LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Crush) And Saturday Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this post, I waned to note that this Saturday's planned Soo Falls-hosted Oktoberfest concert at The Machine Shop was quietly cancelled, as per the end of ticket sales (source here) and lack of recent social media promotion. A reason for the cancellation was not publically announced, but remember that we did have two other Oktoberfest events in Sault Ontario earlier this fall. Hopefully we see BookcluB and Silent 9 back at it soon, and Nein German Guys at Oktoberfest events next year! Now, let's lead off this busy weekend's hard rock concert previews (Rust and Beck's Bar gigs aside) with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

New Sault Michigan hard rock trio (and Tarnished spin-off) Crush will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT with a multi-band concert at The Savoy Nightclub! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via this teaser video from their Facebook page on Sunday where the band amusingly sampled a bottle of Josh wine (as Josh Fair is their guitarist). While Crush did play a downstate gig since then in Prescott on August 22nd, and will also hit the road tomorrow to open for deathcore band Godstine at a "Creepy Cheapy Halloween Bash" in Battle Creek, this will be just the second local gig since Alex, Josh, and Iggy formed Crush as their new original music outlet, leaving Tarnished in their current covers-centric formation. The Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands winners are the headliners on SATURDAY, and will be joined by the local debut of Rose City metal quintet Tribe989!

Crush had previously opened for Tribe989 at the aforementioned Prescott show last month (a fundraiser gig for this tour run), and Crush debuted at Bar-N Stock in Rose City in July (which Tribe989 also played at), not to mention Tarnished's past gigs there, so it's neat to see paths cross 3 hours north for a change. Tribe989 are a solid and melodic mixed-gender metal band, so don't bypass them! Newer local punk/hard rock trio About:Blank (featuring fellow Tarnished alumni Parker Talentino and Nathan Webber) will also take the stage on SATURDAY in their own first gig since the aforementioned Superior Whitefish Festival, though they were in the Music In The Park block, not the battle. Good to see About:Blank back out there, and hopefully their original tunes and sometimes surprising originals kick things off on the right foot! For the record, you may recall seeing Alex & Josh with Tarnished at the 117 West Portage Avenue bar back on July 4th.

SATURDAY'S concert (named "Destroy The Savoy") is at 7:00 PM, there is a 21+ age limit, and admission is $5 at the door. Not a bad deal all around for three originals-leaning Michigan hard rock/metal bands, and if you miss Tarnished's original material and more comedic social media videos/postings (we have to play catch-up on those), then Crush will be very much up your alley, let alone from their clear musical talent! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Crush live!

Next up, let's head to Sault Ontario for a pair of previously announced concerts, starting with a matinee gig from prolific local classic/hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison, who will keep his busy slate at Misty's Fifties going with yet another early acoustic booking on SATURDAY! This is the second in a three week run of weekly Saturday matinees from the former Caveman Morrison and Nostalgic Band frontman, so whether you regularly see him live or haven't see his skilled mix of vocals and guitar talents as of late, head to the Second Line West nightclub on Saturday to check out the action! Tym will not be at Misty's over Halloween weekend, but he will have six more shows there in November & December. Saturday's concert is another 4:00 PM matinee with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Finally for preview post #1, we'll head downtown to Gateway Casino, where classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage on SATURDAY NIGHT! After taking a two months-long break while drummer Tony Santoro recovered from carpal-tunnel surgery, this will be Generations' first casino gig in four months, and also their first show since they parted ways with guitarist Tony Kajnar. In his place, Smokehouse frontman Michael Yurich (a frequent fill-in between Brandon and Tony K.'s stints) will guest on guitar on Saturday, so come on down to see how he fits in with Valerie, Pierre, and Tony S. anew! A one-nighter as is standard at Gateway Casino (they don't book bands on Fridays at all), Saturday's concert has an 8:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' return to the live scene, and here they are with Michael live!

That's all for now, but look for our Rust, Bone Yard 225, and Curtis McKenzie previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225 & Oktoberfest) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's keep the weekend concert previews rolling on this Thursday evening with more concert action in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, particularly from two concurrent outdoor community festivals promoted by local breweries. One is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and we have more new dates to touch on, so here's what you should know for concert preview post #2!

Make it two Oktoberfests that local alternative/punk cover supergroup Bookclub are playing at this fall, as they have been added to the lineup for SATURDAY'S Outspoken Brewing-hosted Oktoberfest street party on Queen Street East! Apologies for the short notice, the band was only confirmed for the festivities on Outspoken's Facebook page on Monday (they were obviously the "more TBA" when the brewery first announced the street party on September 4th, and there are no other punk/hard rock-leaning bands scheduled). Still riding the momentum from the Forever Seger concert earlier this month, BookcluB should be a fine and crowd pleasing fit on Queen Street (closed between Elgin and Bruce) on SATURDAY evening, so don't miss this stacked sextet then! It is worth noting that guitarist Brandon Ruch was present with the band at Forever Seger despite his announced move to Barrie, and he is pictured in the Oktoberfest advertising.

I don't know what's Brandon's status with BookcluB is going forward, but we'll let you know when/if we learn who was playing guitar with Mikey and crew on SATURDAY! BookcluB are slotted in the middle on SATURDAY at 5:30 PM, with local DJ/EDM duo Flummoxx closing the festivities at 10:30 PM, and indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (the former Hollow Heads) scheduled in between at 8:00 PM. Local polka band Nein German Guys (who are also playing at Soo Falls' Oktoberfest at The Machine Shop with BookcluB on October 18th) will keep the Oktoberfest vibes rolling at 3:00 PM, and the day begins with folk singer/guitarist and Dustcovers member Tom Peer at 2:00 PM. Beyond the music, there will be lots of games and competitions (with prizes) to take in, plus food, beer (as you'd expect), vendors, and more German-flavoured entertainment, so definitely visit Outspoken Brewing's Facebook page for full details on SATURDAY'S events!

