LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished & Separate Wayz) And Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

It's the (relative) calm before the storm that is Rotaryfest weekend next week, as this weekend's slate of hard rock concert previews is much quieter by comparison! Still too many shows for one post, so Saturday's previously announced Quite Frankly concert will be in tomorrow's post. Here's what you should know to kick off this weekend, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE, and an apology for a missed concert last week!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Separate Wayz (and/or their sister band Soundcheck) will return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Separate Wayz first announced these shows via their Facebook page yesterday. Now, Jay's Facebook page has an AI generated poster crediting the shows to Soundcheck, a contradictory plug that I have surprisingly never seen since Soundcheck relaunched with a 75% identical lineup. I'm inclined to believe Separate Wayz' own promotion, but at the same time, could Soundcheck singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe be on hand too for another "epic crossover" weekend, or even just a smaller guest spot? Be at Jay's TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY NIGHT to find out! If truly Separate Wayz-led gigs, these will be their first since rocking Reggie's last month, and their first standalone bookings at Jay's this year.

Hopefully there's a solid crowd TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Both shows are at 9:30 PM with no cover and 19+ age limits, and if this is of note, Jay's now serves Slush Puppies! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's just the second public video from Separate Wayz' Facebook page (at least it's not a "Story"!). This 13 seconds-long clip appears to come from their Reggie's show on June 13th, and features Travis on guitar despite those gigs not being advertised as "epic crossover" dates. He, Nicole, Terry, Jim, and Johnny were filmed here covering Alanis Morissette's "Hand In My Pocket", and what we hear sounds good, but look for much longer full performances from Separate Wayz (and Soundcheck?) this weekend!

Next up, let's head across the border to St. Ignace, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will return to Kingston Kitchen on SATURDAY NIGHT, with two more Saturday nighters booked there on August 15th and September 19th! Again, apologies for the short notice on SATURDAY's concert, it was only announced on the venue's Facebook page on Monday. As you may recall, Tarnished debuted at the 250 South State Street Jamaican restaurant last year during the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show weekend in St. Ignace, and while unsaid in Kingston Kitchen's promotion, that appears to be the raison d'etre for the September 2026 booking. THIS SATURDAY'S and next month's shows appear to be just standard concerts, and clearly Tarnished's Kingston Kitchen debut went well last year for them to come back thrice this year! Remember, there's more going on in St. Ignace than just the casino, as Tarnished have proved umpteen times lately.

In two more new confirmations, Tarnished will end the summer with shows at The Back Bay Grill & Games Lakeside Lounge at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley on Friday, August 28th & Saturday, August 29th, so if you want some hard rock action a little closer to the Soo at our other regional casino, keep these shows in mind! They were announced via this batch Facebook event page for all Lakeside Lounge concerts for the next two months. All five dates (THIS SATURDAY at Kingston Kitchen included) are at 8:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details across the board, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live!

Now back to Sault Ontario briefly for a show that had lots of advance notice, as local acoustic classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play his third show in the past week TONIGHT at The Dive Gastro Pub! Fresh off of his second Mike Case Memorial Stage show of the year yesterday (I believe the rain held off too), this is the third and last show (so far) for Tym at The Dive, as per his batch Facebook event page for shows there. While The Dive has hosted Thursday acts on their outdoor patio on occasion (including Old Roads last week), their AI generated poster confirms that tonight's "Think It Over Thursday" concert will be indoors in "The Naughty Corner". While we're on the subject, I wanted to apologize for missing a show of Tym's last week, as he debuted at Ije's Place in nearby Desbarats this past Friday, in a solo concert that he never publically corroborated on social media, just on his personal account.

While Desbarats (40 minutes southeast of the Soo) only typically comes up on the SMS when referencing CASS, it is good to see a venue there hosting live music on occasion, though I do wish Tym would have said something about that gig, as I'd have happily plugged it had I known about it. Apologies again regardless! Tonight's Dive show (despite Tym's event page listing it as a matinee) takes place at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

We'll close this post by looking at more touring rock band action in Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, but unlike the three bands debuting at Kewadin Casinos in the coming weeks, the band playing TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin is quite familiar, namely Traverse City classic metal trio Peril! While not newly promoted on the band's Facebook page, this weekend's shows are confirmed on their summer calendar seen here, and mark their first EUP shows since rocking the St. Ignace branch two weeks ago. Jeff and crew (whether in Peril or their sister band Scarkazm) are not advertised to return to either Kewadin branch, so unless you go see them at the Music In The Park series in St. Ignace, these are your last chances to rock out with either band north of the Mackinac Bridge this summer, so hopefully they have lots of fun covers in store!

As usual for Peril's shows at Kewadin lounges, tomorrow and Saturday night's concerts are at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Jeff, Howard, and Brooks' concerts in the Soo this weekend, and here they are live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the Quite Frankly preview and more on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished) Plus The Peril And Stones & Crows Concert Previews!!

This packed slate of hard rock concert previews marches on with a second Thursday post, this time looking at SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P., more Michigan concert action related to a big ongoing event this weekend, and a Sault Ontario debut concert, but let's head to Mackinac County to kick things off! Our previews of announced hard rock shows in Sault Ontario on Saturday will be in our next post.

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover band Tarnished will return to St. Ignace for a second straight year of St. Ignace Car Show-timed live music on SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, these two(!) shows were first announced on the band's Facebook page. Last year, Tarnished played at The Driftwood Sports Bar during this annual event, but they will actually be playing two shows elsewhere, and they appear to be linked to the car show proper for show #1, a matinee gig from 2:00-5:00 PM outdoors at McGregor Lot, a parking lot behind the former Shell station at 200 South State Street (some vendors from the car show will be set up there, but the actual car show is spread out through town). After things wrap up in St. Ignace, Alex & Josh will disembark from Chris and Ron, taking the 45 minute drive north to Brimley for a rare acoustic duo concert at Bay Mills Resort & Casino that night!

