LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), New Concert Videos, And More!!

Before we begin today's news post. I wanted to apologize for missing a pair of recent EUP concerts for coverage on the SMS. Firstly, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished reportedly played a second outdoor concert at American Legion Park in St. Ignace earlier today at 1:00 PM, separate (but still organized by the folks behind) the town's summer concert series, which they played at yesterday. The band only announced the added matinee on their Facebook page last night, too late for me to rush it into a post. I'm assuming that today's rainy forecast didn't impair the show, as I didn't hear about a late cancellation, but regardless, I do apologize for missing it even with the late notice! The other show, I really should have caught wind of, as Sault Ste. Marie promoters Serious Business brought another eclectic multi-act show to the basement of Pizza Hut on the Business Spur on July 18th.

The concert saw Detroit experimental band The Hum and Muskegon post-punk duo The Mollusks make their way north, alongside local acoustic folk openers Shae Tull (by way of Sault Ontario) and Kevin Blakeney. Not the most hard rock/punk-centric bill, but it did have The Mollusks, so I should have caught wind of this concert prior, and I apologize for that. Hopefully that Serious Business show and Tarnished's bonus matinee were both hits for artists and venues alike, and we'll have more from both soon!

Now, today's post is start of a big clean-out of accumulated news, videos, and announcements from last month that got delayed by busy weekend concert previews and our concert reviews from last month, and we'll start today with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, as Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet (quintet?) Soundcheck will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only on Friday, August 28th! A relatively rare stop at this Great Northern Road nightclub, this show was first announced in the venue's August concert calendar on their Facebook page on Wednesday. Soundcheck proper may not corroborate the booking on social media at all, as their haven't posted on their own Facebook page for any reason since May. You'd think they'd want to hype up their Drag Race Nationals gig in Chapleau with Separate Wayz in mid-August, at least, but we shall see how things go for updates this month!

As always for The Water Tower Pub, this is a one-nighter, and the Saturday the 29th band there will be southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, who already announced that show on their own. Terry, Travis, Jim, and Johnny (and the new synth player?) will be on that night at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with a trip west to The Up & Down Lounge for videos from the first solo musician to play there during their Thursday summer concert series, courtesy of their Facebook page! As you may know, Tym Morrison played there this week, but for the first two Thursdays, the honours went to Dodge This/ex-Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer, who was filmed playing covers at both gigs. On July 16th, the patio party had to be moved indoors due to that day's severely poor air quality, but musicians at The Up & Down Lounge were always playing inside anyway, and you get a look more at the fans than Jason in this 12 seconds-long clip of him playing keyboard that evening. A 31 seconds-long video of Jay covering Shinedown's "Symptom Of Being Human" (also on keyboard) was shared too, with a hard-coded caption above him plugging their Thursday musician search.

The other videos are from this batch post featuring media from the July 23rd concert. Jason is faintly heard on vocals & guitar in three sub-12 seconds videos there promoting the on-site Pizza Wagon by the patio, but I can't make out the song(s?) in any of them. Two slightly longer videos show him on camera, including a keyboard cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist", and as embedded below, a guitar cover of Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)". The short lengths aren't ideal, let alone the on-screen captions, but it is good seeing Jason out there during Dodge This' ongoing break, and while most of the covers aren't songs I personally love, he performs them well, so check these out above & below!

We'll come full circle today by heading south to St. Ignace, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie hard rock cover quartet The Nameless headlined at The Driftwood Sports Bar on June 26th during the St. Ignace Car Show weekend! The venue shared two videos of their set to their Facebook page that night, and despite being shot and uploaded during the show, neither was a live-stream. Thank goodness, as we can still watch them now! One video is just 7 seconds long, and focuses on the turnout in the bar rather than The Nameless' cover of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army". Embedded below though is the longer and more band-centric of the two videos (if still only 20 seconds long), which sees the guys covering 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite". Of note, bassist Mike East was not seen on camera for this cover, and I have no idea if he missed the Driftwood show entirely or just sat out this song.