Tickets run for $30 at this link (plus processing fees) and presumably at the gate on SATURDAY. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a high of 19° with mostly cloudy skies and a 10% chance of rain, which should bode well for Oktoberfest revelers, but do follow up with your preferred local weather outlets for updates closer to. Visit the above links for more on SATURDAY'S first of three Oktoberfest parties in the Soo this fall, and for a preview of all of the action, here's BookcluB live!

Next up, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to their favourite local stomping grounds (Reggie's Place) TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last stops at Reggie's, "the dirty three" should be in fine spirits with some gritty and in-your-face covers and originals all weekend long, plus with lots of merchandise and hoodie orders in store for fans, so don't bypass this weekend's action if you're up for it! While we're on the subject, Greg, Alex, and Warren have some newly announced dates ahead at The Esquire Club, which resumes hosting live bands this weekend after their summer break, and as per the venue's Facebook page, they'll be back there on on November 7th-8th! The band already announced their Thanksgiving weekend shows there. We'll have more on the other hard rock-leaning new shows at this Second Line West staple in an upcoming post, but it's good to have The Esquire Club hosting concerts again!

Your local 225 are on at 9:30 PM tomorrow and Saturday at Reggie's and for their November dates at The Esquire Club. All four shows are 19+ affairs with no announced cover charges. See above for more on Bone Yard's upcoming concerts, and here they are live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, let's re-answer the viral question: What is Wolf Fest? Running head to head with Oktoberfest for downtown outdoor concert action from a local brewery on SATURDAY, Wolf Fest takes place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and will be hosted by Northern Superior Brewing Co. to help give back to the community and their customers. Along with live music, attendees under the big tent will get to enjoy local vendors and artisans, beer, a charity auction, barbers, tattoo artists, an arcade, and more, so definitely visit Northern Superior's Facebook page for full non-musical details! SMS readers will likely be most drawn to classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 in the 7:00 PM timeslot (their prior scheduling of a Northern Superior show on Saturday was clearly this and not at the Tap Room), but the headliners at 8:15 PM are pop rock cover quartet The Killer Hooks, who do have some heavier covers.

Online page-less local Tragically Hip tribute band The Luxury will take the stage at 5:45 PM, preceded by indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous (led by Killer Hooks frontman Tony Marcello's son Anthony) at 4:30 PM. In a late confirmation, the "special guests TBD" are actually The Royal Canadian Navy Band, believe it or not, so don't miss them leading off Wolf Fest at 3:00 PM! The weather should hold up identically (tent acknowledged) for Wolf Fest, which has admission by donation to the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie, which is a wonderful cause. Saultites have a lot of options for live music, beer, and varied entertainment downtown on Saturday, so see above for more on Wolf Fest, and here's Silent 9 live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Double Down and Tym Morrison previews (and more) on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Broke & Hungry, Oktoberfest, And Curtis McKenzie) And More!!

Before we begin this post, I have two apologies to note regarding this past weekend's concert previews. First, it turns out that classic/hard rock trio Dodge This did not play at The Water Tower Pub on Friday night for unannounced reasons, and were replaced on the bill by Elly McWatters & The Drifters, who moved up from the Saturday to Friday in response. Thanks to Drifters drummer Brandan Glew for confirming this (even if I didn't see it until too late), and hopefully all is well with Dodge This, who haven't issued a public update of consequence since July! Meanwhile, in St. Ignace, Michigan, we did cover Sault Ste. Marie hard rock/classic metal quartet Tarnished's two gigs at bar/restaurants to coincide with the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show weekend, but according to their Facebook page, they also played a matinee concert on Saturday at 2:00 PM, meaning they played three shows in two days!

This particular matinee was an outdoor gig outside of the Little Bear East Community Center & Arena at 275 Marquette Street, before Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron set up shop at Kingston Kitchen that night. Alas, Tarnished only announced the Saturday matinee via their Facebook page that morning, a cherry on top of their other short notice confirmations for the truck show, but hopefully all three shows got a great reception on a busy weekend for big rig and transport fans in Mackinac County!

Now let's dive into some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year, and we'll start with a busy day on Saturday, October 18th, as Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 and alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB will join forces at The Machine Shop for their Oktoberfest celebrations that night! This is one of at least three different Oktoberfest concerts being held in Sault Ste. Marie this fall, joining the Outspoken Brewing-hosted block party on Queen Street on September 27th and Beck's Bar's own Oktoberfest party on October 5th, but the Machine Shop one is the only one with SMS-leaning bands. This one is sponsored by the revived Soo Falls Brewing Company, which is based at the Canal District site on Huron Street near the Machine Shop, and you can expect contests, food, and (of course) beer for the occasion. The third band on the 18th will be local polka band & Oktoberfest staples Nein German Guys.

No word yet on who BookcluB's new second guitarist will be, but kudos to them and Silent 9 for jumping on board what should be a fun night of music, drinks, and German culture! This 19+ event takes place at 5:00 PM on October 18th, and tickets run for $30.18 at this link, which do include one complimentary beer ticket. Visit the above links for more on Soo Falls & The Machine Shop's Oktoberfest celebrations next month!

