LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Headrush) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

A quieter weekend (comparatively speaking) is in store for hard rock concerts in the Twin Saults and area this weekend, so we will be able to address all concerts this weekend within two posts, in all likelihood. Sunday's Krash-headlined concert will be previewed separately closer to the event, but here. let's look at the covers-leaning action over the next few days, including some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will be the headliners of this year's North Shore Agricultural Fair (a.k.a. the Laird Fair) on SATURDAY NIGHT at the Laird Fairgrounds 20 minutes outside of town! Apologies for the short notice, the band oddly hasn't really plugged the booking on their Facebook group (fans confirmed the Laird Fair gig there on August 2nd), but the Laird Fair's Facebook page has been advertising them since late last month. In their first public gig since Rotaryfest, Head Rush (if you believe the schedule) will be taking over the baton as SATURDAY headliners from Silent 9 this year, and according to the AI-generated poster (one of many covering this year's fair), expect "a night of dancing, singing along, and partying". There's plenty of family friendly games, activities, vendors, and much more to take in at the fairgrounds, so click here for the full weekend itinerary and schedule from tomorrow-Sunday.

Like past years with a cover rock band on the SATURDAY, Headrush's concert will be at 9:00 PM with no cover charge (select events have registration fees), but the concert itself will be licensed and 19+. The fairgrounds gazebo is covered but not a completely closed-off building, so just in case, 9&10 News projects a high of 21° in Laird on SATURDAY NIGHT, and there is the potential for rain late, so definitely follow your preferred weather forecast for updates (rain is more likely for the Sunday program though). Visit the above links for more on this year's Laird Fair, and here's Headrush live!

Next up, prolific local acoustic classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison will return to Ije's Place in Desbarats for his third show there TOMORROW NIGHT, but in a new confirmation, he will also return to Beck's Bar for a matinee concert on SUNDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice on SUNDAY's Beck's concert, the venue only announced the show via their Facebook page this past Sunday as part of their weekly schedule reveal, and Tym followed suit a day later with a batch Facebook event page that confirmed two more Sunday matinee gigs on September 27th and November 1st. No word on if the latter will have any belated Halloween themes, but keep these shows as well as THIS SUNDAY's gig in mind for Tym's unplugged hard rock covers! Counting his Trading Post gig yesterday, tomorrow's and SUNDAY's concerts will keep Tym busy with three shows in five days.

Tomorrow's show in Desbarats is proof that "Tim Morisson" (if you believe the venue's AI-generated poster) has went over well on his road trips 45 minutes southeast, and hopefully he is a hit again at Ije's! That show takes place at 6:00 PM with no cover or age limit (though it will be "happy hour for alcohol!" during Tym's sets), while all three Beck's matinees (THIS SUNDAY included) are at 3:00 PM during their weekly euchre tournament, with no cover and 19+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details on all fronts, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Now to shows that had 100% advance notice, and we'll start with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly, who have a rare double header weekend in store, with two shows in two days! TOMORROW NIGHT, they'll make their debut at Outspoken Brewing at 350 Queen Street East, while they'll return to Gateway Casino on SATURDAY NIGHT (they don't host concerts on Fridays), so you have two downtown options this weekend. Like Headrush, fans last saw Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe rocking out at on Stage 1 at Rotaryfest Friday last month, and while these are indoor shows (and Outspoken is a smaller, intimate space as it is), at least there's no air quality concerns to worry about! The classic and hard rock covers will be flowing regardless, so don't miss out at 9:00 PM tomorrow and 8:00 PM on Saturday! Both shows are 19+ with no announced cover. Visit the above links for more on both shows, and here's Quite Frankly live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head south to St. Ignace, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will return to Kingston Kitchen for their second show there of 2026 on SATURDAY NIGHT! Like last month's concert at the Jamaican restaurant, Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron aren't in St. Ignace for a special occasion (for that, stop by for the truck show next month), so this will just be a good excuse to see Tarnished's hard rocking and 1980s-friendly cover slate, so keep everything in mind if you'll be in Mackinac County or are up for the hour's drive from the Soo! Expect "good vibes and great music" from Crush's sister band at Kingston Kitchen on Saturday night with an 8:00 PM start time, no likely age limit given that this is a restaurant first, and no stated age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live a few years back!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes (plus our Krash preview) in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

The Go North Music Festival & Sandman Concert Previews!!

This stacked concert weekend presses on, so for our third of (now) four weekend concert preview posts to cover the hard rock and punk-integrated action, we're looking at a big returning regional festival today, as well as the return of the very first band that I ever saw at a licensed 19+ concert, so here's what you should know on this Friday morning!

Continuing this marathon weekend, we'll take the hour's drive southeast to Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island for the eighth annual Go North Music Festival, which takes place TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Returning to the former Cornfest site at Centennial Grounds, this outdoor festival will again see two days of live music, and in a non-musical sense, there will be food vendors both days this year, alongside an artisan market, a family zone featuring Science North displays, games, crafts, and a large interactive community mural project, and as always, on-site camping. Visit the official website for complete details on this front! After not having any hard rock or punk acts for 2025's Big Sugar-headlined program, Go North will have one band that pings our genre radar, namely Juno nominated Saskatoon blues/hard rock band Wide Mouth Mason (of "My Old Self" and "Why" fame, among other hits).

