LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dos Amigos), The Viscera/PonyWorm Concert Preview, And An Inactive Band Note!!

Before we begin this post, just a note that I have seen a personal Facebook post implying that local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are returning to Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s Tap Room tomorrow night, but I have not seen any public confirmation from the band or brewery to corroborate that posting. We have time to make mention of it if it's 100% verifiably announced, but just in case, I thought I'd lead off by acknowledging what I saw. Otherwise, this post has the rest of this weekend's hard rock/punk previews and an inactive band note, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos will return to The Whisky Barrel for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page on Monday, and while Dos Amigos' six+ month moratorium on Facebook page updates continues, singer/guitarist Mikey Hawdon did confirm the booking on his personal Facebook page. While we have seen Mikey & Dustin since at The Kiln with their band BookcluB, TONIGHT's show will be their first advertised unplugged gig as Dos Amigos since their last Whiskey Barrel stop in late February. If you're up for some acoustic punk covers from two of the Soo's finest, head down to Gore Street TONIGHT! Possibly due to St. Patrick's Day being on a Tuesday this year (let alone The Whisky Barrel being a Scottish pub), there are no overt seasonal ties TONIGHT, though drinks will be on tap, as you'd assume.

The Whisky Barrel rarely doubles up bands on weekends, and as such, indie rock veterans All The Tired Horses are playing there tomorrow. TONIGHT'S concert goes down at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on TONIGHT'S Dos Amigos action, and here they are live at The Tap Room last year!

Next up, let's wrap up(?) this weekend's concert previews by heading across to Sault Michigan, where new local hardcore punk duo Viscera will play their first ever local gig TOMORROW NIGHT at Three One Three On Ashmun! While Blind Bob & Mitchell debuted this project in Marquette in January, tomorrow's show will be E.U.P. fans' first chance to hear Viscera's brutal minimalist sound, including cuts from their debut EP "From Feast To Famine" (as this is the first local show since, would this be the de facto release party?). As Sault Michigan goes, a sound this visceral (descriptor intended) doesn't come around every day, so if you like things brutal, come down to the former Back Door tomorrow! Marquette doom/stoner metal duo PonyWorm will make their apparent local debut tomorrow as openers, returning the favour after Viscera opened for them in Marquette in January, and they'll sludge things up well in their first trip here, so don't miss out tomorrow if you can help it!

Opening tomorrow's action is local punk/hard rock band About:Blank (last seen rocking The Savoy in an unadvertised gig last month), and while they have yet to publically replace Nathan Webber in their lineup, Parker & Kade might not have to worry about it immediately, as if they play this show as a duo again, then all three bands tomorrow will be two-man-bands, which will be neat! Tickets run for $10 in advance via the QR code on the poster above or through members of the two local bands, and admission will jump to $15 at the door. This appears to be a 21+ event, and doors open at 7:00 PM. Visit the above links for more on this unique and heavy mix of bands at Three One Three, and for a preview, here's our first look at Viscera on camera! Since I first discovered Viscera last month, I realized that they do have a Facebook page, albeit one that is set up as a personal account, so you'd have to add them as a friend rather than like/follow them. 

On said page is their first public video (shared from attendee/former Insipid Brutality guitarist Tyler Dettloff's personal Facebook page), which actually comes from their Marquette show in January at Superior Culture, and it features Viscera playing "Disassociate", the opening song from their EP. Yes, the video is vertical, but Tyler got Bob & Mitchell both in frame, and he was close enough to the action where there's not empty space, so that much works out! Percussion's a little clangy, but this is an intense and grimy performance that suits how their EP is formatted, so give it a watch below, and look for much more tomorrow night!

Finally for today, I have moved Sault Ontario indie/punk quintet The Northwest to our inactive band links. The band has not issued a public update since they opened for Our Lady Peace at GFL Memorial Gardens on March 2nd of last year, which has been their only concert appearance of any kind since the 2023 Go North Music Festival. Originally named North West and Northwest before adding the "The", The Northwest featured a stacked lineup of 2000s veterans of the local indie and punk scenes upon their debut in the fall of 2013, and they would release two EPs in 2014 and 2018. The Northwest finished in second place at November 2013's Viva La Battle, played at Rotaryfest Stage 2 thrice from 2017-2022, opened for The Sheepdogs at the Rock On The River festival in Timmins, opened for Marianas Trench & The Trews at the Gardens in 2022, and even got played on CBC Radio One and NHL telecasts that year.

While they did drift somewhat from punk in later material, their brand of "3-guitar heartland rock" was always adaptable to varying kinds of concerts, and The Northwest displayed a lot of talent and camaraderie in their shows & EPs! An 11+ year run is nothing to shake a stick at for an originals-focused local band either, but they have not announced anything regarding their future, so hopefully we do see the guys back at it down the road. Best of luck to Wayne, Greg, Yak, Mike, Marc, and Clint in the future, and don't miss Greg (and sometimes Yak) in acoustic sets around town! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more on the SMS this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Generations) & Our Lady Peace/Collective Soul Concert Videos!!

