Our Recap Of Mike Haggith's Newest Podcast Interview With Brian Tremblay!!

Remember when local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith was interviewed by local folk/country musician Brian Tremblay for an episode of Rock 'N Roll Heaven on The Borderline back in March 2023? Well, the two have united for another podcast interview almost two years later! However, this one isn't affiliated with The Borderline, rather The Lonesome Cowboy Podcast, Brian's own independent series that you can check out episodes of via Substack. This podcast debuted in November of last year, and you read more about its raison d'etre at this link, and while an allusion is made as to why he seemingly left The Borderline, new Rock N' Roll Heaven episodes were still being released this month, so who is to say what's going on. Regardless, this new interview with Mike is exclusive to The Lonesome Cowboy Podcast, and it is much shorter (37 minutes as opposed to the almost 2 hour long interview from 2023).

If you want to hear their Rock N' Roll Heaven interview from 2023, click here, but one plus to the February 2025 interview is that it was uploaded in video format with Mike interviewed via Zoom! To that end, Brian hosts in front of a green screen of a western sunset, but the chroma-keying isn't perfect, and often blends with his shoulders. The interview here differs from 2023 beyond length and visuals by focusing mostly on Mike's work as a do-it-yourself independent musician and owner of MorningStar Records (which was still in the works during his last interview with Brian), with Mike first discussing how MorningStar fully came to be and why he decided to start his own artist-friendly label, with information about the label operations and amenities being given on air. Mike even has copies of Brian's output with MorningStar to show on camera, so there's your proof as to the label's success with releasing physical albums for affiliate artists!

This leads into Brian drawing comparisons between Mike's music career and the discipline of his day job as a pilot, as well as the pilot/flying references made in Mike's Frequent Flyer newsletter program, including a rare public reference to Mike's "Frequent Flyer" studio album that is being released piece by piece to newsletter subscribers (I'll mention it on the SMS when unequivocally completed in its release there). At the midpoint of this interview, Brian asks about Mike's lack of pushiness when promoting his artistic endeavours, before asking about Mike's plans for future concerts, with Mike explaining why most of his modern concerts are in the Soo and not elsewhere, but he does hope to play solo dates in other markets, possibly in conjunction with where he travels as a pilot. Brian then asked how the pandemic affected Mike's live concerts and the audience turnout after things re-opened and shows resumed in earnest.

After talking about Mike's live concert experiences and feedback, Mike spends the last few minutes by promoting his music directly, particularly his post-2011 output and his Din albums, and where you can hear/buy everything. While much shorter than 2023's interview and completely lacking in songs of Mike's, this is an informative watch that covers lots of ground in a nice casual manner, and it's good to see Mike & Brian talking about music again like this! No word on if we'll ever see the teased "Face To Face" live album from the two of them though. Unfortunately, I'm unable to directly embed the video proper on the SMS, just as a shared link from Substack, but click here to watch the 2025 interview, and if Mike does have new content to tease, it doesn't sound like another interview with Brian will be far off! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Bone Yard 225's Interview On The Borderline!!

It's been a while since we've talked about on-air content on local internet radio station The Borderline (they haven't had a lot of new hard rock/punk-leaning programming beyond what's in their music rotation in a good while), but on Wednesday, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 were interviewed by Adrian Vilaca on the Smart As Trees podcast! This is the first Smart As Trees episode that's really crossed the SMS' radar since their Clusterfolk episode in 2022, believe it or not. The interview is conducted by Adrian with all three members of Bone Yard, and just a warning before listening that there is some adult language. After introducing Greg, Alex, and Warren, the interview proper begins with frontman Greg Simpson acknowledging their beginnings in 2009 as a country cover band with him singing and playing guitar, with his old band Stiffler's Mom coming up along with Warren's own original music.

The reasoning behind tacking "225" to their name is finally brought up in an online context next, as the band wanted to differentiate themselves from the multiple other bands elsewhere named Bone Yard without rebranding fully, so a friend inspired them to add the number 225 based on placement of B and Y in the alphabet (B is the 2nd letter, Y the 25th), a'la biker codes, plus the existence of the angel number 225. Despite my initial assumption when the name extension was announced last year, it is not a reference to the United Steelworkers Local 2251, which I was corrected on at the time. After addressing the band's own colourful language and imagery, they introduced their debut original song "F.A.F.O." (as in, "fuck around & find out"), which is played on-air at the 7:10 mark. When the interview resumes, Adrian asks about the sing-along aspect for that track and how it went over when Bone Yard first played it live.

Next, we hear about their live shows and their recent runs of shows in Sudbury, plus planned on-the-road gigs in Thessalon and Kirkland Lake this summer, and Greg said that they're apparently exploring the possibility of playing shows in the United States. Warren did note that they're looking at writing new originals and working on a few new covers, seemingly implying that they might be doing a studio cover or two as well, and they're also trying to garner a loyal cult following as they continue getting their name out there. As of recording the interview, they had 79 shows booked for 2025, and the guys credited their support system as well, before their second single "Gypsy Spell" was played at the 18:45 mark. When the interview picks back up, Adrian asks the band about their charitable involvement in Toystock (for Christmas Cheer) and the Dragonfly Run (for ARCH), and what inspired them to support these causes.

The late Tyrone Souliere (Alex's former Mojo bandmate) is invoked here when discussing their support for ARCH and fighting cancer. Next, they discuss the fan support that they get, with the band criticizing the costs involved to both go out to see live music, and for venues to have the setups to host full rock bands, especially post-pandemic, while not being afraid to speak up about their issues with the state of live music in spite of the talent performing in the Soo. After discussing their belief to question things and debate the issues, Adrian plays their newest song "Fuck!" at the 35:35 mark. In the last three minutes of the interview, Adrian asks what Greg, Alex, and Warren's "desert island discs" would be (as in, if you were stranded on a desert island, what albums would you want to listen to indefinitely?), before closing with plugs for their social media and the guys giving Adrian a t-shirt, as seen in the teaser video below!

Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel prior to the interview's live debut on The Borderline, it features an on-air plug for the station from your local 225, plus photos from the interview and sample audio of their own music. Overall, this was a good interview that set things up well for fans of Bone Yard as they enter what should be their biggest year yet! Given how long they've been running, the fact that they're making such a push into original music and tour dates in 2025 is very neat, and while I did have some trouble differentiating Greg & Alex's voices, it's an informative listen for fans of "the dirty 3", so give the full interview a listen at this link, and stay tuned for more news and notes next week! Thanks everyone!

Late & Loud - "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 183rd monthly CD review, and in a slight change of plans, we're looking at inactive local classic metal quartet Late & Loud's third album (fourth if counting reissues), namely "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)"! This is their second album/score of songs from the Dungeons & Dragons podcast Late & Legends that the guys have been working on remotely since 2020, with instrumental music recorded by band members at their home studios. This second soundtrack release from September 17th covers songs included in season 2 episodes of Late & Legends from 2021, and features current Convergence guitarist Brendan Christie as the primary songwriter this time out. Guitarist Jonathan Tiberi returns in a reduced role compared to "Late & Legends 1", and bassist Benn Garside gets credited for contributing on a song here where he did not last time. Drummer/game master & audio editor Josh Hatherley is again not credited as a performer for this soundtrack album.

You can buy "Late & Legends 2" on Bandcamp for $8.99, and it is streamable for free there as well, but consider buying it to support the guys and the podcast! Like when I reviewed the first soundtrack, just a reminder that I don't play physical RPGs like D&D, and I am cognizant of the fact that D&D players (and listeners of the podcast) will have far more context into how these songs slot into the storyline as Giovanni, Val, and Mordechai continued their adventures in Renlan. Also, don't go into this expecting "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal 2". If you want to hear the podcast so far, click here or listen in on your preferred podcasting host services. With 12 songs running for only 20 minutes, let's begin this review!

This soundtrack leads off with "Late And Legends Theme", which is exactly what you think it is. This is a short 62 seconds-long metal instrumental with galloping guitar and an ominous overtone befitting a fantasy story, though given how the song ends with some guitar squeals that seem to hint at a longer composition (if not a solo), it ends before it really gets going. A good theme song, but an unfinished Late & Loud song, if that makes sense. "Bombastic" follows with a more grandiose, orchestral composition that feels much more like something from a video game rather than a metal band, The title is apt as a result, and while it has the epic qualities that would would assume Renlan to harbour, there's not a lot of guitar here, so adjust expectations accordingly. Third is "Battle Ready", which is the only song on the soundtrack that specifically credits Benn on it's Bandcamp link.

Despite that, this is way closer in spirit to "Bombastic" as a composition, but with dramatic percussion and themes that definitely evoke that an important battle is incoming. It's a cooler piece of music for me, but at the same time, did the last 50 seconds of 98 seconds-long piece need to just be the drumming? I'd have cut that down a lot, but the song is well done while it lasts! Track #4 is "The Rising Tide" (no apparent relation to inactive local band Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide), which is one of just three songs on offer to exceed 2 minutes in length. A slower number with some striking keyboard work and good clapping percussion early, the relatively longer composition has lots of room to breathe and show off different tempos and instrumentation, and for lack of a better word, it feels the most "epic" of the songs so far! A far cry from Late & Loud's original band run, but very solid! Note that this song ends with 18 seconds of silence.

That's followed by "The Darkness Is Here", which is a shorter and suitably dark orchestral piece that gets in and out without dragging on for too long, and basically sums up a low point in the storyline well. Not a ton to say here compared to prior tracks, but if you like how Brendan has been composing these numbers, you'll take to how big this feels in scale despite its short length! Speaking of short length, song #6 is "Run For Cover", which runs just 60 seconds total. Given the title and the stakes in the podcast, you'd assume for a song faster in tempo than this, let alone not as heavily structured around percussion and spare piano playing. Not bad at all, but based on my assumptions for a fantasy story, this is not what I would assumed a song about running for cover would sound like. The second half of "Late & Legends 2" begins with "The Storm", which reminds me a bit of the Lower Brinstar theme from Super Metroid.

Isolated piano key strokes and background thunderstorm effects combine for one of the most unique songs on offer, but it ends kind of abruptly and it really felt like there was more of a song here had it ran for more than 74 seconds. A cool piece while it lasts though! The next two songs do not have any individual writing/performance credits at all, but the first of them ("Back At It Again") is arguably the first song since the opener to really feel like something that a band worked on. Not a metal band, mind you, as it has more of a Renaissance fair/campfire vibe (I was reminded of both), but it works for how the story was progressing, and the percussion is well contrasted with the isolated guitar playing! This song also ends with a long silent stretch (well, seven seconds). Ninth is "No Time To Wait", which is the only song on offer to exceed 3 minutes in length, and not by much. The keys lead the way on this composition throughout its runtime.

Not a dramatically opposed song compared to most of its soundtrack-mates, it shares the ambiance and vibes of most of the other compositions here, but doesn't hit as many epic heights despite its length, possibly because the piano leads the way instrumentally. Still a good song when considering the concept! Next up is "The Trap Is Lit", which is both the shortest song on the soundtrack (53 seconds) and the only one to directly credit Jon as a composer. If you recall his work on the first Late & Legends album, he handled half of the songs there, and stuck way closer to metal band territory than on Brendan's songs. That bears out here too, with this brief song being just a metal guitar showcase, and one that ends way too soon. Like on the opener, this feels like the start of a full song rather than a standalone track, but it is nice to hear Jonathan take the lead on a new "Late & Loud" song again, even one this short!

Brendan gets control back for the last two songs, starting with "Mystery", an ominous 2+ minute piece that definitely evokes the feeling of an uncertain future, and given that this was near the end of the podcast's second season, that seems apt! There is more of an intentional unease in how this song proceeds, and it works in the context of the story, but for these compositions, I prefer the grander stuff. The soundtrack closes with "A Farewell To Brothers", which ends the album and season 2 with a mournful and very melancholy composition that definitely feels like the end of a chapter as the characters go their separate ways (for the time being), and while it's not what I musically prefer, it fits in context for how Late & Legends progressed in 2021, and of course, the story didn't end there, so we'll have to see if they release an album for season 3 at some point!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)"? Based purely on a musical level, I do prefer their season 1 score, but if you preferred Brendan's orchestral compositions on his half of that album, you will be right at home with the sequel! I don't know if Jonathan's decreased involvement in the season 2 score was an artistic choice or a scheduling one, but aside from the theme song and "The Trap Is Lit", there's not much here that would suggest that Late & Loud put this out if you heard the songs blind. Note that Jon hasn't lived in town for over a decade and currently plays in the Hamilton stoner metal band Astral Witch. With Brendan taking the lead, and possibly saving his metal ideas all the while for Convergence, this is mostly a pure score, and certainly a strong one that evokes a fantasy world from a movie or video game, so he definitely shows what he is capable of as a songwriter!