Surprisingly their first concert within an hour of the Soo on record, Wide Mouth Mason's brand of accessible and catchy hard rock with distinct vocals should make a good impression tomorrow night! Curiously, festival advertising does not confirm set times, just the performance order. Your Saturday headliners are Juno-winning Halifax indie rock veterans Wintersleep (they of "Weighty Ghost" and "In Came The Flood" fame) and three touring acts from Toronto, namely alt-rock band Jackie, pop rock solo artist Loviet, and alternative/indie singer/guitarist Keegan Powell & his band The Jetpacks. Local openers tomorrow are CASS FM, Central Algoma Secondary School's student rock band, who have played Go North multiple times. Also on Saturday are returning London children's musical band The Thinking Caps, who will headline the separate children's stage that afternoon. An eclectic lineup for alternative and indie rock fans, so don't bypass the talent here!

Tonight's shorter opening night program will be headlined by Niagara Falls brass/funk supergroup My Son The Hurricane (with ex-Redefined/Rising Tide drummer Danno O'Shea still in their ranks), alongside Oakville R&B/country duo Yassin & Sean Terrio and local indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (the former Hollow Heads). The music lineups of Go North VIII go down from 3:00-11:00 PM tomorrow and 6:00-11:00 PM tonight, and while online ticket sales have ended, you can still buy tickets at the gates. At last word, day passes cost $40 tonight and $70 tomorrow ($20 and $25 respectively for teenagers 13-18 or students with valid student ID). Camping passes are a separate charge, as are $15 premium parking passes, while discount bundles for groups of 2+ adults were also an option. Recent social media hype suggests that this year's Go North is outselling last year's event, which is great news all around!

Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy skies tomorrow with a high of 25°, though there is a slim chance of rain starting during Wintersleep's set into the overnight, so make note of that if camping (tonight's opening concert is projected to have clear skies and a high of 24°). Conditions look to mostly hold up, so best of luck to everyone enjoying the music on St. Joseph Island this weekend! Visit the above links for more on this year's Go North Music Festival, and here's Wide Mouth Mason live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #3, let's head home to Sault Ste. Marie, where Toronto-based Metallica tribute band Sandman will return to town TOMORROW NIGHT, this time at The Full Throttle Saloon! The only tribute band officially licensed by Metallica (and featuring three ex-members of Helix in their ranks), this will be Sandman's fifth local concert appearance on record, and first since they rocked the former Soo Blaster in October 2022, but this time, they're heading into Steelton as the third touring tribute headliner at The Full Throttle Saloon this year. The former Primavera Hall has done well booking the Crazy Babies and Epic Rush shows despite some eyebrow raising over the ticket prices, but Sandman have the most local experience of the three, so hopefully they draw well with their faithfully performed take on Metallica's 1980s and early 1990s catalogue! This 19+ concert goes down tomorrow night at 10:00 PM, and has no announced opening band.

Tickets cost $50 at the venue, and while this is cheaper than the $70 Crazy Babies show at The Full Throttle Saloon, it's also way above the $40 that both of Sandman's 2022 Soo Blaster gigs cost combined. Still, Crazy Babies and Epic Rush appeared to draw well, so if you want to enjoy Metallica's classic hits again, get your tickets while you can! I'm not seeing the "no ticket sales at the door" restriction this time, but call ahead if you're at all worried. Visit the above links for more on the the thrash metal tribute action tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's Sandman live!

That's all for now, but look for our Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands and 2 Stoned Crows In The River previews next, as well as (finally) our Rotaryfest review! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Go North Music Festival!!)

Single topic post today thanks to a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Juno Award-nominated Saskatoon blues/hard rock band Wide Mouth Mason will (as far as I'm aware) make their first ever local concert appearance as one of the co-headliners of the eighth annual Go North Music Festival on Saturday, July 25th! A staple of Canadian rock radio and MuchMusic in the late 1990s thanks to hit songs like "My Old Self", "Why", and "Smile", it will be neat to finally welcome Shaun, Safwan, and crew to our area (if not the Soo proper) this summer, and their jam-friendly alt-rock sound and distinct vocals still set them apart! Wide Mouth Mason are really the only hard rock-leaning outpost for this year's festival, which didn't have anything that really crossed our radar in 2025 (when it was headlined by Big Sugar, featuring former W.M.M. bassist Gordie Johnson). Presented by SooToday & 104.3 The Fox, this annual event returns to the old Cornfest site at Centennial Grounds in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island for two nights of music.

As seen on the poster, the headlining Saturday band this year is Juno-winning Halifax indie rock quintet Wintersleep (of "Weighty Ghost" and "Amerika" fame), who have also never played in the Soo area before. While their name sounds heavier than they are, Wintersleep are a very talented and acclaimed band, so don't bypass them this summer! Also making their way to St. Joseph Island in four months are three acts from Toronto, namely alt-indie trio Jackie, pop rock musician Loviet, and alternative singer/guitarist Keegan Powell, who should also make some waves with their skill sets and rising national profiles! Your only local band on July 25th is CASS FM, the Central Algoma Secondary School student rock band (a'la Mustang Sally), who are multi-time veterans of Go North, if with a lot of lineup turnover. As well, London children's music group The Thinking Caps will return to headline the kids stage that afternoon.

