The Ethereal Tomb & Tym Morrison Concert Previews, New Reeves Videos, And More!!

(Updated at 6:40 PM) Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a short notice concert that we missed in our previews, as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished returned to St. Ignace for a set outside of The Little Bear East Arena & Community Center last night! The reason for the last minute announcement (only made yesterday morning on their Facebook page) was the meet & greet prior to today's Trek The Mighty Mac, an annual off-road vehicle parade crossing the Mackinac Bridge. Multiple bands played last night, though there was no formal announcement of them from promoters. Despite the late notice, hopefully the guys had a fun show last night, and we'd have happily covered it had it even had a day's notice!

Now, today's post looks at some assorted recent updates, new videos of a band in studio, and leading off, two previews of upcoming concerts, starting with local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's return to Beck's Bar as this week's Sunday matinee performer there TOMORROW! While not a regular sight at the former Vibe Lounge, Tym last played the Sunday matinee slot there in mid-August, and this will be the third straight week where he has played a matinee gig on this day of the week, following two consecutive Reggie's Place dates. As usual for Beck's, they are hosting their weekly euchre tournament tomorrow during the concert proper, so hopefully Tym's hard rocking covers prove to be a fitting soundtrack whether you're playing or just want to enjoy the music! As usual for Beck's Sunday matinee timeslot, tomorrow's concert is at 3:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover.

If you can't make it tomorrow for this particular show, Tym's next Sunday matinee gig will be at Reggie's in two weeks. Visit the Facebook event page for more details on the unplugged hard and classic rock covers ahead, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Next up, we end this batch of concert preview with the return of Barrie doom metal trio Ethereal Tomb, who will headline a "DIY garage show" on MONDAY NIGHT at Unnecessary Noise! Remember, this is the house party venue used for multiple Underground Events SSM concerts this year, but the address remains private, so if you want the address, "ask a punk" (though note that only one punk band is scheduled on Monday). Ethereal Tomb previously played at what's now Blaster Powerhouse in July of last year, and while the scale of their return is definitely lower, their sludgy brand of "Turtle Island street metal" should melt faces at Unnecessary Noise, so keep this in mind if you can swing the work/school night action! Local support will come by way of ska/crust punk quartet ASDP (led by promoter Mikhal "Cha" Muto) and young hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe in their first public concert set in almost two months.

Neither are as heavy as what's to come, but there's a good array of styles to check out on Monday! This concert is all ages, has a 6:00 PM start time, and admission is $10 or "pay what you can". Sounds like a fun time, and you can sample the Unnecessary Noise concert experience by clicking here, so see above for more details, "ask a punk" (and/or members of 5 Dollar Bribe) for the address, and here's Ethereal Tomb live!

Also, here's some new videos of local hard rock quartet The Reeves' recent recording sessions at The Loft at The Algoma Conservatory of Music! After sharing photos of drummer Jeremy Ganuelas tracking "our first batch of songs" on their Facebook page on Tuesday, they shared two vertical videos from the sessions in progress, one featuring Jeremy drumming to an unspecified song while his bandmates observe in the studio. The longer of the two is embedded below, and it starts with an uncredited band member observing the view of the skyline and International Bridge before walking to the studio as Jeremy is in the booth again, and note that the camera is pointing down at his feet/the floor for the entire walk (not sure if that's to preserve some of the mystery of The Loft's layout or just where the camera was naturally pointed). Hopefully the sessions are going well, whether their teased album is still the end goal or not, so give these a watch above and below!

Finally for today, you may have seen this article on SooToday about new local funk/jazz fusion band Honey & Groove following their win at the Big Nickel Music Festival Battle of the Bands in Sudbury. While not a heavier group, their lineup features Lime frontwoman "Miss" Madii Schomogyi, River Fools/ex-Sylo frontman Eli Russell on drums, and Maynard Hayes bandmates Nathan Snider and Gabrielle Abulencia on guitar, alongside new-to-me bassist Zach Smith. That's a stacked lineup of young local talent, and congratulations to them on winning that battle of the bands (I wish we could get one to successfully take place here though!). I partly bring Honey & Groove up because I don't know if their existence means anything negative towards the future of Maynard Hayes, but the local hard rock quartet has been publically inactive since January, when they released "No Security" on major streaming services.

It's worth noting that Maynard Hayes don't have social media accounts outside of the limited Instagram, and their 2026 hiatus may have a lot to do with drummer David Peredun's move to Southern Ontario, though he remains active in Convergence (at least in studio). If they were linked on the SMS (Instagram-only bands are not), I wouldn't be classifying them as inactive for a few months, but hopefully Damon and crew aren't done yet, and give Honey & Groove a look above, as they have a good and lively sound that has impressed here and afar! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and features on the SMS next week! Thanks everyone!

