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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canada Day Weekend Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Bear Hunters & Havadder) And Much More!!

Before we reveal last month's poll results and post info on this month's poll (which is up now, so VOTE A.S.A.P.!), here's a new news post for your Saturday morning! This includes some assorted recent notes, a surprise re-recording, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including for a new show TONIGHT, so here;s what you should know! (Updated at 12:33 PM)

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will play a rare set at The Moose Lodge TONIGHT, but there's a charitable air to the proceedings! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the event yesterday via it's official Facebook event page, though they had teased it beforehand. Tomorrow's event is a fundraiser for Valerie Belsito, a friend of the band who suffers from multiple sclerosis and can't walk, but it hoping to raise money tonight to travel to California for a stem cell treatment that may help her walk again. I won't get into any ethical debates here about stem cell treatments (this is a music site), but hopefully there's a great turnout tonight so Valerie can try this out and see if the stem cells can do what they're hoping! Admission is $30 (remember the cause behind it), and it's presumably all ages, and it kicks off today at 5:00 PM, while there will be dinner served and numerous prize draws.

Considering the intent and theme of the event, this might not be ideal for Havadder fans in general, but they're just donating their time to help Valerie out, and if she can walk again when all is said and done, everyone at The Moose Lodge will have helped the cause! Keep it in mind if you want to help Valerie, and for a preview, here's Havadder live last year!



Next up, here's another new concert taking place at The Rednecks Saloon, as death metal favourites The Bear Hunters are hosting a special Tuesday night concert on April 28th called "The Windshield Benefit"! The show is to help drummer Johnny Belanger replace his car's windshield, which was recently smashed, and while the show is free, you can donate to the cause! Almost like a live Kickstarter, there are incentives to donate, as $1 donations get you a "Thank you" acknowledgement in the booklet for the band's upcoming album "The Dead Testament" and $5 donations will get you entered in a draw for a free copy of said album upon release, and apparently a personalized letter and mini-comic from Johnny! As for the performer lineup, the newly announced headliners are local/St. Catharine's death/grime trio Shit Liver, in their Rednecks debut and first local concert since last summer! This is a bit of a surprise considering that the guys were aiming for their local tour date to be next week, but it's great to have them back any time, so don't miss them at 1:00 AM! The Bear Hunters will co-headline at midnight in their first set since their VM Radio Battle of the Bands second place run.

Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades are on at 11:00 PM, and local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din making their Rednecks debut at 10:00 PM. The opening sets will be acoustic, with Johnny & his Jack Spades bandmate Jesse Cook reprising their Sleigher turn from X-Mess 2 for a half-set, while Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie is slated to play a rare acoustic set as well, apparently named "Alan Strings" with a set of... Alicia Keys covers?! I assume that's a joke, but maybe we'll be surprised? This is a 19+ concert, and hopefully there's a good turnout to fund Johnny's new windshield, so click here for more details, and stay tuned as updates roll in!

Also today, here's a slight surprise from local grunge/hard rock quartet Haggith, as they've revealed one final song for their upcoming EP "XIV"! Originally announced to have just the three songs recorded before Daniel Horton left the band, they've recently added a re-recording of "Rage Train" (originally on their 2012 debut "Dragon Joy Ride") to the track listing! You can hear it via their YouTube channel on Wednesday, and while we won't review the song here yet pending a likely review of "XIV", I will note that it is longer than the original version. For reference, this version features frontman Curtis McKenzie on all guitar parts (the returning Caleb Cachagee isn't featured), while Jordan Leach plays bass on the track. Check it out below, and stay tuned for more on Haggith's album release plans!



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

• The teased Dank Fest 2 all ages concert event at The Oddfellows Hall (presumably intended for this weekend) has been cancelled due to "current contract issues" with the venue, as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment's Facebook page yesterday. It's a rented hall, did the price go up recently? H.N.E. haven't shut the door on holding a second Dank Fest next year, and hopefully they don't stop putting on shows there!
• Frasiers drummer Devin Williamson is looking for a 16-24 year old guitar player with harmony vocal ability for his new local band, who would play originals and covers, and are influenced by everyone from Van Halen & Motley Crue to The Arctic Monkeys and Band of Skulls. Wide range there, but if you're interested in more details, message Devin at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• The presumed cover artwork for local doom/punk trio The Revolution's upcoming EP "Roll Call" can now be viewed at their official Facebook page! It might just be a teaser, but it leaves an impact, so give it a look above! Note that recent postings concerning a search for a full time lead singer have recently been taken down.