The night #1 lineup on Friday, July 24th has more local ties despite only having three acts, those being fan favourite Niagara Falls brass/funk collective My Son The Hurricane (still featuring former Rising Tide drummer Danno O'Shea), Oakville country/soul hybrid duo Yassin & Sean Terrio, and local indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (née The Hollow Heads). Along with the announced musicians, attendees can also expect to find local art and food vendors amongst the outdoor surroundings on Centennial Grounds, and if you're bringing the kids, there will be interactive Science North exhibits, games, crafts, and a mural that everyone can help paint at the family zone. Timeslots for the individual acts are not out yet, but gates open on Friday at 6:00 PM and Saturday at 3:00 PM, and bands are projected to wrap up nightly by 11:00 PM. On-site camping is absolutely available as usual, and a fireside jam will again be held after hours.

Advance tickets are now on sale at this link, and minus online processing fees, day passes run for $40 on Friday and $70 on Saturday ($20 and $25 respectively for teenagers 13-18 or students under 25 with valid student ID). Camping passes for 2 or 4 adults for the whole weekend or Saturday only are also available (kids/teens are free to camp thusly but must be with an adult), but these do not include festival tickets, which are a separate purchase. $15 premium parking passes are also available if you want to get a really close spot, but this is an optional bonus. Discount bundles for two adults with camping & premium parking are also available. It is great to see the Go North Fest back for year #8, and while they have had heavier lineups, there's a lot of established and up & coming names to watch out for here, so definitely visit the above links for more on this year's event an hour east of the Soo! Thanks everyone!

Our Extended Preview Of Toystock XII!!

Today's post is solely devoted to our extended preview of the twelfth annual Toystock, which goes down TOMORROW at The Grand Gardens North! Held annually since 2012 (the 2020-2021 pandemic hiatus aside), this special holiday concert event sees ten bands in ten hours donating their time to support Christmas Cheer, and as usual, donating for the cause is how you enter! Admission is via donating new toys, gently used puzzles, games, and/or books, new gift cards, mitts, scarves, hats, grooming items, or cash (nothing was said this year about non-perishable food). While The Grand Gardens is licensed and the bar will be open, Toystock is absolutely an all ages & family friendly event, and activites like face painting, arts & crafts, temporary tattoos, a play zone, and Christmas ornament decoration will be available along with the live music, and Santa Claus himself will stop by at 3:00 & 6:00 PM tomorrow, so I hope everyone has been good!

Yes, the Stuff-A-Bus will be on site once again. Visit the official website for complete non-musical details! Now, which ten bands will fill Toystock XII's ten hours? As usual, southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 (fronted by promoter Greg Simpson) will headline at 9:00 PM in their record eleventh appearance at the event, and all kudos to them and their colleagues for putting on this wonderful event once again! After playing the past two years in indie rock quartet Skinbox/The Haze, Steve Edwards & Brad Irwin have snagged the 8:00 PM co-headlining slot tomorrow for their new successor band The Reeves, where they are now joined by Long Shot alumni Adam Dawe & Jeremy Ganuelas. Time will tell how The Reeves sound compared to members' prior bands, but you can be the first to find out tomorrow at The Grand Gardens! At 7:00 PM, attendees can check out Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band on what wil be a big day for them!

Playing their second Toystock together and their first local gig since they rocked the Downtown Plaza in September, tomorrow will also be the release date of the alt-hard rock band's brand new live album "Under A Moonlit Sky", which was recorded that night. Mike and crew are donating proceeds from purchases and streams of the album to Christmas Cheer, which is a fantastic idea and well timed, so consider helping out whether you're at Toystock or not! Some of Mike's bandmates will play the prior set, as guitarist/backing vocalist Elly McWatters will front her country cover band The Drifters at 6:00 PM. Local country cover veterans Out & Out Country (featuring former Bone Yard drummer Ric Datson) will take the stage at 5:00 PM, and it is neat seeing Ric back at Toystock after three years away! Also debuting at Toystock tomorrow are indie rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous at 4:00 PM.

Notably, this will be Jupiter Marvelous' first show after the departure of guitarist Jacob Quarrell (formerly of Mike Haggith's band and Bad Chug), whose farewell gig with them is actually tonight at Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s Taproom. Best of luck to Jake in his next endeavours! Hard rock quintet and 2023 Toystock performers HeadF1rst will rock the Great Northern Road events hall at 3:00 PM, as preceded by cover rock quartet Separate Wayz (featuring singer Nicole Thibodeau alongside Soundcheck and Obsession alumni) in their Toystock debut at 2:00 PM. Debuting local blues/classic rock band Sunday & The Broken Hearts (replacing Redundant) will rock Toystock at 1:00 PM, and while not a lot is known about them yet, hopefully Jason Gasparetto & crew deliver a solid cover set for fans in the afternoon! Your openers tomorrow are online page-less blues rock quartet The Associates at 12:00 PM.

The Associates are back from 2024 and are this year's annual music school/store representatives, with Bone Yard bassist Warren Reville bookending tomorrow's band schedule as such. Musically, there's a lot to like this year, including six Toystock newcomer acts and a nice array of sounds for all tastes, so hopefully there's a great turnout with lots of quality Christmas Cheer donations! There's many needy families that will be extremely appreciative. Visit the above links for complete details on Toystock XII, here's Bone Yard 225 live, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Toystock XII!!)