Before we kick off another packed stretch of weekend concert previews, here's a new news post to check out on this Wednesday evening, featuring a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month and some very belated videos from a major concert earlier this year. Here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will make their first appearance at Beck's Bar on Saturday, June 21st! This show was first announced on the band's Facebook group on Sunday by drummer Tony Santoro, and while members may well have played at the former Vibe Lounge during its early 2010s run under that name, it will be good to see Generations spread their wings a little further west at another live venue! Beck's proper have not corroborated this booking at press time, but they generally take bookings week by week, hence why many of the hard rock shows there are late notice around these parts. Remember that the Goulais River nightclub hosts DJ nights on Fridays, hence why this is a one-nighter, and we await word of who's playing in the Saturday matinee timeslot next week. This is a 9:00 PM concert with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' upcoming Beck's debut!

Next up, remember how there was a surprisingly small amount of public videos after the Our Lady Peace-headlined concert at GFL Memorial Gardens on March 2nd? Well, this should help make up for things, as Christopher Paci belatedly uploaded videos of every band to his YouTube channel on May 4th! Apologies for the month+ delay on our part for these making the site, already two months after the show took place, but better late than never given Chris' excellent work filming at major local concerts over the years! Chris filmed eighteen videos at the Gardens on this night, half coming from the headlining Toronto alt-hard rock quartet, and he captured O.L.P. playing "One Man Army", "Superman's Dead", "Innocent", "Life" (featuring Superior Heights Collegiate's student rock band Steel Rock), "In Repair", "Whatever", "Somewhere Out There", "Clumsy", and as embedded below, their set closer "Starseed".

While not especially close to the stage from his spot on the floor, Chris zoomed in well to capture much of Our Lady Peace's first local set since 1998, and the guys sound good! Raine's voice is definitely deeper than in their heyday, but fans of their domestic rock radio hits (the Q104 format switch happened just in time, huh?) had nothing to worry about, and you can see how packed the arena was. Check out Christopher's Our Lady Peace videos for yourselves above & below!

From co-headliners Collective Soul's set, Chris filmed the Georgia alt-rock veterans playing "Mother's Love", "Heavy", "Shine", "Precious Declaration", "Gel", and as embedded below, "The World I Know". Collective Soul have a litany of familiar classic hit songs, and they come through well via the local concert videos, though the cell phone waving during ballads like "The World I Know" really dates things to the present! Good stuff for rock radio fans, so give Chris' videos from their set a watch as well!

Finally for today, Chris also filmed two songs from local indie punk quintet The Northwest's opening set on March 2nd, specifically of their original songs "Long Hair (Longer Nights)" and, as embedded below, "Walls". For their first live concert after a year+ hiatus, they made the most of their available staging with a good lively set, if these videos are any indication! Fans making their way/to from seats are definitely more of an issue at this point in the evening, so keep that in mind. No word on when we'll see The Northwest live again, Greg & Yak acoustic gigs aside, but check out The Northwest's 2025 videos from the Gardens above and below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations & Bookclub) Plus The Robbie G/Apocalypse Afterparty Preview!!

Let's finish up this weekend's hard rock concert previews on this rainy Friday, but leading off, we do have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

Local alt-punk bands The Northwest and BookcluB will join forces TOMORROW at the Downtown Plaza for the Elbows Up celebration! Apologies for the short notice, I only heard anything about local music involvement yesterday via Facebook plugs, but the event proper has been advertised in local news media for a few weeks now. TOMORROW's event is one of many "Elbows Up" events designed to promote Canadian sovereignty and national pride in the wake of the current political climate/trade war with the United States. The event is intended to be family friendly, non-political, and positive, and as such, expect t-shirt sales (red & white clothing is encouraged), celebrations and gatherings, and local indigenous dancers and drum groups in the afternoon. Timeslots aren't given, but the bands (including the reunited funk/jam rock band Big Wheel & The Spokes) were described on Facebook as playing the "after party", so don't expect them early.

Good to see The Northwest and BookcluB back out there after their relatively quiet starts to 2025! MCed by Spokes frontman Jay Case, TOMORROW'S Elbows Up celebration is a free and all ages event, and coincides with a similar Bridging Our Friendship event in Sault Michigan near the International Bridge tomorrow to show support to Sault Ontario amidst the trade war and strained relations (this is also simultaneously happening in Detroit and Port Huron). I hope both events are peaceful shows of support for both Canada and our relationship with Sault Michigan, as none of what's going on now is either Soo's fault! Weather-wise, we're looking at 7-9° weather TOMORROW afternoon with clouds disappearing by the evening, and no chance of rain. Visit the above links and SooToday for more details, and here's BookcluB live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage with concerts at Jay's Piston Broke Pub on Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th! Yes, these shows fall on the Victoria Day ("May 2-4") long weekend, and will be joined by the band (sans singer Valerie Powley) hosting the Thursday jam night on the 15th as well. Remember that we don't cover jam/open mic nights as "concerts" due to their unpredictability. These will be Generations' first concerts after taking this month off from the stage, so it will be good to see the Jus' Chillin successors back at it with their fan favourite classic and hard rock covers next month! These remain 9:30 PM gigs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Beyond that, drummer Tony Santoro also announced on their Facebook group that Generations have been tapped as this year's headliners for The Roberta Bondar Pavilion's Canada Day festivities on Tuesday, July 1st, which could be their biggest show of the year!