Also taking place on Saturday, October 18th is former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie's next stop at the aforementioned Beck's Bar, as he will rock the Goulais Avenue nightclub that day! Announced with an unusually bountiful amount of advance notice on his Facebook page yesterday, this will be Curt's first gig at Beck's since the end of last month, and though it is possible that he could confirm an interim booking there next weekend, keep next month's show in mind for his next announced round of hard and alternative rock covers at the former Vibe Lounge! This will be a 3:00 PM matinee gig with a 19+ age limit as usual, and no cover charge. It is way too soon for Beck's to confirm who is playing that night at 9:00 PM, but just a reminder that Curt isn't "opening" for who's playing the nightcap, both acts will have full four hour timeslots two hours apart. Visit the above links for more details!

Finally for today, an eclectic lineup of bands will join forces for a Christmas season concert on Friday, December 19th at Beck's Bar! This special concert is entitled "Broke & Hungry", and will be a FREE event benefiting the Soup Kitchen Community Center on James Street, with non-perishable goods being the entry fee. Wonderful cause just before the holidays! This concert will unite three distinct genres under one roof, and SMS readers will be placated by the presence of crossover thrash quartet Hails and online page-less metal supergroup The Sault Side Squad in what I believe will be both bands' Beck's debuts, but your headliners are actually touring rappers, namely Juno-nominated Toronto MC Unknown Mizery and Hamilton rapper Twitchy T. Tantrum. Local bluegrass/folk quartet The Golden Scoundrels will also join this stacked & diverse bill, in guitarist Brandon Ruch's first hometown show after moving to Barrie.

Local rapper Mike "Mic Swiff" Sylvester will round out the bill in three months' time, and note that the official promotional image for the event credits Twitchy T. Tantrum as the host rather than a performer. This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and there should be a lot to take in for multiple tastes as we near Christmas, especially given the charitable nature of the show! The Soup Kitchen can never get too many donations for those in need, so hopefully there's a fantastic turnout for the music and the cause on December 19th! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll have more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bookclub), New Videos, And More!!

Before we get into weekend concert previews, here's a new news post on this Wednesday night, which is mostly devoted to recent new videos. Leading off though, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

New local alternative rock supergroup Bookclub and funk/hard rock band The Wyld Stallyns will join forces for a special holiday season concert on Saturday, December 17th at LopLops Lounge! A recently rare all-local show at the Queen Street nightclub (who haven't been open on a pre-pandemic schedule this year), this will reunite two bands from Outspoken Brewing's Oktoberfest lineup last month (more on that in a second), with the online page-less Bookclub playing just their second public concert and first ever headlining date at this one. Featuring Inner City Surfers, Fairmounts, Rising Tide, and Room 206 alumni, their old school brand of alt-rock covers (including some heavier leaning cuts) should find an audience in their LopLops debut! As for The Wyld Stallyns, fans should be well accustomed to their fun and varied but often hard rock-focused range of covers, so don't be late for their set in a few weeks!

While just featuring two local covers-centric bands, this will have advance tickets running for $15 via the official Facebook event page (yes, you can buy them through there), with the price jumping to $20 at the door. No word on any seasonal frills beyond the bands (the poster's motif acknowledged), but this is a 19+ event starting at 10:00 PM. Should be a good time for live music fans interested in some distinct live cover action, so visit the above links for more on this concert!

Before we move into the Oktoberfest content alluded to above, it's worth noting that The Wyld Stallyns' Facebook page now describes them as a "6-pc rock/blues/funky band that is all about having a good time and bringing the party." This finally puts in public writing that saxophonist Josh Norling (arguably best known from Blues Harvest) has joined the band full time, confirming his regular presence in shows this year after previously being a guest performer for bigger events and pending his own availability/the venue's size. Having Josh's smooth sax skills helps The Stallyns stand out every time, so it's good to see them finally confirm it outside of their concerts! As for Oktoberfest, you can see Josh with both The Stallyns and The Hustle Brothers in this new highlights video from the event, courtesy of Outspoken Brewing's Facebook page! Other bands from that weekend are shown, including Bookclub.

Filmed by Connor Stoneman, you also get good looks at the non-musical activities (like the stein hoisting competition) and attendees enjoying the music, but you won't hear most of the bands. For the first 1:56 of the 2:39 video, the German drinking song "Heute is Schutzenball" is dubbed overtop with no background audio, but Saturday headliners The Uncanny Valley are seen and heard finishing their set to close the montage. Looked like a cold night, but everyone seemed to have fun with the bands and beer alike, though it'd be interesting to hear the bands' performances even clipped up. Alas, Facebook content matched "Heute is Schutzenball", so I can't embed the video here, but click here to check it out!

Next up, here's a new video of local indie punk quintet The Northwest playing "Shoreline" when they opened for Marianas Trench & The Trews at GFL Memorial Gardens in September! Filmed by attendee Cara Lynn and belatedly uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on Friday, this vertical cell phone camera video is filmed from the opposite side of the arena as prior videos I've seen from this concert, and while Cara wasn't super close to the stage, she did use zoom and didn't let the portrait orientation cut too much off. Nice clean audio too, so fans will get to see a strong performance from The Northwest at the Gardens below!

Finally, here's a new original song from local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's YouTube channel on Sunday! Entitled "Mystic Shadows", Tym calls it "a dark and mystical sounding instrumental", which is true enough, and it gives Tym lots of room to let loose and show off his skills! Assorted thematic video clips play alongside the song, many eerie in nature and/or having to do with weather & the environment. We haven't heard much from Tym since the end of his short bi-weekly run of acoustic concerts at Shooters, but it's good to see him staying busy, and this is a solid rocker in its own right, so give it a listen below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal/Punk Video Showcase!!

