LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Whoop-Szo, Soundcheck, And The Wyld Stallyns) And More Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this second weekend concert preview post (The Cancer Bats, The Soo's Got Talent, and Tym Morrison were addressed this morning), just an advance reminder that, if  Tarnished's "every Thursday" run at Biggby Coffee in Sault Michigan continued today, it was not advertised online as of this writing. We do have videos of theirs to share soon, but for now, let's dive into the second half of our Sault Ontario weekend concert previews, mostly containing SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel for headlining dates TOMORROW NIGHT and then on Saturday, September 28th! Apologies for the short notice on the former, it was only announced one week ago today on the venue's Facebook event page, not leaving us time to preview it before it got too soon. After not playing any advertised gigs at this Gore Street bar and restaurant at all in August, these shows TOMORROW and later this month should provide ample opportunity to hear Christina, Rob, and Jesse in their natural element at their recent favourite venue! Hopefully there's no Friday the 13th bad luck TOMORROW, of course. Both shows are 19+ affairs with no cover charges and 8:00 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!



Next up, London sludge/post-metal quintet Whoop-Szo will return to the Soo when they headline at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was actually announced via the venue's Facebook event page two weeks ago, but it completely slipped us by at the time. Some fans may recall seeing Whoop-Szo at LopLops in June 2018 at a merged concert following a late relocation from Outspoken Brewing, but I presume their Sault Ste. Marie encore will remain at its original locale. Playing a unique mash-up of metal, psychedlic, and experimental genres, Whoop-Szo's noisy mountain of original music should play well at Dryer Fire on SATURDAY! Hamilton folk/indie rock solo act Zoon will open in their own local debut, and while not as heavy as the headliners, their brand of "mocassingaze" (not shoegaze) originals should turn heads to kick off the night! Notably, this is Dryer Fire's third-to-last concert at their pop-up summer location, and last there with a hard rock act.

No word on if Nicole will re-rent a live events space here or elsewhere in 2020, but I've heard great things about Dryer Fire this year, hopefully there's more in the works! This ALL AGES concert has a $10 cover charge and a 7:00 PM start time THIS SATURDAY, as usual for this venue when not "pay what you can." Visit the above links for more details, and here's Whoop-Szo live!



Also this weekend, local classic/hard rock quartet Soundcheck will join their previously announced Reggie's West concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT with one more car show at the new A&W at 659 Great Northern Road THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, neither Soundcheck nor car show organizers Northern Lights Cruisers have publically confirmed their involvement online, but band members Terry Eaton and Glen Thomas have both indicated that they'll be playing on SUNDAY via their personal Facebook pages. No strangers to playing outside of the new A&W this summer, the Cruisin' the Dub car show is allegedly A&W's "annual car/bike show", and will feature family games, raffles, and other such entertainment alongside the vehicles and Soundcheck's set. Like with The Soo's Got Talent, all proceeds go to the ARCH Hospice. Of course, if you want a traditional nighttime concert from Soundcheck, keep their Reggie's West shows in mind too!

Note that recent advertising that I have seen for these shows only refer to them as taking place at Reggie's (no West), implying that they may have been moved to Reggie's Place downtown, but Soundcheck's own 2019 concert calendar has always said that they'd be at the Reggievelt. If they were indeed moved, I'll let you know! In any event, those shows are 10:00 PM & 19+ affairs, SUNDAY's car show is at 1:00 PM and is absolutely ALL AGES, and none have a cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live earlier this year!



Finally for today's previews (Peril are coming tomorrow!), let's tackle a show that fully and entirely had advance notice that we caught, as prolific local experimental/metal solo musician Chase Wigmore will headline a special Rednecks Saloon concert TOMORROW NIGHT to officially launch his new single! A rare headlining appearance from the Awokest frontman, this Friday the 13th event is in honour of Chase's 25 minutes long track "Stray Dog Howl" from his upcoming official studio album "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To." Might we hear "Stray Dog Howl" in full along with his other folk/punk acoustic songs tomorrow? "The Ghost of Chase Wigmore", as he's billed here, will be joined by C.T.W. frontman Tyler Gibson's drum & bass side project Alegendary in their apparent live debut, as well as the still-unrevealed "A Misterious Fellow", while folk solo musician Wes Armstrong was quietly added to the bill earlier this month.