Dead II Society Updates, Plus Our Next Tym Morrison Concert Preview!!

Today's post ended up being more skewed to one band than I imagined, but there's a lot to cover with their recent launch and first major material! However, we are leading off with a preview of a matinee concert tomorrow, so here's what you should know on this Saturday night!

We'll start today with the last hard rock concert preview for this weekend, as local classic/hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will return to Reggie's Place for another matinee concert TOMORROW! Shifting his unplugged concert focus to indoor venues for the fall, Tym just played at Reggie's last week, with tomorrow's concert being the only time in his confirmed bookings there through December where he is the matinee performer on consecutive Sundays. Hopefully things go well with a good turnout and solid covers from the former Caveman Morrison frontman tomorrow afternoon as usual! Like last week, this is a 2:00 PM concert with a presumed 19+ age limit and no cover charge. If you can't make it, he'll be back at Reggie's in three weeks. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Next up, here's a new music video and single from new local outlaw punk quartet Dead II Society! As teased when they publically launched last month, they did indeed release their first studio original "Dead & Buried" onto "all music streaming platforms" (a continually unlikely claim from any band) on Wednesday! To promote the release of it and its music video, frontman Erik "Buzz" Boissineau was interviewed on Scott Cook In The Morning on Rock 101, where the song was also played. It's rare when clips from on-air interviews on 101.3 FM get shared online, but hopefully the interview went well! To promote everything, the band was featured in this SooToday article by James Hopkin on Tuesday, which features remarks from Buzz and guitarist Mike Yakasovich. In it, Buzz details that his plans to write and record a full album with a new band began in 2020, shortly after he moved back to the Soo.

Mike noted that Dead II Society were basically kept secret while they were in development in recent years, so they're not brand new as a unit, just new to the public at large. Buzz's past work with his 2008-2015 metal band Garden of Bedlam is also brought up, especially as he knew Scott Cook following that band's victory in the Rock 101-hosted Kiss Battle of the Bands in 2009. It's a solid and informative interview that helps explain what Buzz and the gang have been up to in the early-mid 2020s, so give it a read above! Now that the cat is out of the bag, the song can be heard on major streaming platforms as well as Bandcamp, which all confirm that the song was recorded at the Canadian Musicians Co-operative Studio in Barrie and at The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music with producer/Golden Scoundrels guitarist Brandon Ruch, with mixing by Jordan Zadorozny of Skylark Park in Pembroke.

Bryan Lowe mixed the song at Joao Carvalho Mastering in Toronto. Buzz did imply wanting to release a Dead II Society album, but is that 100% in the works or is this just step #1? Regardless, the music video (directed by Brandon's Golden Scoundrels bandmate Josh Penno at Spacebag Productions) is the first upload on the band's new YouTube channel. The video intercuts studio performance footage of Buzz, Yak, bassist Andrew Torgerson, and drummer Charlie Yanni (all separately shot) with scenes of actress Jean Becker. The lyrics imply that the song/video is about a woman trying to get out of an abusive relationship, and her hopes for what she wants her partner to deal with as a result. Well edited overall, and left with just enough room for interpretation that there are still some elements of the story to question what happened and why! With all of that said, how exactly do Dead II Society sound as a band on this track?

Their sound was described as melding "skater punk, alternative country and arena rock", and while the soaring Volbeat-reminiscent vocals will remind you of Garden of Bedlam instantly, this is a pure punk song that fans of the 1990s local scene will appreciate! If anything, this fits more with Charlie's back catalogue than anyone else here. I don't really get a country vibe from this song, but if they're implying it, that must be ahead (also, remember that Buzz's other main local bands like Barfly and Changing Lanes weren't as heavy as Garden of Bedlam). A promising start with fantastic production and mastering, so give it a look above and below, and witness their debut at the sold out Punk Rock Fiesta at The Rockstar Bar on October 3rd!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dos Amigos), Plus New Mike Haggith & Reeves Videos!!

Before we begin this news post, just a heads up that yesterday's Led By Zeppelin concert at The Sault Community Theatre Centre was cancelled due to "a medical emergency" from one of the band members, as per guitarist Rob Micoli on their Facebook group. The band hopes to reschedule and come back here soon, and I assume you'd contact the SCTC for refunds at point of purchase (no idea if they will honour tickets bought for yesterday's show at the makeup date). Very disappointing news, but hopefully the band member gets well soon! Now, here's some new videos and related news and notes, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos will make their debut at Paint & Decor Studios at 826 Queen Street East on TUESDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced on the studio's Facebook page on September 1st, but a combination of this not being a typical local concert venue and Dos Amigos' own patchy-at-best social media promotion led me to only hear about it late last week. Band members did acknowledge it in Facebook "Stories", but it's not even on their Instagram page. Paint & Decor Studios (located at the former Mr. Sudz/Autoways building behind the Old Stone House) is a store first, but they have been ramping up their offerings since Benjamin Moore moved to the west end earlier this year, with craft nights & workshops, a cafe/bar, and other special events, one being a Taco Tuesday theme night. $18.98 reservations are required, but this includes tacos with custom toppings, and you can drink and paint too if so inclined.