The short lengths, vertical framing, and complete lack of band focus on the White Stripes cover don't make these ideal looks at this talented group (let alone Mike E.'s apparent absence), but what we hear is soundly performed, and it definitely looks like they had a solid crowd on a packed weekend in Mackinac County! Give these a watch for yourselves above & below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906, Tarnished, And The Nameless) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

An extremely eventful and busy weekend of hard rock concerts is in store for the Twin Saults and area this weekend, so much so that I might have to break our previews into three posts! For now, this post is 100% devoted to Sault Michigan and the E.U.P., including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, two on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know to start the weekend!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, I was aware of these shows for a few weeks now after being announced on Kewadin's entertainment page, but they got lost in the shuffle in a very busy month (not helped by the glut of new-to-the-EUP touring bands playing there this summer that I covered initially). Last seen at the Soo Kewadin in May when they were late replacements for The Louie Longoria Band, these will be another good chance to see Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron's 1980s-leaning hard rock covers all weekend long, so don't miss out if this is up your alley! No word on if SATURDAY'S booking is why their sister band Crush aren't defending their title at the second annual Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands in Brimley or not though.

As usual for Kewadin lounges, TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows are 21+ affairs at 9:00 PM with no announced cover charges.  If you can't make their next two shows in St. Ignace, then don't miss out on Tarnished here TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here they are live!

Next up, let's head to Rudyard, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie blues/hard rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to Huck's Pub & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT, but in a new confirmation, they will also return to the annual Government Bay Barge Bash in nearby Cedarville on Saturday, August 1st! The #summerof906 marches on first tomorrow with a show timed with the annual Summerfest in Rudyard, and while this isn't an official Summerfest event, there should be a good crowd at the former Joe's Bar for Project 906 (or "906 Band", as it were) rocking out tomorrow! This is a one-nighter due to or resulting in Saturday's Private Drive concert, and it goes down at 8:00 PM on Friday with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. While we're on the subject, let's discuss the aforementioned Government Bay Barge Bash one week from Saturday, which will again see Project 906 in Cedarville for quite a unique outdoor concert on the local summer calendar!

Billy, Joe, Dustin, Jason, and Brian have played this event many times, which is quite literally named, as the bash takes place on a barge in the water off the coast of Government Island near Bumpas on East Hodeck Street in Cedarville, and attendees are more than welcome to swim or boat over to the stage! 906 and Cedarville classic rock veterans Shipheads On Shore are both returning from last year's Barge Bash, while The Haske Brothers (formerly of Oddfellow fame) will replace The Mark Bowen Band as the third band this year, though of course, Jason Haske was in Mark's band last year. Project 906 are this year's headliners, with their set likely beginning on August 1st at around 5:00 PM, with the Shipheads playing a mid-afternoon set likely around 2:30 PM or so, and The Haske Brothers kicking things off at 12:00 PM  This is a fun event for those in and around the Les Cheneaux Islands, so keep it in mind, especially if you love being out on/in the water!

The Barge Bash is a FREE & ALL AGES event, and remember to please drink responsibly if you are so inclined here, especially given the nature of the concert being literally held on the bay. Visit the above links for more details on the Barge Bash and tomorrow's Huck's show in Rudyard, with lots of hard rocking covers in store from this talented local band at both events, and for a preview, here's Project 906 live! 

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie, where local hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will serve as the musical entertainment at the third annual American Legion Riders' Hell To Paradise motorcycle rally on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for erroneously noting when this was first announced that they'd be at The Rapids Lounge (Tarnished are there, obviously), the band has since confirmed that they'll actually be playing in The Dreammakers Theatre, so the ending banquet will be well staged! The two-day Hell To Paradise rally will see bikers drive north from Stockbridge to the Soo (15 minutes west of Hell & an hour+ east of Paradise respectively) to support awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health, as those battling depression can feel lost between Hell and Paradise. Click here for full details and how you can support the cause!

The Nameless will be rocking out after a buffet dinner and awards ceremony, and as best as I can tell, you do not have to pay a dedicated admission fee or buy dinner to see the concert, which will be 21+ at 8:00 PM. If you'd rather see them in normal concert confines, Kewadin's entertainment page confirms that their previously teased Kewadin dates (lounge then unclear) will indeed be at The Rapids Lounge on Friday, August 28th & Saturday, August 29th, so consider those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS too! Same ground rules as Tarnished this weekend. Visit the above links for more on Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie's Kewadin gigs of any scale ahead, and for a preview of the Hell To Paradise afterparty, here are The Nameless live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for previews of Sault Ontario concerts and the Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands next! Thanks everyone!

Downtown Street Party & St. Ignace Car Show Weekend Concert Previews!!

Thanks in part to the St. Ignace Car Show and Canada Day being mid-week this year, the last weekend of June 2026 is very busy, so much so that I'll have to break up this weekend's hard rock concert previews into three posts! As such, our previews of this weekend's Peril, Stones & Crows, Tarnished, A.S.D.P., Bone Yard 225, and Generations shows will be in our next two news posts, with today's focusing on shows taking place tonight and tomorrow. Let's get things rolling with tonight's festivities in Sault Ontario!