Admission for this 19+ concert is on a "pay what you can" model, and an early 7:00 PM start time is advertised. A very diverse lineup has gathered for this one, and hopefully it gives Chase's single the big launch it deserves as we inch closer to his planned CD release on Devil's Night, so don't miss out on all of the action tomorrow! Check the official Facebook event event page for more details, and here's Chase live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Peril previews and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Lots Of Chase Wigmore News & Updates!!

Today's post is entirely devoted to recent and long overdue updates from prolific local alternative/metal solo musician Chase Wigmore, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so what's new to report from his (non-Awokest) camp? As you may recall, Chase briefly took down his solo Facebook page in May to consolidate his solo endeavours under the Awokest banner, but he clearly had a change of heart, as his eponymous page returned in late June, with teasers following shortly thereafter towards both an apparent album and concert on October 30th, a.k.a. Devil's Night. Originally given the name "The Stray Dog Saga", Chase finally confirmed on Friday that the album will be considered his "full length debut", as opposed to his many earlier free & demo releases. It's final name is "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To", an allusion to a viral video from the Cattle Decapitation concert here in 2009, and as credited to "The Ghost of Chase James Wigmore." It will apparently be a double album with 23 songs.

On this album, Chase will focus on a guitar-driven sound that he describes as "almost folk punk" yet "closer to blackened crust, countryish, and bluesy jazz", so make of that what you will, though fans of his solo concerts should be right at home with these descriptions. His rock opera "A Story About A Kid Named Todd" is also in the works as an intended proper album, but "S.T.P.Y.I.T.F.T." is first up, and it's 25 minutes long first single "Stray Dog Howl" can be heard on his Bandcamp page, with a planned paid single release to be posted there next Friday (the 13th, mind you.) If this does come out on schedule, it is immediately eligible for a CD review here.

That date directly ties into today's LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Chase will formally launch the single with a headlining concert at Rednecks Saloon next Friday, September 13th. You don't see Chase as a headline act very often, and fans may recall his cancelled attempt at a multi-act concert at Rednecks earlier in the year, but this one looks like a serious deal with more than a week's notice, so look for Chase to play lots of fan favourite acoustic folk, punk, and experimental tunes next weekend! A few other songs were teased for the album in earlier Facebook posts. Other acts will include C.T.W. frontman Tyler Gibson's drum & bass side project Alegendary in their apparent live debut, while the other advertised performer is "A Misterious Fellow" (sic), who I know nothing on, but we'll let you know if anything surfaces! An early 7:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ show, which has a "pay what you can" model for admission. Visit the Facebook event page for more details!

As for the Devil's Night show (and presumed album release party), this is nothing new for him, as Chase played at Blood Shed Productions' two Devil's Night concerts at The Oddfellows Hall in 2013 & 2014, and he did attempt to host a spiritual successor to those events last year. Teasers have sporadically came over the summer for this concert, and while a Facebook event page was deleted, Chase vows to play some sort of show on October 30th, "even if it's me in the middle of the street." As long as this is a public event with some semblance of advance notice, we'll cover it, so stay tuned for updates! Awokest material and advertising for already-held concerts aside, Chase's other recent updates have come via Facebook video postings, so let's at least get to a few of them today. On July 6th, Chase shared this 3+ minute video of him jamming along to an instrumental extreme metal track on acoustic guitar, and it's suitably intense and energetic, especially given it's solo, in-studio nature! Give it a look below!