Contextually, this album is best served for Late & Legends listeners, and I do prefer earlier, more optimistic pieces to the darker and sparer later ones, but if you like fantasy soundtracks and scores, you'll have fun with "Late & Legends 2"! That said, if you're expecting anything remotely like Late & Loud, you'd be best served starting with their season 1 soundtrack given that Jonathan's songs for Late & Legends are closer in style, and he was more involved then. Strong work for what this is, so buy or stream it above, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Now, my original plan for this month was to review Sykotyk Rampage's new album  "Waerlogas Saga 1: Konfysion Of Fyck", but I was hoping to have the comic book arrive by now to help in covering the lengthy album. As such, I have delayed the review to next month. In any event, look for Sykotyk Rampage's new concept album as our review next month, and for more news & notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations), A New Local Album, And Much More!!

Today's post touches on some assorted recent stories, including a big loss for local news media, a new song from a local metal project, and a new album from a reunited local band of sorts, but we're leading off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations have announced two upcoming dates for next month, both Saturday nighters, as they'll rock Shooters Downstairs Lounge on October 19th and then Gateway Casino on October 26th! Fresh off of their set at this past Friday's Band Together To Rock Cancer benefit (more on that on the site soon), these two dates will be Generations' first at either venue since last month. The shows will also presumably see guitarist Tony Kajnar back after he missed the benefit gig on Friday (Muckrakers frontman Mike McDonald filled in for the night, and if you want a teaser of our upcoming coverage, click here). No word yet on if the October 26th gig at the casino will be Halloween themed or not, but remember that Halloween is a Thursday this year, allowing venues the opportunity to host their party a day late on November 1st rather than five days early.

You can enjoy Generations' classic and hard rock cover array on these Saturdays next month with no announced cover charges and 19+ age limits, and while they'll take the stage at 9:30 PM at Shooters, the Gateway Casino concert is at 8:00 PM. No word on if we'll see Valerie, the Tonys, and Pierre anywhere else before mid-October, but keep this talented veteran group's next announced shows in mind, and see above for more details! 

Next up, here's a mild surprise, as defunct local classic metal quartet Late & Loud kinda sorta reunited to release the second score/soundtrack album to their Dungeons & Dragons podcast Late & Legends last week! As you may recall, Late & Legends sees Jonathan Tiberi, Brendan Christie, and Benn Garside (with Josh Hatherley as game master and audio editor) play D&D with their own storylines and characters as they explore/save the city of Renlan, and they released their first score album of songs used in the podcast back in April 2021. It is still available to buy/stream at this link, but has brand new artwork and a slightly amended title. Now, Late & Legends began season 4 in May of last year and hasn't posted a new episode since that month, but "Season Two (Podcast Soundtrack)" reflects the episodes that aired in February-October 2021, and if you want to catch up on the action, click here or visit your favourite podcasting host service.

Unlike with "Late & Legends 1", it seems like Brendan Christie had a much stronger hand in recording this material, with Jon and Benn only getting limited credits, and Josh is not listed as writing or performing at all once again. You can buy the 12 song score album for $8.99 on Bandcamp or stream the whole thing for free there, and it may just get reviewed on the SMS in the coming week! Plans to review Sykotyk Rampage's new album may get delayed, as I was hoping to have the accompanying comic book for full context by now, so it may get bumped to October in lieu of "Late & Legends 2". Stay tuned, but give it a listen above! As this is three+ year old music, Late & Loud are not back in our active band links. 

Speaking of projects featuring Brendan Christie, here's the latest from his active progressive/djent metal band Convergence, who posted the first full song from their upcoming EP "Gemini" onto their YouTube channel on Friday! The song in question is "You Are Not Flesh" (obviously a new/altered title from prior track listing reveals), and it was uploaded there in two copies: an instrumental version and, as embedded below, one with vocals (it's a lyric video, to boot!). You can also buy (for $1) or stream it on their Bandcamp page, complete with altered cover artwork. As best as I can tell, Brendan himself provided the harsh vocals here, as also heard on their non-EP original song "Cancer" from last year, something I surprisingly never clarified on here at the time. I got kind of a Phil Labonte vibe from his vocals, which is neat! I'll hold comment on the song otherwise pending our eventual "Gemini" review, but check out "You Are Not Flesh" below!

Finally for today, I wanted to note the abrupt closure of a long running local news website that, in its various iterations, has crossed the SMS' radar multiple times. On August 30th, FirstLocalNews (née SaultOnline) shut down after just 15 months in operation following their change in ownership and branding. Producer and local news veteran Craig Huckerby revealed in this SooToday article by Alex Flood that the closure was due to low advertising revenue following the relaunch as FirstLocalNews, prompted when Rock 101/et al. parent company Sovereign Communications bought SaultOnline from Superior Media, starting fresh with a brand new site and name. FirstLocalNews had its roots dating back to Craig leaving the former MCTV News in 2003 to launch LTVNews (later SooNews and Local2), before SooToday bought it in 2014. Craig and Superior Media launched SaultOnline in Local2's wake, with ownership also producing local news television content via ONNtv, which also appears to have closed.

As SMS coverage goes, we always got more relevant material from SooToday and their offshoots than from the sites that Craig produced, but I always appreciated having different viewpoints for major concert events when Local2 or SaultOnline sent their own reporters to attend, and they had some good exclusive content that you can (partially) read about on the SMS where dead links allow. Truth be told, them starting completely anew as FirstLocal did them no favours, even if necessitated by the need to rebrand and launch a new website, but hopefully staff lands on their feet with new ventures, as local journalism is important! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest 2023 Fallout & Videos (Part 4!!)