This show will reportedly be in the "Lakeside Lounge", which has been given as the name for their location of their concerts and karaoke nights this month rather than the Back Bay Grill & Games. "Your perfect up north retreat" finished renovations and expansions in January, and it does seem like they're shifting concerts to the new lounge (all of which have been acoustic, for what it's worth) at least for the summer. Hopefully things go well for half of Tarnished there on SATURDAY NIGHT! The Lakeside Lounge show in Brimley is a 21+ affair at 8:00 PM, the car show matinee in St. Ignace is all ages, and neither has an announced cover charge, though click here for full details on what to expect at the car show. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies and temperatures hovering around 74° (23° Celsius), so for an outdoor concert, you can't ask for much nicer summer weather than that!

I wish Tarnished had announced their two gigs on SATURDAY with more advance notice, especially with the hype around the St. Ignace Car Show's 50th anniversary, but hopefully this talented hard rock group (in full form in the afternoon or unplugged in Brimley) have a solid pair of concerts with attendances to match! Visit the above links for more details on both, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live and unplugged a few years ago!

Next up, there's one more familiar hard rock cover band rocking the St. Ignace Car Show weekend, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Peril haven't hyped up the car show angle in their own promotion, but Jeff, Howard, and Brooks landed two key timeslots at the casino, as Kewadin hosted and sponsored the cruise night tonight and will be hosting the after-party on Saturday, so it is somewhat of a hub for official events outside of showing/driving the classic cars. If you're not into the car show or would prefer to stay closer to the Soo, they'll be back at The Rapids Lounge in two weeks, but Peril should get a sizable crowd for both of this weekend's gigs, and hopefully their hard hitting and crowd friendly covers go over as well as ever! These are 21+ shows at 9:00 PM with no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, we'll head north to Sault Ontario, where new local southern hard rock trio Stones & Crows will make their live concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT at Beck's Bar! This new band features Jupiter Marvelous guitarist/ex-Electric Church frontman Spencer Pine (a.k.a. "Bukky VanZant"), Floor Between Us bassist Nicholas Gingras ("Nikki Crow"), and Riverside Stasis/ex-HeadFirst drummer Anthony Boudreau ("Tony Stone"), which is definitely a promising lineup! Stones & Crows have not yet posted public media of them performing in any capacity, but they claim to "hit with a modern hard rock sound rooted in blues & grit", which sure sounds like an extension of Electric Church to me, and it will be good to see Spencer fronting a live band again! Remember, when Beck's does book live bands on Fridays, it's never the band playing the Saturday nightcap, and we'll preview Bone Yard 225's show there on Saturday in our next post.

Just to clarify something, I am aware that Spencer is the owner of local internet radio network Tomahawk 141, and I'd love to talk about it on here, but since I belatedly discovered it (when Stones & Crows launched), the rock/blues station has never worked for me. If Spencer gets it back online, I'll let you know! Tomorrow's Beck's concert will see them "rock the night" and "all night long" (assuming that the night only runs from 9:00 PM-1:00 AM), this is a 19+ event, and there's no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for our Bone Yard, Generations, and A.S.D.P. previews next! Thanks everyone!

Two More Saturday Night Concert Previews, Plus More Recent Updates!!

I hope everyone is having a happy and safe Halloween, however you choose to celebrate! Tonight's post takes us to two more weekend concert previews in Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula tomorrow night, with lots of recent Sault Ontario updates to take note of, but let's lead off in the E.U.P. with the last of this weekend's heavier concert crop!

We'll start with a show TOMORROW NIGHT that has no credited post-Halloween ties, as local promoters Serious Business are bringing an intriguing package of local and touring musicians to... Pizza Hut? Yes, the bands will be setting up shop in the basement of the 2255 Ashmun Street restaurant, and while this is highly atypical for local concert locales, why not give it a shot if they're willing to host it? Novi noise punk quartet Permanently Pissed and Detroit grunge/alternative band Werewolf Jones will both be making their local concert debuts tomorrow, and with the former's garage rock-influenced noise attack and the latter's punk inflected hybrid originals, fans should get some quality sounds that we don't get often enough in the E.U.P. tomorrow! Local support will include new local hard rock trio Crush (fresh off of Alex & Josh's Halloween gig with Tarnished in St. Ignace tonight) and three-time LSSU Battle of the Bands competitor Kevin Blakeney.

Tomorrow's concert goes down at 6:00 PM with an 18+ age limit, and admission will be $15 at the door. It's always good to see Serious Business host a multi-band event like this, let alone one with touring bands, and hopefully fans pack the space for this concert (and maybe to buy some pizza?) Visit the above links for more on tomorrow's festivities, and for a preview, here's Permanently Pissed live!

Next up, I almost forgot to preview one more concert TOMORROW NIGHT, but I caught it in time, as local hard rock quintet Exit 808 will return to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley for their Halloween party! It's a day late because The Back Bay Grill doesn't host bands on Fridays, not even for October 31st. Yes, there will be a costume contest, and organizers have even revealed that prizes of $300, $200, and $100 will be awarded for the top three, so don't put away your costumes just yet! "Fright Night By The Bay" will be Exit 808's first concert in over two months and their first in Brimley since the spring, while it will see them joined by fast-rising Dafter singer/guitarist Molly Escherich (straight outta Interlochen) as a guest singer, as per her Facebook page. The band has oddly not confirmed her involvement themselves, but hopefully Molly shines in her return home for the weekend!