Finally for today (though there's more from Chase and Awokest ahead), here's a 37 minutes long livestream video from July 29th of him playing a lot of seemingly improvised instrumental rock that almost has a progressive/funk essence to it, and if anything, it's further proof of his depth and range! Unfortunately, the audio quality almost sounds like the video was recorded underwater, and the tight camera angle focusing on just Chase's hands does make this seem a lot plainer than we are accustomed to. Still, there's a lot of nicely played music within, so give it a look below also!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more from Chase and other local acts in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Elements & Chase Wigmore) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's now time for another round of weekend concert previews for your hard rock delectation! Barring further late announcements, we have three batches of shows to get to in the area this weekend, but we'll start with two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will headline a special karaoke-infused concert at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert only came to our attention via advertising on the venue's physical marquee boards on Wednesday. While Friday karaoke nights have been teased and promoted at varying levels this season at The Rockstar Bar, the Facebook event page for TOMORROW'S concert clearly states that The Elements' set will be married to the karaoke aspect, as attending fans are encouraged to come up and sing with The Elements as the live backing band. One assumes frontman Rob Speers will sing when no one's ready to join in, and likely host in between time. This may call to mind Mourning Wood's brief 2015 run of Thursday jam/open mic nights at The Rednecks Saloon, but unlike those, The Elements will be playing each song, rather than handing off to new performers at unknown times.

In any event, this will be The Elements' first public concert appearance of 2019, and first show since their Chili Peppers tribute turn at the same venue last month. They should be in fine form with their alternative, funk, and metal covers TOMORROW, but who will sing with them, and what? Find out then! There is no cover charge for this 19+ concert, which has a 10:00 PM start time. See above for more details, and here's The Elements live!



Next up, remember that poll that Chase Wigmore's Facebook page ran on January 4th that asked if fans would be interested in attending a free show at The Rednecks Saloon this month? Well, 77% of fans voted in the affirmative, and the show will take place on Saturday, February 2nd! Originally planned for this Saturday before being postponed two weeks "to make thing a little easier", Chase is calling this a "free concert/jam" that will include "various acts", though it's not clear whether they're all intended to be a mystery, or if the search for performers is still ongoing. The presumed headliner is Chase himself, who will perform his rock opera "A Story About A Kid Named Todd" in full for his first public concert set of the year, and if you've seen that in action, you'll know that his intense storytelling will appeal to both folk and metal fans! Of course, we'll let you know if other acts are announced.

This FREE concert has a 19+ age limit and early advertised start time of 8:00 PM. There's a lot of unknowns as of yet for this concert, but Chase's irreverent stage show and extreme musical diversity alone should be worth your attention next month! Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Also, let's continue with this weekend's concert previews by moving to Gliss Restaurant, where prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term weekly arrangement with acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Fans of his unplugged live shows should be in fine company on these two evenings, and if you like your hard and classic rock covers in a more intimate setting, this should be worth a trip either night! Tym's prolific setlist and solid talent should seal the deal, and you can take in all of the action tomorrow and/or Saturday at 6:00 PM. Both shows are free with no stated age limits, but remember that this is a formal restaurant, not a typical nightclub venue. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, here's Tym live, and stay tuned next week for details on his February concert schedule at Gliss and elsewhere!

Finally for this weekend(?) is the 2019 debut of Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quintet Highway 63, as they are advertised to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Just as a heads up, Highway 63 have not acknowledged these shows on their Facebook page, and have only posted there once in 2019 so far, via photos of studio updates they recently made. However, these shows are still advertised on Kewadin's entertainment page, so we will treat them as on unless otherwise stated. These are Highway 63's first advertised concerts of the new year, and their first at the St. Ignace Kewadin since 2017, and just their second & third gigs since bassist George Belleau, drummer Justin Lawless, and keyboardist Brian Drumheller joined the Switzers in the group. How will the new-look band sound this weekend? Head to The Northern Pines Lounge either night to find out!

As usual for Highway 63's prior Kewadin gigs, expect these shows to have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63's old lineup live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this weekend, plus a new poll tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Winkstinger, Banned, And Tym Morrison!!)