The first downtown street party on Queen Street East for 2026 goes down TODAY, so what can you expect? While the City of Sault Ste. Marie has taken over development of these events from the former Downtown Association, things will be similar to past downtown street parties, with Queen Street being closed from Pim to Brock Street to enable vendors, bands, family activities, and beverage gardens to pop up for the occasion, with business in this block also opening, many with deals. Click here for full details on what to expect! Musically speaking, there is only one SMS-leaning band playing today, specifically newer local Pearl Jam tribute band Even Flow in just their third public concert, so if you want to check out this supergroup's take on the grunge/alternative icons, head downtown! They'll be playing on the "Brock Street Stage" and are listed as the middle band in social media promotion.

Also playing tomorrow are Half Scoundies (Josh & Todd from The Golden Scoundrels in an acoustic folk/country set, as last seen at Go Skate Day) and classic rock veterans The Cloud Bandits. Meanwhile, the "Pim Street Stage" will feature sets from rocakabilly cover trio The Steeltown Playboys, classic rock staples Angry Joe & The Growlers, and Mustang Heart keyboardist/singer Vito Tassone, and they are spaced far enough apart where music won't be fighting to be heard at either end. The street party goes down tomorrow from 6:30-11:00 PM, this is absolutely an all ages event, and it has no cover charge. 9&10 News is calling for temperatures of 14-17° tomorrow night, and while there is a chance of rain through the 9:00 PM hour, the You Belong SSM Facebook page assures everyone that the party will go on rain or shine. I'd say be prepared for the elements regardless, but hopefully things stay dry!

Visit the above links for more on what should be a fun evening of entertainment, and for a preview, here's the first public video of Even Flow, courtesy of their Facebook page on Monday! The jam session clip sees them covering Pearl Jam's "Animal", as filmed by singer/Riverside Stasis bassist Rob Speers while singing. The tight camera angles mean that Rob has to pan around for the duration to capture everyone in view (including himself), but it's a well handled cover of this early Pearl Jam classic, and not an obvious song that gets modern radio over-play, so look for this(?) and more tonight!

Next up, let's take an hour's drive south to St. Ignace, Michigan for some of the concert action taking place this weekend in conjunction with the St. Ignace Car Show! As this is the 50th anniversary of this popular car show, there's lots of activities happening in town for the next few days, and The Driftwood Sports Bar is capitalizing again like they did for Bronco The Mac, with three days of live music at their 590 North State Street headquarters. Coinciding with TONIGHT'S cruise night, The Driftwood will welcome back Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird for a Thursday night encore almost three weeks later, and with lots of folks in Mackinac County for the car show alone, hopefully there is another sizeable crowd at The Driftwood for Jamie and Rikk's hard hitting slate of rock favourites! Like earlier this month, tonight's Fyrbird concert is at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Fyrbird live there!

Finally for today's preview post, we'll stay at The Driftwood Sports Bar, who are tripling up live music this weekend like they did for Bronco The Mac, and like then, this includes DJs on Saturday night. However, they will have another familiar hard rock band gracing their stage TOMORROW NIGHT, namely Sault Michigan cover quartet The Nameless! Leading out from tomorrow's annual Down Memory Lane Parade of classic cars, this is the first show on their most recent schedule posting on their Facebook page, and marks their first publically advertised show in St. Ignace in two years, believe it or not. Hopefully their Driftwood debut proves to be a success for Josh, Mike M., Mike E., and Jamie, and that it sets the tone well for their private booking on Saturday night! Their next currently advertised public show is in the Soo late next month. The Nameless will also be up at 9:00 PM tomorrow with a 21+ age limit and no cover. See above for more on The Driftwood's car show weekend slate, and here's The Nameless covering Chevelle live!

That's all for now, but barring a late notice announcement of some type, our next post will preview this weekend's Tarnished, Stones & Crows, Peril, and Bone Yard 225 concerts, so look for that next, with Generations and A.S.D.P. to follow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Riverside Stasis & The Nameless) Plus Related Updates!!