Details are forthcoming on the day's complete itinerary, but last year, the stage under the big tent hosted live entertainment (not all musicians) from 2:00 PM onward, with The Way Backs doing the closing honours last year. Click here to see what 2024's schedule looked like. The Canada Day show will be FREE & ALL AGES, with Generations playing at around 8:00 PM, give or take when fireworks occur. Huge news for Valerie, the Tonys, and Pierre, and hopefully they deliver a solid evening of covers (ideally with lots of Cancon) for the occasion! Visit the above links for more details on Generations' impending dates, and we'll let you know if we hear more!

Finally for this post, let's wrap up this weekend's concert previews with a big mixed-genre show on SUNDAY NIGHT at Soo Blaster, as local party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty will again serve as outliers on an otherwise rap bill, once again opening for Guelph rapper Robbie G! This will be the fifth time that the Stanghettas & Mikhal have set up shop as the lone rock outpost at a Soo Blaster hip-hop event, previously doing so at shows headlined by Tech N9ne, Madchild, Afroman, and the aforementioned Robbie G, who last graced the Soo Blaster stage at the end of 2023. Clearly, these rap shows are giving The A.A. some strong positive notices, so hopefully there's more of the same for their guitar devoid & double bassed attack! DJ Bizick will be at the controls on Sunday, while other rappers performing on Sunday include No Filter Records representatives, Bold Noize, 1Don, Strangers, Q-Bone, and new confirmation KG Tha Sungod, who was confirmed on Eventbrite.

I'm not a hip-hop scholar, but there's a lot of talent among Sunday's roster, and it is great to see Bold Noise performing again, so don't miss out on all of this rap action then, with a dash of rock! Tickets are $20 in advance at Soo Blaster for general admission (it is all ages), while there are higher priced V.I.P. packages if you wanted merchandise, a chance to meet Robbie G, and perhaps more. Click here for full details on online tickets and V.I.P. passes, though there will be taxes and processing fees that way. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Apocalypse Afterparty live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished) & More Concert Previews, Including Our Lady Peace!!

As promised, let's cap off this weekend's hard rock concert previews in today's post (later than I'd have liked due to personal commitments and shovelling), and it mostly covers shows taking place tomorrow and on Sunday, including the big one and its new local openers, and some new videos. First, we'll lead off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock/classic metal band Tarnished will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, March 7th & Saturday, March 8th! Announced yesterday via their Facebook event page, these appear to be fill-in/replacement bookings, as The American Band were originally advertised for next weekend on Kewadin's entertainment page. A reason for their withdrawal hasn't been announced to my knowledge, but kudos to Tarnished for stepping in with their hard rock attack! Of course, Tarnished were scheduled to play at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo this past weekend before the shows were cancelled due to the ransomware attack-prompted closure of all Kewadin branches, but that has been sufficiently resolved, and the St. Ignace Kewadin re-opens today (no word yet on the Soo Kewadin makeup dates). Click here for more details on the casinos' re-opening plans.

The event page also confirms that Rhythm & Brews' Chris Leask and Ron Suchey will join Alex and Josh next weekend, as they have at all non-battle gigs since the summer (if they have joined permanently, no one has 100% said publically on social media). Next month's Tarnished shows have 21+ age limits, 9:00 PM start times, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from the E.U.P. soon!

Next up, let's resume this weekend's hard rock concert previews by heading north to Sault Ontario, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! No strangers whatsoever to Reggie's over this winter season, these will be Greg, Alex, and Warren's first shows at this Queen Street East staple in two weeks. Despite today's winter storm, band members' personal Facebook pages have promised that the show (or as they've taken to calling them lately, "sermon" or "gospel") will go on as scheduled, but of course, be safe on the roads if you're coming out, as snow is expected until after midnight tonight (or come tomorrow). Tonight and tomorrow's shows are 19+ affairs at 9:30 PM with no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, we have two new videos of "the dirty three" to check out!

Wednesday's vertical video captures "studio shenanigans" of the guys having fun, seemingly while recording a new original song, though they have yet to confirm that elsewhere online. If true, fans should be excited, and you even see a lyric sheet at the end! Embedded below is a brand new video of the guys playing their newest original "Fuck!" at Soo Blaster this past Saturday, and it's a really nice quality horizontal video that shows off the stage setup as they played a larger venue than normal for them! Fun and lively (if lyrically colourful) performance, so check it out below!

Elsewhere downtown TOMORROW NIGHT (not tonight due to Friday DJ nights) is the return of local hard rock quintet HeadFirst to Shooters Downstairs Lounge! This is the first in an (at least) three show engagement for HeadFirst that will see them not just playing their lively and varied hard rock covers and originals, but also being the namesake for exclusive cocktails, shots, and food items that will only be on sale during these concerts (also on March 15th and April 12th). Buying an official band t-shirt will also net you a $5 drink voucher, so there's lots of perks for fans to come out tomorrow! The guys have also teased possibly playing new originals from their "next project", so keep that in mind as the night progresses. Tomorrow's show takes place on Dennis Street at 9:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's HeadFirst live!