Today's first weekend concert preview post entirely covers SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend, and due to the extended coverage of one event in particular, I've opted to push our previews of this weekend's (previously announced) Peril concerts to tomorrow's post. Yes, Ten Foot Pole fans, we'll give that concert full coverage tomorrow as well, we haven't forgotten about it! Now, here's what you should know to start for this Labour Day weekend's concert lineup, in rough chronological order! (Updated on Friday at 6:10 PM)

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will reportedly be playing at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT, after having just played there last night! Profuse apologies for the short notice and for missing last night's show for coverage on here, these were quietly announced via their official Facebook event pages (linked here & here) on Sunday, and we only heard about them too late to acknowledge yesterday's show. Scheduling Kewadin lounge concerts on a Wednesday and Thursday is very atypical for Banned's frequent bookings there, especially after having just played regularly timed shows in St. Ignace last week, but fans may recall seeing Banned play Tuesday & Wednesday nighters at the Sault Kewadin last year in the I-500 leadup. If these gigs relate to special event previews or conflicts, the only one that makes sense is the Chippewa County Fair, but neither Banned nor the fair have publically hinted at a hard rock component this year, but if I'm wrong, we'll let you know.

For what it's worth, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page doesn't list these two Banned shows, let alone the regular acts for Friday and Saturday. As was the case yesterday, Banned will be bringing their classic and hard rock renditions back to St. Ignace TONIGHT at 9:00 PM, with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge in effect. Visit the above links for more details, and best of luck for a great show TONIGHT with a hopefully solid crowd to match! Here's Banned live, and apologies again for missing yesterday's show, we'd have covered it here had it received more advance notice!



Next up, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will keep busy in the lead up to the Gliss re-opening by returning to Room 21 for solo acoustic concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, followed by another trip east to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing THIS SUNDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, the Facebook event pages (linked here & here) for these concerts were only created on Monday. These will be Tym's first stops at Room 21 in over a month, and while I'm unsure if there will be any finger food, fishbowl, or sangira ties, his unplugged hard rock classics should provide a solid soundtrack regardless of promotion TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As for La Terrazza Franzisi (not the presumably auto-corrected La Terrance Frant), at least Tym gave SUNDAY's matinee gig there a few more days notice, so you have more time to plan a road trip to St. Joseph Island for Tym's dinner-time covers later this weekend!

None of these shows have an announced cover charge, and while his Room 21 concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY are 10:00 PM affairs with a 19+ age limit, SUNDAY'S La Terrazza Franzisi show is a 4:00 PM event with no announced age limit at the waterfront restaurant. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!



Finally in the realm of new concerts this weekend, have you missed all ages concerts at The Oddfellows Hall in 2018? Well, we almost had one on SATURDAY NIGHT, but it has been moved on a day's notice to The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies again for the short notice, public advertising for this concert only began on Wednesday, though it was privately hinted at all month without a credited venue. Co-promoted Blood Shed Productions head Tyler Gibson and Winkstinger frontman Josh Amendola in association with prolific alt-folk solo artist and metal band alum Chase Wigmore, this concert is entitled "Here We Go Again...", and was intended to see the end of a 15 month hiatus for Oddfellows Hall metal concerts, but scheduling issues that I won't go into here forced it's late relocation to The Rednecks Saloon. As such, this concert is no longer all ages, but a familiar lineup is still on hand for SATURDAY, so who should you look for then?

The lineup includes three previously announced acts, including death/extreme metal quartet Winkstinger (a week before their Oh!No festival gig), Tyler's goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore (in their first well-advertised non-house party concert since 2016), and the aforementioned Chase Wigmore, so this could be seen as the de facto release party for their recent split. Mid-2010s flashbacks here with a lineup like this, nice to see everyone back on stage at long last! The above poster credits death metal veterans The Bear Hunters as headlining, but they are not playing on SATURDAY due to scheduling conflicts for singer Nik Deubel. Hopefully we see them back at it soon, they've been missed on stage this year! Two solo artists have been enlisted in their place, as per Chase on the the official Facebook event page, namely his old Strange Coyotes bandmate James Watterworth (who we haven't seen on stage in what seems like forever) and a new folk/punk musician named Wes Anderson, who I don't know anything on.