The full lineup for the twelfth annual Toystock has been announced, so what should you know for this year? This annual Christmas Cheer benefit concert will return to The Grand Gardens at 1324 Great Northern Road on Sunday, November 30th for a ninth straight installment, and like in every year since 2012 (the two year pandemic hiatus aside), ten bands will again donate their time for a ten hour marathon of live music for the cause, with Christmas Cheer donations (toys, gift cards, gently used games/books, non-perishable food, new winter clothing, and/or cash) being the entry fee to come on out. Like in past years, there will be a mix of family entertainment and kids activities on site, as well as the Stuff-A-Bus, an appearance from Santa Claus, and more, while the bar will be open if you are so inclined. Visit the official Toystock website for further details on the non-musical side of this special event! Now, who all is playing at Toystock XII?

Five bands are returnees from past Toystocks, while there are five newcomers to the festivities, as listed on their website's music page. As usual, southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 are your headliners at 9:00 PM, having played every year besides 2013 (when frontman/organizer Greg Simpson instead played with other bands of his). It goes without saying, but kudos to Greg & Kerry for the work they do annually for Christmas Cheer by putting this huge show on! Co-headlining at 8:00 PM are a mystery band named The Reeves, who I have precisely zero information on. Does the name reference small township mayors, or the last name, or something else entirely? We'll let you know when we learn more! Though only listed as "MH", the 7:00 PM band is clearly Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band in their second straight Toystock, and Mike & Brandan's third if you count The Din's 2016 set, so don't bypass their original rock tunes then!

New local country cover band Elly McWatters & The Drifters (featuring multiple members of The Big Finish Band) will make their Toystock debut at 6:00 PM, as preceded by veteran cover quintet Out & Out Country at 5:00 PM. Notably, this will mark the return of drummer Ric Datson to Toystock for the first time since he left Bone Yard at the beginning of 2022, so while in different projects, it is cool to see him share a bill with Greg & Alex again! Indie rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous will also rock Toystock for the first time at 4:00 PM, preceded by hard rock quintet HeadF1rst (who played this event in 2023 before putting the 1 in their name) at 3:00 PM. Newer local cover rock quartet Separate Wayz (featuring Soundcheck alumni Terry Eaton, Jim Michaud, and Steven Flint plus singer Nicole Thibodeau) will make their Toystock debut at 2:00 PM, though we still don't know what they play and how similar they are.

Local punk trio Redundant (who have only played at Toystock since they returned from hiatus in 2023) will make their fourth appearance at this event at 1:00 PM, which will presumably also be their second show with their current bassist. No word on why we don't see them out there for other events anymore, but it's always good to have them back! Filling the annual slot for a band representing a local music store, online page-less blues rock quartet The Associates (comprised of Long & McQuade staffers) will return from last year to kick off Toystock XII at 12:00 PM. Bone Yard bassist Warren Reville will thusly bookend the festivities by playing in the first and last bands, so keep that in mind as well! Note also that two bands who played in both 2023 & 2024 are not back this year, namely pop rock cover quintet Bourbon Blue and the now-inactive indie rock band The Haze (née Skinbox).

Another stacked lineup of talented local musicians stepping up to the plate to help support Christmas Cheer and families in need over the holidays, so absolutely visit the above links for much more on everything that's going down at The Grand Gardens next month, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Napoleon) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let'swrap up this weekend's concert previews with tonight's post, along with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this fall, so here's what you should know on this Friday evening!

Local promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment will host their fourth post-relaunch concert and first since May on Friday, September 26th, when Toronto post-hardcore quartet Napoleon make their local debut at Soo Blaster! If you want something heavy, Napoleon will deliver with their blend of modern screamo and punk/alternative influences, and they should appeal to many readers with their in-your-face energy, so don't miss out in two months' time! The only currently signed local opener is Instagram-only hard rock quartet Maynard Hayes in their third show and first time not opening for Convergence. Hopefully their momentum is building well following The Pit & The Upheaval! At least one more opening band is to be announced, but note that May's H.N.E.-promoted Derev concert had three opening acts. This presumably all ages concert currently has an early 5:00-10:00 PM run time, so we'll see if that holds by the time the show takes place.

Tickets run for just $15 plus processing fees at this link, and will presumably be available at Soo Blaster (no word on if Maynard Hayes, Heavy North, or potential other opening acts will have them too). Good eaely signs for this show, especially being a Friday nighter, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details as they roll in!

Next up, here's more weekend concert previews, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations, whose scheduled shows this weekend were cancelled. They were slated to return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, as well as host last night's jam night there, but according to drummer Tony Santoro on their Facebook group on Tuesday, they won't be playing this weekend "due to unfortunate circumstances". They rebounded fast however, as they'll instead be rocking Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW instead. Technically speaking, apologies for the short notice, but you could argue that the two proper concerts were just relocated. Fresh off of their Rotaryfest headlining set from this past Friday, this weekend's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges as usual, and for the record, I haven't heard if Jay's has a replacement band playing there instead. See above for more details, and here's Generations live.

