LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band And Separate Wayz) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

For today's second post, we're keeping our weekend concert preview train rolling with more hard rock-featured concerts in the Twin Saults and area over the next two days, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! Due to the amount of shows, our preview of Tym Morrison's Sunday matinee gig will be in our next news post. Now, let's pick things up for preview post #2 with those newly announced shows in Sault Ontario this weekend!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Separate Wayz will return to The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were first announced late last week via the venue's 2026 concert calendar on their Facebook page, in their return to hosting bands after their annual summer break, though I couldn't immediately fit these two into a post. Note that the poster actually credits TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows to their sister band Soundcheck (who are playing there in November and December), but Separate Wayz frontwoman Nicole Thibodeau confirmed in a comment reply that this weekend's shows are actually for that band, and the marquee board there also says "Separate Waze" now. Presumably, this will mark the Esquire Club debut of Dan Beaupre on bass, though of the two bands, only Soundcheck have directly confirmed him by name in their own marketing.

No idea if Soundcheck singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe will be present as a guest, but the concerts are specifically being advertised for Separate Wayz. TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows are 19+ and at 9:30 PM with no cover charge. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of them live! This appears to be from the two bands' "epic crossover" weekend at The Esquire Club in April, and features Soundcheck and Nicole (or Separate Wayz and Travis) covering Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet". I wish this was longer than 66 seconds, as it's a strong performance with a good angle and high video quality, so give it a watch below, and don't miss Separate Wayz back there TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT!

Next up, fresh off of tonight's Downtown Street Party, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith (with The Big Finish Band in tow) will make a rare jaunt to St. Joseph Island on SATURDAY NIGHT when they open for Tottenham pop rock trio Dorene at The Hilton Beach Community Hall! Again, apologies for the short notice, Mike only confirmed his involvement in this show on his Facebook page this past Friday. As Northern Vibe Festival fans know, this would be an hour's drive southeast of the Soo (give or take ongoing Highway 17 construction), but instead of hanging a right to Richards Landing at the turnoff, everyone is going left to Hilton Beach, where this concert takes place on SATURDAY at 3050 Hilton Road. The reason for the rural scheduling is that Dorene are currently on their Village Tour, which sees them exclusively playing shows in small towns and communities.

Dorene aren't a hard rock act, but they have a lively original sound with power pop influences, and it would be interesting to hear how they go over in a more intimate, rural locale, let alone with Mike & crew in tow (Mike sounded very optimistic about returning to St. Joseph Island, but if he has ever played a concert there prior, it's news to me). SATURDAY'S concert is at 7:00 PM, it is all ages, and there is a $10 cover. If you'll already be on St. Joe or are up for the drive east, keep this unique concert in mind on SATURDAY, so see above for more details, and here's Mike & The Big Finish Band live!

Moving to shows that did have advance notice, Iron Mountain, Michigan classic/hard rock cover quintet Oz will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Eight long months after Oz last made the trek east for shows at the Soo Kewadin, this weekend's shows will likely be the last for Ryan, Kevin, Joe, Todd, and Dave at The Rapids Lounge before the long-teased renovations and re-opening next year (bands are scheduled to play there through at least Halloween). Hopefully Oz deliver a solid pair of hard rocking concerts for classic rock fans in the EUP this weekend, so keep these shows in mind if these are up your alley! These are 9:00 PM start times with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Oz live!

Finally, let's head back to Sault Ontario for this weekend's arguable main event, as Toronto pop rock/pop punk musician Fefe Dobson will make her local debut TOMORROW NIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! This concert is the main event of the second annual Vivid Art Festival taking place at various downtown locales from today through Sunday, and there's a lot of musical, film, visual, and performance art events going down (My Son The Hurricane were last year's Pavilion headlineds), so click here for full details on the Vivid events itinerary! 2000s MuchMusic fans will be curious to see Fefe Dobson on stage here with hit singles like "Bye Bye Boyfriend", "Ghost", and "Can't Breathe" in her back pocket, and especially her early catalogue crosses the pop punk line, so this should be a fun show for many! Joining her is Toronto pop rock duo Goodnight Sunrise (in their third local appearance).

In one of their first fall bookings for 2026, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will open on Saturday, and they're no stranger to big stages, so don't miss their set either! Tomorrow's concert is FREE (My Son The Hurricane last year was too), this is absolutely all ages, and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. As the Roberta Bondar Pavilion isn't a fully indoor venue, 9&10 News projects temperatures peaking at 16° and dropping as low as 10° by night's end, and while the tent is acknowledged, skies will be partly cloudy. Sounds like an agreeable night for live music, so visit the above links for more on this free Vivid Festival concert tomorrow, and here's Fefe live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Headrush, And Silent 9), And A New Bone Yard 225 Video!!