Tomorrow's post-Halloween festivities begin at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit (Molly and Blaze aside) and no cover charge. With two (no, three) singers in force for this concert, hopefully Exit 808's lively brand of hard rock covers get a strong reponse at Bay Mills tomorrow as we wind the Halloween season to a close! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Exit 808 live!

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

 

• This might be nothing, but a scheduled live-stream for the multi-genre Broke & Hungry fundraiser concert at Beck's Bar on December 19th has quietly been posted onto host/MC Twitchy T. Tantrum's YouTube channel. Live-streams of local concerts don't happen enough, let alone charitable ones for the Soup Kitchen, so we'll have to keep tabs on this as we approach the holidays! Just to clarify, listed performer King Mizo is an alternate handle for Toronto rapper Unknown Mizery, who has been advertised right along.
• Sudbury-based Rush tribute band Rust have changed their name to Epic Rush, as per their Facebook page on October 20th. This came just four days after they headlined at Soo Blaster, and while I'm told that they were still were selling Rust-branded merchandise at the local gig, the name change can't have been a kneejerk reaction given the turnaround to update social media and whatnot. Regardless, posts referencing the local show are calling them by the new name, so I figured I should acknowledge it here. Hopefully things went well, and that we see Epic Rush (and/or Just Leppard) back in Sault Ste. Marie in the new year!
• Reunited local classic/hard rock cover band Quite Frankly did not perform at Kosmos Pizza in Bruce Mines this past Friday, as per their Facebook page on Tuesday last week. The band cited "an unexpected medical circumstance" as the reason for their withdrawal from the Down syndrome awareness fundraiser event, but did not go into specifics beyond that. Hopefully whoever got sick/hurt gets well soon, and that we see Quite Frankly at a public concert again soon! Kosmos Pizza still plugged "live music" afterwards, but never confirmed who replaced them.
• Local punk trio Redundant have quietly dropped out of next month's Toystock, as per the newly updated schedule on the Christmas Cheer benefit concert's Facebook page and website. A reason for Redundant's withdrawal wasn't publically announced, but they haven't posted on their Facebook page since 2023, not even to plug their Toystock set last year (let alone their bassist change). Hopefully all's well in their camp! They have been replaced by a mystery band named Sunday & The Broken Hearts, who I know as little about as I do The Reeves (the other mystery band at Toystock this year), so stay tuned when more comes out on one/both groups!
• If you're wondering why I didn't feature local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook video from Wolf Fest last month on here, it's because it's actually not of Silent 9. While the thumbnail features frontwoman Jess Amadio, this actually comes from a guest turn she took with headining local pop rock cover band The Killer Hooks, where she joined in on their cover of Rose & Bruno Mars' "Apt.". While sadly vertical and incomplete, it's a fun and lively cover of this modern pop hit, and hopefully things went well at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion for Wolf Fest!
• A book is being written about defunct local black/doom metal band Woods of Ypres and their late frontman David Gold! To be named Deepest Roots: The Woods of Ypres Story, it's being authored by J. James of the California-based Arcane Archivist Zine, and he has kept fans updated as to the biography's progress on the Woods of Ypres Fanclub Facebook group. Apparently, he has conducted 20 long format interviews adding up to around 100 minutes of material for the book so far, but things are still at an early stage. This is highly intriguing, so stay tuned for updates as the book comes together!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Exit 808 & Tarnished) And The Hearts & Horsepower Preview!!

One more post to knock out this weekend's hard rock concert previews, as I mistakenly forgot a special matinee charity gig today in our prior posts, while there's also LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, one on SHORT NOTICE. Here's what you should know on this Saturday morning!

Sault Michigan classic metal/hard rock quartet Tarnished will rock The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in nearby Brimley TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced on the band's Facebook page yesterday, but Bay Mills' Facebook page had been advertising the show since May 6th. Why Tarnished themselves didn't plug this show until the day prior, I don't know, but as far as I can tell, this will be their first ever concert at Bay Mills' on-site nightclub & restaurant. Always good to see this talented foursome spreading their wings in the E.U.P,, and hopefully things go well at "your perfect up north retreat" TONIGHT! Last seen in St. Ignace over a month ago, TONIGHT'S concert has a 21+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron's Back Bay debut TONIGHT, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live last year!  

Next up, fellow local hard rock band Exit 808 have announced their summer concert calendar via this photo from their Facebook page on Tuesday, so when will you be able to see them next? We already knew about their St. Ignace Kewadin gigs over the June 6th weekend, while their remaining June shows are all on the road. They'll head downstate for the 2 hour drive to Walloon Lake (outside of Charlevoix) for a June 14th gig at the Walloon Junction Bar & Grill, with returns there planned for July 26th & August 16th. Their other dates next month are returns to Western U.P. festivals that they played at last year. One is the third annual Drewpalooza mental health fundraiser/birthday event in Republic (3½ hours west) over the June 20th weekend, while they'll return to the outdoor festival Rally For The Valley in Ewen (4½ hours west) over the June 27th weekend, specific days not cited.