To cap off the month of July, let's resume our fallout from this year's Rotaryfest at Clergue Park, so musically speaking, what else should you know from two weeks+ ago? We'll pick things back up with the one-off reunion set of local classic/hard rock cover veterans That's Chester, whose steady stream of multi-camera videos from that night has continued on a daily basis on their Facebook page! All edited together by drummer Ric Datson, the videos include covers of Doucette's "Mama Let Him Play", AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock", The Refreshments' "Banditos", Molly Hatchet's "Flirtin' With Disaster", Deep Purple's "Highway Star", this two song video featuring The Knack's "My Sharona" & Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down" (plus a guest appearance from late guitarist Eugene Orlando's grandson), Harlequin's "Thinking Of You", Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz", ZZ Top's "La Grange", and as embedded below, their first two encore songs.

Specifically, they covered April Wine's version of Hot Chocolate's "Could Have Been A Lady" and the April Wine original "Roller" back to back. Along with the first four songs that we addressed in this Rotaryfest fallout post, these videos constitute That's Chester's complete reunion set, and they sound very good across the board with a nice hard rock edge and some welcomed Canadian content for fans of 1970s and 1980s domestic rock acts! Hopefully this won't be the last that we'll see of That's Chester, but check out these well shot & edited videos from Rotaryfest above & below!

Next up, we'll leap from the very last act to play this year to the very first, but not via a video. As you're likely well aware, the Thursday opener on Stage 1 was local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his local backing band in a set cut short after just three songs due to Mike severely dislocating his right knee during his second song (he finished it while laying on his back, and managed to play the third while surrounded by paramedics before the ambulance took him to Sault Area Hospital). One week after all of that happened, Mike was a guest on the podcast Inside The Village (naturally a product of SooToday parent company Village Media) to talk about his abbreviated set with hosts Scott Sexsmith (membership director) and Michael "Frisco" Friscolanti (editor in chief), plus producer Derek Turner (yes, The Wyld Stallyns' drummer). You can hear the 34 minute episode at this link or on other major podcasting services.

After bantering about Michael Amadio bringing the Stanley Cup home to the Soo and discussing some local stories in Southern Ontario (as in, local to other markets served by Village Media news websites), the Mike Haggith portion of the episode begins 10 minutes in after a brief commercial break. Here, Scott asks Mike about the beginnings of his musical career and the planning for his Rotaryfest set this year before diving into the set proper, including how things went until he collapsed, the amusing initial reactions from his bandmates (who didn't immediately know that he wasn't just being theatrical), the quick response from on-site paramedics, the decision to play "I've Seen It Before" while laying on his back with a twisted knee, the crowd response to their set, his prognosis for the knee (as of the interview, 4-6 weeks on crutches with physio and ortho), how Sault Area Hospital staff responded to everything when he was first admitted, ...

...his surprisingly early (initial) exit from the hospital, reaction to his social media accounts afterwards, his hopes to get a Rotaryfest do-over in 2024, and his set at the Northern Vibe Festival next month (where he will be seated). The last six minutes of the episode feature more discussion about Mike's injury and similar stories about persevering through injury, with Derek's musical point of view coming up here, as he drummed with the Stallyns on Stage 1 that same Saturday. Informative interview with Mike getting more candid than ever about the events of July 13th, so I highly recommend checking out the interview above (and he dislocated his right knee, Jacob's live-stream was mirrored. My apologies!)

We'll close today with some fallout from Stage 2 near the Art Gallery of Algoma, as I've barely talked about that stage at this point! Granted, the two heavier bands to play this year haven't posted videos from their sets, but what is posted publically to check out? From the Saturday program of original-leaning bands, surprisingly not too much. Machines Dream posted a video on their Facebook page of them playing the first part of "Boundaries", so fans of this exceedingly talented progressive rock band will want to give that a look, especially as this was the last of this run of shows for their reunited original lineup! The other public video that I know was shot on Saturday was a "Shorts" video uploaded by YouTube user Owerri Chic TV, and it captures The Hollow Heads (I think), though the video is confusingly titled "End of Rotaryfest" (they were the third-to-last band on Saturday). Sounds good while it lasts!

The other known public videos to date are from the Friday Night Blues program on Stage 2, and I will touch on those in some form in an upcoming post, especially if any hard rock covers snuck into the sets/videos. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Stage 1's Thursday headliners Abba Soo were photographed by The Sault Star in this article on the opening day's festivities. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!

Two Recent Interviews With Heavy Lies The Crown!!

Remember how St. Ignace, Michigan metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown had been interviewed for a podcast in March, only to get lost in our backlog despite me mentioning it in posts? Yeah, well they actually have another one from early 2023 that I didn't know about, so let's take some time today to finally address them! The new-to-me interview (I don't even think H.L.T.C. posted about it) is even earlier still, premiering as a Facebook live-stream on January 26th, and it was conducted via Zoom by Dustin Noell of Ghost Media Entertainment, a promotional agency based out of Missouri, with co-hosting duties by his young daughter Zelda, believe it or not. Heavy Lies The Crown are represented here by singer Brandon West and guitarist Ted Olson, and I do recommend that you crank the volume on your device while watching the interview, as Brandon & Ted are very quiet compared to Dustin & Zelda in the live-stream.

In the 59 minutes-long interview, Brandon & Ted talk about how their current lineup came together (including complications at some venues given drummer Jaxon Massaway not even being 19 yet), playing music for the passion vs. the money, their evolution from jamming to actually being a real band, their upcoming album and planned heavier material as of January, working with David Dominguez on mixing some older material, plans to play more shows in 2023, their favourite songs to play live, the inspirations of various songs of theirs, how they came up with the Heavy Lies The Crown name, their favourite (and most disturbing) movies, the band that they'd most like to play with, issues playing live when most of their shows are 5 hours away, their upcoming concerts & label aspirations, and much more. Zelda asks a few questions too, and Brandon's daughter even makes a cameo.

Fun interview with a casual atmosphere that benefits from Brandon & Ted knowing Dustin already (he clearly has Michigan ties and even notes plans to move back there for work reasons), and the addition of Dustin's daughter Zelda for the whole interview helps keep things light and approachable! How many metal band interviews feature bits about stuffed animals and Arby's, after all? Not many scoops to note beyond plans that may have already began rolling out (I am behind on recent Heavy Lies The Crown news), but give their Ghost Media Entertainment interview a watch below!