Before we begin this post, just a heads up that Silent 9 (who are leading things off today as it is) do not appear to be playing at The Tap Room at Northern Superior Brewing Co. on Saturday anymore, as per the show's deletion from their website's concert calendar. It's possible that the date was a remnant of their Wolf Fest II booking last week, as that event was later in the year last year, but regardless, they're not playing there on Saturday. However, today's post has LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year and a new video to check out, so here's what you should know!

The Esquire Club at 103 Second Line West has resumed hosting concerts on weekends after their annual summer break! After experimenting with week-by-week show announcements in the spring, they have posted a schedule through Christmas onto their Facebook page, albeit an AI generated one (note that none of the bands use the assigned logos). The fall band schedule started last week with Mid Life Crysis, and we'll address this weekend's band (it's not technically Soundcheck) in this weekend's concert previews, but the first of the non-short notice hard rock bookings is courtesy of classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9! In their only Esquire Club gigs for the rest of the year, they have secured the Thanksgiving long weekend, so you can see them there on Friday, October 9th and Saturday, October 10th. Still riding high on the success of Wolf Fest II (a shareable, non-"Story" video is coming soon), don't miss out on their west end gigs next month!

In one more new Silent 9 show announcement, their website's concert calendar confirms that Silent 9 will return to Beck's Bar on Friday, October 30th! This has yet to be corroborated by the venue (it may not be until the week of), but the timing hints that this could be a Halloween-themed event. Of course, October 31st is a Saturday this year, but we'll let you know when/if confirmation is made about spooky goings regardless of day! Next month's Esquire Club shows are at 9:30 PM, Devil's Night at Beck's will be at 9:00 PM, all are 19+, and none of the three have age limits. See above for more on this fan-favourite cover hard rock band's October gigs!

Next up, we'll jump ahead one week at The Esquire Club, as local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will return there for a weekend in all three months ahead! They'll rock the west end nightclub on October 16th & 17th, November 13th & 14th, and December 11th & 12th, giving fans of the Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank lots of opportunities to see their 1980s-leaning cover attack in the last quarter of 2026. Given the venue's summer break, Headrush haven't played here since April, so consider welcoming them back in mid-October after six months away, but you have no shortages ahead! As with Silent 9's shows there next month, expect all six upcoming dates to have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:30 PM start times. See above for more details, and stay tuned for more Headrush updates when they roll in!

After October finishes out with bands that largely don't cross the hard rock line (the aforementioned Mid Life Crysis drew the Halloween weekend this year), local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck (no space) will pick things back up at The Esquire Club with scheduled weekends on November 6th-7th and December 18th-19th! Note that this weekend's shows are technically not Soundcheck, but a "separate" band will be playing then (details forthcoming). The November weekend will be Soundcheck's first at The Esquire with new bassist Dan Beaupre, while December's will be the venue's last concerts for 2026, as Christmas and Boxing Day are on a Friday & Saturday this year (as such, that may be a very quiet weekend locally but time will tell for other venues). Good to see Soundcheck (7.3?) getting some more publically advertised bookings this year!

At press time, neither Esquire Club weekend is branded as an "epic crossover" with their sister band Separate Wayz, but that doesn't mean that we won't see Nicole pop in as a guest singer either. Regardless, all four of Soundcheck's upcoming shows there are 19+ with 9:30 PM start times and no cover charges. See above for much more on all of the hard rock-leaning shows hitting The Esquire Club to end the year, and look for more from Terry, Travis, Dan, and Johnny (and Nicole) in both bands soon! 

Finally for today, here's a new video of local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 live at the Bruce Mines Fall Fair this past Friday! Live-streamed to their Facebook page (alas, so you have until around October 11th to see it before it is deleted), the video sees Greg, Alex, and Warren covering Van Halen's version of John Brim's "Ice Cream Man". Shot vertically (though at least zoomed out enough to show the full band on stage simultaneously), this is a fun cover for what we see, and the stage for this post-demolition derby concert looks huge, so give it a watch below while you can, and we'll have more from last week's Beck's show in an upcoming post!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Quite Frankly), New Videos, And Much More!!

Today's post got delayed due to some computer maintenance, but within, we have new videos, assorted shorter updates, and leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly will return to DeMarco's Boots & Saddles Roadhouse in Prince Township on Saturday, October 3rd! Fans last saw this talented foursome at this deep-in-the-west end nightclub back in March, but they were active with multiple gigs in city limits through the summer, most recently at Gateway Casino in mid-August. The band did acknowledge that they are "taking a little break this September", so if you're up for the 20 minute drive west or will already be out that direction, keep their Boots & Saddles show in mind for early next month! Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe will take the stage there on October 3rd at 8:00 PM, this is a 19+ concert, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for details on Quite Frankly's return to the Soo! 