Before we get into another round of weekend concert previews, let's take a look at some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS ahead next month, plus related updates from two of the bands in question, so we'll start today in the E.U.P.!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet The Nameless have announced multiple gigs into the fall via this image on their Facebook page! Unusual to see them post a proper schedule, but I'll gladly take this over short notice plugs the week of! We already knew about next weekend's St. Ignace Car Show-timed gig at The Driftwood, and they're also playing a private party the following day, but when will you be able to see Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie after that? On Saturday, July 25th, they will be the house band at the third annual American Legion Riders' Hell To Paradise motorcycle rally, and the name is more literal than you think, as participating bikers are travelling from Stockbridge (15 minutes west of the town literally named Hell) to Sault Ste. Marie (over an hour east of the town named Paradise). That alone is a near 5 hour drive, as Stockbridge is outside of Lansing, so even over two days, kudos to everyone making that kind of trip for a good cause!

The Hell To Paradise ride is in support of post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health awareness, as those with PTSD or depression often literally feel stuck between Hell and Paradise, so click here for details on the rally proper! The rally will end with a buffet dinner & awards ceremony at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino, and with The Nameless rocking out at The Rapids Lounge, but they have not (yet?) confirmed if they'll be playing there on Friday the 24th or not. Based on the FAQ page, you do not have to buy dinner to enjoy the band, but click here if you do want to participate or donate, and this will obviously be a 21+ concert at 9:00 PM. On August 15th, The Nameless will make the 3½ hour trek west to Republic for a gig at The Pine Grove Bar, which readers may recognize from multiple Exit 808 road trips during their run. The Nameless will end the summer with gigs at a Kewadin Casino branch over the last weekend of August, but which one?

Oddly, they have yet to 100% confirm which branch (Kewadin's entertainment page isn't even updated for July yet), and while they are debuting at The Rapids Lounge next month, their only prior public bookings under the Kewadin umbrella were in St. Ignace in July 2024. The last show on the calendar is just barely outside of our coverage range, as they'll play an early Halloween party at the Paradise Inn (one guess where that is) on Saturday, October 17th, but despite being in Chippewa County, it is a 70 minute drive from the Soo. Maybe not a packed summer for truly local gigs, but it's good to see The Nameless stretching their legs, so visit the above links for more details, and we'll have more from them soon!

Next up, four newer Sault Ontario rock bands will join forces for an all-local concert at Blaster Powerhouse on Sunday, July 26th, entitled "2 Stoned Crows In The River"! The name alludes to all four bands, as two have "Stones" in their name, and two have "River" in theirs. Whether the poster and Facebook event page's band order is reflective of the actual order come showtime or not, the "River" bands are listed first, including new local southern rock quartet Eli Russell & The River Fools (featuring Sylo, Sense Of Truth, and Pesto Shirts alumni) and alternative/hard rock quintet Riverside Stasis (featuring 3/5ths of Headfirst and half of The Barbarians). The show will also feature newer hard rock quartet Stones At The Alter in their first multi-band event without their sister band Doo & The Boyos, and blues/hard rock trio Stones & Crows (featuring Riverside Stasis drummer Anthony Boudreau). There's a lot of established and newer talent here, so don't miss out!

Promoted by Underground Events SSM (check out the lovingly hand-drawn and not-at-all-AI poster that Mikhal made!), this all ages concert will have a flat $15 admission fee at the door, and no advance tickets will be sold online. While it will be on a work/school night for many, this will be an early show, running from 7:00-10:00 PM. If you want to check out some new local talent in one convenient package, then come to the former Soo Blaster for all of the action next month, and visit the above links for more details!

We'll close today with new media from the aforementioned Riverside Stasis, who posted two new videos onto their Facebook page in the last few days! The first video sees the band jamming their new original song "Love You More" to promote their live debut at another all-local show from Underground Events SSM at Blaster Powerhouse on June 27th, though the beginning has no vocals, and Liam is nowhere to be found in frame (if he was there, this is another point in favour of shooting horizontally!). If you want more of "Love You More", let alone with Liam present and in view, then check out their newest video embedded below, which sees Tea and the guys jamming this song in another locale for 65 seconds (if you want to see it in full, go to Blaster next weekend). From what is heard, this will obviously appeal to fans of early-mid 2020s Handsome Sandwich, and it has a catchy groove to the guitar!

I do wish that this wasn't shot vertically, but it is good to get some more previews of what Riverside Stasis bring to the table, and hopefully fans are not in stasis when they debut one week from Saturday, so give their new videos a watch for yourselves above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril, Fyrbird, And The Nameless), Plus About:Blank Updates!!

Today's post does indeed wrap up our weekend concert previews, but things fell into place for an all-Sault Michigan/EUP post, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and new videos, so here's what you should know!

Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird will set up shop at The Driftwood Sports Bar in St. Ignace TONIGHT, but they will also return there for a special Thursday night concert on June 25th! Both shows were announced on The Driftwood's Facebook page (thankfully with lots of advance notice each), and both line up with special events for vehicle owners in and visiting Mackinac County. As noted yesterday when we previewed Tarnished's shows at the St. Ignace Kewadin, tonight's show takes place during the Bronco The Mac Festival (whether you have a Ford Bronco or not, click here for details), but the Thursday the 25th show coincides with an even bigger institution, namely the 50th annual St. Ignace Car Show Weekend! Kudos to Fyrbird and The Driftwood for jumping in on this too, and there should be a sizeable crowd tonight and on the 25th for Jamie & Rikk's minimalist hard rock covers! The show on the 25th is a nightcap for the cruise night.

Both tonight's and the 25th's are 9:00 PM concerts at The Driftwood with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Unless they've played in our neck of the woods (an hour's drive from Sault Ste. Marie) in an unadvertised gig, we haven't seen Fyrbird locally in around a year, so even with the expected large turnout for both car shows, keep their shows in mind, starting with tonight! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Fyrbird live!

Next up, that's not all for hard rock fans in St. Ignace during the Car Show weekend, as Sault Ste. Marie hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will reportedly make their Driftwood Sports Bar debut on Friday, June 26th! The venue announced the show via their Facebook page on Sunday, and at press time, the band has yet to corroborate this booking on their own Facebook page. Fans last saw The Nameless at The Merch two weeks ago, but this will be their first show outside of the Soo in 2026, and their first in St. Ignace in two years, believe it or not. Fingers crossed that Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie recruit a strong turnout for this one-nighter on what will be a very busy weekend for St. Ignace at large! This concert will also serve as lead-out entertainment, this time for that evening's Down Memory Lane Parade, and if you're curious, The Driftwood will be hosting DJs on Saturday the 27th.

Like with Fyrbird the previous night, The Nameless take the stage at 9:00 PM on Friday the 26th with no cover charge and a 21+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, but is that all for the St. Ignace Car Show Weekend in a hard rock context?

Nope, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril have booked The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for shows on Friday & Saturday, June 26th-27th! Like with The Nameless, Peril have not corroborated the booking on social media yet that I have found, but Kewadin's entertainment page confirms that these well travelled Northern Michigan live favourites have snagged the casino's lounge for what should be a busy and lucrative weekend! The guys are no stranger to the conceit of a well timed weekend at this Kewadin branch, as their last St. Ignace shows were in February during the Labatt Blue UP Pond Hockey Championships. Jeff, Howard and Brooks should deliver a fun weekend of rocking classic covers for Car Show participants ans fans alike later this month, so keep these in mind as well! These shows are also at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover. See above for more details!

We'll stay in the E.U.P. to close, via two new videos from Sault Ste. Marie hard rock/punk band About:Blank! On May 4th, the guys shared a clip on their Facebook page of them playing their new song "Dilettante" when they opened for Bimbo in Pizza Hut's basement a few days prior. The 44 seconds-long video sounds promising with a 1990s alt-rock flourish, but the video is fuzzy, Parker completely obscures Kade at this vantage point, and the video was (sadly) uploaded in vertical dimensions with letterboxing despite being horizontal from the off. Embedded below is About:Blank's newest Facebook video, and while it also has a horizontal video forcibly crammed into vertical "Reel" dimensions with major pillarboxing. How does that happen twice in a row? In any event, the video sees the guys jamming their song "What You Wanted", albeit for 48 seconds. The big scoop is that there is a third performer in the clip!

About:Blank have not firmly or publically said if they have finally replaced Nathan Webber in their lineup after four months as a duo, or if this musician is just a guest/fill-in, but based on appearances, this looks like local rock bassist and visual artist Jon Stone (please let me know if I am incorrect). Assuming that they have added him full time, it is good to see About:Blank without a blank in their lineup, and while the tight camera placement doesn't do Kade many favours here either, the guys deliver some good intensity in what we do see, so check it out for yourselves below!

That's all for now, but we'll catch up with recent Sault Ontario news and notes next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless, Soundcheck, T.N.T., And Tym Morrison!!)