That's all for now, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and this month's poll info next, and VOTE TODAY! Thanks everyone!

The First Of This Weekend's Hard Rock/Punk Concert Previews!!

Let's kick off this weekend's hard rock & punk concert previews today (we'll touch on the Zombie Walk TOMORROW), but first, just a note regarding a band listed as playing at The Rapids Lounge this weekend on Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, that being defunct local hard rock band RamWagon. It's been established that RamWagon disbanded earlier this year, and newer bands featuring members of theirs (like Highway 63) have not indicated that they're playing in the Soo this weekend, so unless we hear otherwise, that was probably an accidental listing. Now, here's this weekend's heavier non-zombie walk concert previews! (Updated at 3:16 PM)

A stacked night of punk rock mayhem goes down TONIGHT when Vancouver punk quartet The Rebel Spell make their long awaited return to the Soo for a headlining set at The Moose Lodge! Last seen via two separate appearances here in March 2011, this will be (at least) this politically charged and very entertaining band's fifth appearance in the Soo, and with new songs from their newest CD "Last Run" to unleash, fans new and old alike should be in for a good time with The Rebel Spell! Local support will include hardcore punk sextet Destroilet (though without new co-vocalist Brent Ellis, as per his personal Facebook page), local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, and local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control (in their first appearance at a "Johnny Pints Presents..." concert), and all are fitting choices to open, all in their own Moose Lodge debuts! Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce (who opened for The Rebel Spell with Fitswitch in 2006), this ALL AGES concert kicks off tomorrow at 6:00 PM, and admission is $10 at the door with no announced advance tickets.

Also, as the first of J.D.'s Halloween season concert slate, there will be a best costume contest tomorrow as well, with the winner getting a Jack Spades merchandise pack and a pass to one of his upcoming concerts, so keep that in mind too if you have your costume ready! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This is a great way to kick off the Halloween concert season for punk fans in the area, especially if you're in the east end, under 19, or have missed The Rebel Spell in the last 3+ years, so don't miss tonight's show, and here's The Rebel Spell live in 2012!

Also this weekend, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return once again to The Harp Bar & Grill with his 47th consecutive weekend of acoustic hard rock entertainment there TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Just over a month away from a full year at the former Madison's Pub with no weekends off, Tym's entertaining and prolific unplugged cover sets continue to be a reliable source of entertainment on weekends, and I'm sure things will keep up nicely for tomorrow's hosted jam night and Saturday's full solo concert! Admission for both nights should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a likely 10:00 PM start time both nights. For more details, visit the above links! Tym should have a solid weekend in store for fans as he continues his successful arrangement with The Harp, so keep his shows this weekend in mind, and here he is at the former Bossy's!



Moving to Sault Michigan and surrounding areas to close this post, we'll head to St. Ignace, where Charlevoix metal trio Peril will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This will be Jeff, Adam, and Brooks' second Eastern U.P. concert weekend in three weeks (following Soo Kewadin stops on October 10th & 11th) and their first St. Ignace shows in almost three months, so while Peril haven't been away from our area long, fans of their classic metal covers should be out in full force once again this weekend, especially those not from Sault Michigan proper! As usual for Kewadin Casino bar events, a 9:00 PM start time is likely, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, check the above links! Peril should deliver another fun & heavy night of covers for their fans, so be sure to keep their shows this weekend in mind, and here they are covering Ozzy Osbourne!



Finally for today's previews, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will make rare appearances outside of the regional Kewadin Casino branches when they rock the Dondee Lanes in the Soo TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Fresh off of last weekend's debut with their new lineup (now featuring bassist Mitch Goetz and drummer Tony Hubbard), we don't hear of too many regular Dondee concerts from bands that fit on the SMS anymore, but 415E should deliver their own fun entertainment via their Van Halen-inspired originals and covers this weekend, and if you like the Dondee, we have a Halloween weekend show to announce there in the next while as well, so watch out for that too! As for this weekend, 415E are on at special earlier times of 8:00 PM both nights, though admission prices aren't announced, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, and here's 415E covering The Stone Temple Pilots!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Soo Zombie Walk concert announcement & preview TOMORROW, and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Rebel Spell & Havadder) And New Videos!!