Next up, the first annual WestFest goes down TOMORROW at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street! Spearheaded by the West Village Revitalization Project, this is a keystone event in their ongoing efforts to revitalize the western section of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Steelton and Jamestown), with WestFest being promoted as a "block party meets music festival" featuring family entertainment and activities, local vendors, and even a beer garden, so visit the official website for full non-musical details on tomorrow's events! This outdoor festival just off of Albert Street West will feature seven acts, all but one being recent veterans of Rotaryfest Stage 2, but only the headliners are fully SMS-amenable, namely alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich! They'll take the stage tomorrow at 8:30 PM in their second live set of 2025 and since contracting to a quartet, and it should be a fine way to enjoy their eclectic and pointed original tunes!

Drummer Johnny Belanger and former Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch will also join forces in the co-headlining band tomorrow, namely bluegrass/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels, who play at 7:00 PM. Fresh off of their Stage 2 return this past Saturday, indie rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous (entirely made up of past hard rock band members) will perform at 6:00 PM, with folk/indie singer/songwiter Matthew James taking the stage prior at 4:45 PM. Indie/alternative band Lucy's Diner (née The Hollow Heads) perform at 3:45 PM ahead of a country set by former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver at 2:45 as his local farewell tour presses on. The only band tomorrow who aren't a Stage 2 veteran are the late additions kicking things off, as veteran classic rock duo Frankly Speaking will start the day at 1:45 PM. Not the heaviest lineup going, but there should be a little something for everyone at WestFest, plus the other events all day!

This FREE & ALL AGES community festival is outdoors (bands will be performing on a covered stage), so weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling clear to partly cloudy skies tomorrow with temperatures hovering around 25°. While there's no chance of rain, there is an ongoing air quality advisory due to the smoke migrating here from the widespread forest fires in northwestern Ontario, so approach that as needed. Hopefully thing go well for WestFest across the board, and that this does a lot for the west end promotion and sprucing up, perhaps with a sequel to follow! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Handsome Sandwich live!

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

The Dodge This Concert Preview, Headf1rst Updates, And More News & Notes!!

Here's a surprise news post on this Saturday evening! This came together quickly because of a show that completely slipped me by for this weekend's hard rock concert previews despite covering it when first announced on here, so rounding things out, we have new updates from a prominent local band, and lots of shorter updates. Let's get things rolling before the hockey game!

My apologies for the delay in this preview making the SMS, but local acoustic hard rock duo Dodge This will hit the stage TONIGHT at The Dive Gastro Pub! We had covered these shows when first announced by the venue on April 3rd, but they completely slipped me by among other posts and previews this weekend, not helped by the fact that they haven't updated their Facebook page this month at all. At least I got to it with time to spare, and apologies again for the late preview! This will be Dodge This' first publically advertised concert since they rocked The Water Tower Pub just over a month ago, and comes three weeks after they dropped out of their planned April 5th date in "The Naughty Corner" (Tym Morrison replaced them on short notice), though singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer did play a solo date at The Dive in the interim. Good to see Dodge This back, and hopefully Jay & Jamie deliver lots of fun rocking covers!

Note that The Dive did not reference occasional percussionist Jeff July (Jamie's brother) in their newest Facebook plug for tonight's event, which has a 9:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Dodge This live!

Next up, here's the latest from local hard rock quintet Headf1rst, which isn't a typo, as they have officially replaced the letter I with a number 1 in their name! This goes along with their official logo anyway, but the name change appears to be similar to that of Bone Yard 225: Keep the existing branding but make it more unique to distinguish themselves from similarly named groups elsewhere. Works well enough for me, but when will Facebook update the band name? Yesterday, Headf1rst released the first single from next month's sophomore album "Road Trippin'" to major streaming services, with the song in question being "Slay The Dragon", which is "a passion filled, action-packed joy ride" conceived by bassist Claire Jeffrey. This was produced by Treble Charger's Bill Priddle (who guests on additional guitar) and was recorded at Unsalted Audio with mixing by Dustin Goodall, who has also been working with Convergence in recent weeks.

Another teaser clip for the album, song to be clarified, can be heard in this Facebook "Reel"  hyping a "listening party" to be live streamed on Vintage Games N' Junque's Facebook page on Tuesday featuring select material from "Road Trippin'" and the bands opening for Headf1rst at the release party/Steel City Collector Con pre-party on May 3rd, plus an interview with Headf1rst. That should be interesting, so stay tuned for more on that next week! The cover art for "Road Trippin'" can be seen above in Facebook advertising for a raffle at the Soo Blaster-hosted concert, where winners will win all three acts' newest albums. Exciting times for Headf1rst, so see above for more details, and here's "Slay The Dragon"!