Next up, here's some new videos, and we'll start with a rare live clip of local ska/crust punk quartet ASDP, courtesy of their Instagram page! As best as I can tell, this comes from their set opening for Danger Box in early July at the private house party venue Unnecessary Noise, and it features Mikhal, Tucker, William, and Ralph covering No Cash's "Kill Yer Parents" (as seen on the paid copies of their debut album "Atom Bombs & Lemonade"). Filmed by "Brad Sux", the video is thankfully both horizontal and of the full song, while also giving us a good look at Unnecessary Noise and a clearly happy & engaged crowd. Honestly, to me, this song sounds better and more impactful live than with the lo-fi studio production. I know Mikhal likes that aesthetic, but if you want to hear Adam Smith Death Parade at full power with no fidelity limitations, live may be the way to do it. Unfortunately, I think ASDP turned off external embedding of their videos, so give it a look above!

Also today, here's a new video from Sault Michigan hard rock trio Crush's Facebook page! Before sharing photos from their downstate gig at Bemo's Bar in Bay City (which looked like it went over well), the guys posted a parody sitcom opening credits video themed after Friends, complete with the theme song. I won't spoil what happens, but it's a loose (if fountain-less) parody of the original intro, with the guys hamming it up in amusingly happy ways. One assumes that the teaser that they're actually working on a sitcom is in jest, but you never quite know with Crush, so give this a watch below!

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

 

• This is more punk-adjacent, but I thought I'd mention that The Speak Easy at Algoma University will be hosting "Panic! At The Drag Show" on Saturday night. While not a proper concert, it will feature local drag performers and an overall emo/scene theme, including a contest for the best dressed attendee and flash tattoos. If only we could get a reunion of The Crossed, Deter, or A Fall From Innocence to really top this off! See above for more on what should be an interesting theme night for drag fans and 2000s emo fans!
• Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 have shared two different "Stories" on Facebook this week featuring videos of them at both Wolf Fests. The instantly vanishing videos included one of frontwoman Jess Amadio letting the fans sing the chorus of a song at last year's event, while the other saw them covering Walk The Moon's "Shut Up & Dance" at this past Saturday's Wolf Fest II. I really wish that these were permanent videos that I could link to and share here (let alone longer and not vertical at that), but keep an eye out if you see them pop up on your Facebook news feed! 
• Speaking of Wolf Fest, SooToday's James Hopkin was in attendance for Northern Superior Brewing Co,'s second-year fall festival at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, posting this article about it on Sunday! While not a review of the bands, James noted the "party-like atmosphere", and included photos of the 49th Field Regiment band & The Hustle Brothers' sets among his event photos. The article also has interview remarks with Northern Superior co-owner Jeff DiCorpo, who was optimistic about that day's weather, noted that 3,800(!) people stopped by last year, and that he hopes to expand Wolf Fest to two days. Good article, so give it a read above!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Wolf Fest II) & The Hails Art Hub Concert Preview!!

Before we begin this weekend's concert previews, I wanted to apologize for missing an acoustic concert at Beck's Bar on Tuesday that was headlined by the revival of The T.R.I.P., the sporadically seen acoustic side project of cousins/ex-Double Down bandmates Joel & Beej Syrette! Their late-era bandmate Dan Beaupre joined them on Tuesday for this pool night-concert (regardless of what happened with Double Down, Ric was never in The T.R.I.P.). I'm assuming that this wasn't musically far off from Double Down (being unplugged aside), and I do apologize for missing it, but we'll let you know if they get social media or play more public gigs!

This weekend looks to be a busy one for hard rock fans, buoyed by some late announcements this week, so we'll look at one big one today plus two shows that did have prior notice, with remaining Saturday-Sunday gigs to follow. We'll start with a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for SATURDAY NIGHT, as Wolf Fest II goes down on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Apologies for the short notice, as hosts Northern Superior Brewing Co. only finally announced the lineup in a permanently accessible location on their Facebook page last week, when I couldn't slot it into a news post in time to cover it before it became the week of the event. Alas, Northern Superior had teased the event without going into great detail via "Stories", memes, and hype posts for the last few weeks, and some performers had shared the lineup in their own "Stories", but nothing finite and sourceable. I get maybe doing it like this for year #1, but why again when the basic intent is the same?

I'd be getting the word out on who's playing, what's going on, and so forth with a lot more than ten days' notice! Nevertheless, Wolf Fest II (as hyped by Jan from Jan's Not Movin'!) is Northern Superior's second annual fall concert festival to give back to the community for their support, and there will be an eclectic array of local vendors (even barbers and an arcade!), plus beer tents, food, and of course, music. Things will be headlined by Toronto-based Coldplay tribute band The Coldplay Show, and while I can't pretend to be a fan of Coldplay, it is definitely a change of pace from tribute bands that usually come here. They do sound like the real deal, so keep them in mind! A band schedule hasn't been posted, but seven local groups will be opening, including two SMS-leaning acts, namely classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 (returning from last year) and alt-rock/punk cover sextet BookcluB (whose "Story" of the poster teased the lineup for me last month).