The idea of including tunes with the tacos & good vibes feels very new, and a punk act isn't who my mind would do to first given the setting, but hopefully Mikey & Dustin continue their Wolf Fest (with BookcluB) momentum well on TUESDAY! This special event takes place at 5:30 PM at Paint & Decor Studios, and there is no stated age limit. It'll be interesting to see how this dip into the concert pool goes, but Dos Amigos' punk covers should be a good pair for a Taco TUESDAY! See above for more details, and here's the Amigos live!

Next up, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has posted a full multi-camera concert video from his and The Big Finish Band's Northern Vibe Festival set a couple weeks ago onto his YouTube channel! As he did in 2023 & 2024 (obviously not last year following the severe thunderstorm damage), Mike had multiple cameras set up to film the set from lots of angles, and then edited them together in post-production, but this time, he prefaced the 45 minutes-long set with an explanation of the technical difficulties that they ran into on Poplardale Road in Ophir on this Friday night. The set itself was already delayed a couple of hours due to power issues at the rebuilt Forest Stage, implying that they didn't begin their set until 10:00 PM (I don't know how else the sets were juggled otherwise, but they were initially the middle band before The Rhythm Junction and Sunday & The Broken Hearts at 10:00 & 9:00 PM). 

Mike acknowledged three big technical glitches during the off-the-grid festival, with the first one occurring following their first song, "The Best You Never Had", when their tuning pedals stopped working, leading to a four minute break between songs to get them working again. The gang resumed the set with covers of The Din's "Give Me A Reason" & "Missing", but at the end of Mike's own "Carousel", guitarist Chris Nielsen broke strings on his guitar, leading to technical issue #2. Mike's yet-to-be-recorded originals "I Really Hope This Gets To You" and "No Love" are next, but on the latter song, they lost power to the amplifiers for just over a minute (you can catch this at the 29:53 mark). Mike is not one to stop a song once it has begun, as anyone who saw him dislocate his knee at Rotaryfest in 2023 will be aware, so they kept going with an acapella vocal and drum performance, plus some amusing vocal harmonizing to replace the guitar between verses.

A fun way to keep thing going in spite of one more glitch, and props to Mike and crew for keeping things rolling in spite of everything in the bush last month! The set concluded with "Hot & Cold", "An Act Of Strength", and "MorningStar". The footage used includes full-set video of the whole stage (zoomed in late), a drumcam video of Brandan Glew, and some mobile footage of songs from midway through the set courtesy of Riverside Stasis/ex-Jack Spades bassist Rob Speers. Oddly, the colours are very washed out for the main video but often too deep for the drumcam, but the audio quality and editing are excellent, and it's great to see Mike & crew in good spirits on the big stage again, so watch the whole Northern Vibe set below!

Finally for today, here's the latest from newer local hard rock quartet The Reeves' Facebook page! The guys are fresh off of "our 2nd show" (again ignoring Toystock last year) at The Art Hub At Spring last week, and they posted a bunch of photos from the event to Facebook, as well as a video that was quickly deleted for unannounced reasons. No word on if it will resurface, but we do still have a video to share. Before their actual second concert (at Rotaryfest), the program had teased that their Stage 2 set would have songs from their planned 8-song debut album, and while they haven't firmly confirmed those plans on social media, they "started cooking up our first batch of songs" on Tuesday at The Loft at The Algoma Conservatory of Music. Interestingly, they were recording the new music with aforementioned Dos Amigos singer/guitarist Dustin Jones alongside Frank Deresti.

I say "interestingly" because they weren't at Dustin's own Mission Control Studios. A case of using the most professional location with the best producers, or will this only be for the vocal recording? In any event, a 25 seconds-long vertical video was uploaded featuring (I believe) guitarist Steve Edwards tracking vocals with Dustin at the controls. It's way too soon to be commenting on the song in progress, but it's good to see The Reeves quickly working in studio, so give this new video a watch below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Riverside Stasis & Tym Morrison), The Nate's Chow Concert Preview, And New Videos!!

Let's conclude this surprisingly busy weekend concert preview slate in tonight's post, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), but also here are videos from two recent concerts, so with all of that outlined, here's what you should know on this Friday night!