Before we resume our Soo's Got Talent finals coverage, let's tackle some other recent videos from unrelated events on the site today, so we don't fall too behind on everything else going on! These include live footage from two big concerts that took place last month, but first, here's a new cover song featuring a very familiar face... and his uke!

After skipping October, local/Toronto punk covers project Mikey & His Uke's newest collaboration was posted to their YouTube channel earlier today, this time being a cover of AC/DC's "Shoot To Thrill"! In their fourth video since project leader Mikey Hawdon moved back to the Soo, he plays ukelele (at first) and guitar here, alongside Mikey's old Merves/Gabba Heys bandmate Amy Zuccheto (a.k.a. Amy Gabba) on lead vocals. If you haven't followed her since her last turns covering Joan Jett and The Runaways with Mikey's otherwise Ramones-centric cover bands in their local gigs, Amy has since fronted an AC/DC tribute band named AMY/DC that Mikey also played in while still living on Toronto, so she's a natural choice for this cover! Other performers are Frenzal Rhomb guitarist Lindsay McDougall (who also featured in August's NOFX cover), Chats bassist Eamon Sandwith, and past Frenzal Rhomb touring drummer Kye Smith.

As usual for the Mikey & His Uke series, this video is very well edited, and everyone is clearly having fun with this remote collaboration! Amy handles the verses slightly more leisurely than the original, but she has a great voice for Bon-era AC/DC, and the instrumental performances are all exactly what you'd hope for. Nice to see Mikey dip into heavier waters here too, so give the newest Mikey & His Uke cover a watch below!

Next up, let's dive into a pair of videos that I'm three weeks late to talk about on here (my apologies), as prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci was in attendance for the two closing bands at Outspoken Brewing's second annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 15th, uploading four videos to his YouTube channel the next day! No luck on The Wyld Stallyns, Nein German Guys, or Frankly Speaking, alas. Chris' videos at The Rink outside of The Machine Shop include two of headlining psychedelic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley, who he filmed covering Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and as embedded below, the back half of their original song "Stuck In Rotation". The audio is a little tinny, but Chris got a good vantage of the stage, and it looks the like the crowd turnout and the weather were both good for Oktoberfest! Solid performances from Adrian & crew, so give The Uncanny Valley's new videos a look above and below!

The other new videos take us back to the aforementioned Mikey Hawdon, as his new local old school indie rock cover band Bookclub made their live concert debut as the Saturday co-headliners at Oktoberfest! Still online page-less, this band features 3/4ths of The Inner City Surfers in mostly shuffled roles (Mikey on vocals & guitar, Dave Bahun on guitar, and Dustin Jones on bass), plus Dave's old Room 206 bandmate Al Watson on drums, as well as trumpet player Erin Antonello. Very odd seeing a trumpet in a non-ska band, but as we've seen with Josh Norling in numerous local rock bands, a little brass never hurt anyone! Despite early teasers of Bookclub covering 1980s-1990s indie rock bands that you don't tend to see tackled around here, both of the songs that Chris filmed are ones I've seen performed locally, including The Refreshments' "Banditos" and, as embedded below, Cheap Trick's "Reach Out".

While not a full-on punk band like we're used to seeing from most of the Bookclub members, power pop like Cheap Trick specialize in is not far removed, and their established talents are on full display on both songs! The recording quality is similar to the Uncanny Valley video, so keep that in mind, and Erin wasn't always very audible in the mix, but it'll be interesting to see where Bookclub go from here, especially as Mikey is actually in town full-time again, not commuting from Toronto steady. Give their videos a watch above & below, and stay tuned for updates!

We'll close today with some more recent live cover action, this time from local classic/hard rock quartet Obsession, who made their local & public debut with new lead singer Jessica Amadio at The Esquire Club on Halloween weekend! Two videos from the Halloween party on October 29th were posted to their Facebook page since, including a 44 second clip of them covering Trooper's "Raise A Little Hell" that was posted yesterday bunched in with live photos, but embedded below is the longer 90 second clip of them covering Poison's "Nothing But A Good Time". Yes, Obsession had costumes for the occasion, with Jess going as Kiss' Paul Stanley and Gabe as AC/DC's Angus Young, but I am not 100% positive on if Jim and Steve had a specific person that they were dressed as. This video was edited with Capcut and has lots of professional cuts to different camera angles with post-production effects, and views of the costumed attendees.

The Achilles heel with this video is that it was compiled and uploaded in portrait orientation despite a heavy use of landscape footage, so big chunks of it are tiny unless they fill the space with post-production effects. That said, Obession sound good in both videos, and Jess is definitely at ease on the stage and has a strong voice to match! Good first public outing for the new lineup, so look for them back at The Esquire Club next weekend, and give their Halloween weekend clips a look above & below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our continuation of our Soo's Got Talent finals coverage next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Other Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews today, including the back half of a festival this weekend, an apology for a missed concert a year in the making, some show reschedulings, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month! Here's what you should know!

We'll pick back up with local acoustic classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who is slated to return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for a matinee concert this weekend, but not on Sunday as originally announced, rather TOMORROW NIGHT! Tym quietly updated his Facebook event page for his Shooters gigs this month to reflect the shift of both this weekend's and his Halloween weekend gig from Sunday each to Saturday, both for unannounced reasons. Despite being moved to Saturdays, these are 100% still 3:00 PM matinees, which will be unusual for a Saturday concert, but Tym has been well received at the Dennis Street nightclub on Sundays before now, so hopefully he gets another receptive crowd tomorrow and on Saturday the 29th! Meanwhile, that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT is also for Tym at Shooters, as his event page has quietly had a Saturday, November 12th gig added as well!