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

 

• I have removed local punk band F.F.B. from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page, which was their only known social media account. A revival of a 1999-2000 band featuring Telephone & Address' Christopher Shoust and Damjan "Spider Fingerz" Binda, F.F.B. had reunited in 2016 to release a film about the band's original 1999-2000 run and put out their unreleased studio material, but there was little follow-up on these plans. Hopefully we hear more from Chris, Damjan, and Kyle in time!
• In their first Facebook post in over a month, local southern hard rock quartet Fort Creek revealed yesterday that they are "currently plugging away at what will be our second release", namely an original song named "Sweet Rosie" that will serve as their first "full band song", as opposed to the acoustic "One For The Road". Good to hear that the guys are busy behind the scenes, and we'll let you know when more on this song and/or their long-gestating debut album come out! Also, is "Sweet Rosie" a reference to the former Roosevelt Hotel? We'll know for sure soon!
• This year's Fringe North Festival has been postponed due to "unexpectedly diminshed leadership capacity and reduced funding", as per the festival's Facebook page. While not a SMS-amenable haven, occasional punk acts have performed the diverse & multicultural arts festival, which had been held in August at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum post-pandemic (with punk solo act Slumshine being most prominent in our coverage there). In its stead, Fringe North will instead host a "New Works Series" in conjunction with the Museum, and we await details on what this will entail, let alone if the Fringe North of old will return in 2026. Hopefully things work out regardless!
• As of April 6th, new local industrial metal solo act The Realignment Project had finished recording their second EP "The Frustration Sessions", as per updates to their Facebook page, and as of April 18th, project leader Matt Hicks was "waiting for the EP to hit streaming services" while also working on lyric videos for YouTube for its songs. A sample for the lyric video of the song "Static" was shared in this Facebook "Reel" (unembeddable as always), but I'll hold comment pending the EP's eventual release. Things can come together very fast for a one man band like this, so stay tuned for more on The Realignment Project's sophomore release!
• At the Room 206-headlined reunion concert at Soo Blaster earlier this month, they were indeed represented by their classic lineup (Mike Yorke, Brad "Example" Lacell, and Allan Watson) alongside guitarist Dave Bahun, who wasn't on "2 Innies & An Outie" but performed with them in later concerts and material, and also joined Brad in The Inner City Surfers that night. Our source is photos from SooToday's Donna Hopper's Facebook photo album from the concert, featuring 54 shots from the night's punk festivities, albeit all black & white. Great pictures as always from Donna, and stay tuned for more from this huge reunion show next week!
• Last week, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 shared a "Reel" of them covering Poison's "Nothing But A Good Time" at Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s Tap Room on April 12th onto their Facebook page! The short, vertical, and unembeddable trappings of "Reels" aside, Silent 9 sound good in this brief clip while it lasts, and you get a nice view of the unique staging at they have at the downtown craft brewery here, so give it a watch above, and don't miss Silent 9 at The Esquire Club in two weeks!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Clutch & Selias), 104.3 The Fox Updates, And A 1999 Concert Bootleg!!

Let's dive into some more big news on this Wednesday morning, including a surprise local concert bootleg discovery, programming news from a local radio station, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on both sides of the border, so here's what you should know!

Toronto melodic death metal band Selias will head here for the second time in under six months when they perform at Soo Blaster once again on Friday, March 14th! As local metalheads may recall, Selias headlined Heavy North Entertainment's comeback concert there in September of last year, with next month's show kicking off the band's Western Canadian Annihilation Tour, which hopefully goes well for all involved! H.N.E. are promoting this show, in their first concert booking of 2025 and second since their relaunch. It's worth noting that drummer Tyler Reiner (better known currently from his work with Spades GT) is not pictured in Selias' newest band photographs, implying that he has left their ranks, though hopefully he comes back north with Spades soon! No word yet on opening bands, but in September, Selias were joined by fellow touring metal band Out Of Spite and six local hard rock/metal acts, including some big returnees.

One of those openers was new local technical death metal band Bardo (fronted by Heavy North Entertainment owner Tyler St. Amour), but I have no idea if they're playing next month. We'll let you know when additional bands are confirmed! No word yet on ticket prices or availability therein, but last year, the show was all ages with an early 5:00 PM start time to accommodate the eight band lineup, and tickets ran for $15 online, at Soo Blaster, via local openers, or at a couple of Queen Street East businesses.  There's blanks to fill in ahead, but visit the above links for more on Selias' St. Patrick's Day weekend stop at Soo Blaster next month!

Next up, here's yesterday's big Sault Michigan concert announcement for The Dreammakers Theatre at their Kewadin Casino branch, as Maryland stoner/hard rock quartet Clutch will make their local concert debut on Thursday, June 19th! While not a mainstream rock radio presence, Clutch have carved out a devoted following with their bluesy but hard hitting brand of original rock in the past three decades thanks to fan favourite songs like "Electric Worry", "The Regulator", and "X-Ray Visions", and it will be neat to see them in town this summer! If press releases and news sites like Blabbermouth are to be believed, Clutch will be playing their self-titled 1995 album in full on this tour, so fans of "Spacegrass" will be excited! Openers on the Full Ahead Flank MMXXV Tour will include Nashville southern hard rock quartet Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown and Washington D.C. folk/country singer/guitarist Nate Bergman.

While we're obviously getting heavier as the night progresses, Tyler and Nate have a lot of talent, so don't bypass their sets for some bluesy southern fare! This all ages concert (on Juneteenth, no less) has an 8:00 PM start time, and this one is standing room only, so the seats are gone for the night. Tickets go on sale for $55 USD on Friday at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN, but pre-sale tickets are already available if you have the requisite code. I wouldn't have had Clutch pegged as a band that I expected to rock the Twin Saults in 2025, but this should be a solid concert, and decidedly unique compared to what often comes to the Soo Kewadin, so see above for more details!