Fresh off of the end of his seasonal Mike Case Memorial Stage run for 2026, local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison isn't resting on his laurels, as he will kick off a new series of Sunday matinee concerts at Reggie's Place THIS SUNDAY! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show in this batch Facebook event page on Monday, and Reggie's haven't been actively promoting musicians playing there recently on social media. This isn't a regular weekly or bi-weekly run, but Tym will kick things off with consecutive shows THIS SUNDAY and next Sunday the 20th, before playing there on October 11th (on the Thanksgiving long weekend) and October 25th (no word yet on if that show will have any Halloween themes). Tym is only blocked once each in the last two months of the year, namely on November 15th and December 13th, so keep all of these shows in mind if you're a fan!

Tym's unplugged hard rock cover action will take place THIS SUNDAY and the five Sundays to come in Reggie's 2:00-6:00 PM matinee block. All dates are 19+ with no announced cover charge. Matinees or not, Tym doesn't commonly play at band-frequented nightclubs as a solo act, so note the downtown action ahead in the last third of 2026, see above for more details, and for a preview of SUNDAY's show, here he is live!

Next up, here's a new show for next month from promoters Underground Events SSM, and if you want some newer original music to kick off the Thanksgiving long weekend, then you may want to come to Beck's Bar on Friday, October 9th. On this night four weeks from today, three bands will join forces, including alt-hard rock quartet Riverside Stasis, ska punk quartet ASDP (fronted by promoter Mikhal Muto), and newer local "diamond rock" band (and Doo & The Boyos side project) Stones At The Alter! The former two bands have been reasonably visible recently, ASDP's continued lack of social media beyond Instagram and Bandcamp acknowledged, but Stones At The Alter's presence is encouraging given how quiet they have been over the past four months, so hopefully things are going well behind the scenes for them! Remember, S@TA guitarist William Wardlaw is ASDP's bassist, so assuming nothing changed this summer, he'll have a busy night next month. 

This 19+ concert will have FREE admission (not even a "pay what you can" option) and a 9:00 PM start time. Sounds like an intriguing array of live music with originals and covers expected all night, and you can't beat that admission price, so keep the Thanksgiving weekend action at Beck's in mind, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details! 

We'll next head to the EUP to wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, specifically local cover hard rock trio Nate's Chow at the annual Stalwart Agricultural Fair in Goetzville TOMORROW NIGHT! Two years removed from headlining "the biggest little fair in Michigan" under their old name Unfortunate Sun, the now Skip-less group will head back to Goetzville to cap off a weekend full of family entertainment and farm games/activities (Sault Ontario readers will see many parallels with last month's Laird Fair). Tomorrow is the closing day of the Stalwart Fair, so be sure to visit the official Facebook page for the full itinerary of what's going down in Goetzville prior to the show. Nate's Chow are hitting the outdoor stage at 8:00 PM (after the last draft horse pull) at the fairgrounds at 8081 East M-48. Admission to the fair is a flat $5 for the whole weekend, and this is definitely all ages.

9&10 News is calling for clear skies for most of the evening tomorrow in Goetzville with temperatures ranging from 58-65° (14-18° Celsius). Fall is definitely here! Visit the above links for more details, and here's a brand new live video from their Facebook page from their "end of summer bash" at The Islander Bar in Hessel this past Saturday! The clip sees the guys covering Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff" with drummer Jason VanLuven on lead vocals. Interesting pick, and Jason's vocals may be gruffer than the song really needs, but it's an energetic and up tempo cover that I do wish was filmed for longer than 41 seconds. Give it a watch for yourselves below!

Finally, let's look at videos from Wednesday's Bone Yard 225 concert at the aforementioned Beck's Bar in Sault Ontario with Stones & Crows frontman Spencer Pine on guest guitar! After frontman Greg Simpson posted vertical videos on their Facebook page to promote that they're now booking 2027 concert dates and have some new band merchandise and t-shirts to sell, they headed to Beck's for the concert, where three official videos were shot, though sadly, two are A. vertical, and B. live-streams, so they will vanish from Facebook around October 9th given their current guidelines. As such, I won't embed either here, but give them a watch while you can! One is the last three minutes of a fast blues rock song with guitarist Alex D'Ettore on lead vocals that I cannot immediately identify (Alex's singing through this cell phone camera isn't super clear), while the other is a full take of "the dirty three" + Spencer covering Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Running Down A Dream". Embedded below is the only proper video of the three.

The horizontal(!) video was uploaded on Thursday, and captures an 8+ minute extended jam version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Little Wing" with Spencer on lead vocals. Good to see the guys letting Spencer sing a bit here, and the collaboration between him and Alex on guitar was a good idea, and they are clearly having fun shredding together! Spencer does seem overdressed compared to Bone Yard, but Becky's idea to bring him together with your local 225 worked out, and I just hope that there was a decent turnout given that this was literally "midweek mayhem". Give these videos a watch above and below, and there's more coming!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A New Local Punk Band, Crush Updates, And More Recent News & Notes!!