Also playing on SATURDAY are local Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tragically Hip tribute bands Mellowship Slinky and The Luxury, while indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous (who also played last year) and jazz cover group The Hustle Brothers will also take the stage under the big tent. "The Howling" will begin at 3:00 PM on SATURDAY with The Royal Canadian Army's 49th Field Regiment pipe & drum band, similar to how a Royal Canadian Navy band kicked off Wolf Fest I. Last year's lineup had five bands, so I couldn't ballpark when set times will be, but 2025 headliners The Killer Hooks played at 8:15 PM. Like last year, admission to Wolf Fest on SATURDAY is via donation to the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie, and I have not seen firm reference to age limits. While the Pavilion's tent is acknowledged, 9&10 News is currently calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms that day, along with a high temperature of 23°.

The low temperature on SATURDAY is forecasted at 13°. I presume Wolf Fest will go on rain or shine thanks to the tent, but I do hope that they have most of the activities under the tent too (we don't need the mechanical bull shorting out!). In spite of promotional choices that I wouldn't have made, Wolf Fest II sounds like a fun time for fans of live music, craft beer, and local businesses, so consider heading to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on SATURDAY now that you again have the answer to the question: What is Wolf Fest? Visit the above links for more details, and here's Silent 9 live last year!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, we'll head to The Art Hub At Spring (at 504 Queen Street East), where local hardcore punk/crossover thrash trio Hails will take the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! This "hardcore hometown throwdown" is part of frontman Brenton "B.G." Ellis' takeover of The Art Hub this month, following the kickoff of his Audio/Visual Eviscerate art exhibition there last week (running through next Saturday), and this all mirrors a similar residency that he and Ha!ls had there in 2023. In what could arguably be the heaviest concert to ever take place at the former Big Brothers headquarters, Hails will be joined by ska punk quartet ASDP (led by former Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto) and the recently resurfaced local extreme metal quintet With Gunfire (featuring new Hails guitarist Anthony Orazietti and ASDP bassist William Wardlaw). Lot of close connections here, so the camaraderie should be neat alone!

This all ages concert has an admission fee of $10 or "pay what you can", and the concert starts at 7:00 PM tomorrow. If you want some explosive original-leaning action this weekend, this is your best bet, and hopefully the relatively intimate Art Hub space can contain the three bands, as it did when Brent hosted last week's Autopilot concert! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Ha!ls live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Led By Zeppelin, Bone Yard 225, Generations, and Tarnished previews in our next weekend concert preview post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERS (Fefe Dobson & Greg Simpson), One More Weekend Concert Preview, And New Videos!!

On this Friday night, let's wrap up what might be the last mega busy concert weekend until Halloween season, with a couple of linked unpl... "uncorked" concerts ahead (one a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT), along with another big new show and some newly found live concert videos. With all of that now outlined, here's what you should know!

Just over a week after rocking The Dive, Bone Yard 225 frontman Greg Simpson will return to Beck's Bar for another acoustic matinee concert on SUNDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via Beck's weekly schedule announcement on their Facebook page on Monday, and remember that Greg doesn't have a social media page dedicated to his "Ranting Rockstar" persona/solo act where he can announce shows in advance. SUNDAY'S concert is effectively a re-booking of a briefly advertised show that Greg was supposed to play at Beck's this past Sunday, only to be replaced by Whiskey Hippy for unannounced reasons. Did Beck's err on the date, or did Greg legitimately withdraw/have to reschedule? Regardless, you have another block of "uncorked" southern and hard rock covers in store at the former Vibe Lounge to go along with the weekly euchre tournament!

The Ranting Rockstar will be on stage SUNDAY at 3:00 PM, this is a 19+ concert, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, we'll have more from Greg this weekend in a bit, and for a preview, here he is live earlier this month!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will play their second show of the fall on Friday, September 18th, when they open for Toronto pop rock musician Fefe Dobson in a FREE concert at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! We'll have Wolf Fest details when someone firmly posts the lineup outside of "Stories". This show takes place during the third annual Vivid Art Festival (successor to the Summer Moon Festival), a yearly celebration of the arts and culture, and while full details are forthcoming, this concert is the main attraction this year. I could have swore that Fefe Dobson had played here previously, but you may recognize her for hit singles like "Bye Bye Boyfriend", "Don't Go (Girls & Boys)", and "Stuttering", and her early material frequently crossed the pop punk line, with many Avril Lavigne comparisons, for better or worse. If you watched MuchMusic frequently in the mid-late 2000s, this will be a huge throwback!

Also playing this date are Toronto pop rock duo Goodnight Sunrise, who you may recognize from last year's Poutine Feast and 2022's Northern Vibe Festival, and it'll be good to see them back in our area! Presented by Kiss 100.5 (a better fit than 104.3 The Fox when you consider her newer material), this is an ALL AGES and FREE concert at 7:00 PM in three weeks, and it should be a fun mix of pop and rock with (hopefully) agreeable temperatures, so visit the above links for more on this concert!