On July 3rd, Exit 808 will play in Munising (co-vocalist Dillion Semasky's old stomping grounds) for a gig at The Barge Inn, so if you're in the Central U.P. or are up for a 2 hour drive from the Soo, keep this Thursday nighter (on the eve of the Independence Day long weekend) in mind! Their first honest-and-truly local date in over a month will see the guys return to The Merchant's Bar in the Soo on Saturday, July 12th in their first gig there since the I-500 weekend, so if you want to enjoy this skilled group's blend of diverse rocking covers in Chippewa County, that's your next chance! Bookending the last Walloon Lake show and a bike rally at Chandler Hill Campground in Boyne Falls (another 2 hour drive near Charlevoix) on August 8th, Exit 808 will also return to both local Kewadin Casino lounges in August, including at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace from August 1st-2nd.

They'll end the summer slate at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on August 22nd-23rd, in their first stops at that Kewadin branch since January. Note that the calendar description confirms that Exit 808 are continuing as a five piece band with frequent guest musicians, rather than get a new permanent guitarist/bassist. While the names are mostly familiar from recent gigs, one is About:Blank/ex-Tarnished guitarist Nathan Webber, who was a founding member of Exit 808 in the first place, so it'll be neat to see him guesting with them again! All five new E.U.P. dates have 9:00 PM-ish start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Exit 808's summer schedule across Northern Michigan!

We'll close today in Sault Ontario for a preview of a show TODAY that I completely blanked on including in our last two preview posts, and given its charitable aims, I profusely apologize for that. That previously announced event takes place at the Downtown Plaza today from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM (yes, it's that early), and is the first annual Hearts & Horsepower, a promotional event for the Dragonfly Run motorcycle rally in August, which of course benefits the Algoma Regional Community Hospice. Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 are heavily involved in the Dragonfly Run every year, and will be rocking out at the Plaza this morning/afternoon, while a motorcycle show will also take place, and there will also be on-sire donations for ARCH and information on the rally. Sounds like a good time for a great cause, and a fine appetizer for the full slate of events in three months, so consider checking everything out today!

Hearts & Horsepower is FREE to attend (donations are welcomed though) and it is absolutely an all ages event. While the stage is covered, we have escaped the rain in the forecast, and 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy weather with 9° temperatures. As local outdoor concerts go, that's fairly cool, so dress accordingly. Hopefully Bone Yard and the Dragonfly Run representatives have a great event to get the word out for the rally, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's "The Dirty 3" live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Exit 808) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

In today's post, we're wrapping up this weekend's Sault Ontario hard rock concert previews, but leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for you Sault Michigan/E.U.P. readers!

Sault Michigan hard rock band Exit 808 will make their debut at the Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley on Saturday, November 23rd! Concerts at Bay Mills' on-site bar/restaurant are not common, especially compared to what goes down at Kewadin Casinos, with this show being the first publically advertised Back Bay Grill show that I've heard about since Project 906 played there in September of last year. This will be Exit 808's first show since their Halloween concert at The Merch this past weekend, and will definitely see the return of co-vocalist Dillion Semasky after he had to miss the Merch gig. Just to clarify the lineup from that Halloween show, their Facebook page confirmed that bassist Myke Young was on hand despite not being tagged in pre-concert promotions, though former fill-in bassist Blaze Beairl did play on some songs. (Ex-?)guitarist Will Robbins was not present.

Exit 808 also welcomed Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins and Bob Libick from the Marquette hard rock band Spun as guest musicians at The Merch alongside No Expectations singer Drew Collister (who sat in for Dillion all night). While there's no videos (yet?), a bunch of photos of the spooky season festivities can be seen on their Facebook page! The costume-less action in Brimley later this month will have a 21+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Exit 808's Bay Mills debut in just over two weeks!

Next up, here's out preview of the semifinals of the fifth annual The Soo's Got Talent go down TONIGHT at Soo Blaster in Sault Ontario! With six judges picks & an implied audience save awaiting the twelve remaining contestants, things will get even better as the competition whittles down, and with all semifinalists performing twice, hopefully attendees will get a good sample of who will be worthy of the final round in two weeks! This year, all twelve semifinalists are singers of some description, though five have been seen in videos or photos from prior rounds playing guitar at least some of the time, those being Celeste Burton, Jennifer Joseph, 2023 semifinalist Arin Karki, Nicolette Rebello, and 2018 finalist/Lime frontwoman Madii Schomogyi. The seven singing-only competitors are Haley Alopaeus, 2023 third place finisher Demoy MacSamuels, Rebekah Moran, ex-Re:Born frontman Robert Nevitt, 2022 competitor Ricky Roy, 2023 semifinalist Kristina Sagrak, and golden buzzer recipient Chloe Tessier.

While videos from the second round have not (yet?) been shared publically by T.S.G.T., three semifinalists (Arin, Haley, and Robert) were filmed performing at least one hard rock cover through round #1, so will they be a genre respite for fans, or could we get some SMS-amenable surprises? Speaking of which, local/Barrie alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band (now featuring 2023 runner-up Elly McWatters on guitar) will be the halftime performers tomorrow, repeating their role as the house band for the final two rounds last year, so prepare for a fun set of Mike's original music in between the semifinalists' first and second songs! The semifinals begin tonight at 6:30 PM with admission at the door of $15 (adults) and $10 (kids). Remember that proceeds of this year's The Soo's Got Talent are going to the Second Chances Animal Rescue, as every year supports a different local charity. Visit the above links for full details on tomorrow's Soo's Got Talent semifinals, and here's Mike & crew live at Soo Blaster last year!