This lines up with recent scheduling there, as Tym has been alternating weekend matinees with country musician Leslie Cook in recent weeks, so Leslie will presumably be playing there on November 5th (his shows look like they moved a day back too). TOMORROW'S show, plus the rescheduled October 29th date and the new one next month, all have 19+ age limits and no cover charge as usual, Tym's deep setlist and well-tested vocal & guitar talents should prove to be a winning combination once again, so visit the above links and Shooters' Facebook event page for tomorrow's gig for more details, and here's Tym live earlier this year!

Next up, let's close out this weekend's known hard rock concert previews, by looking at day #2 of Outspoken Brewing's second annual Oktoberfest TOMORROW at The Rink outside of The Machine Shop! For extra details on the festival & tonight's lineup, check yesterday's post below, as I don't want to repeat myself too much, especially when I had to break the Oktoberfest previews across two posts already. Tomorrow's bill has the longer, family friendly program, with vendors, refreshments, science exhibits, and games for all ages, plus the requisite alcohol for adults with photo ID, so be sure to click here for full non-musical details! However, it is recommended that adults only stick around from 7:00 PM onwards, which is coincidentally when the heaviest block of the band lineup performs. Young local psychedelic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley will headline tomorrow at 11:00 PM for a... second straight year?

As it turns out, year #1 for Outspoken Brewing's Oktoberfest last year did have a night of live music, with The Uncanny Valley also closing in 2021 on a bill also featuring a reunited Wild Turkeys and fellow 2021 returnees Nein German Guys. I profusely apologize for missing that last year, that oversight appears to have been a combination of The Uncanny Valley not promoting their involvement on Facebook and me not expecting the Outspoken-hosted Oktoberfest (which I knew about) to have a concert with the pandemic where it was last fall. Clearly things went well for The Valley last year for Outspoken to bring them back for a bigger and better Oktoberfest, and their hard rocking originals should end the night on a high note! Co-headlining tomorrow are the debuting Bookclub, an indie rock supergroup featuring 3/4ths of The Inner City Surfers (all but Brad) alongside Room 206 drummer Al Watson and singer(?) Erin Antonello. 

This band appears to be a real departure from the punk we're used to seeing the guys play, with bands like Devo and Weezer cited as groups that Bookclub will cover, along with some more obscure songs. It will be very interesting to hear how Bookclub do, even if they don't lean heavier! Bookclub's set is at 9:00 PM, with tonight's co-headliners The Wyld Stallyns pulling double duty for a 7:00 PM timeslot tomorrow night, so look for more fun and crowd-friendly hard rock covers from them and Josh then! The all ages matinee block of Oktoberfest tomorrow includes the aforementioned Nein German Guys (who also played tonight) with their traditional music at 5:00 PM, and classic rock cover duo Frankly Speaking opening the day at 3:00 PM. Tomorrow's Oktoberfest program begins at 2:00 PM, and adult admission is $45 unless you bought an all-weekend pass in advance for $70, with a free mug and 20 oz. draught included.

As for admission for kids 14 and under, they will cost just $5, but remember the recommended cut-off of 7:00 PM for underagers. Sounds like a fun time for all, depending on how you want to celebrate Oktoberfest, so definitely click here and/or visit the above links for much more on what to expect on day #2 at The Rink, hopefully the weather holds out, apologies again for missing Oktoberfest 2021 on the SMS, and here's The Uncanny Valley live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished & Soundcheck) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin previewing this weekend's known hard rock concerts, just a heads up of a cancellation of a show we hadn't even gotten to yet, as a late notice Wyld Stallyns show at Shooters Downstairs Lounge tomorrow night is not taking place, as per the venue's Facebook event page. This appears to be 100% due to a scheduling conflict, as The Stallyns will be down by The Machine Shop for Oktoberfest concurrently with the planned Shooters timeslot. An unidentified DJ will replace them at Shooters tomorrow, and we'll have more on Oktoberfest night #1 in a bit. Now, let's dive into the first half of the weekend previews, with Tym Morrison & night #2 of Oktoberfest to follow in tomorrow's post!

We'll start today with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, specifically SHORT NOTICE ones, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these dates were only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday, and while the band's Facebook page has not plugged them yet, drummer Glen Thomas did mention them on his personal page. As best as I can tell, this will be Soundcheck's first stop at the original downtown Reggie's since a one-nighter in June, with Reggie's West appearances (including tonight's usual open mic hosting duties) being far more frequent in the third quarter of 2022. Hopefully a decent crowd turns out both TOMORROW & SATURDAY for Soundcheck's country tinged classic and hard rock cover selection!

Note that Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver will be playing a solo matinee set at Reggie's on Sunday afternoon too, as per the Reggie's Facebook page, but I believe his solo gigs are more country centric. Still good to see him tripling up too, as he typically does not take part in the Thursday open mics. TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows have 19+ age limits, no cover, and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live in concert earlier this summer!

Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan, as local hard rock quartet Tarnished will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These will be Tarnished's first shows in the Soo since rocking The Rapids Lounge almost two months ago, and will be their first anywhere since their Northern Lights Cannabis Co. show in nearby Dafter on September 30th. Speaking of which, the band has newly announced that they'll be returning to the local marijuana dispensary for one night only on Friday, October 21st, so clearly their first show there went well to warrant an encore just three weeks later! As before, expect this Fire Up Fridaze event to have a 4:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, no cover, and the same cannabis deals/offers, vendors, refreshments, and more that are staples of Fridays at N.L.C.C., live bands or not. Yes, I am aware that an outdated, Isaac-less band photo is on the poster.