Next up, let's finish up this weekend's concert previews with a show that had lots of advance notice, as the aforementioned Greg Simpson will be joined by Alex & Warren for an "uncorked" concert with their southern/hard rock band Bone Yard 225 TOMORROW NIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! While all of their shows at this Great Northern Road venue are acoustic in spite of electric bands playing there often, this will cap off their summer season schedule ("end of summer" bash in Echo Bay next month acknowledged), and comes three weeks after their Algoma Tree Services gig, and almost three months after their last Water Tower Pub booking. Hopefully things go well for the guys tomorrow before Greg disembarks and heads west for his Beck's matinee on SUNDAY! If you're curious, the band who replaced Soundcheck tonight (due to them jumping to the full Jay's weekend) was North Channel Sound.

Tomorrow's show at The Water Tower Pub is at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, and if you prefer seeing the guys in local nightclubs, this is your last (scheduled) chance for over a month, so don't bypass this one! See above for more details, and for a preview, I found three new videos of your local 225 at The Water Tower Pub in May 2024! These were shared in the comments of this photo on Bone Yard's Facebook page from earlier that day, and they were filmed by attendee Wanda Wanda. Alas, all three are short and (sadly) vertical, but they include the guys covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" (with Alex on vocals), Pink Floyd's "Young Lust", and as embedded below, their staple cover of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show's "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'", as it is the only video to exceed 46 seconds in length. Orientation and duration aside, these videos all suffer from deep/hazy blue lighting, but this isn't an isolated problem re: videos shot there.

If you have to shoot vertically, this was at least optimal to get all three guys in frame, even if Warren is very much in the background. The audio quality isn't bad from what we hear, and these are well handled covers, but you should expect nothing less from Bone Yard after over 15 years. Give Wanda's videos a watch above and below, and apologies for missing them for this long! Videos explicitly posted in/shared to comments can be tricky!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Silent 9, Soundcheck, And Generations) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin our latest round of weekend concert previews, just a heads up that the planned Dr. Feelgood concert at The Sault Community Theatre Centre has quietly been cancelled, as per the deletion of its ticket page from the S.C.T.C. website. I have not seen any public statement on a reason for the cancellation, but $61 adult tickets can't have encouraged sales, White Pines theater or not. Contact Miles Management or the local box office if you still haven't gotten a refund for purchased tickets. Dr. Feelgood deliver the goods for Motley Crue and hair metal fans, and hopefully they try here again!

This preview post will go into most of the weekend's hard rock shows, but due to the amount, I'll hold the Go Skateboarding Day and Quite Frankly concerts for our next post. Most of today's are SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and we'll start at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the shows were only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday, creatively by sharing the AI-generated poster for their shows there last month, which didn't have date-specific details. Fresh off of their sister band Separate Wayz' shows at Reggie's last week, TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S concerts are not advertised to be "epic crossover" shows either, but as we saw last week, you never quite know when Nicole will turn up at a Soundcheck-only gig, and vice versa for Travis with Separate Wayz!

In the realm of Facebook "Story" videos, you may have seen one from their last show at Beck's Bar from that venue featuring Soundcheck covering Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You" with Travis on vocals, but alas, "Story" videos disappear forever after being seen once or twice. Will they perform it again TOMORROW or SATURDAY? Find out at the former Reggie's West! These are 9:30 PM concerts with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover veterans Generations will play an hour-long set as part of Minelli's 75th anniversary Italian Celebration on SATURDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed their involvement via their Facebook group on Tuesday, and the schedule was only released yesterday. To celebrate 75 years of Minelli's as an Italian restaurant in the Soo (currently based out of The Marconi Multicultural Events Centre at 450 Albert Street West), this one day festival on SATURDAY will celebrate Minelli's and give back to the community, including vendors, games, raffles, kids activities, food and drinks, and of course, live music. Not counting the DJ playing that night, there is a four band matinee program on SATURDAY, with Generations co-headlining at 3:00 PM. Local country musician Matt Tarantini will be last up at 4:30 PM, with the Elettra Marconi Society Choir performing at 2:00 PM, and classic rock mainstays RPM kicking things off with a 2 hour block at 12:00 PM, so there's a lot for many tastes!

To be held in The Marconi Hall's parking lot from noon until 10:00 PM, this is a free & all ages event, but food and drink tickets will be on site if you're so inclined. 75 years is quite a milestone, so kudos to Julie and the rest of the family and staff for sticking with Minelli's for all these years, and hopefully Generations and the other musical performers set the right notes on SATURDAY! As the concert is outdoors, 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy weather on SATURDAY with a high of 20° and a low of 7°, and rain is unlikely. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Also this weekend, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will head west to Runway Park to serve as musical entertainment at Throttle Fest on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, we knew that they were scheduled to play at Runway Park via their website's concert calendar, but firm confirmation about the event proper only crossed my radar this week. Surprisingly their only public show in city limits this summer (they're not playing at Rotaryfest), Silent 9 will help close out Throttle Fest, a drag racing & mud bog festival taking place at the 573 Airport Road dirt racing venue that is most famous in a concert context for hosting the Bell Border Jam festival in 2008. Along with racing to take part in and watch, there will be a food truck and beer tent on site, tattoos, on-site camping, and more, so click here for fuller details on what to expect! Silent 9 are scheduled to perform from 7:00-11:00 PM on SATURDAY NIGHT.