As for the interview from March 13th that I did know about, that one was actually an audio interview done for a podcast, namely Dark Side Of The Scene, which is hosted out of Indiana by To My Dismay frontman Brandon Wright and his co-host Ed Corella. This podcast (whose episodes are cross-posted to their YouTube channel) is themed around touring musicians and the ups & downs that they go through with bandmates, promoters, and venues, and given that H.L.T.C. travel downstate for the vast majority of their concerts, they should have stories to tell! In their 92 minute episode (the fourth ever for Dark Side Of The Scene), they talk to the whole band except Ted, now including guitarist Christian Thanasiu, bassist Christian Cook, and drummer Jaxon Massaway. The interview begins about 4 minutes in with plugs for their recent studio work and how things have been going for recording the material.

Diving into the themes of the podcast moreso, Heavy Lies The Crown next discussed how there's nowhere for them to play in the Eastern Upper Peninsula (they have gotten offers to play in Sault Ontario but various issues keep them from coming across), and how they have to commute downstate for almost all of their gigs. They also discuss how there isn't a massive scene for metal bands in St. Ignace and/or the E.U.P., but they do praise local musicians in general and how kind people are up here. The band do talk up the opportunities that they've had in the Lower Peninsula, but they are candid (if always polite) about their negative experiences from tour runs and the shows that they've played, which will be especially interesting if you were at these concerts. H.L.T.C. next discuss their lineup, how close apart they live, and exactly what led to Nathan, Danny, and Cale leaving last year, before going into experiences recording in studio.

After some more casual discussion about life in the E.U.P. and whatnot, they address the Heavy Lies The Crown name and how it is also being used by an existing death metal band from Indiana (I'm surprised that the two have coexisted for this long), before addressing their then-current merchandise, the genre that they consider themselves to be, and more assorted topics before playing "God's Butter" on air. Another solid interview, if often very respectful without taking any overtly direct shots at the bad experiences that they've had on the road, let alone their being an outlier in the E.U.P. in terms of contemporary original extreme metal bands. Check their Dark Side Of The Scene interview below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more from Heavy Lies The Crown and other local bands on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

A New Video Interview With Bill Priddle From Treble Charger!!

Here's a neat find, a new interview with Treble Charger guitarist/vocalist Bill Priddle that was posted on YouTube in August! This was conducted by Joel Martin of The Joel Martin Mastery Podcast, which you can hear for free on most major podcast platforms, with video versions also uploaded to the podcast's YouTube channel. The series' primary intent is to conduct two hour+ remote interviews with (typically) Canadian musicians in order to tell their stories and learn about what made them what they are today, and Joel himself is a singer/guitarist from Southern Ontario, so he can relate in many respects for these deep dives. It's rare when the SMS' coverage heads into podcasting, but the video from the show's YouTube channel is embedded at post's end, and note that Joel extracts parts of his interviews as separate uploads, but we're looking at the whole shebang here. 

The interview with Bill was episode #71 of The J.M.M.P. (episode #78 dropped on Monday), but don't bypass his other episodes, as he's gotten some big names! The 2 hours & 14 minutes long interview starts with Joel (pronounced Joe-ell) asking Bill about his recent songwriting and the struggles therein for now vs. back in the day, before going back to the beginnings of Bill's love & interest in music, his early influences as a kid, how he got into learning guitar and singing, his early local band work in the late 1970s and 1980s, his day jobs before focusing on music, and his mixed feelings about how the Soo influenced and impacted his music (I do agree with Bill on our lack of a Canadian rock or college radio station). How Bill met Greig Nori early and decided to form a band together was also brought up, including their move to Toronto, their first band there (named Warehouse) and their initial unreleased (and allegedly poor) album.

After outlining his views on band development under labels and the perceived "death of music" in the early 1980s, Joel asks Bill about when he realized he could make a career out of his music, family reactions to his musical aspirations, the MacLean's magazine cover article that featured Treble Charger (from March 27th, 1995), and some of his later nicknames. Treble Charger proper are focused on next, including how they came up with their original name nc-17 & why they had to change it, their debut album of the same name from 1994, their own indie label Smokin' Worm Records, early opportunities and concerts from this album's timeframe, and knowing The Tragically Hip from their early days (to some surprising levels). They next discuss Treble Charger's self-titled album from 1995, the feeling he got hearing their songs on the radio, that album's succession of re-releases, Bill's ear for harmonies, ...

...the pros and cons of being in a band with two singers (and how studio politics relating to who should be the lead singer helped stop the band initially), his memories of their first Juno Awards nomination and trip to the ceremony. Next they focus on 1997's "Maybe It's Me" (Bill's favourite of their five studio albums), with Bill discussing his feelings about getting proper rock radio hits and a gold certification for it, working with producer Lou Giordano and how that influenced him in that later role, choosing to re-record and re-release "Red" as a single, information on the gear and recording processes that he has used, and his ideal pick for a song to be included in a Guitar Hero game if they were asked. We dive into the pop punk era of Treble Charger next via 2000's "Wide Awake Bored", with Bill discussing why he thought it and "American Psycho" was their biggest album and song each, ...

...recording the album at Sound City in Los Angeles, his favourite tour stops & memories from this tour cycle (including playing with bands like The Foo Fighters), and how his songs come together. The final Treble Charger album (so far) comes up next, namely 2002's "Detox", which Bill is candid about his mixed feelings for in terms of recording it and the band's continued shift to pop punk, conflicting with his burgeoning work with Broken Social Scene and learning a lesson about playing music for money or not. Next, Bill answers a fan question about their 2012 reunion, his strained relationship with Greig by the end of their first run, how they repaired things, and why the reunion involved just him & Greig with session/touring musicians. Bill did note that he doesn't consider Treble Charger to be dead, and that they are slowly working on new music and hope to play live again (possibly next summer).