Before then, Tarnished's modern brand of old school influenced hard rock can be enjoyed at The Rapids Lounge for typical & presumably cannabis-free entertainment tomorrow and Saturday night at 9:00 PM, also with 21+ age limits and no cover. Should be a good time this weekend and next Friday alike for Alex, Nathan, Isaac, and Josh (and their fans), so visit the official Facebook event page for the Kewadin gigs and the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Finally for today's previews, we'll head back north to Sault Ontario for the reason why local funk/hard rock band The Wyld Stallyns dropped out of their Shooters gig tomorrow, as they're taking part in Outspoken Brewing's second annual Oktoberfest, with The Stallyns part of both TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT's live music slate outside of The Machine Shop! Picking up where LopLops left off pre-pandemic, Outspoken debuted their Oktoberfest last fall, and with a year under their belts and the pandemic much less of a concern, things are much bigger in scope this year, including full live music slates both nights, plus a wide array of entertainment both for adults hoping for beer or for those just wanting to have some family activities. Everything takes place at The Rink at the Canal District, transformed this weekend into a Munich biergarten. Click here for non-musical details!

We'll focus on tomorrow's bill today with Saturday's to follow in tomorrow's post. Three bands play tomorrow night at The Rink, with The Wyld Stallyns and frequent guest saxophonist Josh Norling playing in the middle 8:00 PM timeslot, sandwiched between headlining R&B/soul sextet The Hustle Brothers at 10:00 PM and traditional German supergroup Nein German Guys with a more traditional Oktoberfest sound at 6:00 PM. Tomorrow's festivities are 100% 19+ and heavily themed around alcohol as such, so if you want to bring the kids, wait until Saturday (more on that day's band lineup in our next post, but of tomorrow's bands, only The Hustle Brothers aren't pulling double duty). Admission tomorrow will run you $45, or $70 for a full weekend pass, and if you buy a ticket in advance, you'll get a free Oktoberfest mug and 20 oz. draught. Buy your tickets online at this link!

Everything properly begins at The Rink at 5:00 PM tomorrow, for the record. The Wyld Stallyns are comparatively the outliers on the Friday bill, but their varied & often heavy cover rock stylings should go over well with the Oktoberfest attendees, and they should have some songs primed for a drinking crowd given all of their nightclub sets! Visit the above links for much more on this year's Oktoberfest, stay tuned for our preview of Saturday's lineup tomorrow, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rhythm & Brews), A New Video Interview, And More!!

I wasn't planning to double up with posts on this Saturday, but a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT came to my attention, and we'll fill things out with a lengthy new video interview with a familiar face, and the surprise cover songs he was involved with! Here's what you should know!

Local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews will return to The Cozy Corners Tavern & Grill (well, outside of it) in nearby Barbeau to cap off their Oktoberfest celebrations TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced their involvement via their Facebook page on Wednesday, but the venue's Facebook page had been plugging the band as headlining for well earlier than this week. Rhythm & Brews debuted at The Cozy Corners at 6800 East 15 Mile Road in July for the Dunbar Dirt Road Dash, and TONIGHT's show will similarly be for a special event, with this Oktoberfest being a fundraiser for the Hospice of the E.U.P. in Sault Ste. Marie, so don't bypass that wonderful cause! Rhythm & Brews' established hard rock covers and likely Van Halen flourishes will be capping off Oktoberfest TONIGHT at 9:00 PM outside of the venue, and a bonfire, cornhole tournament, stein hoisting contest, and more will be ongoing from 2:00 PM onward

Also don't forget the smoke-off that began this morning, and again, sorry again about the late notice! I believe admission is free for Oktoberfest, with donations and funds from the smoke-off and internal events going to the Hospice, and of course, expect a 21+ age limit given the beer emphasis. 9&10 News is calling for cloudy weather from 9:00 PM-11:00 PM before showers are projected to set in, so hopefully Rhythm & Brews and the crowd escape the rain! No preview videos of Rhythm & Brews yet, alas, but visit the above links for more on TONIGHT's festivities!

Next up, here's a 50 minutes long video interview with former Gates of Winter/Woods of Ypres guitarist Bryan Belleau! Conducted remotely last month by Tyler Fleming of the Pensacola, Florida doom metal band October Noir, he hosts a YouTube interview series called The Noir Hour, which launched in the summer and has roughly posted an interview a week since. The interview is primarily based around Bryan's two year stint with Woods of Ypres (though Gates of Winter come up), and includes questions about Bryan's life in British Columbia nowadays, how Bryan met David Gold & joined Woods of Ypres with the rest of Gates in 2008, experiences working with & learning from David, Woods' influence and reach in the past decade, how he got involved in a cover of "Wet Leather" featuring Bam Margera (more on that at post's end), his folk/jazz music with his wife Melinda out west in the last few years, seeing bands cover Woods of Ypres songs at the Ypres Metal Fest in the Soo in 2012, ...

...his reactions to David's death the previous year, his relationship with David after leaving the band, Bryan's thoughts & perceptions of his album with the band (2009's "Woods IV: The Green Album") and some songs individually, the emotional impact of Woods of Ypres' late-period songs, the personal qualities & positive impact of David's mother Esther (a.k.a. Mama Gold), his musical development while recording with Woods, what Bryan knew about the "Home" single (he was told that the songs were "Woods IV" leftovers), the personal reasons that led to Bryan amicably leaving the band before their 2010 American tour, the wide-ranging friends Bryan met through Woods of Ypres, his views on the impact of his stint with the band, and how involved he wants to be in metal nowadays, especially now that he is a father with different priorities.