Finally, let's preview one more pair of hard rock concerts in the Soo this weekend, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will return to The Esquire Club for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen at the Second Line West nightclub in September, this weekend's shows kick off a busy month for the Syrettes, Brad, and Ric, as they'll be playing somewhere over three of the next four weekends. Hopefully there's a strong turnout at The Esquire Club this weekend for Double Down's fan friendly and often heavy array of covers! If you can't make it, they'll be at Jay's next weekend. Tonight and tomorrow night's concerts have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details on Double Down's Esquire Club concerts tomorrow and Saturday night, and for a preview, here's a video of the guys live in concert earlier this year!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Whoop-Szo) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

I know, things remain quiet as of late, and that has translated to this weekend's concert previews, but there's still some intriguing concerts this weekend, even one to note that doesn't even have announced bands?! That said, we do have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month to lead off with, so here's what you should know on this Thursday evening!

London "true-psych/post-metal' quintet Whoop-Szo will make their local concert debut on Friday, June 29th when they headline at... Outspoken Brewing?! Yes, the craft brewery at 350 Queen Street East (beside Shabby Motley Handcraft) doubles as a venue for live events, but this is the first time that an SMS-fitting concert has ever taken place there that I'm aware of. Whoop-Szo will definitely deliver a unique sound to the local stage at the end of next month, with electronic, psychedelic, folk, and sludge influences in their experimental "noisy mountain", but they are definitely heavy enough to appeal to genre fans, so keep their set in mind! Hamilton garage rock band Billy Moon will open in their own local debut, and with an accessible, lo-fi brand of original material in store (maybe even some guided meditation), they should attract an audience next month as well! Advance tickets for this (presumably) 19+ concert are $10, and can be bought online at this link, though a potential hike at the door isn't stated on the Facebook event page.

This show is also advertised to start at 9:00 PM on June 29th. It's nice to see Outspoken Brewing host a heavier show, and one with lots of musical creativity on both sides of the coin, so visit the above links for more on Whoop-Szo, Billy Moon, and the venue/beer in advance of this concert!

Next up, let's move to this weekend's concert previews, starting with former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's latest Gliss Steak & Seafood shows, as he'll rock The Quality Inn's house restaurant once again TOMORROW & SATURDAY! With his long-term weekly run of acoustic matinees wrapping up another month this weekend, prepare for more unplugged hard rock and classic rock covers at this downtown locale over these two evenings from this local music veteran! Note that we will approach Tym's June concerts (his presumed last before returning to thrice weekly bookings there) next week, as we take his long-term Gliss shows one month at a time due to their length and frequency. As usual for Tym's Gliss gigs, these shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charges or 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!

Also this weekend, we'll head south to Brimley, Michigan, where Munising hard rock quartet Infathom will travel for a headlining concert at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! This infrequently seen group (fronted by former Saultite Dillion Semasky) will be making their first E.U.P. concert appearance of 2018 on Saturday, though fans will have seen them open for Theory of a Deadman in the Soo in December, and previously at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley last fall. This will be Infathom's debut at the waterfront nightclub at "your perfect up north retreat", and their hard hitting covers and originals should provide a Memorial Day weekend spark, so keep their Back Bay Grill show in mind for Saturday! Note that this concert does not conflict with former Nudge frontman Danzo McCracken's advertised acoustic gig on Saturday, he's playing in the Northwoods Lounge at Bay Mills that night (and tomorrow.)

This 21+ concert has no announced cover charge, and has an advertised start time of 10:00 PM. It's great to see Infathom back east for another night of metal and hard rock hits, so keep their Brimley return in mind for Saturday night, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Infathom live in Sault Ste. Marie in December!



Finally, I wanted to acknowledge an event taking place TOMORROW NIGHT at Room 21 in Sault Ontario entitled Jiannipaloozahtoo (The Sequel), which curiously has no publically advertised bands, so what is there to say about it? Well, first off, apologies for the short notice, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. Jiannipaloozahtoo has nothing (visibly) to do with the reunited Gianni Gagoots, as it is actually the belated sequel to prolific local metal/punk drummer Johnny Belanger's 2016 birthday concert at The Oddfellows Hall (entitled "Johnny B.'s #Litfam Birthday Sheezy".) The event page indicates that Room 21 are going to "bring together a bunch of instruments" and host "musical performances from everyone", with drink specials also planned to be offered. The lack of an announced performer lineup suggests that this may be more of an informal jam session event with performers coming and going, but the event page's confirmed attendees may shed light onto who's playing tomorrow!

For reference, Johnny's 2016 "birthday sheezy" featured his bands The Bear Hunters and Jack Spades alongside Winkstinger, the dormant Exploring Detritus, and the now-defunct Eclipse and Heavy Head, while Johnny has since joined Stegadeth and Handsome Sandwich. That said, Room 21 hasn't been a haven for extreme metal since launching last year, with smaller and acoustic acts being the norm, so I would imagine this will be a whole different animal than 2 years ago. In any event, hopefully Johnny has a great birthday bash with his second "paloozah", I imagine a fun night of music is in store from him and his friends tomorrow night!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, plus this month's YouTube Channel Profile this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Infathom & Project 906), Plus Our I Mother Earth/Finger Eleven Concert Preview!!

I hope everyone's staying safe and warm during this snowy Monday! Today's news post is half devoted to a big mid-week concert preview and new updates therein, but we'll lead off with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Eastern U.P. in the coming months, one with a related missed show apology, so here's what you should know!

Munising, Michigan hard rock quartet Infathom will return to the Eastern U.P. for a show at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley on Saturday, May 26th! This will mark Infathom's first concert appearance in our area since opening for Theory of a Deadman in December, but it will be their Back Bay Grill debut, as well as their first headlining concert and Brimley stop since headlining at Pickles Bar & Grill on November 4th, a show that we regrettably missed to cover on the site at the time. Profuse apologies for that, we'd have gladly covered it had it not fallen through the cracks last fall! For what it's worth, that show coincided with frontman Dillion Semasky's 25th birthday party, so hopefully it was a blast for him and everyone in attendance! Infathom have been playing out east a little more frequently in the last couple of years, so don't bypass their heavy rock attack at Bay Mills' waterfront nightclub late next month!