General admission is $40 unless you're racing in Throttle Fest events proper (kids 10 and under are free), and gates open for the day's swath of events at 7:30 AM on SATURDAY. Like with the Minelli's festival, the weather forecast currently looks good here as well. Silent 9 should get fans moving with some fun hard rock and general covers to cap off a busy program, so visit the above links for more on Throttle Fest, and here they are live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll close with one more special summer festival (albeit one whose band details weren't on short notice), as local southern rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return as the house band for the annual Queen Street Cruise TOMORROW & SATURDAY! "The Dirty Three" have long served as musical entertainment for this classic car throwback event, with the home base returning to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion all weekend long. As usual, tomorrow's program is headlined by the cruise proper, with your local 225 playing under the tent from 6:30 PM onward, while they will set up shop outside on the boardwalk proper by Montana's from 12:30 PM onward during the show n' shine car show, preceding the awards ceremony to close the weekend. Outside of their concert action, click here for the full weekend itinerary, including appearances by Cristy Lee from All Girls Garage, the Touch-A-Truck, and much more.

Admission is free for general attendees (see above if you intend on registering for the car show or cruise), this is absolutely an all ages event, and while the Saturday forecast is already noted above, tomorrow's forecast is calling for clear skies and temperatures of 13-16° when Greg, Alex, and Warren are slated to be performing, tent acknowledged. If you love classic cars, be you the owner of one or not, don't miss the Cruise this weekend, and if you've missed Bone Yard's full electric show in recent months, they'll be in full force downtown! See above for more details, and here's Bone Yard 22live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Quite Frankly and Go Skate Day previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

B.A. Johnston & Silent 9 Concert Previews, Plus Early Details On WestFest II!!

Let's wrap up this weekend's known and public hard rock concert previews with what's going down at a popular west end venue, as well as early details on a returning summer concert festival still looking for bands!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will cap off their spring calendar with shows at The Esquire Club TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! As usual, the band will not play any public nightclub gigs over the summer, instead focusing on special events, festivals, and private bookings, so if you want to rock out with Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve again before their focus shifts for the season, head to the west end this weekend! While there was some confusion as to if Silent 9 would even be playing at The Esquire Club tomorrow given the B.A. Johnston booking (more on that in a second), it has been confirmed in recent promotion that Silent 9 are still playing tomorrow, just with a later start time. Tonight's show starts at 9:00 PM as normal, tomorrow's will kick off at 10:00 PM, and regardless, both gigs are 19+ with no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Silent 9's classic and hard rock cover action this weekend, and here they are live!

Next up, Hamilton outsider folk/acoustic punk troubador B.A. Johnston will make his own return to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at the aforementioned Esquire Club! A well travelled, eclectic, and proudly Canadian musician, B.A. is known for frequently playing here, always at different venues than the last (including at Venue on Queen Street East last year), so him finally landing on The Esquire Club isn't that surprising, even though that venue isn't historically known for booking touring artists. This time though, B.A. seems like the supplement rather than the headliner, as he is playing a one hour set at 9:00 PM before Silent 9 take the stage, and the venue is treating these as separate concerts back to back. Hopefully B.A. crams his hour full of his freewheeling unplugged punk classics, and do give his videos a watch for a better glimpse of what he brings to the table! Maybe he'll even play on top of a car again?

As with Silent 9 (the de facto headliners, you could say), this is a 19+ concert with no announced cover. See above for more details, but rest assured, you'll wanna be there to see what he sings about and who he plays off of in the audience! For a preview, here's B.A. Johnston live!

Also today, you may have heard that WestFest is coming back this summer, so what should you know there? The West Village Revitalization Project launched this event in July of last year at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street as part of their efforts to renew and better the west end of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Jamestown & Steelton), and last year's WestFest featured family entertainment, vendors, a beer garden, and yes, live music from local artists. WestFest II returns a little later in the year for 2026 (on Saturday, August 8th), and while a lineup announcement is not out yet, organizers are planning to host a talent show to find at least one additional act! On May 14th, the West Village Renewed Facebook page announced that they were looking for "up-and-coming, undiscovered" local musicians to apply for a chance to compete for an opening slot at Beck's Bar on Saturday, June 6th.

I do apologize for the week+ delay on our end, but there is still time, so if your band is interested in a slot at this returning outdoor summer concert festival, contact organizers at the above links for more details by Wednesday! This definitely smells more like a battle of the bands than a "talent show", but perhaps the verbiage is intentional to leave things open to solo artists without compromising (note that Matthew James was the only solo artist on last year's bill). An online application form for the competition is now online, confirming that organizers want artists "ready to bring energy, originality, and a strong live performance", and "selected finalists" will be picked to compete on the 6th in front of a judges panel and "a community audience" (no word on if a fan vote will play into the selections). Only one winner is mentioned there, and while they will be featured in WestFest promotions, I don't know if any other prizes will be awarded.