It does sound like a deliberate, stress-free approach, with them playing/working together when the cards line up the right way, and while some true public activity hasn't come in the pandemic era, hopefully we haven't heard the absolute last from Treble Charger! If you're only interested in Treble Charger talk, that stops about 90 minutes in, with Bill then going into detail about his work with Broken Social Scene, Don Vail, and The Priddle Concern (where some songs declined for later Treble Charger albums were eventually found), as well as some insights on his later work as a producer. An hour and 53 minutes in, we steer back to local discussion when Joel asks Bill about his recent local band Pointless, and he even brings up his help with local punk trio A Dire Setback's debut album! Joel gives his thoughts on three original song demos that Bill sent him as well, but there was no discussion of All The Tired Horses.

After asking about Bill's musical longevity, Joel gives Bill a series of rapid fire questions (stuff like favourite venues, biggest shows, bands he loved that he opened for, etc.), plus some closing deeper questions about unfulfilled dreams, his proudest achievements, and his advice for his 10 year old self. Very informative interview for fans of Bill's lengthy music career, especially on the Treble Charger side of the coin, and Joel had lots of good questions to ask, with Bill coming across respectful, kind, and insightful for the duration! I wonder if Greig could be interviewed by Joel at some point? Give the entire 2+ hour interview a watch/listen below, and weekend concert previews are next! Thanks everyone!

Videos & Updates From Four Different Mikes, And More Recent Notes!!

We're taking a Mike-heavy turn with our final news post of February 2018, as four local hard rock solo artists named Mike are featured in today's post in varying extents! Within, you'll find videos, general updates, and even some shorter updates from a couple of bands with no Mike involved, so here's what you should know, starting with former Din frontman/Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's newest solo original song! Posted to his Facebook page back on February 17th (apologies for the delay), the song is called "Bridges", and it's connected to both his wish to have a bridge to connect everyone he knows and loves that lives far away, while also acknowledging that people in despair can jump off bridges. An acoustic demo via this live performance clip, this is a softer ballad in this form, with Mike using a soft higher vocal register, and it's well performed with good emotion, so fans of Mike's more reserved music should take to this one! Give it a look below, and see more above!



Next up, here's some long overdue updates from local solo hard rock musician Mike McCleary (whose new album "Weight of the Truth" was just reviewed on here yesterday, and you can stream via a Facebook video at this link!) On February 11th, Mike launched the Northern Indies Podcast in an effort to help give more Northern Ontario independent musicians and bands a platform to share and promote their music, as well as publicize resources that could benefit independent musicians as they progress in their career. Mike plans to issue bi-weekly episodes of this podcast, with the first mini-episode being on musical resources, and the second being on Bananas Guerrillas frontman Andrew Pucci's solo project. This sounds like a great idea to promote many different artists, but it's still early days for the Northern Indies Podcast, so if you'd like to submit music for future episodes, or perform/be interviewed in one, click here! Transitioning back to Mike's own music, he has posted a couple of live performance videos onto his Facebook page!

Posted two weeks ago, these are solo acoustic renditions of Mike's original songs "The Working Poor" (complete with film grain effects), and as embedded below, "Be Us" from his "Hourglass" EP. The videos lag a bit, so the audio's out of sync with the visuals, but these are solid performance that capture Mike in a raw, casual setting (fitting for laundry day), and both songs are adapted well here! Give these videos a look above and below, and stay tuned for much more from Mike next month!

 
Also today, here's a solo YouTube video from another local guitarist/podcast host named Mike, namely Audiofumes showrunner Mike Cliffe! Posted to his YouTube channel on February 17th, this clip is of Mike working on a solo song named "Zombie Cowgirl Awakes", with him playing multiple acoustic tracks simultaneously via different videos in the same window (the second comes in at 0:26.) I'd have either centered the clips or made them portrait orientation to better fill the video resolution, but for an acoustic prog rock number, this is well played and intricate, so Audiofumes loyalists should like where this is going! Check out Mike's newest video below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news iems from the last while, includine one more mini write-up on another Mike! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• After an apparent 5 month breakup, local instrumental jam/funk/hard rock quintet Gianni Gagoots have reactivated their Facebook page along with posting a status indicating that they have "been spotted on an ice floe... from an undisclosed location", and "will be back." The status is full of their creative irreverence, and while I have no idea why they disbanded last fall, this is very positive news! The Gagoots are back in our active band links, and stay tuned for more on their 2018 reunion!
• Ex-Skull After Betrayl frontman Mike Vincent has posted three more songs from his planned second solo album onto his Bandcamp page! Entitled "Vitality", "Opprobrious", and "Sentinels", these have some wildly different imagery for the picture on their Bandcamp copies, but fans of Mike's modern technical brutality should enjoy these songs, which continue to be well performed and produced, so give them a listen above, and hopefully there's more coming!
• On Saturday, local punk trio Stegadeth posted four photos onto their Facebook page that heavily imply that they are making studio recordings of some kind. Is a debut album in the works, or are they just making professional studio copies of their original songs? This should be interesting either way, so follow along for updates from Stegadeth's camp as they roll in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews to start another new month tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Like A Pisces), A New Local Festival, And A New Podcast!!

Today's post has some common threads in the topics, which largely devolve into word on a debuting local festival and a newer local arts podcast, but there are some extra bits to note within, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and a partial band name change! Apologies for any delay in getting these on the site, but let's rectify that now and get this post underway!

Local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control will hit The Gore Street Cafe on Saturday, February 20th as the opening act for an apparent one-off Nirvana tribute band named Like A Pisces! The opening night of the debuting Fishbowl Festival (more on that in a second), this show coincides with what would have been late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's 49th birthday, and will serve as a celebration of Nirvana, 1990s grunge, new wave, and alternative music. If things are what they seem to indicate on the Facebook event page, Like A Pisces (referencing lyrics from "Heart Shaped Box") will be comprised of local musicians Mister Tahti (Honest Job), Sam Decter (Boxes of Boom), and Lauren McClure, though instrument roles aren't listed. The Pixo Control's set will be their second local appearance of the year, and I believe their first at the fast-rising Gore Street venue, so keep them in mind for next month, as they're ideal openers in terms of sound!