Tonight's weekend concert preview post is devoted almost entirely to SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next few nights, but someone with a late notice gig does have shows ahead to touch on as well! Due the the glut of recent announcements, I'll be previewing this weekend's Silent 9 and B.A. Johnston shows in tomorrow's post, while Monday's Dopethrone concert will likely be in a separate post on the weekend proper. Now, here's what you should know for this weekend, along with a missed concert apology!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Beck's Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced via the venue's Facebook page on Monday, and the band hasn't corroborated this booking publically at press time (nor have they updated their Facebook page at all in three weeks). Fresh off of a well received weekend at Reggie's Place (you may have caught their "Sweet Emotion" cover there as a Facebook "Story"), this will be Soundcheck's first stop at the Goulais Avenue nightclub in over a month, and it should prove to deliver classic and hard rock favourites to, if you believe Beck's own promotion, "keep the party rocking all night long"! As usual for when they host bands on Fridays, TOMORROW'S show is a one-nighter, with pop rock cover veterans Bourbon Blue playing there on Saturday night (more on the Sunday matinee timeslot there in a bit though).

This Separate Wayz-free concert goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at Beck's Bar with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Terry, Travis, Jim, and Johnny's late notice return west, and for a preview, here they are live a few years back!

Next up, we'll head to The Dive Gastro Pub (The Dive On Queen?), where veteran local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will set up shop for matinee concerts THIS SATURDAY, and then on Friday, June 5th and (Think It Over) Thursday, July 9th! Again, apologies for the short notice on SATURDAY'S concert, it was quietly announced along with the other two via a batch Facebook event page on Tym's Facebook group last week. With Tym's pinky finger healed up and the summer concert season fast approaching, it makes sense for him to spread his wings a bit more, with these monthly shows bringing his unplugged but well produced solo shows to a welcoming downtown audience! Interestingly, these are all on different days of the week, as The Dive is expanding live music nights beyond Thursdays for the summer, and their patio opens for the season tomorrow, heavily implying that Tym's short notice gig will be their first "Patio Play" concert of 2026 (a DJ is spinning tunes tomorrow).

In the event SATURDAY's show is outdoors, 9&10 News is calling for cloudy conditions with temperatures of around 15°, and rain is unlikely. Whether all, some, one, or none of these three shows are in "The Naughty Corner", expect 3:00-7:00 PM runtimes, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges, while Maddy's Mighty Mutts will be on site, and you can meet the dogs! See above for more details, and for a preview of SATURDAY's concert, here's Tym live!

In a brief detour to Sault Michigan, local hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will return from a 3+ month break when they rock The Merchants Bar for one night only on SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice, the band only announced this show on their Facebook page yesterday. Of course, this being the Memorial Day long weekend south of the border, the holiday timing makes all the sense in the world for Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie to come "out of hiding", and while I don't know why they took most of the spring off, it is good to have them back! Yooper fans last saw The Nameless when they rocked The Merch over the I-500 weekend, and while them calling the venue "everyone's favourite place" seems presumptive, it has been good to them despite the bar's continued lack of promoting concerts on social media! No word on if The Nameless have any new covers for their return.

As usual for concerts at The Merch, this is a 9:00 PM affair on SATURDAY with no cover charge and a 21+ age limit. If you want some heavier live music for the long weekend in Sault Michigan, this might just do the trick, so see above for more details, and here's The Nameless live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Beck's Bar, where Soundcheck singer/guitarists Terry Eaton & Travis Sharpe will set up shop again as their SUNDAY matinee performers, after previously debuting their acoustic side project T.N.T. at the aforementioned Dive Gastro Pub tonight. Once again, apologies for the short notice, profusely so for missing tonight's concert on here, The Dive only announced tonight's gig this afternoon on their Facebook page, and I didn't even notice it until writing up the Tym Morrison shows above. Meanwhile, SUNDAY's Beck's gig was announced on Monday with the rest of their weekly slate, but regardless, Terry & Trav(is) don't have a social media or band page to promote their own unplugged concerts with, to my knowledge. Despite the very slim notice, I hope tonight's show was a hit, and that the AI poster wasn't wrong about the promised "live acoustic hits" and "rockin' good times"!

If you missed tonight's show like I did, you can see them back at Beck's on SUNDAY to cap off Travis & Terry's three show weekend, albeit without a Friday nighter regardless of band. Their Dive debut tonight was at 9:30 PM in "The Naughty Corner", but the Beck's show is a 3:00 PM matinee, and expect no cover and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's our first public video of TNT live, courtesy of The Dive's Facebook page from tonight's show! The 39 seconds-long clip sees them covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush" with Travis on vocals, and while the song is overplayed on the radio, it is a good showcase for his voice, so give it a look below!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Silent 9 and B.A. Johnston previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906, Unfortunate Sun, And Double Down), And New Videos!!