Finally, here's the main event of the weekend in Sault Ontario, as Juno Award-winning Toronto alt-hard rock quartet Our Lady Peace will play their first local concert in twenty-seven years on SUNDAY NIGHT at GFL Memorial Gardens! With Canadian rock radio hits like "Clumsy", "Somewhere Out There", and "Sound The Alarm" dotting their lengthy career, this show (their first in the region since River Rave '98 in Richards Landing) has been highly anticipated for months, and hopefully Our Lady Peace deliver an excellent night full of classics and newer cuts after all this time! Note that this will also be drummer Jason Pierce's first local concert in a decade, after serving as Treble Charger's touring drummer from 2012-2015. Georgia alternative rock veterans Collective Soul will open in their local debut, and Rock 101 listeners will be very familiar with their litany of radio hits like "Gel", "Heavy", and "The World I Know". Not the heaviest band going, but Collective Soul get a solid response from attendees at the arena on Sunday!

In a late confirmation this morning, local indie punk quintet The Northwest have been added as local openers on SUNDAY, a'la 2022's Marianas Trench show at the Gardens! For one reason or another, The Northwest have been on a concert hiatus since the summer of 2023, so it is great to see them back, let alone at such a huge event! Presented by Rock 101 (this show was announced prior to The Fox's launch), this all ages & 7:00 PM concert is officially SOLD OUT, but check in online at this link or at the box office if you're curious about anything opening up late. O.L.P.'s long awaited return will be one of the shows of the year, so visit the above links for more on Sunday's festivities, and here's Raine & crew live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Wax Mannequin), Hails Updates, And More Recent News & Notes!!

On this Saturday evening, we're playing catch-up with lots of shorter updates on the SMS, but leading off, we have news from a prominent local punk band, and to start, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

Hamilton "weird folk art punk" solo project Wax Mannequin will return to Sault Ste. Marie for a headlining concert at The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music on Wednesday, August 7th! Led by singer/guitarist Chris Adeney, local fans will have seen Wax Mannequin on local stages at least twice before, following gigs at the former Cafe Natura in 2014 and at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum in 2022. I actually hadn't covered those gigs on the SMS due to the project not seeming like it'd suit our coverage, but Wax Mannequin cross many genre lines with their varied original material, including metal, and there's a lot of ground to cover with their skilled (and often funny) alt-folk music dating back to the early 2000s, so don't bypass them in their (at least) third local stop! Your local opener on this night is The Floor Between Us, the avant-garde comedy rock project led by 2022 Soo's Got Talent finalist Colin Gasparelli.

Solid choice on the comedy/folk side of things, so don't bypass what Colin has in store next month! Presented by Piecing It Together Shows (who promoted Wax Mannequin's 2022 show here as Dryer Fire), there is no stated age limit for this 7:00 PM concert, which has $20 advance tickets available at this link and a $25 door charge. This is $5 higher across the board compared to 2022, but remember how high-end The Loft is as a formal concert venue. It'll be good to see Wax Mannequin back on a local stage, so visit the official Facebook event page for more on their return!

Next up, here's the latest from local punk/thrash band Hails, who did indeed add guitarist Mikhal Muto's brother Carmen on rhythm guitar, officially expanding them to a quartet, as per recent updates to their Facebook page. Carmen had debuted with Ha!ls in May at The Distraction, and he has seemed to fit in well in public videos shared since then! Note that their sister band Vanity First (who Carmen has played with in a similar capacity) still say that they're "a three (sometimes four) piece punk outfit" on their Facebook page, so is there a distinction between the two re: Carmen's involvement, or is that just outdated? We'll keep you posted! While we're on the subject, a brand new video of Brent, the Mutos, and Keeghan is now up on their Facebook page courtesy of their set at Go Skateboarding Day last month, so what should you know there?

The video sees Hails playing their non-EP original "Pink Clouds Of Destiny" in the usual Go Skate Day stage locale atop the big ramp at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre. The video runs for 2:28 (incredibly long as Ha!ls' Facebook videos go), and while the skies were quite gray, it is good that the festivities went on despite some rainy weather earlier in the day! Mikhal is often hidden behind an amplifier at this vantage point though. Solid and well performed skate punk from this talented foursome, so check everything out for yourselves below!

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

 