Solid interview with Bryan coming across as very humble & appreciative of both his time in Woods of Ypres and the kindness he's felt from fans of his, the band's, and David's in the past decade, and while Tyler was an acknowledged late bloomer to Woods fandom, you can tell he was thrilled to talk to Bryan and get his insight! Some more talk about Gates of Winter, even if just some more details on the Gates of Ypres 2008 tour and/or why Lee, Brian, and Steve progressively left, would have been interesting, but Bryan definitely hit most notes non-local Woods fans will wanna hear. Give the interview a watch for yourself below!

To close, what was that about Bryan recording a cover of "Wet Leather" with Bam Margera that I mentioned earlier? I assume this flew under the radar because Bryan isn't locally based anymore, but in April of last year, Bryan collaborated with Matt Lidwin of the Milwaukee goth metal project 616 to remotely cover "Wet Leather", with Bryan on guitar and Bam (formerly of Jackass fame and his band Fuckface Unstoppable) singing chorus vocals, alongside former HIM drummer Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen. 616 have strong HIM overtones, and Bam was a major fan of theirs already, so the shoes fit! Clearly a good working relationship was also established between Matt and Bryan, as the two worked together on another 616 cover earlier this year, tackling Type O Negative's "Everything Dies" last month, a song that Bryan mentioned in the Noir Hour interview was tentatively planned for a Woods of Ypres covers album that never made it to the studio.

Both 616 covers are on all major streaming services, I have them linked/embedded here via their YouTube channel. Great hearing new metal material from Bryan for the first time since Gates of Winter's last public "Perhelion" teasers in the mid-2010s (I miss them), both songs suit Matt's (and Bam's) vocal ranges well, and the covers are faithful but with some extra flourish and effects to help them stand out a little. Well recorded and produced, and if you don't mind the lyric repetition of "Wet Leather", it'll be easy to hop on board with that cover. Give them a listen above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Oktoberfest) & New Concert Videos!!

Two topic news post to check out on this Saturday morning, including some new live concert videos, but let's lead off with big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month regarding a notable fall event!

Local psychedelic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley and funk/hard rock cover band The Wyld Stallyns will both be on the lineup for this year's Oktoberfest outside of The Machine Shop on the weekend of October 14th-15th! Oktoberfest is not a foreign concept locally, as fans of LopLops' version from the 2010s will attest, but LopLops has only been open on a limited basis during the pandemic. Outspoken Brewing hosted their own pandemic-affected Oktoberfest last fall, and with life much more normal now than it was last year, things are scaled up to where Outspoken had always envisioned them, including a two day lineup for fans of live music, family entertainment, and yes, beer. German frills are to be expected, with Oktoberfest proper taking place once again at The Rink, which is the ice skating rink at the Canal District, transformed next month into a Munich biergarten. Click here for current non-musical details!

The Uncanny Valley are the headline act on Saturday, October 15th, rocking out at the 11:00 PM timeslot, so look for their old school hard rock attack then! Co-headlining that day at 9:00 PM are Bookclub, a new local band featuring all of the Inner City Surfers (except Brad Example) and former Room 206 drummer Al Watson. Despite the punk provenance, the description on the website says that Bookclub will be playing indie rock, covering acts like Devo and Weezer. Very interesting, seemingly leaning more to 1980s and 1990s acts from what I've gathered, it'll be interesting to hear how they sound! The Wyld Stallyns are playing on the 15th at 7:00 PM & on Friday, the 14th at 8:00 PM, with the description noting that the full lineup will be on hand, including guest saxophonist Josh Norling (they don't call him a guest, but he doesn't play every Stallyns gig). Hopefully they knock it out of the park both nights as usual!

Other local bands scheduled for Oktoberfest in three weeks include Friday headliners The Hustle Brothers covering classic soul & R&B music at 10:00 PM, new(?) traditional German band Nein German Guys both days (6:00 PM on Friday, 5:00 PM on Saturday), and classic rock cover duo Frankly Speaking on Saturday at 3:00 PM. Note that Friday's schedule of events is shorter and more focused around beer/partying (starting at 5:00 PM), while Saturday's has an extended afternoon block from 12:00 PM onward of family entertainment before getting back to brass tax. Tickets for Oktoberfest run for $45 for a single day or $70 for the full weekend, and can be bought at this link. Aside from the 12:00-5:00 PM block on Saturday, this is a 19+ event, but if you want to bring the kids when able, their tickets cost $5. Adult tickets also include an official Oktoberfest glass mug (stein, if you prefer) and a free 20 oz. draught.

Definitely a lot to take in for Oktoberfest's second go-around under Outspoken Brewing's curation, but fans of Oktoberfest, beer, and a good time should be up for all of that next month, and hopefully the weather holds up! Nicely varied lineup hitting both traditional and more contemporary boxes, so definitely visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for ongoing details on Oktoberfest 2022!

Finally for today, here's some new videos of a band known to plug shows on the promise of having a beer (or as they call it, a "wobbly pop"), namely classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck! Drummer Glen Thomas had the camera rolling for their Reggie's West jam night on Thursday the 15th, and he uploaded three guest jammer-free videos to his YouTube channel two days later. As usual for their jam night hosting duties, singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver was absent, but so was bassist Paul Belair (or Rob Gilmar, for that matter), with Terry and Glen instead enlisting Cory Valentine, a Toronto-based Saultite who has guested off and on with Soundcheck since at least 2019. The three videos include covers of Men At Work's "Who Can It Be Now?", The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking", and as embedded below, an extended "winging it" jam of Bryan Adams' "Run To You". 