Despite earlier advertising of a $5 cover with proceeds going to ex-residents of the River Valley Trailer Park in Aweres, SATURDAY'S newly relocated concert now has FREE admission, and it is now 19+, but the 8:00 PM start time is now in effect. The short notice venue and lineup changes did complicate our coverage a bit, though with this familiar and aggressive lineup of metal and folk action, fans should definitely consider a trip to Albert Street West on SATURDAY! Visit the above links for ongoing details on "Here We Go Again...", and here's Winkstinger live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Peril previews and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison) And Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews!!

A very busy weekend of concerts is upon us, so let's kick things off with three batches of Sault Ontario shows over the coming days, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from two acts at three venues (plus more later this month for one of them), plus a preview of a very special Thursday nighter tonight for a great cause! If you're wondering where our Rock 4 Autism preview is, look for that with our Sault Michigan concert previews in our next post, as this is a packed weekend, so I have to spread everything out. Here's the first of what you need to know!

We'll start with another month of confirmed solo concerts from prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, the remaining Fridays & Saturdays of the month, plus extra shows at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT & The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey THIS SATURDAY NIGHT as well! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's four shows, we were waiting for public confirmation of them, which came via the official Facebook event pages (linked here, here, and here) on Sunday or yesterday. Continuing his long-term weekly run at Gliss, Tym is expected back at the downtown restaurant with gigs TOMORROW, SATURDAY, and then on May 12th-13th, 19th-20th, and 26th-27th, so keep these acoustic matinees in mind for some quality hard rocking covers over the coming weeks!

TOMORROW'S Roadhouse and SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse shows will see Tym back at each locale after a month away, and he's certainly keeping busy with his solo project! You have ample opportunities to see him this month, including four times at three venues TOMORROW & SATURDAY, so keep these in mind as the month rolls along! All of this month's shows lack an announced cover charge, with the Gliss shows being 6:00 PM affairs with no announced age limit (though mind the locale), and TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S Roadhouse/Barrelhouse gigs being at 10:00 PM and 19+. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rednecks Saloon for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the concert via their Facebook event page earlier this week. Fresh off of their merger with sister band Mourning Wood following that group's farewell last week, this will be Soundcheck's first show at the former Nicolet Tavern in about a month, so if you were curious to hear how the former Nameus sound post-merger, TOMORROW would be a great night to do so! This show is a 19+ event with no announced cover charge, but the band's experimenting with an early start time of 8:00 PM TOMORROW, in an attempt to retain Rednecks patrons in attendance for their chicken wing specials on Friday nights. If you're expecting a typical start time, keep this in mind, lest you show up after midnight and there's no band playing!

Will this experiment work? I have no idea, but remember that The Park Grille's live band experiment last year also featured bands (including Mourning Wood) starting at 8:00 PM, but that was called off after 6 weeks, and one apparent reason for the run's end was that dinner crowds weren't being kept as expected with the bands' sets. Hopefully Rednecks has better luck in that regard, as Soundcheck are a talented veteran quartet with lots of familiar classics from the 1980s in their repertoire! Check the above links for more details, and hopefully some public videos of Soundcheck turn up soon!

Finally, we'll close with a previously announced concert with a fantastic charitable aim, that being the second annual The Sky's The Limit mental health fundraiser concert TONIGHT at The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium at The Tech! Taking places as part of the Children's Mental Health Week events from Algoma Family Services, this event is once again designed to raise awareness and funds for children's mental health in the Sault Ste. Marie area, with all proceeds going towards supporting related programs and services from the organizers. Always a noble cause, and hopefully tonight's concert at the former St. Mary's College helps encourage attendees to join the conversation on mental health! This year's headlining act is local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, who were among last year's openers, and they're a fitting choice to return in a promoted position, especially with Mike's close relatability with the causes being addressed this week!