• Despite his two nominations (for The Northwest & Handsome Sandwich's newest albums), Id Iota/Pixo Control alum Dustin Goodall lost the Outstanding Engineer award at last month's Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards to Sudbury's Matt Wiewel for his work on London alt-folk band Status/Non-Status' new album "Surely Travel". Congratulations to Matt on his win, and to every nominee, including Caddy Street Avenue alum Patrick Dal Cin's work with his current band Knkm!
• As per the official program for this year's Rotaryfest, we can finally confirm that the third guitarist added to local punk band The Gambit in 2022 is former Bankshot guitarist Christian Pasiak, reuniting with his old bandmates Lucas Schmiedendorf and Clint Wilson in the process! Oddly, The Gambit never confirmed him by name on their Facebook page when he came on board, and they still don't list their lineup in writing there. New official band photos can be seen there though, and according to the Rotaryfest program, they're releasing their teased original material on Bandcamp later this year, so keep an eye out for that!
• In the past two weeks for Shooters Downstairs Lounge's annual Talent Quest karaoke competition, the judges were members of local hard rock bands Half Past on June 23rd and Handsome Sandwich on June 30th. We don't cover straight karaoke-only events here, but it's neat seeing familiar musicians join the judges rotation! Opening round competition continues with night #5 tomorrow and into next month as the judges pick two singers each Sunday to make the top 25, so stay tuned to Shooters' Facebook page for more details!
• In another lineup note from the Rotaryfest program, former(?) Re:Born singer Elly McWatters is listed in the write-up for Mike Haggith's Stage 1 set as being on "guitar/vocals". If accurate, this likely points to her being a full member of his solo band this year and not just a backing singer on a handful of songs like in the past. No word on how she sounds as a guitarist, but Soo's Got Talent finals attendees last fall may recall judges suggesting to her that she play an instrument too if she re-enters in 2024. Regardless, Elly will be an asset however utilized in Mike's band in two weeks!
• In their first Facebook post in over two years, local power rock/classic metal band Re:Born said on June 14th that "I think maybe it's time for one last ride...". Re:Born succeeded Project 421 upon their 2018 debut and played a number of gigs over the next two years, but the pandemic and personal concerns kept them off the stage in the early 2020s, and they disbanded in March 2022 despite announcing a new lineup the previous fall. Even if not a full-time reunion, it would be nice to see Re:Born get some closure after not being able to get the chance previously, so we'll see if this gets any public follow-through!
• As per their Facebook page, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck recruited guest bassists for their late notice bookings at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this weekend due to the absence of Jim Michaud for unannounced reasons. Sidekicks/ex-Griphook bassist Dan Beaupre filled in for their normal concert last night and will do so again TONIGHT, while Toronto-based ex-Saultite Cory Valentine (who has guested with Soundcheck multiple times since 2019) sat in for their one-off jam night return on Thursday. Hopefully all's well with Jim, and that Cory and Dan fit in nicely!
   

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Jackal Blood & Bookclub), The Sell This! Concert Preview, And More!!

Before we begin this post, just a late update regarding TONIGHT & TOMORROW's short notice Soundcheck concerts at The Esquire Club, as bassist Jim Michaud will be absent this weekend due to a death in his family, as per the band's Facebook page. Rob Gilmar (who frequently filled in for ex-bassist Paul Belair before Jim joined last year) will sit in with Soundcheck this weekend. Our condolences absolutely go out to Jim at this difficult time, and don't miss Soundcheck with Rob on bass this weekend! Now, here's some more weekend concert previews and new videos, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Online page-less local punk/alternative band Bookclub will make their first ever public concert appearance at The Kiln at Searchmont Resort TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this concert via Searchmont's Facebook page yesterday. The first announced show of 2024 for Bookclub will see them head north to the Soo's ski resort TOMORROW, in what will be just the third advertised concert at The Kiln so far this season, and the first there in over a month (perhaps last month's mild weather didn't help?). It's worth noting that Searchmont's description for the show/band credits Wyld Stallyns saxophonist Josh Norling (not pictured) as being a member of the band now. This has not been publically corroborated by Bookclub on social media (their lack of a social media account acknowledged), but whether Josh is a permanent addition or not, adding some extra horns for certain gigs/songs can't hurt, so he would be welcomed!

Whether you're hitting the slopes or not, their fun 1980s-leaning covers will entertain TOMORROW NIGHT! This show has a 7:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details on Bookclub's Searchmont debut, and here they are live!

Next up, an intriguing multi-band concert will hit The Distraction on East Street on Saturday, February 3rd, marking their first event headlined by a touring act, namely Bay City, Michigan punk solo project Jackal Blood! Self-described as a "musical therapist", Jackal Blood uses vocals, guitar, and backing tracks to deliver a wide range of punk styles to the concert stage, and it'll be very interesting to see what they bring to the table in Canada next month! Adding to the solo project appeal, all four opening acts are solo artists/one man bands, including online page-less emo/folk punk act Agnosticism, fellow local funk punk virtuoso Chase Wigmore (who isn't hanging up his guitar yet!), former Raincourt frontman Eli Russell (who headlined the first ever concert at The Distraction last fall), and Floor Between Us frontman Colin Gasparelli in a solo set. Five talented and diverse musicians with a punk lean, so don't miss out on this show!

As usual for Distraction concerts, this is an all ages event with doors opening at 6:00 PM on February 3rd, and while the stated admission fee is $5 ($1 per performer?), "pay what you can" is once again also given as an option. An SMS amenable concert featuring five individual solo musicians is not something you see every day, let alone one with a touring headliner from the US, but it'll be a fun winter attraction for many readers, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Speaking of The Distraction, here's that final weekend concert preview for TOMORROW NIGHT, as local/Winnipeg classical/metal solo project Sell This! will make their local concert debut with a CD release party at the former Big Guns Barbershop! Led by former RedD Monkey cellist Pete Mozarowski, Sell This!' highly left wing political lyrics and current events-driven material will create an interesting contrast with his Nine Inch Nails-inspired vocals and established cello skill, but how will this project look in a live performance setting, especially as Pete is playing their entire new album "Empires Everywhere" in full tomorrow? Be at The Distraction to find out! In one more solo act for this venue, local folk punk solo project Slumshine will play their first public show of the year and first outside of the Fringe North festival in a few years as the opening act, so look for Brent's up-tempo acoustic punk to lead off nicely at The Distraction tomorrow night!