Now let's dive into some programming updates from new Sault Ontario rock radio station 104.3 The Fox! The big reveal is that morning drive program The Brock & Dalby Show now has a nighttime version airing weeknights from 8:00-10:00 PM on The Fox and its sister stations in Northeastern Ontario and Kingston. As best as I can gather, this features condensed/select host segments heard in their regular 5:30-9:00 AM timeslot in between music, and it premiered after The Biggs & Barr Show on Monday night. Another note that I didn't bring up when first covering the relaunched CJQM is that Tuesdays have a slight theme, namely "Two For One Tuesday", where two back-to-back songs featuring the same artist (if not always in the same band) will be played on occasion. This is hardly an all-day, every-song theme (like "Twofer Tuesday" is on WRIF in Detroit), but it's something different every so often on Tuesdays!

Lastly, I never mentioned when noting local midday DJ Dan Koo's on-air work that he has a segment of his own called "Dan's Big Three", where he quickly goes through three big local news stories. It sounds like things are going well for the former Q104 in their new format, and I am enjoying the variety that their existence affords in conjunction with Rock 101, so continue tuning into 104.3 FM on your radio dial or online!

Finally, many readers will be aware of concert bootlegs being popular among diehard fans and collectors, and the Soo was not immune to getting them on occasion. Back on July 15th, 1999, Halifax hard rock legends April Wine headlined in Sault Ontario at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, one of their (at least) three local concert stops, including one at Sault Memorial Gardens in 1984 and another at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in 2013. The 1999 show was recorded by rej1064 and remastered by Rocker200, and was first uploaded to the bootleg forum Dimeadozen in 2006, with the YouTube channel Classic Rock Live Concerts posting it publically on Sunday. I won't list the track order here, as you can see it below via the bootleg's back cover, but the hits that you expect April Wine to play were represented in the 17 song set. The audio quality isn't pristine, but you hear enough to get the gist of how April Wine sounded in 1999!

There are some abrupt stops between songs, so I take it that rej1064 was trying to record individual tracks and/or cut down on between-song banter/introductions. Still, 75 minutes of legit local concert audio from 26 years ago is really neat, especially as it predates the YouTube generation where you can readily find full concert streams from the past two decades, and the band sounds good throughout this concert. Check out the full local April Wine bootleg below, and R.I.P. Myles!

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

Treble Charger At Big Shiny Saturday Concert Video Showcase!

I apologize for this slipping through the cracks over the past 2+ months, but when the band in question doesn't really have an active social media presence, it wasn't as likely to cross my radar. As teased in some of the local press for their reunion gig at The Machine Shop in March, local/Toronto indie/punk quartet Treble Charger did indeed continue playing live via summer festival dates in Southern Ontario! We knew at the time that they'd be playing at Riverfest in Elora last month, but before then, they actually were booked for the Big Shiny Saturday festival in North York, which took place at The Bowl at Sobey's Stadium on July 6th! Here, they played alongside fellow domestic 1990s-2000s rock acts The Tea Party, The Headstones, I Mother Earth, and Bif Naked (The Headstones were never on a Big Shiny Tunes album, but they're of the same era). In searching YouTube, at least seven attendees filmed Treble Charger's set, so let's cover four of them in today's post!

We'll start with attendee superfannrock, who filmed Treble Charger playing three songs at Big Shiny Saturday during their middle set (he also filmed The Tea Party and The Headstones for his channel). Songs filmed include "Hundred Million", "Red", and as embedded below, their second song "Brand New Low". Sharp angle with a smoky ambiance, but superfannrock got a nice zoomed in view of the guys in action, who sound on the level of their reunion gig, and while he's laser focused on filming just the band, you do get a sense that this is a big stage. Check these out above & below!

Next up, attendee ShakyShorty filmed a song each from the five acts at Sobey's Stadium on this day, with his Treble Charger video being of their early Bill Priddle-sung classic "Red", which was their second-to-last song. Also, Frank Deresti and David Peredun continued on bass and drums from the local date in March, so it is very neat to see an all-local Treble Charger lineup, let alone playing out of town! While ShakyShorty didn't employ as extreme of a zoom, he also had a far more central view of the stage and got more of the framing and setup as a result. If you like mid-late 1990s indie Treble Charger, you'll like how the guys played "Red" here, so check this quality performance out below too!

Alas, superfannrock was one of only two of the seven filmers to shoot anything other than "Red" and "American Psycho", so I apologize for any redundancy in advance. Both of those songs were shot by attendee Toronto Live Music, who filmed everyone on Big Shiny Saturday except Bif Naked. To spread things out a bit, I'll also feature this channel's "Red" video here, but I'd argue that these are the best of the Treble Charger videos for quality in this post, with Toronto Live Music clearly closer to the stage and framing things well with some lighter, more natural zooming, and the audio is nice and clear! Good stuff on both accounts, so check these videos out also!

Three of the other four Big Shiny Saturday filmers only filmed "American Psycho" during Treble Charger's set, and we'll close with that song from attendee Fun Randyz, who also filmed everyone except Bif Naked on July 6th, but this was his only Treble Charger video. Like she did at The Machine Shop in March, Greig Nori's daughter Ava joined the guys on stage to provide guest backing vocals from the bridge onward, which is a fun touch that I'm sure Greig loved repeating! This punk-era staple is always a crowd favourite, and while Randy was a little further back, he zoomed in well on the stage with good audio, so give his clip a watch below!