This one night only concert has a 10:00 PM start time, a 21+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. It's great to have Infathom back in our neck of the woods next month, so if you're up for some explosive covers and originals from this rising quartet, head down to Brimley on May 26th! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and apologies again for missing their Pickles show in November!

Next up, local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 are themselves scheduled to return to The Back Bay Grill and Games later this year, as Bay Mills' concert calendar lists them as playing Saturday night gigs on June 16th, August 11th, and December 8th! Arguably the most familiar band in our main coverage to play at this venue, fans will have last seen Billy, Joe, and Dustin there in August of last year, with June's show there being their first Back Bay stop with their current lineup. We haven't heard much from Project 906 since the Musicians Competition at the Superior Cafe late last month, and they haven't confirmed these new Brimley shows publically yet, but hopefully they deliver with a solid night of hard rocking favourites at these three upcoming one-nighters! Like with the Infathom show next month, expect these to be 21+ gigs with no cover and 10:00 PM start times. Visit the above links for current and continuing details!

Also today, here's our preview of a huge concert hitting The Machine Shop in Sault Ontario THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, as I Mother Earth and Finger Eleven will unite for a high impact night of Ontario-bred, Juno Award-winning hard rock! Fans should recognize I Mother Earth for hit songs like "One More Astronaut" and "Summertime in the Void" in their mid-late 1990s heyday, and with Edwin back in the fold, their multi-platinum brand of hard rock hits should be welcomed back to the local stage for the first time since the Club Princess days! It hasn't been as long to see Finger Eleven on the local stage, with that band last seen here headlining at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion back in 2004 (only 14 years ago), but now with hits like "Paralyzer" and "Pieces Fit" joining classics like "First Time" and "Above" in their repertoire, fans old and new should find something to like in their own long awaited return to the Soo! Note that both bands will participate in a question & answer session and acoustic pre-show set as well on Wednesday for an additional fee, which is an intriguing bonus!

Also, a late opener confirmation was made on the Facebook event page this afternoon, as Peterborough folk rock musician J.J. Thompson (frontman of the band J.J. & The Pillars) has joined I.M.E. and Finger Eleven for their Ontario dates. Bit of a sonic departure, but J.J. is a solid musician and should prove to be an effective bridge between the acoustic pre-set and the main event! This (unfortunately) 19+ concert has an oddly specific start time of 8:50 PM, while the acoustic set/Q&A session will start at 7:00 PM. Not counting online service fees, tickets are $40 for general admission and $60 for both the show and the unplugged/Q&A package, and you can buy them at this link and at the in-person box offices at The Machine Shop and Station Mall. This show's already got huge buzz around it, especially given both bands' long waits to come back & their extensive array of familiar songs, so don't miss out on Wednesday! For a preview, here's the two bands together in a concert encore last year (might we get something similar?)



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Big Wreck & Bizotic), Plus New Videos!!

At last, here's our first full news post of November 2017, which contains some new videos and a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS featuring returning headline bands, including one we haven't seen in over a decade and a half! Here's what you should know!

A big new Rockstar Bar show will take place Saturday, November 18th, where a few punk/alternative bands will open for Montreal power pop band Dany Laj & The Looks in that band's fourth local headlining appearance in the past two years! Last seen in July at The Canadian, Dany and company have proven to be a fan favourite band in their recent local stops, and while not a hard rock band per say, their upbeat and free-flowing originals should get another solid response next month! Local openers will include indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic, alt-punk trio Handsome Sandwich, and former Lion Ride bassist Brenton Ellis' new acoustic solo project Slumshine, who you can check out at this link if you haven't seen or heard yet. Solid choices, with some heavier and punk flourishes for genre fans, so don't miss out on the opening acts! Notably, this show is being co-promoted by photographer Josh Pace and Larry Babic, in the latter's first public show booking since his apparent departure from Live705.

For what it's worth, Live705 no longer list Larry on staff, but there has not been a statement publically on his status as singer with A Dire Setback. Hopefully nothing too serious happened, but stay tuned for potential public announcements on either! Admission for this 9:00 PM & 19+ show is $10 at the door or $8 in advance, though advance ticket sale details are not public yet. This is shaping up to be another entertaining concert, so visit the official Facebook event page for continuing details!

Next up, here's our first hard rock concert announcement of 2018, and it's a big one, as Juno-nominated Toronto/Boston hard rock quartet Big Wreck will make their long awaited return to Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday, February 13th when they headline at The Machine Shop! Familiar sights to fans of Canadian rock dating back to the mid-1990s with hits like "The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted)", "Albatross", and "One Good Piece Of Me", this show will mark Big Wreck's first local stop since (as best as I can tell) October 2001 at Sault College. Not only will fans waiting for the past 16 years be rewarded by their return, but the show will come at the mid-point of Big Wreck's tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album "In Loving Memory Of", so if you love that multi-platinum CD, expect lots of it in February! At press time, potential opening bands (local or otherwise) have not been announced, and unfortunately, this is an 18+ concert.