Ground rules are mostly the same tomorrow as they will be on the 3rd, including no age limit and a $5 entry fee (or "pay what you can"), but doors open later at 8:00 PM, and if Pete is indeed selling the new Sell This! album on CD as teased, one assumes those won't be free, so bring more than $5 if you want one. I can't find a video to preview Sell This! with, but if you miss RedD Monkey and want to check out Pete's new project (with album in tow), be at The Distraction TOMORROW NIGHT, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details on the release party!

We'll close today with some new videos from local indie/punk quintet The Northwest, albeit from their Instagram page! In 2023, Facebook updates were few and far between from The Northwest despite some high profile concert dates, but their Instagram page did see a little more in the way of updates and show promotion, including two videos that never turned up on Facebook. One is a cover of "O Christmas Tree" by guitarist Mike Yakasovich that was fittingly uploaded on Christmas Day, and it's well performed, if quaint, so give it a look above (if it being three weeks out of date doesn't bother you!). The other video is embedded below, and it features behind the scenes footage from when The Northwest opened for Marianas Trench at GFL Memorial Gardens in September 2022! The video features footage of the band entering the arena proper, setting up for rehearsal or soundcheck, and hanging out in the locker room (fitting given their hockey fandom!)

No live audio of them rehearsing or talking is heard, instead dubbed over by the studio version of "Long Hair (Longer Nights)". Between that and the vertical camera angle, this is another case where I would love to see the raw footage shot here rather than the vertical edited highlights, but alas, it seems like bands never post the full goods if they decide to go the highlight reel route. Still, this is a neat insight into arguably The Northwest's biggest concert set to date, so check it out below!

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

Fuller & 20 Musicians Of Christmas Concert Previews, Plus New Northwest Videos!!

With this year's New Year's Eve weekend being busy as ever, especially post-pandemic, we have to break our weekend concert previews into three posts! We'll start today with two upcoming shows at LopLops Lounge, then we'll look at Friday-Saturday nighters elsewhere, before capping things off with New Year's Eve shows proper, so there's a glimpse into the upcoming post timeline, and we also have a YouTube Channel Profile, this month's CD review, and our year-end recap post ahead, so expect some busy times at the SMS to end the year! Let's lead off with those LopLops previews, with some new live videos from there to cap things off with!

For punk and emo fans of the early-mid 2000s, the New Years weekend begins in style TOMORROW NIGHT when Fuller reunite at LopLops for their first public gig in at least seventeen years! On this night, Fuller will be represented by founding singer/guitarist Jamie Vincent (last seen with No Funeral) and late-era bassist Mark Rand (now of Barrie's Cross Dog), with Pointless/All The Tired Horses drummer David Peredun taking over for the absent (and also blonde) Nathan Sauve. It will be great to see Fuller back for the holidays, and hopefully the promise of their jam session teaser videos spill over into tomorrow's set! Local punk supergroup The Gambit (née The Sick Sons) will return to the stage for their second gig as a quintet and under their current name when they take the stage tomorrow, in their first live set in exactly one year. Good to see them back after way too long, and they should have a fun set in store for old school punk fans tomorrow!

The opening band tomorrow is the debuting Honest Work (not to be confused with the defunct Honest Job), who feature the surviving members of Nebraska Arms alongside Rising Tide alum Sheldon Jaaskelainen on guitar. It's not clear who's singing here (Wayne?) or if they will sound similar to Nebraska Arms, but it'd help if they launched an online page! Regardless, they'll be a talented lead-off to tomorrow's SOLD OUT and 19+ concert, which begins at 8:00 PM, though tickets were $20 when still available. This should be a great time for punk and emo fans, especially those around in the 2000s scene, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Fuller live back in the day!

Next up, the holiday season program at LopLops ends on FRIDAY NIGHT when many familiar faces take part in the return of the 12 20 Musicians of Christmas! Since we first covered this special concert event on the site two weeks ago, when it was already inflated from the traditional 12 artists to 16, organizers have added four more local musicians to inflate this event to its biggest state yet! As you may recall, The 12 Musicians of Christmas was a holiday season-tradition at LopLops from 2005-2018, where musicians were (at least at the time) given three song sets where they were joined by assorted other participants for some tantalizing one-off supergroups throughout the night. How that format will look with an extra eight people involved is to be determined, but with this performer roster, you won't want to miss out! Unlike in the earlier installments, there are a number of punk and hard rock alumni performing, so who can you expect?

Fans of Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will be curious to check this out, as Dustin, Mikey Hawdon, Liam Seymour, Chris Johns, and new addition Marshall Jaaskelainen (good to see him back in town!) will all be taking part. No word on if we'll get a mini-Tide reunion or not, but don't bypass their involvement! Readers will also recognize Treble Charger/Pointless guitarist Bill Priddle, Wyld Stallyns saxophonist Josh Norling, and ex-Generations guitarist Brandon Ruch among the roster of performers on Friday. The other twelve Musicians of Christmas are Frank Deresti, Al Wood, Lindsay Pugh, Cliff Alloy, Shannon Moan, Juliana Regan, Hannah Lindsay, Andree-Ann Dechesne, Chris Belsito, and new additions Gabrielle Dumas, Craig West, and Vince Feletti. That is a stacked lineup of local talent covering a wide range of styles, so it'll be very interesting to see who plays what and with whom!