Today's post is stacked with some more interesting local hard rock news, including a new song from an upcoming album and two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Halloween season, but we also have an archive video to share, so here's what you should know! (Updated at 2:59 PM)

Vancouver punk quartet The Rebel Spell will return to our neck of the woods on Thursday, October 23rd for a headlining ALL AGES concert at The Moose Lodge! While the Facebook event page hasn't confirmed the venue yet, that was confirmed via the official poster on the "Sault Ste. Marie All Ages" group by Destroilet's Mike Hull, so there's your source. No strangers to the Soo, this will be The Rebel Spell's (at least) fifth local stop, following 2006's Propagandhi show and headlining dates here in November 2007 & twice in March 2011, and in the midst of their tour supporting their new CD "Last Run", look for a solid night of energetic, up-tempo, and politically charged punk rock action! Local openers will include hardcore punk quintet Destroilet, punk/metal standouts Jack Spades, and newly added alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control in their Moose Lodge debuts, and Jack Spades are fitting too given that promoter J.D. Pearce opened for The Rebel Spell with Fitswitch 8 years ago! The"All Ages" group post above implied that J.D. was looking for one more underage opening band, so just in case, message Johnny Pints on Facebook for info!

A $10 cover charge will be in effect for this LICENSED & ALL AGES show, and doors will open at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links! This should be an entertaining concert for punk and metal fans alike, and it's another awesome concert addition to J.D.'s stacked Halloween concert slate (joining Gob, The Brains, and his own annual Halloween party), so don't sleep on this show either as the month progresses! Stay tuned for updates!

Also in new concerts for the end of this month, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will step outside of The Rednecks Saloon for the first time since their Rock 'N Roar battle set in Spanish earlier this year, as they'll be rocking out on Saturday, October 31st at..... Studio 10?! Yes, the local strip club at 89 Hudson Street appears to be throwing their hat into the ring for live band bookings, as the official Facebook event page implies that Havadder will be the first band to ever play there (and no, I don't know if the "adult entertainment" will be happening concurrently with their set.) As this is a Halloween night show, costumes are encouraged, and there will be a contest for the best one, so keep that angle in mind! Located at the corner of Hudson and Queen Street West near the bridge, there's a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit in effect, and I have no idea if Studio 10 tends to have cover charges. For more details, check the above links!

This is an unexpected announcement, especially given Havadder's local exclusivity with The Rednecks Saloon since late last year, but Studio 10's not terribly far from there. It'll be interesting to see how this goes over, but they'll have added competition too, as the Halloween weekend is traditionally busy. Stay tuned if there's updates though!

We'll close today with new videos, including a new song posting from local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith's upcoming concept album "Apocalypse II"! Recently revealed to be on pre-order in the near future for $5 (source here), the newest song from it is oddly titled "Tribute to Mike Haggith", and fittingly, Mike does sing lead vocals on this song, with guitarist Daniel Horton handling drums and bass for it too. Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Saturday, it's basically a mix of Haggith's sound and Mike Haggith's solo material, if that makes sense, but fans should dig it, so give it a listen!



Finally, here's one more Havadder note, courtesy of their last unshared archive video from YouTube, again courtesy of their Turner Up-hybrid lineup from January 2012! Filmed by an attendee at what's now The Rednecks Saloon (then The Nicolet Tavern), this was uploaded to their then-sister band's YouTube channel, though Turner Up themselves were never featured in a video there. Though untitled, this is of Havadder covering Collective Soul's "Cumbersome", and while the description downplays the audio quality, it's not that bad (if anything, the lighting affects the video more), and the guys pull off a solid version of this 1990s rock classic! Give it a look below, and don't miss the current lineup at Studio 10 on Halloween!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

The Great Sabatini Concert Preview & New Sault Michigan Videos!!

I wouldn't blame anyone for experiencing slight deja vu with this post, as just like yesterday, we have news relating to The Highest of Fives, Power Slug, Theatre of Night, and a Sault Ontario all ages concert! Different topics all around in each category though, including a concert preview for a special Tuesday night show on the horizon, so here's what you need to know on this Sunday morning!