As promised, let's round up the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews along with some new live videos, so here's what you should know (mostly from Sault Michigan), starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly SHORT NOTICE ones!

Local hard rock cover quartet Unfortunate Sun will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday (The Merch never acknowledged it on social media, as usual). You'd think that Unfortunate Sun would have given this more of a push, as TOMORROW'S concert will actually be their final gig with singer Skip Parish, who is retiring from the band for unannounced reasons. This is the second lineup departure in under two months for Unfortunate Sun, following bassist Tony Rogers' exit in January, with the band playing just three gigs with new bassist Brett Blackwood in the fold before announcing that Skip is leaving too. From their predecessors Fake Chow to today, Skip has been a strong presence on vocals, and hopefully TOMORROW's show is a fitting sendoff!

In their post announcing Skip's departure, they said that Jody, Jason, and Brett are "not going anywhere" and to "stay tuned for the next chapter". We'll let you know when more on their further plans is announced! Everything goes down TOMORROW at The Merch at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Unfortunate Sun live!

Next up, local blues/hard rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in Hulbert Township for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT themselves! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band also only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday (and given the weather forecast, you may not want to bring an AI-generated snowmombile to the bar for it). Last seen at Hulbert Happy Hour five months ago during a poker run, TOMORROW'S show will be their first anywhere since rocking The Strongs Tavern last week. Of course, drummer Jason VanLuven is playing in the Soo TOMORROW with Unfortunate Sun, who get priority when the two bands have conflicting dates, but 906 have not announced whether there will be a guest fill-in drummer or not (but they have played shows with hand drummer Brian Duford as the sole percussionist in the past, so they won't be out of luck regardless).

You can enjoy Project 906's hard rocking cover slate TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. See the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of the guys at The Strongs Tavern in Eckerman last week/month! This clip from their Facebook page sees the guys covering the end of Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City", which really tests Billy's vocal range, but he hangs in there well! Alas, this video is A. partial, B. very blue (blame the tavern's lighting), and C. vertical (oh so much ceiling here), but it's a fun performance for what we do get, so give it a watch below, and don't miss the Hulbert action TOMORROW NIGHT!

In one more show announcement, let's take a brief detour to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will return to The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, March 28th! This show was announced via the venue's March concert calendar, and Separate Wayz TONIGHT aside, is the only new hard rock-leaning show revealed thusly. The pub didn't post a monthly calendar online last month, and January's seemed extremely rushed, so it's good to see the Great Northern Road nightclub putting the regular one up for March! Joel, Beej, Dan, and Ric will rock out at month's end with no cover, a 19+ age limit, and an 8:00 PM start time, and as the venue hosts different nightly bands, classic/pop rock veterans Encore are playing there on Friday the 27th. Visit the above links for more details, and while we're on the subject, here's a newly uploaded video from Double Down's Facebook page of them live with a special guest!

As you may recall, Double Down welcomed former Quite Frankly singer Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat as a guest for a handful of gigs last summer, including a Beck's Bar date that I don't believe the band ever officially confirmed she would be singing at. While the video description alluded to Cher, the video itself actually sees Double Down and Jack covering Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams' "Get Lucky", which is a surprisingly modern and poppy cover for them. The extremely dark foreground lighting isn't ideal, but at least this was filmed horizontally, and it's a fun cover with strong vocals, so give it a watch below, and don't miss the guys back at Beck's tomorrow night!

Finally for today, let's head back to Sault Michigan for some new videos from a band who isn't playing live this weekend, namely hard rock quartet The Nameless! On January 4th, the band shared videos from drummer Jamie Costner's personal Facebook page of them at a private event the previous day, where they were filmed on a stationary camera covering Blur's "Song 2", The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Otherside", the end of Guns N' Roses' "It's So Easy" (with bassist Mike East on vocals), Chevelle's "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)", and as embedded below, Papa Roach's "Last Resort". Most of the videos are incomplete, and alas, all five were shot vertically, but things were framed as well as they could have been given that, even though Josh is largely blocking Jamie from view. Solid work all around, and they should use Mike's vocals more, as we don't hear him leading songs often, just the end of "It's So Easy" a couple of times on video. Give these a watch above & below!