This special concert begins at 7:00 PM on Friday, it has a 19+ age limit, and admission is $50 at the door or in advance (+ processing fees & taxes) at this link. Yes, it's a pricey event, but that is on par with past installments, and look at the value you're getting. While the 20 Musicians of Christmas are gathering four days after the fact, it'll be a big night for fans of local music to see this much talent together for the holidays, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details! Given the nature of the event, I'll forgo a preview video, as everyone is advertised on an equal playing field and it'd be tough to find one video to sum up 20 people!

We'll close today by staying at LopLops, where Honest Work's Wayne Watkins performed on Friday with his primary current indie/punk band The Northwest! Attendee Christopher Paci filmed three videos of their set from their 10th anniversary concert for his excellent YouTube channel, and for the record, I do not believe that Far From Fine (who were advertised as opening in some personal Facebook plugs) played on Friday night after all. A reason for their apparent withdrawal wasn't publically announced, but be advised that the band never confirmed their involvement on social media (granted, The Northwest didn't even promote the show publically on Facebook). Hopefully we see Far From Fine in the new year! Chris filmed The Northwest covering The Who's "Baba O'Riley" and playing their own originals "Unsober October" and, as embedded below, "Walls".

In a nice touch, Chris shot each Northwest video from a slightly different angle, and while I chose "Walls" to embed because of its length, it was also shot from the most central locale of the three. It's also one of The Northwest's punkier originals, and the guys sound good and lively across all three videos, though be advised of very purple lighting for most of the combined runtime. Give these a watch above & below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for non-LopLops concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & The Wyld Stallyns) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

The Christmas weekend is upon us, and true to most Christmas holiday seasons, the slate of hard rock concerts has bumped up as people come home/have time off! As such, we have to break this weekend's previews in two, with Saturday's late notice Tym Morrison show coming in our next post, perhaps with more if anything else turns up on the heavier side. Here's what you should know to start the weekend, leading off with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

 

Local funk/hard rock cover sextet The Wyld Stallyns will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook event page yesterday, and the band has not publically confirmed the booking on social media at press time. TOMORROW'S booking will see The Stallyns replace Tex Riviera & The Ride as the planned entertainment at Shooters, as per the venue's December entertainment calendar, though a reason for The Ride's withdrawal was not publically announced. Worth noting that The Ride actually replaced The Wyld Stallyns at Shooters on November 10th, but I have no idea if they traded dates or if the band switches both ways are coincidental. Regardless, it's good to see The Wyld Stallyns' fan friendly and often heavy cover array back over Christmas weekend, and hopefully there's a good turnout TOMORROW!

 

A one-nighter due to Shooters' continuance of Saturday DJ nights, TOMORROW'S concert has a 19+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and no cover charge. See the above links for more details, and here's The Stallyns live!

 

 

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were first announced on Reggie's Facebook page on Sunday. With TOMORROW & SATURDAY being added to Soundcheck's schedule, that means that they will be playing at Reggie's three times in a ten day span, joining their previously announced New Year's Eve gig one week from Sunday. so if you've missed Soundcheck here since the summer, you have lots of seasonal options! Notably, Soundcheck have enlisted Double Down's Ric Datson as a guest drummer TOMORROW & SATURDAY, as regular drummer Glen Thomas agreed to fill in with pop rock cover band Bourbon Blue this weekend at Jay's before Soundcheck booked this weekend's gigs. Mildly confusing, but Ric is more than capable of handling Soundcheck's set!

 

For the record, Bourbon Blue have parted ways with drummer Brent Royer and are looking for a permanent replacement, so message them A.S.A.P. if you're interested in trying out! Yes, Glen will be present for their Cameron-less jam night hosting duties at Jay's tonight as well, but remember, we don't cover jam/open mic nights as "concerts" due to their in-built unpredictability. TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

 

 

We'll move to shows that had more than a few days' notice next, starting with local indie/punk quintet The Northwest's return to LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! While the band has oddly not promoted this show on their Facebook page whatsoever, and LopLops' own promotion drops the "The" from their name in every case, personal Facebook postings from Northwest band members indicate that this show will be in honour of their 10th anniversary as a band. We haven't seen The Northwest on stage since the Go North Music Festival on St. Joseph Island in July, so it'll be good to see their upbeat heartland rock and punk originals back in city limits tomorrow! Some personal Facebook advertising for this show indicate that local punk/hard rock quartet Far From Fine are scheduled to open tomorrow's concert, but they, The Northwest, and LopLops have not publically confirmed or denied their involvement on social media that I have found.

The lack of public advertising for this show aside from LopLops' batch coverage of their December slate is very odd, but hopefully the personal approach is doing the trick and that everyone is happy with the turnout regardless! This 19+ event has an 8:00 PM start time, and admission is $10 (higher with taxes & processing fees on Eventbrite), and yes, the 10 person "party ticket" with added drinks also exists for $100. See above for more details, don't miss The Northwest (and Far From Fine?) tomorrow at LopLops, and here's The Northwest live!