The newest all ages concert from Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions goes down THIS TUESDAY, as Montreal doom/grind quartet The Great Sabatini return to Sault Ontario for a headlining set at The Moose Lodge! Last seen locally at what's now Coch's Corner over 3 years ago, that show will have left a solid impression with attendees thanks to The Great Sabatini's dark, sludgy, and often retro-feeling sound that should strike the right chord on Tuesday! Local openers will include local doom metal standouts AlgomA in their first live concert set since Dank Fest in April, and likely their last before their road trip to Cochrane for the Touch of Death festival at the end of the month. Their intense originals from their forthcoming CD should be right at home as they rock The Moose Lodge for the first time, so don't miss their set! The advertised opening band is Habitat Shuffle, a new local punk project from alumni of Free Beer & The Dirty Few, but guitarist Dustin Goodall revealed on his personal Facebook page on Saturday that they wouldn't be able to play this concert for unannounced reasons.

Though we await official confirmation of their exit from promoters (including a possible late notice replacement), this is definitely disappointing, but hopefully Habitat Shuffle pop up soon! This ALL AGES show has an $8 cover charge, and while everything is supposed to start at 7:00 PM, it could be later if only two bands play. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Doom metal fans would be well served to be at The Moose Lodge on Trunk Road on Tuesday night for this high impact and sludgy event, so don't miss it, and for a preview, here's The Great Sabatini live last summer!



Next up, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night! Posted to their YouTube channel yesterday, this video features the band's 2012 instrumental rendition of "America The Beautiful" from their second CD "The Dawn's Early Light" accompanied by footage of the band's local members playing in studio, along with scenes of American flags and nature. I assume the upload was meant to coincide with Friday's 70th anniversary of the landings in Normandy on D-Day, but the video doesn't explicitly confirm that. Great gesture regardless, as this was a well composed metal version of this American standard, and part of a very solid album with an awesome message! Check out the full video below, and hear more from Theatre of Night at the above links!



Also, here's a new live video upload from Sault Michigan hard rock cover trio Power Slug, courtesy of their long awaited new Facebook page this morning! Among recent concert photo postings (including media from a set way down in Grand Haven for their annual Ribfest last month, apologies for missing it) is this video of the guys covering Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning" at what appears to be The Savoy Bar & Nightclub, date unclear. The video quality isn't great, thanks to dark lighting and a distant angle from the stage, but Power Slug do add extra heaviness and aggression to this familiar song! Give their new video a look below, and stay tuned for more from Power Slug!



Finally, this is more atoning for not posting this at the time, but here's a music video for Sault Michigan hard rock collective The Highest of Fives that we've never formally shared on here! Uploaded to singer Travis Theel's YouTube channel in September, we originally didn't feature it on the SMS because it was initially credited then as a solo song by Travis, but it features other band members, it later got a public label as a Highest of Fives original, and they even confirmed that it's their first released original song (source here.) To be featured on their upcoming "Bang!" album, the song is called "Look How Far We've Come", and while it naturally shares more similarities to Travis' softer acoustic solo work than his bandmates' more aggressive resumes, it's a well composed song that shows off Travis' singing ability well! For followers of the band's ongoing "Bang!" short film, the music video is well filmed and features familiar faces & locales all around, and a fun spirit! Either way, give "Look How Far We've Come" a look below, and stay tuned for more from "Bang!", be it the movie or album!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, plus this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles on Tuesday! Thanks everyone!

The Former Crimes Concert Preview, New Mike Haggith Concert Audio, And Much More!!