Tickets for this concert are $35 and go on sale THIS FRIDAY at The Machine Shop's box office, at the community box office at the Station Mall, and online at this link, while there will be VIP passes available with many intriguing perks, so click here for full details on that front as they roll in. It's great to finally see Ian Thornley and company back on a local stage, and I know that many fans will be curious to hear selections from their debut album and other hits in three months' time! Stay tuned for more updates when they roll in!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with the long awaited sixth episode of local promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s in-studio performance webseries Live at Six, Two, Oh.! After a nearly year long hiatus following the Blessed episode in December (with their cancelled online battle of the bands coming in between), the new episode went online on Wednesday via the series' Facebook page, with a potential YouTube channel posting in limbo. At least they're back, hopefully we're not waiting until next fall for episode #8! Like their last episode with Vancouver pop punk band Blessed and their second with Montreal electronic artist Citadel, this episode revolves around a touring act that wasn't playing a local concert when they stopped through to tape live at Six, Two, Oh., and the band in question is Winnipeg death metal quartet Entity. In a slight change in format, the episode was broken into two chunks for it's initial upload, including their songs "Instinct to Exterminate" (embedded below) and "Scaphism".

While it is a shame that Entity didn't get a local concert booking, these Live at Six, Two, Oh. episodes are a great consolation prize, with multiple camera angles capturing their brutal death metal sound, and they have very solid guitar work and clear vocals to boot! Remember, this episode is broken in half, so check out "Scaphism" above, but give the first song a look below, stay tuned for more on future Live at Six, Two, Oh. installments, and hopefully Entity can play here down the road!



Finally, here's a new video from Sault Michigan area-independent label Werehold Records' YouTube channel, which features label founder/Life's Eclipse guitarist (among other bands) Jason Mills trying out his new nine-string guitar! A rare video for the Werehold channel in a few ways (such as not being on Friday the 13th & featuring Jason talking to the camera), this is a nice demonstration of Jason's new toy, and it'll be interesting to hear it factor in to his future music, so give it a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as this week and month roll along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Banned), Plus Most Weekend Concert Previews!!

With August drawing to a close and September beginning very shortly, here's most of this weekend's concert previews! Due to it's prominence and Saturday night scheduling, we're holding our Diamond Head preview until tomorrow's post, likely as the headlining topic, so don't worry, it's coming! Leading off today, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a couple on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these shows via their Facebook event page yesterday, and these dates are not listed on the Kewadin entertainment page (the next advertised Northern Pines Lounge bookings there from any band are at month's end.) After an eventful month with shows in Gould City, Sugar Island, and the Soo, Banned will head back to St. Ignace for their first shows at this Kewadin branch this year, and this should be another solid chance to see Alex, Wayne, and Don's fan favourite range of covers, so keep TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows in mind if you're in the E.U.P.! Remember, Banned are also scheduled to play this venue in three weeks as well, shows that they announced back in June.

As usual for Banned's trips to a Kewadin Casino lounge, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts will each take place at 9:00 PM, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there are no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Banned live!



Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts (including some upcoming future gigs), as Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for three more acoustic solo concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! This should be another fine way to spend your evening over the Labour Day weekend, but as this weekend's shows straddle both August and September, I'd say it's safe to add Tym's remaining Gliss shows in September to our concert calendar. As such, look for Tym to rock the Quality Inn's house restaurant with thrice-weekly unplugged matinees on September 7th-9th, 14th-16th, 21st-23rd, and 28th-30th as his ongoing arrangement at Gliss marches into the fall. No word yet on shows at other venues this fall, but keep these ones in mind!

This weekend's (and next month's) shows are 6:00 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Other currently known hard rock or metal shows this weekend are exclusively on SATURDAY NIGHT, including the third Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser concert, as the local charitable promoters will bring their bats to the Bay Mills Ballfield in nearby Brimley, Michigan for a concert and softball tournament! This event is designed to help recent Brimley High School graduate Brandon Mills in his ongoing fight with leukemia, with all proceeds going to him and his family as they continue treatments, so visit this link for more details on Brandon's battle! This unique fundraiser will merge a double elimination softball tournament with a live concert, and for full details on the former aspect (all teams are secured), visit the official Facebook event page. Musically speaking, hard rock quartet Project 906 will headline this event at the on-site pavillion by the waterfront playing at 10:30 PM, while masked local metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will make a rare appearance as co-headliners at 9:00 PM (great to see them back!)

Opening bands will include acoustic rock duo Strange Brew and past solo performer Ken Jahnke's new band Damn Jahnkes at 8:00 & 7:00 PM respectively, while a 3 hour open mic block will precede the bands at 3:00 PM. Bay Mills Bands Together III will begin at 8:00 AM with the first softball game of the day, this is definitely ALL AGES, and while there is no cover charge, donations will of course be accepted, and don't forget about planned 50/50 and prize draws for the cause. This sounds like a great and original event to help Brandon in his cancer battle, so check the above links for full details on Saturday's entertainment, and here's Project 906 live!



Finally for today's previews (Diamond Head is coming tomorrow), local funk/hard rock/improv quintet Gianni Gagoots will promote their second show under their Like Ten Productions banner THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, as they open for Montreal jazz/rap/funk band The OM Sound in their return to the Soo at The New American Pub! Announced well in advance back in May, this show comes fresh off of the Gagoots' well received Northern Vibe Festival debut, and this should be another fine chance to check out their creative instrumentals, not to mention an encore from The OM Sound, who memorably headlined Six, Two, Oh.'s Holiday Funk Show in December at the same venue (and featured Gianni Gagoots as one of the opening acts.) The OM Sound's engaging hybrid originals should mesh well with the local openers' harder-edged jams, so keep this show in mind for Saturday as well as the S.S. Soppress lands at The New A for Like Ten's sophomore effort!