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

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 ALERTS (Triumph & The Nameless) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Today's post is a little longer than expected due to a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT popping up, but with the rest of this weekend's known hard rock shows to cover, and a huge new show coming in a few months, I was too far in to try to edit things out. Here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was actually first announced via their Facebook page back on November 28th, but that completely slipped me by at the time. At least they did announce it, unlike their Brimley VFW Veteran's Ride gig last month! The Nameless last rocked The Merch (or the Soo in general) back in August, and it will be good to see their lively and hard edged slate of covers back on stage! Their own promotion for TOMORROW'S concert implies that there could be an ugly sweater party theme, but they nor the venue (who almost never promote bands playing there on social media) have outright confirmed that, so it could just be seasonal hype. Everything goes down TOMORROW at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. See above for more details, and for a preview,here's The Nameless live!

Next up, reunited Mississauga, Ontario hard rock icons Triumph and Halifax hard rock legends April Wine will kick off their Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded Tour at GFL Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, April 22nd! Triumph's return has been the talk of many rock fans this week, and they remain classic & active rock radio staples to this day with hits like "Lay It On The Line", "Hold On", and "Somebody's Out There", so it will be really neat to see them back in town to begin their 50th anniversary reunion tour! Triumph last played here at the old Gardens way back on April Fools Day in 1985, so what's a 41 year wait? A lot of the discourse about Triumph in 2026 has been about who exactly is playing in the band for this tour, including rumours that some original members will only be playing select dates, but according to the band's Facebook page, original members Rik Emmett, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore will all be touring North America next year.

Joining them on tour are Bon Jovi guitarist Theofilos "Phil X" Xenidis (who was a late-era Triumph member in the early 1990s), and two members of Slash's solo band The Conspirators (bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz). This could imply that the touring members could fill in for Rik, Mike, and Gil on certain songs, or we could get double the bass and drums, but I know Triumph fans kinda expect to see the original band, so hopefully we get our fill! As for April Wine, we've seen them multiple times between the Twin Saults, most recently at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in 2013, but this will be their first Sault Ontario gig since headlining at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in 1999. As fans may recall, frontman Myles Goodwyn retired from touring with April Wine in 2022 before passing away the following year, but he gave his blessing for long-time guitarist Brian Greenway to take over leading April Wine and continue touring.

As such, the lineup playing here in April will be the same as what fans saw in Sault Michigan in 2013, only with Marc Parent as their new lead singer and rhythm guitarist, but Marc has the chops to tackle classics like "Roller", "I Like To Rock", and "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen"! Tickets for this all ages and 8:00 PM concert went on sale today at 10:00 AM at this link and at GFL Memorial Gardens' in-person box office, but this is a pricey one, as the cheapest tickets run for $88.65. Many closer seats are reserved for VIP passes too, and there good perks therein, so check online for details. This should be a huge show, and it's neat that the reunion tour begins here, so visit the above links for more on Triumph & April Wine in the spring!

Now to close out this weekend's hard rock concert previews, and fittingly, what's left is all at Beck's Bar, starting with prolific local acoustic rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will play their weekly Saturday matinee timeslot TOMORROW! No stranger to frequent bookings at one locale, this will be Tym's second show at Beck's this week, having played their most recent Sunday matinee gig as well, so if you missed that performance, here's your encore! This won't be Tym's last Beck's gig of the year however, as he will be back at the former Vibe Lounge for their last Sunday matinee timeslot of the year on the 28th, let alone his upcoming Misty's and Eagles Club stops, so fans have lots of chances ahead. You can enjoy his unplugged classic and hard rock covers tomorrow at 3:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, and we'll address the nightcap there in a second. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Finally, who's playing at Beck's TOMORROW NIGHT? None other than southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, who will be playing the rare double header at the Goulais Avenue nightclub this weekend, as they're headlining their SUNDAY matinee timeslot as well! As usual, the Sunday matinee acts at Beck's traditionally play acoustic, so that will be Bone Yard's final "uncorked" show of 2025, a fact to keep in mind when planning your live music attendance this weekend, especially if you like Greg, Alex, and Warren in this form factor! Of course, tomorrow's concert is the big one, with fully electric instruments, so if you've missed them at this venue since the Halloween weekend, then come on down for your local 225's hard rocking covers and their increasing slate of originals! As a reminder, Tym Morrison is not "opening" for Bone Yard tomorrow, he and the band each have four hour timeslots spaced two hours apart.

Tomorrow's concert is at 9:00 PM, Sunday's is at 3:00 PM, neither has a cover charge, and there's a 19+ age limit in effect. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's "the dirty three" live!

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