Just as a point of reference, last year's WestFest had seven acts (including headliners Handsome Sandwich in their final Sault Ste. Marie concert), and all but one were recent performers on Rotaryfest Stage 2, though I hope that doesn't pigeonhole the artist registrations. No word on if they're waiting for the battle to announce the remaining lineup or not, but it will be interesting to see who all is heading west (well, west in the downtown) for year #2! Visit the above links for more details on WestFest 2026 and the talent show applications, and that's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (M1, Epic Rush, Silent 9, And Curtis McKenzie!!)

Between the glut of recent major concert videos (that still isn't entirely cleaned out), regular feature posts, and personal life dealings, I'm behind on a lot of stuff around here, so let's start rectifying that tonight with an all-LOCAL CONCERT ALERT post for Sault Ontario through the fall, so with a lot more coming up ahead, here's what you should know to start!

Fresh off of hosting Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band Crazy Babies there this past weekend (videos forthcoming), The Full Throttle Saloon are trying again with booking a touring tribute band, this time courtesy of Sudbury-based Rush tribute band Epic Rush on Saturday, June 13th! This is far from their first time here, as the Kuthy brothers previously brought the former Rust to Soo Blaster for shows in the fall of 2024 and 2025, but they're coming back for their third go-around sooner than locally normal, and at the former Primavera Hall this time. As fans have seen from both Epic Rush's prior local dates and their sister band Just Leppard's shows here, they deliver the goods for fans of the real thing, and why not strike while the iron is hot with the real Rush back on tour? No word on a local opening band as of this writing, but Headrush did the honours last week.

This 19+ concert will take place at 10:00 PM next month, and tickets will run for $40, which is up from what Rust/Epic Rush cost at Soo Blaster ($25) but thankfully, is much lower than the Crazy Babies show was ($70). No word on if they'll also not allowing attendees to pay at the door again, but you can buy tickets in advance at the Saloon or by calling ahead, and seating is reportedly limited. Visit the above links for more on Epic Rush's third local concert!

Next up, if you like hard rock tribute bands, there's another notable one returning to the Soo this summer, as Calgary-based Motorhead tribute band M1 will return to Beck's Bar for one night only on Wednesday, July 8th! This show comes precisely 52 weeks (though not quite a calendar year) removed from M1's local debut at Beck's, and while the identical mid-week timing remains just as non-ideal, it is neat to see them back at the same time of year. If you missed M1's July 2025 stop, you missed a faithful sounding and hard hitting (if not visually close) homage to Lemmy and crew, and if you're up for more in-your-face speed metal classics from the Motorhead catalogue, head to the west end in two months! No word yet on a local opener, but last year, Dodge This/ex-Phastick frontman Jason Taillefer eased into things with an acoustic set. Unlike last year's 9:00 PM start time, the Facebook event page advertises an 8:00 PM kickoff this time.

While last year's show had no cover, I have not seen any firm declaration on if that will be the case for the encore or not. Regardless, expect this one to be 19+ again. Motorhead fans won't want to miss this one, so visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for possible updates!

Also newly announced at Beck's Bar are two acoustic concerts from former Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie, who will set up shop at the former Vibe Lounge for Sunday matinee gigs on August 9th and October 4th! Unusually announced with plenty of notice, Curt first mentioned them on his Facebook page earlier today, and will mark his first stops at Beck's this year, having last played there in November. Fans of Curtis' past local band work and his more recent unplugged solo work should take to his alternative and hard rock covers later in the year, so keep both shows in mind as we proceed towards the summer! Both are 3:00 PM matinees with presumed 19+ age limits and no cover charges, and we should at least see Curt live at The Dive Gastro Pub in the interim, if not elsewhere (the summer is fast approaching, after all). Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from him in due course!

Finally for today, if we're moving that far into the year for new show announcements, we might as well add local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's announced fall dates from their website's calendar onto ours! As usual for them, Silent 9 are focusing on festivals, special events, and private bookings this summer (I'm waiting for more details on their listed "grass drags" set at Runway Park next month), but their first proper local nightclub booking in four months will see them return to The Tap Room at Northern Superior Brewing Co. on Saturday, September 19th, so if you've missed this talented and fan-friendly foursome at this more intimate downtown venue, then you know where to be! The other fall date (so far) will see Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve return to the aforementioned Beck's Bar on Saturday, November 14th, so things are definitely being booked well in advance on Goulais Avenue!

Of course, it's way too soon to know who's playing the matinee slot that day at Beck's. The Tap Room show is at 8:00 PM, the Beck's gig is at 9:00 PM, and both are 19+ events with no cover. Good to see Silent 9 staying busy, even with a quieter/festival-focused summer again (if you'll be in/near Thessalon or White River, look out!), so see above for more details, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Silent Nine & Greg Simpson), The Crazy Babies Concert Preview, And More!!