As we wrap up the busiest month (for post count) in the 19+ year history of the SMS, here's one more news post for the end of August before we go into autumn, and it includes updates from an EUP hard rock band, clarifications on who played a recent all-day charity concert, and some assorted shorter updates, but we'll lead off with a debuting supergroup that will be intriguing for many local punk and hard rock fans! Here's what you should know!

We have a new local punk band to add to our links, and they are Dead II Society! While their Facebook page was only launched yesterday, they were one of the two mystery bands announced for October's Punk Rock Fiesta at The Rockstar Bar (we are still waiting for details on The Baby Rails). Self-described as "an outlaw punk rock (band) specializing in loud, high energy, foot-stomping songs", their lyrics are planned to revolve around members' personal lives, health, and relationships. The band features former Garden of Bedlam/Changing Lanes singer/guitarist Erik "Buzz" Boissineau alongside former Northwest/Terminal guitarist Mike Yakasovich, veteran local bassist Andrew Torgerson (most recently seen down south in The Epifats and Grant Boyer's backing band), and Billy Bastards drummer Charlie Yanni (he will be pulling double duty with both bands on October 3rd).

Dead II Society are working on original music for major streaming services and Bandcamp, and your first teaser is this video featuring an instrumental track and silent footage of the guys meeting up and jamming. Their first single and full-length video (presumably both for this song) premiere on September 16th, 2½ weeks before their Punk Rock Fiesta debut. Sadly, the video is both vertical and black & white, aspects that I hope don't translate to what we get in two weeks, but it's great to see this promising band full of established names making their debut shortly, and it'll be interesting to hear how Buzz's long-teased original punk songs turn out! See more from them above and below, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, let's bolt across the border to Sault Michigan for the latest updates from local hard rock trio Crush! It's been a few months since we last talked about Tarnished's original-heavy splinter group, who haven't played a local concert in over four months (or downstate since May), but they haven't been completely idle. After jokey posts, AI-generated memes, and more love for Big Boy restaurants over the summer, they have announced two tour dates for September on their Facebook page, one being a show on Friday at Bemo's Bar in Bay City (3½ hours south of here, outside of Saginaw). Best of luck on the road trip for sure! The other gig is technically outside of our coverage range (an hour's drive from the Soo), but it will be their closest show since April at The Merch, and it will see Alex, Josh, and Iggy open for their friends in Rose City metal band Tribe989 at Bates Corner Bar & Grill in Gould City on Thursday, September 24th.

Hannahville "rez metal" band Ghidora (who Heavy Lies The Crown fans will know well) are also playing this show 90 minutes west of the Soo. If you can make the drive to western Mackinac County, this show may be of note, and despite Gould City being pretty small, they can book big names at Bates Corner (Buckcherry played there earlier this month!) Click here for details on the Gould City concert. Lastly, they posted this short teaser video for the Bay City show on Friday, with Iggy promoting it from an... unexpected place, while the caption at the end notes that Crush have been busy in the studio recently working on original material. Hopefully we hear more soon, so get Crushed above and below, and I hope next month's shows go well!

Also today, here's some clarification of the lineup for Maddy's Mighty Mutts Family Fun Day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in Sault Ontario on August 5th! The advertising for the event had conflicting details on who was and wasn't playing, but organizer Paige Dennie listed off performers in a personal Facebook post shared to Maddy's Facebook page the next day to thank everyone for volunteering. Ten acts ended up playing the Wednesday outdoor-ish concert under the big tent, with this AI-generated poster being accurate to the final bill aside from omitting Tex Riviera & The Relix Ride for one reason or another (not only did they play, they were up first!). The acts that dropped out (both for unannounced reasons) were solo musicians Arin Karki and Leslie Cook, with Tym Morrison being a last minute replacement for one of them. Of note, Jason Taillefer's sister Kelly guested for part of his solo set, which was implied to be keyboard-heavy.

Paige noted that 5 Dollar Bribe donated their drum kit and PA system for the day's full band's to use, which was nice of them, while TNT singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe helped with sound and managing set changes, and Bone Yard 225 were the headliners. It does sound like things went well, and Paige was very appreciative of everyone helping out, both from the concert aspect and towards supporting the dog rescue charity itself, so visit the above links for more on what went down four weeks ago!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual for our short-form story blocks, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:

 

