (and Peril) in our neck of the woods!

Finally for today, we'll also see Kinross classic/hard rock cover trio Banned back at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace for shows on Friday, February 2nd and Saturday, February 3rd! Barring an interim announcement, these will be Alex, Don, and Wayne's first publically announced concerts of 2018, their first in about two months at any locale, and their first at The Kewadin Shores Casino in three months. Banned have been fairly quiet so far this winter, and have yet to acknowledge these or any 2018 shows publically, but hopefully they'll heat things up with their fan favourite and often heavy covers next month in St. Ignace! Like with the aforementioned Scarkazm shows, expect 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times both nights. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from Banned when it becomes public!

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