I know many of you are expecting my Sewer Swampstravaganza review, and it's coming, but I thought I'd get a new news post up right now due to a special Tuesday night concert that needs previewing, but until then, check out most of our videos and all of our photos at our Facebook page! This post also has some recent media from the Swampstravaganza that's of note, and much more recent news items, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 11:07 PM)

AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions will get back into the promotion game TOMORROW NIGHT with an ALL AGES concert at The Moose Lodge on Trunk Road, though a planned headlining set by Montreal hardcore/street punk trio Crimes will no longer take place. Apparently, they just broke up according to the Facebook event page for their now-cancelled Toronto gig today, so promoters are under the assumption that they aren't coming. As a result, local grind/experimental duo This Is Your Band On Drugs (who now have a Facebook page, more on them this week) will be filling in on short notice tomorrow night in their second local concert in four days! T.I.Y.B.O.D. have been making fans with their unique sound since re-emerging locally at the Fuck The Facts show, and seeing as they're sharing the stage with two other bands from Saturday night's Sewer Swampstravaganza, they'll be in good conpany! The other bands are Blood Shed Productions metal bands Brutaly Fatal and Rotopsy, and  Brutaly Fatal made some new fans on Saturday night with their doom/punk mash-up sound, while Rotopsy's energetic goregrind originals have their own loyal audience, so both should provide solid action!

Admission is $7 for tomorrow's ALL AGES show, and there's a 7:00 PM start time in effect. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! After the success of last fall's Biipiigwan show at The Moose Lodge, this should be another entertaining all ages show from O!RA!, and though it is definitely disappointing that Crimes broke up and likely won't be playing, fans of Saturday's show will get a second go-round tomorrow, so don't miss out! For a preview, here's This Is Your Band On Drugs live on Saturday!



Next up, remember how Haggith drummer Mike Haggith played a rare solo set at the Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall on Saturday night? Our review of it is coming tomorrow in all likelihood, but fans may be interested to see that Mike posted live concert audio from his set later that day! Posted on his YouTube channel on Saturday (and also on his BandCamp page on a "name your price" model as the EP "Live at Swampstravaganze IV"), these were recorded at the soundboard by Sykotyk Rampage's Dirk Becker (who did sound on Saturday), and only comprised of Mike's last two songs ("This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device" & "Miss 76") due to early technical issues. I won't review the performances yet, as our full concert review is coming, but the soundboard recording quality is good and comparable with some of Mike's studio releases! As these songs are for sale on BandCamp, I'll confirm however that we're not imminently reviewing this release as emphasis goes to full studio releases, and Mike has tons for us to cover first. Check out the two released live songs below, and stay tuned tomorrow for our full review of Mike's solo set on Saturday, and for details on his new album's release!



Finally for today, here's six shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or company name:

• The 360 Sault Media Arts Collective is looking to provide equipment for music video projects and workshops for interested local musicians and filmmakers. There's already been some notable interest, but if you or your band want more info, message Iam James Lloyd at this link, or the 360SMAC page for more details!
• Local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet have dropped out of THIS FRIDAY'S Jack Spades EP release show at The Rockstar Bar, as per a post by guitarist Christian Foisy on the Facebook event page earlier today. He cited "personal issues & events" as the reason for their exit, but didn't elaborate further. This is disappointing, especially as they haven't played live in 5 months, but hopefully things are alright in their camp! No word on a short notice replacement yet though.
• We won't call this as 100% official until promoters confirm it, but Munising, Michigan metal quartet Infathom indicated on their Facebook page last week that they'll be playing at the fourth annual LemmaFest on June 21st in Sault Michigan! If true, this will be their third appearance at this annual tribute concert, and first since 2012. It'll be great to have Dillion and company back east for this year's installment, but stay tuned for more formal word on the lineup!
• According to a post on frontman Curtis McKenzie's solo music Facebook page on Wednesday, local hard rock band Punch have "been put on hold" due to members' busy schedules with other projects, including the band members' more recent work with bands like Project 421 and The Suicide Kings. Note that this isn't a hiatus or breakup, so I assume we'll see them again sooner or later, and stay tuned for more from members' current music work!
• Last week, a Facebook post by Brimley, Michigan's Scholomance Studio revealed a recording schedule for four Werehold Records-affiliated metal bands (Drayton Fever, Swampghas, East Branch, and the still-unrevealed Awaken Eidolon) through May 25th, with Drayton Fever recording material there on the day of this post. Might this all be for next month's planned Werehold Records Friday the 13th event, or is something else up their sleeve? We'll keep you guys posted!
• Yesterday, local concert promoters Heavy North Entertainment were gauging interest on their Facebook page towards getting openers for a show on Thursday, June 12th to be headlined by Montreal thrash trio Warsenal (who headlined the Sewer Swampstravaganza last year.) This isn't official yet, and a venue hasn't been confirmed, but message the label at the above links if you want to play at a second local Warsenal concert!