A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 7:00 PM concert, while there will also be packages available for all Fishbowl Festival events (which we'll get into next), and while there isn't an announced age limit, the early start time of 7:00 PM seems to hint that it may not be 19+. If we get confirmation, we'll let you know! This sounds like an intriguing concert, especially if you're a fan of Nirvana or the Seattle grunge scene, so definitely keep this show in mind as the Fishbowl Festival commences!

Now, just what exactly is The Fishbowl Festival? Announced two weeks ago, it's an intended "mid-winter festival of community, food, art, and culture" at The Gore Street Cafe, with the name likely deriving from it's scheduling from February 20th-March 20th, during stretch of the zodiac where the Pisces (or fish) sign falls. Masterminded by the aforementioned Sam Decter (a co-owner of The Gore Street Cafe), a number of varied events are planned for the month, from concerts to workshops to community meals, and Sam and the cafe/laundromat are also looking for people & artists interested in playing, hosting, or helping out with events during the Fishbowl Festival, so if you want in, click here to voice up! As of this writing, the aforementioned Like A Pisces show is the only fully confirmed event that fits our coverage on the SMS, but there are strong indications that Mike Haggith & The Din may be playing an event during the festival, possibly with Stereo North alongside. 

$25 ticket passes are available at The Gore Street Cafe which will get you free or discounted entry into all festival events, though some are already "pay what you can" deals like the venue usually offers. While this is very ambitious, it sounds like there's some fun and unique events for many different tastes in store for late February and March, with everything from a pajamas & cartoons brunch to another "really really free market" in store, so be sure to follow all of the currently announced Fishbowl Festival events at the above links, and get a hold of promoters A.S.A.P. if you want to play or put on any events of your own!

Next up, here's our long overdue look at a new local arts podcast named 7L! No word on what "7L" means yet, but this podcast was created by Pillory bassist Jordan Leach and local artist/LGBT advocate Teddy Syrette (who serves as the in-studio host), and two episodes were posted on it's Soundcloud page earlier this month, which encourage thinking outside the box as a tagline. The first episode (posted on January 7th) features Teddy talking with the aforementioned Sam Decter (who plugged the Fishbowl Festival and what would become Like A Pisces in the podcast), with an appearance by Honest Job drummer Jason Lloyd. Interesting listen, especially for fans of what Sam has been doing with The Gore Street Cafe and his own music projects, so definitely check it out! The second episode from last week fits our coverage more, as it focuses on an interview with all three members of the aforementioned Mike Haggith & The Din, so what should you know on that?

Well, in the interview, one of the first notes is that the band has officially contracted their name to simply The Din, as they're trying to carve their own identity that is separate from Mike's solo music & his prior work with the defunct band Haggith, while also noting that the simplified name rolls off the tongue easier. Makes sense for distinction and ease, and we've noted the change on the site! After that is noted, Teddy talks to The Din about how long they've been playing for, their beginnings as a looser jam outfit, their current setlist & sound, the late David Bowie's influence on the band, their opinions on the local music scene & it's evolution, where they've played in the Soo, current plans for 2016, and their advice for aspiring musicians. The episode concludes with The Din performing an acoustic version of their new original "Flux", which sounds promising and has good vocal harmonies, but the drums are a little loud in the mix.

Entertaining interview that tells us a lot about The Din's run and plans, and it has a nice loose feel, with Brandan Glew in particular giving some good and well thought answers! Check it out above, and what's in store for episode 3? If this proves to be a weekly series, it might go online tomorrow, and a recent Facebook page tease noted that it'll likely feature "some delicious acoustic punk" (Telephone & Address?) and "an exclusive Bon Soo interview" (The Marquee?) Stay tuned for more on the third episode, 7L is now in our "Other Local Metal Links", and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Two More Band Breakups, Plus New Sault Michigan Videos!!

Happy Canada Day to all of our Canadian readers! Ironically, things fell into place where today's post is 100% dedicated to Sault Michigan-area updates, but don't worry, there's some big Canadian stuff to come in July! Today, we have a podcast episode find that you might want to see, our first glimpse at one of the surprise bands from LemmaFest, and like yesterday, we're leading off with two more bands that we're adding to our inactive links, so here's what you need to know!

One of the bands that we're now considering as inactive is Brimley metal trio Half A Man, as they have not issued a new Facebook page update concerning the band since June 28th of last year (when they shared an SMS post referencing their 2013 LemmaFest set), while later updates have been strictly to promote open mic nights that frontman Erik Rintamaki put on. Of course, if I'm wrong on Half A Man being inactive, we'll correct this! Launched in late 2009, Half A Man quickly became one of the most prominent original metal bands in the Sault Michigan area, featuring alumni of known bands like Lower S.E.S., Bludgeoned, Bent Rollercoaster, Drayton Fever, and Infathom in their various lineups. Fans may remember them from a number of prominent early 2010s headlining dates and festival appearances, as well as circulating a demo CD, undertaking some notable studio sessions, and even appearing live on Rock 101! However, band activity slowed in 2012 & 2013, and Half A Man were only seen live at those years' LemmaFests.

If they are done, it's definitely disappointing, as Half A Man's gritty Black Label Society-esque sound was a welcome addition to the local scene in the last few years, and their live shows and original material lived up to their talents and experience! You can still see Erik occasionally with Train Wreck, but hopefully everyone else stays active musically. Best of luck to Erik, Gary, Mikey, and other former members in the future, and fingers crossed they come back down the road!

The other band that we're now listing as inactive is Sault Michigan hard rock trio Scofflaw, as they too have not issued an online update in over a year, and have also not played a known live concert since last year's LemmaFest. While there hasn't been a public announcement concerning their status, frontman Jeff Barnes remarked on a photo comment on his personal Facebook page last month that arthritis in his hands was a factor in Scofflaw not playing this year's installment, while the photo itself was captioned in part: "One last look. Scofflaw was your best entertainment value." Also featuring Mr. Fister bassist Barney Gravelle and ex-Blind Baby drummer Ivan Schliska, Scofflaw developed a loyal fanbase during their run, which saw them play a number of memorable concerts since the late 2000s, including at The Soo Theatre's Rock Starz event in 2008, each of the first 3 LemmaFests, and assorted other gigs at venues like The Merchant's Bar during their peak.