• A memorial concert for late local musician Dale Corcoran will be held at the resurgent Rockstar Bar on Saturday, September 19th! Proceeds will go to his widow Clare for her own recent expenses, and the show is implied to largely be an informal and unrehearsed jam featuring friends and former bandmates rather than something with firmly scheduled and advertised bands (though I'd assume that we'll see members of Tex Riviera & The Ride). Could we see throwbacks to his local metal and hard rock work of the 1980s? Tickets cost $20 + processing fees at this link, and I do hope that this celebration of life is a huge hit across the board!
• I apologize for missing this among our backlog clearout, but a demonstration named Navigating the Modern Music Business As An Independent Artist was held at The Art Hub At Spring this past Tuesday. Hosted by local musician and manager Ryan St. Pierre of The Lonely Listeners Club and the upstart music management program Lisinin, the program was to promote his work and help encourage independent artists to explore today's music industry and better network in music communities. All are definitely good plans to help aspiring musicians in their career, so click here for more on what went down last week, and what Ryan continues working on!
• The performance order for the aforementioned Punk Rock Fiesta at The Rockstar Bar on October 3rd has been unveiled via this poster shared on the Punk Canada Facebook group two weeks ago! The running order is mostly what you'd expect given band notoriety, with everyone but headliners Random Killing having a half hour timeslot (the debuting Baby Rails lead off at 6:30 PM), but local crossover thrash trio Hails will surprisingly get the 10:30 PM co-headlining slot over the Billys and Fist Magnet reunions. This will be a huge show no matter when bands are on, so visit the above links for more on what to expect in just over a month!

 

That's all for tonight, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS next month! Thanks everyone!

A Newly Discovered Mike Haggith Performance Video, ASDP Updates, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in our weekend concert previews, as local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison played at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Club's summer barbecue party/open house yesterday. Click here for details on the all ages festivities. It's been a while since Tym has played a regular nighttime show at Aerie #3991, and while he didn't plug his involvement on his solo project's Facebook group, I do apologize for missing what looked like a fun event! I'd have covered it had I known! Now, here's some new videos and related updates from three acts who played at a major concert festival this weekend!

While we await the teased full-set video from his Northern Vibe Festival return yesterday, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has a new long-form video to check out, but not from his own channels. When I was getting the link for his 2024 Northern Vibe video for our festival preview post last week, I stumbled across a 30+ minute acoustic set that he recorded for Underscored Sound, a acoustic performance-based webseries that records VH1 Storytellers-style sets from artists at the Canadian Musicians Co-operative headquarters in Barrie, in association with LiveBarrie and Alex Ciprian Media. Artists pay to appear and receive high quality copies of their sets in multiple formats. Mike was the 10th performer in season 1 of this series back in August 2024, with all five songs later being uploaded as separate videos (plus some vertical "Shorts") to the Underscored YouTube channel if you're so inclined.

I don't recall Mike mentioning his Underscored appearance at all, possibly because it was aimed towards Barrie and Southern Ontario at a time when we were focused on Northern Vibe and summer concerts here, but better late than never! The performance begins with Mike introducing himself and setting up his backstory, before introducing his first song "MorningStar" from 2020's "If Ever Comes The Day". He follows that up by tackling "Of Cars & Criminals" from 2015's "The Warinside", which is mildly surprising as it A. predates his modern Thompson/Barrie output, and B. was cut from The Din's live album "Technically Live" two+ years prior. Mike then reflects on his personal life and how it influenced his next song, "Back Away Slowly" (also from "If Ever Comes The Day"), followed by the title track of his 2021 album "Bridges". This acoustic showcase ends with "Brand New Day" from his not-yet-released 2025 album "Frequent Flyer".

The reason why there's only five songs is also why I compared it to VH1 Storytellers and not MTV Unplugged, as Mike outlines the personal inspiration and stories behind each song performed here, and Mike is candid about his life and the events that informed his music! The Soo does come up for the first few introductions. There's no interviewer or host, just Mike talking to the viewer, and the audio and video quality is excellent, including three different stationary camera angles. Really good stuff, even two years late, so fans of Mike's acoustic work will want to check out his Underscored set below!

Next up, we do have a public video to share from the Northern Vibe Festival in nearby Ophir this weekend! I'm expecting more in due course, especially with many musicians only coming back on the grid from the Poplardale Road bush today, but the festival went off without any weather-related glitches, and thank goodness for that! A festival representative filmed this video of Timmins pop punk band Saving Bambi covering Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "Bad Reputation" on the rebuilt Forest Stage for their Facebook page. Alas, it's 39 seconds long and vertical (why accentuate the lawn like this when you can flip the phone sideways?), and this cover may be a slightly obvious pick for an all-female punk band, but what we do hear is lively and well performed, and it's great to see the Forest Stage looking refurbished and strong after the 2025 storm. Give Saving Bambi's video a watch below, and stay tuned for more from the festival when it goes live!