 

 

Finally for today's previews, we'll head west to The Esquire Club, where local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard will take the stage for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen at this Second Line West staple five weeks ago, look for another solid weekend of southern-fried classic and hard rock covers from Greg, Alex, and Warren over these two nights, and as these will likely be their last fully electric shows of 2023, come on down to plug in with the full Bone Yard experience! No word on if they'll have merchandise for sale or not though. Tomorrow & Saturday's concerts take place at 9:30 PM with no cover charges and 19+ age limits. Live music fans have a lot of options locally for Christmas weekend entertainment, but Bone Yard's hard rocking ways and crowd-friendly set should bode well for fans in the west end, so visit the above links for details, and here they are live!

 

 

That's all for now, but look for our Tym Morrison preview (and more) on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Saint Asonia), Toystock Band Clarifications, And More!!

Alright, let's finally start clearing out our backlog of topics and news from the last while (joys of the holidays), and we'll start with some unfinished business from a recent charity concert, some assorted updates, and leading off, a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for early next year!

Here's the big show announced earlier this week, as Toronto hard rock quartet Saint Asonia will make their local debut on Saturday, February 24th when they headline at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! Saint Asonia is the current band from former Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier and (when available) Staind guitarist Mike Mushok, and while they haven't had the continued rock radio success/airplay as modern 3DG have gotten, I personally greatly prefer Saint Asonia's originals like "Better Place" and "The Hunted". Adam does still tackle Three Days Grace songs live, and select other covers, so if you've missed that band since their last Sault Ontario date fourteen years ago, don't miss out! Kentucky-based southern hard rock band Black Stone Cherry will make their long awaited return to the Soo as openers, last seen at The Dreammakers Theater opening for Staind way back in 2006!

Since we last saw B.S.C. in town seventeen long years ago, they bettered their early Billboard rock chart success with songs like "White Trash Millionaire" and "In My Blood", and they're a very skilled group in their own right with a fun energy, so don't miss them either! Opening this show and tour are rising Maryland hard rock quartet Any Given Sin, whose technical and heavy brand of melodic hard rock will definitely set a good tone in a couple of months, so don't be late for their set! Promoted by Allstar Promotions in their 2024 debut and presented by Rock 101, tickets run for $29.50 (row 15 and back in the center section, row 11 and back in the left and right sections, and standing room only), $39.50 (closer seating), and $139.50 (first 8 rows in the center plus a full VIP package including priority access, show memorabilia, and a meet & greet with Saint Asonia.)

Tickets are on sale for this all ages & 8:00 PM concert at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. This feels like such a throwback to the 2000s via the returns of Adam, Mike, and Black Stone Cherry a decade+ after last performing in Sault Ste. Marie, and I hope this show does well, especially given that we lucked into this being a Saturday nighter! I do highly recommend Saint Asonia to fans of old school Three Days Grace too, they deserve way more success on the charts. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on this big show early next year!

Next up, let's move north to Sault Ontario for some clarification on three bands that played at this year's tenth annual Toystock at The Grand Gardens on November 26th! First off, the debuting online page-less band Headrush was a new classic rock quintet featuring veteran local bassist John Amendola (Cherry Crush, Tripod the Dog, etc.) and singer John Anderson, though I couldn't immediately identify the other band members. A video is floating around on personal Facebook accounts of Headrush covering Foreigner's "Hot Blooded", and it sounds good, but it is incomplete. Give it a look if you're friends with anyone connected to the band! Earlier in the program, new local rock quartet Skinbox played at Toystock, and they have since revealed via promotion for their shows at Jay's this weekend that they play "90s/2000s alt rock", with The Arctic Monkeys cited as a band that they cover. Not overly heavy on the surface, but their familiar lineup is definitely capable of it!

Lastly from Toystock's mystery/cryptic band array, new local rock band Kickstart is a new trio featuring ex-Suicide Kings guitarist Steven Flint alongside ex-Sneaky Pete bandmates Sean Berlinguette & Mike Oakley (I am unsure who sings here). If any of these three bands lean to what we cover on the SMS, it'd likely be Kickstart, but at press time, they don't have an online page that I am aware of. We'll let you know when/if anything else comes out, but hopefully these bands and the known commodites had a great time for Christmas Cheer on the 26th!

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

 

• In his newest post on his Facebook page on November 22nd, local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary revealed that he is working on a soundtrack for a novel being written by a local author, which will be instrumental in line with his recent solo output. There's no timeline or details to spill yet, as Mike's keeping things close to his vest until he and the author are happy with the results, but he has wrote at least two songs for it. We'll keep you posted when more details come out, but this is certainly unique locally!
• Local indie/punk quintet The Northwest were featured in the November 26th episode of The Music Jerks Radio Show on Canadian internet radio station Alt Rock Radio, where hosts Kristen Goetz & Nolan Jodes played one of their original songs along with ten other tracks. I don't believe that the episode is hearable on demand, but hopefully The Northwest made some new fans two weeks ago, and don't miss them at LopLops in two weeks!
• Just to clarify more details on another new online page-less local band's identity, The Psychic Spies (who, as far as I know, share members with Skinbox) are indeed a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band, so inferring that based on "Psychic spies" being the first words sung in "Californication" was prescient. The Chili Peppers' career doesn't lean heavier anymore, but fans should take to The Psychic Spies, who are playing with Skinbox at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this weekend, so visit the Facebook event page for details!
   

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