Scofflaw were a unique and entertaining trio that fans of Sykotyk Rampage and grunge/alternative fans should really take to, with raspy vocals, punk rhythms, and lots of reckless abandon! Hopefully this isn't the absolute end for Scofflaw, but hopefully everyone keeps at some music work, and best of luck to Jeff, Barney, and Ivan in the future! For reference, I've also changed their link on here to their MySpace page, as it now has more information than their Facebook page due to MySpace's photo & video restorations there.

We'll close today with new videos, including our long awaited first glimpse at a band that did play at LemmaFest outside of Dondee Lanes last month, that being Nightmare Grin! While we knew two members going in (RedStone Riot's Ryan Harrison and ex-I.S.O.M. drummer Bart Rennels), there were still some unanswered questions, but attendee Joe Harrison (a relation of Ryan's presumably) was on hand to film two videos of their set for Facebook, which he shared on the LemmaFest Facebook page over the weekend! So, are they a heavier band? Looks like it, as the videos are covers of Ugly Kid Joe's "Everything About You" and, as embedded below, Grand Funk Railroad's "We're An American Band", so check them out above & below! In terms of the lineup, Ryan (who's grown an impressive beard since we last saw him) appears to have returned to his old Riot! By Night role as singer for Nightmare Grin, though I am yet unable to determine the identities of the guitarist and bassist, who weren't tagged on Facebook with Ryan & Bart when these went up, but we'll let you know if we hear anything.

It's yet unclear too whether Nightmare Grin were a one-off band or will continue for more gigs, but they have a good sound on these videos, with a hard rock grit and a solid stage presence, and everyone has talent on display, with Ryan a nice fit on vocals! Hopefully we learn more on Nightmare Grin in the coming weeks, but check out their Grand Funk Railroad cover below, and see more above! (Also, note that comments on shares of these videos imply that Wayne Kozeyah filmed bands all day for an upcoming project, we'll have to see what comes of that!)



Finally for today, here's a video podcast from New Year's Eve in December that I'm surprised we haven't featured on the site until now! Uploaded to the aforementioned Wayne Kozeyah's YouTube channel, this is from a local series called Muckleash's Podcast, that was active through at least January, though not visibly since. This episode features host Malcolm Sutton (and I believe Wayne from off-camera) interviewing Scofflaw bassist Barney Gravelle, and it's an interesting watch! The 16 minute clip features Barney talking largely about his guitar playing & work with that instrument, including his early experiences with guitar, the first songs that he learned, and teaching music to his niece and nephew, before ending with a solo acoustic guitar composition. Perhaps most surprising about this interview is that Barney barely even talks about his recent local band work (I didn't even catch a mention of Scofflaw), though he did allude to early battle of the bands experience. Solid listen though, and it'd be nice to see Malcolm revive his podcasts, so check out this installment below!



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

A New Local Solo Project & Podcast, Plus New Videos!!

Let's get some more news up on this Friday afternoon, and coincidentally, most of this post revolves around members of Pillory in outside ventures! Today, we have new performance videos, information on a new local metal podcast, and a new solo original track, but first, here's a newly launched Sault Ontario solo project to check out!

We have a brand new local metal act to add to our local metal band links, and it's The Soviet Space Program, a new solo project from prolific local musician Jonathan Tiberi! Already quite busy as the guitarist, bassist, and/or singer in Late & Loud, Pillory, The Daybreak Johnnies, and Lazer Queen, Jon's now got some new solo work on his musical docket, so what should we know so far? Both the name of the project and Jon's home recording studio, the S.S.P. is intended to be a home for new solo compositions and perhaps song ideas for his other bands, though it remains to be seen how similar this will be to his old Last Warrior of Rock solo project. Only one song is posted on The Soviet Space Program's Reverbnation page so far (entitled "Don't Tell"), and it's a solid classic metal track that has a 1970s vibe and some good aggression, and Jon uses his singing well on it! I'm curious to hear more from The Soviet Space Program in the future, so I'd say give them a look above, and they're now in our Sault Ontario metal band links!

Also in the realm of things Jon's been up to, he and Late & Loud/Lazer Queen bandmate Benn Garside recently launched a local metal podcast that they're trying to get off the ground, so I thought I'd highlight it on here! Entitled The Meltdown, it was actually launched in October of last year, but the guys (under the names "Jon Barbarian" & "Benn Striker") only just resumed activity on it last month, uploading the first episode to The Meltdown's SoundCloud page on November 25th. Just under 90 minutes in length, it features around 20 songs from bands like Pantera, Dokken, The Sword, Alice Cooper, and Metallica, among many others. The tracks themselves sound great, but I'd like to hear some longer banter between Jon & Benn, and possibly some more integration of local music. The guys want 60 fans on their Facebook page before recording a second episode, so check out the first episode above to see if you enjoy The Meltdown, visit Facebook as well to vote on what you'd like to see in future episodes, and The Meltdown's now in our Other Sault Ontario Metal Links section!

We'll close this post with videos, starting with a YouTube channel I'm surprised I hadn't heard of before, that being Pillory guitarist Andres Duchesne's YouTube channel! Launched way before he first entered our radar as an original member of The Bear Hunters, Andres has used this channel off & on since 2006, and while the majority of the channel isn't of his musical work, there's a bunch of guitar performance clips to check out! These include covers of Children of Bodom, Exodus, Death, and Slayer material (among assorted other randomness), so check the above links to give them a look, as his talents are visible even way back in the late 2000s! What brought Andres' channel to my attention though is his newest video (and first performance video in over a year), which is of an original guitar passage named "The Stalker". Well played, though I'd like to see him expand on it to give it some variance or higher tones. Still good though, so check out Andres' newest video below, and definitely check out his earlier covers via the above links!



Finally for today, here's the latest solo original track by AlterWhite mainman Mike Matthews! Following his most recent solo song upload last month, his newest song (entitled "My Face To Your Face") was posted on the band's YouTube channel two days ago. Supposed to be a part of his "second album", I like the contrast between the verses & choruses, and the aggressive metal choruses work well, but I think he tries a bit too hard on the softer sections vocally, and the song feels longer than it should be. Solid though, and you can see his improvements from 2011 tracks, so give Mike's newest solo song a listen below!



That's probably all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend! Thanks everyone!