We'll have more from Treble Charger and Big Shiny Saturday in an upcoming post, but it looks like everything went well in North York in July, and here's hoping their other 2024 festival dates were similarly successful! Stay tuned for all of that and more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bone Yard 225), Thursday Concert Previews, And New Videos!

(Updated at 9:58 PM) This weekend's concert slate is quite busy again after getting a relative reprieve last week, so let's start things a day early today! After all, two (three?) of the shows are Thursday evening affairs, and have more to say than normal given the setting of them, so here's what you should know to start, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! We'll touch on Friday-Saturday nighters and/or the Northern Vibe Festival in preview post #2 hitting the site tomorrow.

Joining the previously confirmed Soundcheck concert at the Cruisin' The Dub car show at the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road tomorrow, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will indeed be headlining the concurrent motorcycle show at the old A&W at 121 Great Northern Road TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice on Bone Yard's end, public advertising confirming their involvement only showed up on Facebook earlier today, but remember that they have been busy prepping for the Dragonfly Run on Sunday (preview forthcoming). The dual sets by both bands at the respective A&W car and bike shows is a reprise of last year's Cruisin' The Dub festivities, only this year, Mother Nature isn't going to interfere, as 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies and weather of around 23°. Both car & bike show were rained out in 2023, so things should run smoothly across the board!

As expected, Cruisin' The Dub is in support of Multiple Sclerosis Canada, with lots of classic cars and motorcycles to check out across both Great Northern Road A&Ws, along with family friendly games, prize draws, and refreshments, and a hard rocking local band at both locations, so keep all of this in mind TOMORROW! A much bigger follow-up to the car-only show that Soundcheck played in June, the car and/or bike show will have no cover, they're absolutely ALL AGES, and both run from 5:00-8:00 PM. Visit the above links for more on TOMORROW'S action, stay tuned for more from both bands this weekend, and here are both bands live, including one of three new videos of Bone Yard 225 live via their Facebook page! Two of them were live-streamed from their concert at the Laird Agricultural Fair on Friday, including one of them covering The Ramones' classic "I Wanna Be Sedated" with bassist Warren Reville on lead vocals.

While it is vertical, the filmer largely only focused on Warren, so the orientation isn't so bad in that regard! Solid cover but the vocals came through very quiet. The other Laird Fair video (which is horizontal) sees them covering ZZ Top's "Tush" with guitarist Alex D'Ettore on lead vocals, and it's a solid cover with good energy! Embedded here is their (also horizontal!) new video from one of their Reggie's Place gigs in July, where they covered The Tragically Hip's "Little Bones" with singer/drummer Greg Simpson handling vocals. Another strong cover filmed in high quality, if slightly to its detriment given the stage lighting at Reggie's, but check this out for yourselves below, and don't miss Bone Yard TOMORROW!

Next up, Hails frontman Brenton Ellis' acoustic punk solo project Slumshine will play a rare live set TOMORROW NIGHT when they return to the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for their third straight set at the annual Fringe North Festival! The only SMS-amenable music act playing Fringe North this year, Slumshine will see Brent break out his acoustic guitar and pink knit ski mask for the first time since last year's Fringe North when he opens up "the Comet Stage", which will be set up outside of & behind the museum tomorrow night (as such, expect the same sunny & 23° weather conditions as at Cruisin' The Dub). The official program outlines all of the details you could ask for re: this year's festival, including a complete performer lineup at the Museum and elsewhere, celebrating art and culture in all of its diverse forms. Like last year, Slumshine's set (named "A Work In Progress") will be themed around Brent's recovery from drug addiction.

Click here to read more about Slumshine's modus operandi and what to expect lyrically from their set, courtesy of Fringe North's website. While Slumshine's set opens tomorrow's program at "the Comet Stage" at 7:00 PM, each individual performer is priced separately at different tiers, with no batch price packages to cover an entire day's musicians on one stage. Brent will be a musical outlier anyway tomorrow, as he precedes sets by Toronto R&B musician Aieysha Haws at 8:00 PM, Thunder Bay rapper O'Rose at 9:00 PM, and rappers from local label Sooicide Records at 10:00 PM. If you want to see Slumshine's set tomorrow from 7:00-8:00, the minimum advertised price is $5, though $15 is the "support the artist" rate (note that the program lists both tiers as being $5 higher than the online ticket page does). It is also worth noting that Brent will be jetting off to Southern Ontario for shows with Hails this weekend!

On Friday and Saturday, they'll be opening for Toronto "hypnofolk" band Twintwa (who also played with Ha!ls at It's The Pits in Leeburn) and Hamilton electro-noise rock band Better Homes For Meaner People, across both nights, the former at Vertagogo in Hamilton and the latter at the third annual Humber River Art & Music Festival in Toronto, where the three bands will be joined by Peterborough rapper Garbageface, the Soo's own Shae Tull, and many others. Hopefully both shows are hits for Brent, the Mutos, and Keeghan this weekend, but don't miss Slumshine tomorrow at the museum first! See above for more details on Fringe North 2024, and for a preview, here's Slumshine live back in 2019!

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