Finally, here's some updates from the subject of this month's album review from this morning (and another Northern Vibe act), local ska punk quartet ASDP! Apologies for only mentioning these after the fact (out of town or not), but checking Instagram is still not second nature for me, and the band still doesn't have Facebook. Last week, Mikhal, Tucker, William, and Ralph took their first ever road trip for shows out west, when they headlined at Shooters Bar in Kenora on August 21st, before heading to Winnipeg to play at the Sargent Skate Jam at the Sargent Skatepark the next day. Click here for more info and the posters of both concerts. As far as I can tell, an AI-generated skateboarding amplifier did not headline the Skate Jam, but it did feature Winnipeg punk quartet Shit Happens, who you may recall from headlining at the still-closed Distraction in March 2024. I do apologize again for not mentioning these at the time, but I hope the gigs went well, especially given the 12+ hour drive to Kenora alone!

A public video from their westward trip has surfaced though, but not from the band proper. 90 minutes east of Kenora, the guys stopped in Dryden, where they met the Christian musician Mr. World Peace at a 7-Eleven there (the idea of Northern Ontario having 7-Elevens still surprises me). The short & vertical video sees him and ASDP members doing a "World! Peace!" call & response in the parking lot. Kudos to both Mr. World Peace and ASDP for giving each other some exposure, so check this clip out below, and stay tuned for more from ASDP on the SMS likely next month!

That's all for now, but will we have one more post before August is done? Stay tuned either way, and thanks everyone!

ASDP - "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" EP Review!!

It's now time for our 206th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and this month, we're continuing filing through our new album backlog in chronological release order via local ska punk band ASDP's debut EP "Atom Bombs & Lemonade"! Independently released exclusively to their Bandcamp page on December 17th, the "crackrocksteady" band is represented here by Agnosticism frontman/Apocalypse Afterparty bassist Mikhal "Châ" Muto on vocals & guitar, With Gunfire/ex-Stoned To Deaf bassist William "Glistening Williard" Wardlaw, and Spaceship Opening drummer "Just" Ralph Barber. This album was recorded before Tucker Lidstone joined on second guitar, but it does feature a number of guest musicians, including Golden Scoundrels/ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno on backing vocals and a guest verse, Cole Speers as a backing vocalist on "Party Song", ...

...a lead guitarist credited as "Keagles", Mason Mahoney as a narrator, and Floor Between Us frontman Colin Gasparelli on trumpet. Aside from Ralph's Spaceship Opening bandmate Andrew MacDonald being credited for engineering, the band didn't give production details in the liner notes. Adam Smith Death Parade recorded 10 songs for this album last year, but three of the songs are covers that are only available on the paid download, and as they're sprinkled throughout the track order there, they are not considered to be bonus tracks. If you want to hear them, then buy "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" for $7 on Bandcamp in mp3 format! Otherwise, you can hear the album's seven songs as free streams there too, but those three covers eat up 11+ minutes of the 26 minute runtime.

Let's kick off this A.S.D.P. album review with its opening song, "Taller Ants"! Lyrically about still wanting to live the hard-drinking punk lifestyle despite the process getting harder with time, things open with a phone message from someone angry at "Andrew" about borrowed items still owed. The song itself (the only one here what William co-wrote) has a suitably bouncy ska punk riff. A fairly steady song without much in the way of tempo changes, there are no empty moments, and it interestingly ends with a guitar solo (if that's "Keagles", he did well!). The production wasn't crystal clear, but the ska action wasn't bad to start! Next is "Bay Of Pigs", which is the only one of the seven original songs here to crack 3 minutes in length. It is this song where ASDP got the name of the EP, and the lyrics speak to views of a bleak future, using the Bay of Pigs fiasco in a metaphorical sense.

Opening with a 30 seconds-long spoken word sample about fascism, this is a rougher edged song that, while still having a ska essence, feels more lo-fi and crust punk-influenced. To a point, I feel like Mikhal was over-exaggerating his singing for effect, and should have kept things simpler. This is the song with Josh Penno's guest verse, and it's cool hearing him scream on a new original song, if not for too long! Strong bass and drums here too, but the song got messier and noisier, so I did think the song started stronger than it finished. Third on paid copies is the first of the paid buyer-exclusive covers, namely "One Dead Cop" by the legendary New York crust punk band Leftover Crack. The ASDP version gets two spoken word sections (from someone who sounds jarringly like John Wayne), and is otherwise a shorter and tighter cover that keeps the same progression and style of the original.