The sharp corner angle with Cory & Terry at the extreme edges of the video frame isn't super ideal, but these are fun performances of these 1980s rock staples, and even as a three piece with a guest bassist as jam night hosts, you can see why Soundcheck draw in a crowd! Give these a watch above & below, and don't miss them tonight at The Esquire Club!

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

This Weekend's Local Concert Previews, And A New Free Refill Video!!

Hey there, fellow metalheads! Today's a double post day, and quickly before we start, I wanna note that this is the 500th post that has been featured on the SMS' website since I launched it in December 2008. Amazing how it took just 21 months to hit that milestone! Thanks everyone for coming along for the ride! I don't have anything special planned at all to mark the occasion though, today is business as usual, as we preview this weekend's local metal and hard rock concerts! So let's begin!

We'll start TONIGHT for a prominent tribute band's local return, as Toronto-based Guns N' Roses tribute Gunz N' FN' Rosez come back to Sault Ontario! Veterans of Hempfest, GNFNR were last seen locally in January at The Speakeasy, and will now look to conquer the stage at The Rockstar Bar in their latest local stop! These guys definitely pull off a good version of the Guns N' Roses sound, and they have the look mostly down as well! They're definitely a good tribute band, and local fans will be sure to enjoy them as much as they did in January! Joining them tonight as the local openers are local classic hard rock cover band Turner Up, in a rare supporting performance! Expect lots of great classic covers from them in support of GNFNR, and if you wanna see just Turner Up this weekend, I'll have you covered a bit later! Now, tickets for tonight's show are $10 at the door, and trust me, this'll be worth the money. The show starts at 10:00 PM, and you must be 19 to enter. For more information, visit the above links or the official Facebook event page! This should be a fun concert, cause after all, who doesn't love hearing classic songs like this? Both bands are very talented, make sure to go check them out tonight! For a video preview, here's a video of Gunz N' FN' Rosez playing "Night Train" from a Niagara Falls show last month!



The tribute bands keep on coming tomorrow night, but this time, things get a lot more progressive, as Burlington, Ontario's 2112: A Tribute To Rush finally come to Sault Ontario! Originally scheduled to come here in June, the date was eventually cancelled, but 2112 are still making their way to town for a concert tomorrow night at the same venue, The Canadian Nightclub! Though there's no event page for the concert, a Facebook e-mail from The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnston and 2112's concert listings page both confirm this show, so it's definitely on! So this show will also take place at 10:00 PM, with a $5 cover charge, and like your usual bar show, you must be 19 to enter. For more details, check the above links! 2112 definitely capture the sound of Rush much better than the look of them, but the music is the main focus anyway, and they pull it off well! Rush are hard to cover, but they do an admirable job, and Rush fans will likely have a good time tomorrow night! Don't forget about this show, cause it'll be a good one, and it's the closest thing to Rush themselves that we're likely to get this year! For a video preview, here's 2112 playing "Red Barchetta" at a show in April!



Now, to the other Turner Up concert I alluded to earlier! You know that they usually play two shows on a given weekend, and keeping with that pace, they'll be back at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night for a headlining set of their very own! Like the GNFNR show tonight, it will have a 10:00 PM start time and a 19+ age limit, but on Saturday, there will likely be no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page and Turner Up's Facebook group! This should be a fun show, cause Turner Up always impress at their live shows with their classic hard rock sound, so check them out on Saturday if you don't see them tonight! For a video of Turner Up's current lineup playing "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw, click here!

And finally, we head to Sault Michigan for a concert set, as young local cover band Free Refill return to the stage as one of the entertainers at this year's Oktoberfest! Hosted by The Downtown Development Authority, Oktoberfest takes place along Portage Avenue in Sault Michigan on Saturday from 10:00 AM until midnight, with Free Refill among the performers playing on the big stage in the middle of Portage Avenue from 5:00 PM onward! Their MySpace page suggests they're on at 9:00 PM, but I can't verify an exact time for their set, nor other performing acts. Aside from the music, Oktoberfest will have a farmer's market, vendors selling food, arts, crafts, and more, as well as activities for kids as well! Sounds like a fun time, get more Oktoberfest details at this location! As for Free Refill, this is the last listed concert from their summer bookings, so this could be your last chance to see them for a while yet, so consider heading to Oktoberfect to check them out! They're a promising young band and have some good potential! Check the above links for more!

As for a video preview, we have a brand new Free Refill video for you guys to check out! We'd been without video footage of them for some time now because the old concert clips on their MySpace page were deleted, but we finally have a new Free Refill video to share! This is courtesy of YouTube user mortallycoiledsnake, who is one of the band members, though I'm not 100% positive on which one. If you visit that link and see no video, don't worry, they just made the video unlisted for whatever reason. It's freely available to check out if you have the link, and I discovered it on their official website today, so here's what you should know! It's from last month's Sugar Island Festival, and it's their rendition of the Metallica classic "Enter Sandman"! Not bad, though the guitar's definitely lower in the mix than it should be, and I think Mary Gilbert's voice suits a more melodic song than "Enter Sandman". The video's also shot at a far angle, but it's still good though! These guys have talent, and it's interesting to see how far they'll get in the coming months!



That's all for now, but stay tuned tonight for the SMS blog's 501st post, which will be this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, as we talk about Fifth Way and Marky Lion! Stay tuned for that tonight! Thanks everyone, and go see some concerts this weekend!