That's all for today, but stay tuned next for our Sewer Swampstravaganza concert review! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Great Sabatini & Glitch), A New Local Band Page, And A New Song!!

Before we get to the meat of this post, just a late notice reminder that the announced Tym Morrison show TONIGHT at The Harp has been pre-empted due to an Easter weekend set from prolific local musician Jay Case & friends, but Tym will be back on his new usual double bookings there next weekend! Today's post features a new original song from an upcoming album, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next while, and first, a long awaited local band's online page launch, so here's what you need to know!

It took a breakup and reunion for it to happen, but local acid jam/hard rock band Mike Haggith & The Din finally have their own official Facebook page! Launched last May before breaking up in October (and then reuniting in January), fans may best remember this band from appearances at last July's second Bushplane Musical Madness event, along with being a late addition for Heavy North Entertainment's Oddfellows Hall show in January, plus various private events in 2013. Not solely a live concert outlet for Mike Haggith's own solo material, him and The Din play a free-flowing and often improvised brand of music that takes from various genres across widely varying song lengths, as seen on their four free "albums" ("Perpetual Musings", "Chaotic Symphony", the live "Despite The Insects...", and the half-finished "Dinner With The President".) Their new Facebook page confirms that their current lineup features (but isn't limited to) 5 members, similarly to the variable collective lineup of Sault Michigan's Highest of Fives.

Mike and drummer Daniel Horton are now joined by founding bassist Curtis McKenzie, newer bassist Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson, and returning saxophonist James Watterworth, though keep in mind that everyone in the band is multi-talented, so members can cover other instruments if need be. Also, note that the cover photo features a Haggith jam session, not The Din, so don't be confused by Caleb Cachagee's appearance there. It's great to finally see a Din Facebook page, so stay tuned for new updates from this unique band, they're now in our active band links, and hopefully we see them live again in the near future!

Next up, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming months, starting with a surprising new gig from local classic/hard rock quartet Glitch, as they're apparently playing at the OLG Casino at 30 Bay Street West one week from today on April 26th! Apologies for the short notice, guitairist Marco Pedalino announced the show on their Facebook group three weeks ago but it slipped through the cracks since then. In that post, he said info was to be announced, but as we're still waiting, I thought I'd help get the word out! The local Sault Ontario casino has never been a frequent concert venue for heavier shows, so I'm not familiar with it for our purposes, but they have both the Northern Gateway Restaurant and Bivouac Bar on site, so I'd have to assume Glitch's show will be at one of the two areas. Hopefully we get some more info by then (including on a possible cover charge), but a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are likely. This should be an interesting diversion though for this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for updates!

Also in new concerts is the newest metal show from local concert promoter Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions, as they're bringing back Montreal doom/grind quartet The Great Sabatini for a headlining show at The Moose Lodge on Tuesday, June 10th! Last seen at the former Foggy Notions in April 2011, this band left a solid impression with their classic-influenced and very sludgy sound, and hopefully fans welcome them back with open arms after 3 years away from our area! The local openers include local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA in their first announced show since TONIGHT'S Dank Fest (and first ever Moose Lodge appearance), while a debuting local band named Habitat Shuffle are advertised to open this show. At present, there's no public information on them beyond a confirmation from AlgomA's Darby Wigwaus that they're "awesome", so we'll have to see if anything leaks out before showtime, or if they're operating under intended secrecy until then. This ALL AGES concert (Jamie's second at The Moose Lodge in under a month) has a 7:00 PM start time and an $8 cover charge at the door. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more on this promisingly brutal summer show!

Finally for today, we come full circle with some more Mike Haggith updates, as the prolific local musician posted the first finished studio track from his upcoming 48th solo album "A Place Of Our Own" onto his YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Let Me In", it was projected to be the album's first song, but as we've learned, his albums often see late order and song changes, so it remains to be seen if it still is. As we do hope to review "A Place Of Our Own" on the site, I'll hold thoughts on the song until review time, but it does have an orchestral rock base, and isn't as soft as some of his recent solo work, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more on Mike's album plans!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys in a few hours at The Oddfellows Hall for Dank Fest! Thanks everyone!