There is a $5 cover charge for this 19+ show, which begins at 9:00 PM that night. Whether you're in this for The OM Sound, "the thick funk from the heart of the Great Lakes", or a little bit of everything, this show should be a fine option for genre fans and wearers of black socks & sandals! Check the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Gianni Gagoots live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Diamond Head preview and more news and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Pseudo & Bay Mills Bands Together), Darsombra Concert Preview, And New Videos!!

For the first time in almost a week, we have a news post on the site that isn't primarily focused on concert previews or inactive bands, though there is one concert preview to note for a rare Monday night concert in a couple of days. Alongside that, we have some recent tour videos from a prominent local band, and to lead off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall, so here's what you should know on this Saturday evening!

The third Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser concert in nearby Brimley, Michigan has been announced for Saturday, September 2nd with a special Labour Day event that's unlike any that the non-profit organization has held yet! This benefit event will be in honour of recent Brimley High School graduate Brandon Mills, who was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year and has been undergoing treatments in Detroit. You can find out more about Brandon's fight at this link, and while there have been fundraisers already this summer for him and his family, this has to be the first one that's a joint concert and softball tournament! Instead of Pickles, this event is to be held at the Bay Mills Ballfield (roughly across from the Police Department building on West Lakeshore Drive) in order to facilitate the "Labour Day Rock & Jock Softball Tournament", and for full details on that aspect of the fundraiser, visit the official Facebook event page or the event poster on your right.

The only confirmed band at the moment is hard rock quartet Project 906 as headliners, returning from the last two B.M.B.T. concerts, with remaining sets intended for acoustic performers, including an afternoon open mic block. If you're interested in playing either, contact organizers via the above links! Timeslots aren't out yet, but the event will begin at 8:00 AM, with softball ending at 10:00 PM and Project 906 playing into the night. Food, a bat raffle, and a 50/50 draw will also be on hand for this FREE (competitors aside) & ALL AGES benefit, though donations will surely be accepted. It's great to see another huge fundraiser like this for Brandon and his family, so stay tuned for updates when they roll in!

Next up, here's one of three new Halloween weekend concerts that was recently announced (the other two are coming, but they lack a public venue at press time), as Live705 will host their first ever Halloween event on Saturday, October 28th at The Canadian Nightclub! As of this writing, the show only has out of town headliners confirmed to perform, but if you saw the February 21st Six, Two, Oh. concert at The New A, consider this a sequel eight months later, as Toronto punk trio Pseudo and Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface will return to the Soo for this event! Evidently, the two acts left a huge impression earlier this year to get re-booked together, and Garbageface similarly made many fans at the Vaultry show earlier this month, so prepare for another night of punk and rap action on October 28th!  Local opening acts have not been announced yet, but for reference sake, both A Dire Setback and Mikey Thomas opened the aforementioned shows in February and this month, alongside other acts in the latter case.

Given the Halloween weekend timing, expect a costume contest, drink specials, and giveaways during this concert, which has an advertised 8:00 PM start time, though ticket prices, voucher or advance ticket availability, and a prospective age limit (or lack thereof) are not public knowledge yet. There are a lot of unanswered questions as of yet, but Live705 have delivered regularly with their local concerts so far, and hopefully they can conjure up a scary good time on October 28th, so visit the official Facebook event page for current details, and stay tuned for updates!

Also today, here's our preview of a special concert taking place THIS MONDAY NIGHT, as Baltimore, Maryland psychedelic hard rock duo Darsombra will make their local concert debut with a headlining set at The New American Pub! An exceedingly creative and unique instrumental duo, don't expect singing or drumming from Darsombra, whose guitar/synth attack lends itself very well to their audiovisual stage show, replete with 10 minute+ extended jams that can be heavy, psychedelic, or droning at any given moment, so be sure to watch some Darsombra videos to see what's in store! Do not just listen, trust me! Local openers will include alt-hard rock quartet Bizotic alongside new local drone/noise trio Pointless (featuring Treble Charger's Bill Priddle alongside The Peach Thieves' Jordan Leach & David Peredun), so don't be late for their own unique original material! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this concert has a 19+ age limit, $7 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time.

This rare Monday nighter should deliver a very intriguing and diverse blend of genres at The New A, and Darsombra need to be seen to be fully understood, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this night of trans-apocalyptic galaxy rock, and here's Darsombra live!



Finally for today, here's some overdue videos from local alternative punk quartet A Dire Setback's Facebook page last week, as they filmed some pre- and post-show videos from their Timmins road trip when they played there on July 8th! Apologies for the delay in these making the site, this busy concert weekend took up a lot of time. Three videos are considered parts of a series called "The Road to Timmins", with part #1 (embedded below) features an interview of sorts where bassist Matt Quinn asks guitarist Chris Nielsen about the show and trip while he drives one of their tour vehicles. Part #2 is about "the search" for frontman Larry Babic and drummer Nick Kainula during a stop, and without giving anything away, the search doesn't take very long! Part #3 features an amusing exploration of trees along the highways, and discussions about what a cockle is, while an epilogue video features Matt talking directly to the camera about how the show went, what the guys dodged on the road, and their trip home.

As well, a video posted by Chris' wife Heather onto her personal Facebook account was shared by A Dire Setback publically , and it features Chris & Matt singing a song about a little black crow on the side of the road. Nice to see some light and fun videos from A.D.S.' successful road trip, which I hope is repeated on future runs, so definitely give them a look above & below, and I wonder if anyone got any footage at the concert proper?



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days as we continue getting caught up post-Rotaryfest! Thanks everyone!