Lo-fi production aside, you do get some context as to why Mikhal and crew have the sound that they do, so if you're not familiar with Leftover Crack, you will connect some dots here. The guitar riff is sure catchy, and the screaming is sure impassioned near the end, so this is a worthy incentive for the $7 price tag! Next on any version of the EP is "Prelude To The Sacred Rat", which is a 38 seconds-long intro to the following song "Rat Hymn", and honestly, I'd have just combined them as one (relatively) long song, as they clearly are meant to be heard back to back. The slower intro with screamed vocals leads into a wordy and politically charged song about how we are the metaphorical rats in the sewer fighting fascism, capitalism, and inequality (note the Shit Liver and "Booze N' Doobs" references!). More than any other so far, this song leans heavily into hardcore punk, so this will be an easy mosh pit instigator live.

The sing-along choruses are honestly the song's low point, as they feel low energy and melancholy compared to the ferocity around them, but largely, this song is among my highlights for the punk intensity and driving guitar work, even if the prelude was separate! Song #5 (free)/#6 (paid) is "Grunt", which is another anti-capitalist song, with lyrics about the class divide and the perceived aims for the higher income bracket to get rid of those with a lower income. While it starts with a "ska break", it rolls along well from "Rat Hymn" as another hardcore punk-influenced song with a crust influence, with Mikhal unleashing some of his heaviest and most aggressive vocals yet here, and he and William play off each other nicely. The darker breakdown with guttural vocals late is well done here too, and for my metalhead sensibilities, this is easily a highlight of this EP! Is that Keagles on the ending solo again? 

Paid buyers of "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" get the second cover next, that being "Kill Yer Parents" by the Pennsylvania ska-core band No Cash. This cover is fairly identical to the original, if played slightly slower, though the instrumentation does feel more filled out. As a pure song, I prefer this to the first cover, and it has more of a varied structure and dynamic guitar playing while still delivering the ska goods and some suitable crust punk anger, and the performances under the production quality are sound! We next get to "Party Song", which is basically a retreat into community and singing revolutionary and folk songs that talk back/down to one's oppressors. If any song here feels like it probably should have been written for Mikhal's dormant folk punk solo project Agnosticism, it's this one, as it's a blistering 100 seconds-long acoustic number featuring guest performer Cole Speers.

Mikhal plays banjo, washboard, and cajon on this largely solo track, and while I do prefer ASDP's full-band, aggressive songs, this gets the job done for Agnosticism fans, and Mikhal doesn't let his foot off the gas musically or lyrically despite the short length! Free copies of the EP end with its last original and shortest song "Pantry Fiends", a 33 seconds-long number that appears to be a brief memorial to the musician Sam Sadowski of the San Francisco folk punk project Closet Fiends. A bass-heavy number while it lasts, it had potential as a fuller song had they chose to expand it (especially thanks to Ralph's drumming), but it serves its intended purpose! If you paid the $7, "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" ends with a cover of "Wait Around" by the Chicago crust folk band The Suburbanists, which is the only 4+ minute song on the full album. The ASDP cover has a fuller sound than the original, and has the most of Colin's trumpet work.

The more collaborative sound helps add more of a ska punk flavour here, and it strikes me as something that would go over well live for singing along while also having some faster moshing potential. Maybe a little over-long compared to prior songs here, but it's a faithful cover when compared to the original. Fun closer regardless! Overall, what are my final thoughts on ASDP's debut EP? If you can get past the lo-fi production quality, you'll find a solid collection of varying punk subgenres here! This feels more like the fully realized band that I think Agnosticism was hinting at, but with more of a ska punk influence, if not as much as one as some of their branding would suggest. The "crackrocksteady" descriptor is not new to ASDP, and while their take seems to favour the noise and crust punk angle more often than not, the ska bounce and liveliness is definitely there when called upon. 

Mikhal let his emotions and frustrations out strongly on vocals, William's bass work did exactly what it needed to do, and Ralph's drumming was a steady highlight. For the guest performances, they could sometimes be hard to identify, but the collaborative nature is nothing new if you're familiar with ASDP live. The biggest issue for me was the rough production quality, but I do understand that Mikhal likes the lo-fi DIY folk punk aesthetic, and I know they weren't going for pristine here. Your mileage may vary, of course! Beyond that, I did prefer the heavier, hardcore punk-leaning songs, the guitar solos should have been placed earlier in songs when utilized, and the lackadaisical choruses on "Rat Hymn" weren't ideal, If you are more right-leaning politically, you may want to tread lightly for some of these lyrics too, but folk punk and crust punk aren't subgenres known for holding back.

ASDP's first studio EP is a good debut that leans well into Mikhal's prior output as a singer/guitarist, and while I do wish that they had a stronger social media presence beyond Instagram (how are they not on Facebook yet?), there's some solid music to be had for crust and ska punk fans, so buy/stream the EP at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's album review, and after a two month spell in Sault Ontario, we're returning to the EUP next month when we kick off the fall with a look at St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown's most recent EP "Notions", as we finally begin reviewing local metal, hard rock, and punk albums from 2026! Thanks everyone, and look for more news this week!