Possibly due to the long weekend ahead, this weekend's hard rock concert previews are pretty quiet, but we still have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, so here's what you should know for this weekend as well as a new live-streamed video from a local band's recent gig on the road!

Bone Yard 225 frontman Greg Simpson will return to the stage when he debuts at The Dive Gastro Pub TONIGHT before serving as the acoustic matinee performer at Beck's Bar on SUNDAY! Apologies for the short notice, both shows were only announced via the venues' respective Facebook pages yesterday and on Monday respectively. Fans haven't seen "the ranting rockstar" on a public stage since Bone Yard's acoustic St. Patrick's Day gig at Smitty's, and with your local 225's indefinite break still ongoing (our best wishes are still with Alex and family), it looks like Greg is ready to hit the stage again in the interim, with these shows likely to be similar to Bone Yard's "uncorked" acoustic gigs, albeit sans Alex and Warren. Take The Dive's AI poster claim of "live DJ / singer vibes all night" with a grain of salt, but as usual for non-summer gigs at The Dive, TONIGHT's "Think It Over Thursday" show will be indoors in "the naughty corner".

As for SUNDAY at Beck's, this does seem like it might be a replacement for a planned Bone Yard matinee gig there. Note that they're not hosting a band on Saturday. rather a blacklight dance party featuring DJ Dark Mark, so were Bone Yard supposed to play the double shot there like they have before? In any event, TONIGHT'S Dive show downtown is at 9:00 PM, SUNDAY'S Beck's show (which coincides with a euchre tournament) is at 3:00 PM, and both have 19+ age limits and no cover. Good to see Greg back at it after a couple of months away from the stage, so expect "uncorked" southern hard rock covers at both venues ahead! Visit the above links for more details, and we'll let you know if solo videos of Greg live surface publically!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will return to the public stage on SATURDAY NIGHT at DeMarco's Boots & Saddles Roadhouse! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this concert via their Facebook page on Monday, though it was quietly added to their website's concert calendar in recent weeks. After taking April off, this will be Silent 9's first show since rocking Beck's Bar two months ago, but it won't be their debut at the Boots & Saddles, as they made the drive deep into the west end for at least one private gig in January. Like in recent years, the band is taking the summer off from standard bar gigs, instead focusing on festivals and private events, so if you want to see Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve rock out in a nightclub, and you're in the area/up for the drive, keep SATURDAY'S show in mind! This is an 8:00 PM and 19+ show with no cover. See above for more details, and here's Silent 9 live!

Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend is the local debut of Toronto-based Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Crazy Babies on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Full Throttle Saloon! Apologies for erroneously crediting them as being the Detroit-based Ozzy ReBourne in our initial coverage, Ozzy tribute band marketing confused me a bit at the time. The first real stab at hosting a touring headiner at the former Primavera Hall, this tribute to Ozzy's solo career and Black Sabbath work has received acclaim in their travels for their faithful stage show and Rod Clarke's closely matched vocals, so definitely keep this show in mind if you love the Prince of Darkness! Local support will come by way of classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush, who are no strangers to the Full Throttle Saloon or as openers for a touring tribute band, so don't be late for their 1980s-leaning sets! They are playing sets before Crazy Babies' set and afterwards at midnight.

Now, this 19+ concert takes place at 9:00 PM on Saturday, but tickets cost $70 in advance at this link, at the saloon, or by calling them, and there will reportedly be no admission at the door. The high cost of tickets (higher than Triumph & April Wine at the Gardens!) has not gone unnoticed on social media, and while I won't pass judgment as to how the venue/headliners landed on that number, I just hope the show meets or exceeds expectations for turnout. Visit the above links for more on what should be a fun night for Ozzy and Sabbath fans, and for a preview, here are the Crazy Babies live!

Finally for today, here's a new live-streamed video from Sault Michigan hard rock trio Crush's Facebook page! This comes from their most recent gig, which saw them head downstate to open for Tribe989 at The Ann Arbor Music Festival at The Blind Pig this past Friday. Like at their show at The Merch last month, the Tarnished splinter group live-streamed it for local fans to check out, but as Facebook's current rules for live-streamed videos mean that they'll be deleted after a month, you guys have until around June 1st to see it unless Crush convert it or re-upload it as a regular video. You can tell it's a live-stream though because the 50 minute video doesn't start until 9:30 in, so skip there unless you want to observe them setting up. Their set features the guys playing "SDR&R", "Fire", "Intoxicated", "Hey You", their covers of AC/DC's "Big Balls" and Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!", ...

..."Capitol Gain", "Too Close",  the original not introduced by name that may be titled "Fuck It", and an original that wasn't in the Merch livestreams that I think is named "Call It A Night" (Alex sang lead on that one). Alas, this video was shot vertically, and attendees can block the view for parts of the set, but the audio is clear and Crush show a good sense of humour and rapport with the Metro Detroit fans! They're actually opening for Tribe989 downstate again tomorrow (in Battle Creek, click here for details), but give their Ann Arbor video a watch this month while you can!

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