I can only find public confirmation of two opening acts who passed the auditions two weeks ago, and they include young blues/hard rock trio Electric Church and Christian rapper Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow, both returning from last year's event as well. Great to see both back for the cause, so don't miss their sets either! Unfortunately, promoters have not unveiled the full band lineup for this year, very similarly to last year's pre-show hype, but for reference, last year's Sky's the Limit event also featured now-defunct headliners The Pixo Control, relocated indie rockers Aldous, and at least three other youth groups. Naturally an ALL AGES event, The Sky's the Limit II has a 7:00 PM start time tonight, and while admission is $5, family groups of 5 or more will get a discounted group rate of $20, so keep that in mind if you're bringing the family along (as well, there will be a door prize of some kind from the Thomas Walls School of Music, so note that as well.)

At last word, tickets were still available at (705) 945-5050 or at Algoma Family Services' headquarters at 205 McNabb Street, unless you're intending to buy at the door. Despite the lack of a lineup announcement, this promises to be a fun night of young local music talent, and with everyone playing to support mental health awareness and support, you know that there'll be a great response overall, so kudos to everyone playing tonight! Visit the official Facebook event page for more updates, and here's The Din's full set at last year's event, including Mike Haggith's personal story!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Sault Michigan and Rock 4 Autism previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck), A New Band/Merger, And Weekend Concert Previews!!

We're back after a few slow days to cover this weekend's concert previews, including some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (some on SHORT NOTICE), but with recent major news regarding an apparent band merger and the new Facebook page for one of those bands, we're saving our previews of tomorrow's Who Made Who concert and this weekend's Peril shows in St. Ignace for our next post, be that tonight or tomorrow morning, so look for them then! Now, let's begin this post with the first of this weekend's concert previews, and that new band!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rednecks Saloon for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT, and they finally have a Facebook page to boot! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced early this morning via it's Facebook event page. Five months after making their public concert debut at the former Nicolet Tavern, the former Nameus finally have an online page to promote themselves and concerts with, which is great to see, but what do we know now? On Soundcheck's page, they describe themselves as "a new local '80s retro & hairspray cover band" and a "party like hell band", so if there were any fears about not fitting the SMS, hopefully this assuaged them! In terms of lineup, they feature former Carbon Black bandmates Travis Sharpe (Havadder) and Terry Eaton each on vocals & guitar, alongside Terry's Mourning Wood bandmates Steven Flint on drums and (in a new lineup announcement) Paul Belair on bass, replacing Robin "Bones" Lee.

According to Soundcheck's Facebook page's biography, Robin left the band "to take care of his health and well being", after having spent less than a month with the group. Best of luck to Bones, hopefully it's nothing too serious that he's dealing with, and hopefully we see him back on stage soon! Now, given that Soundcheck's lineup currently features 3/4ths of Mourning Wood's most recent lineup, you would be right to assume that there is something afoot with that band's active status, as Mourning Wood's Facebook page newly confirms that they are "going to be amalgamating very soon" with Soundcheck, though they oddly note that they're playing the "same music", and that "a new member is joining the band", presumably meaning Travis, who wasn't in Mourning Wood. My first instinct is that Soundcheck are simply adding Paul on bass and taking on Mourning Wood's bookings going forward, which include two upcoming weekends at The Esquire Club in a few weeks, more on them in the near future.

Does the merger happening "very soon" mean that Mourning Wood gigs will continue in the short term beforehand? Does the "same music" reference mean country covers are being added to Soundcheck sets? Stay tuned for updates, but in any event, TOMORROW NIGHT'S show at Rednecks has no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM start time. Check the above links for more on this concert, Soundcheck proper, and the merger, hopefully public videos finally start turning up, and Soundcheck are now in our active band links! We won't move Mourning Wood to our inactive links until we're certain that Soundcheck have taken over all of their future activity.

Next up, and with April now well and fully in progress, let's add prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's slate of solo concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood this month to our concert listings, including shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, plus a bonus return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice on this weekend's three shows, all were only announced by Tym earlier this week via their respective Facebook event pages (linked here & here.) Tym's usual Gliss matinees are continuing their march forward into the spring, with TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows joined by expected solo gigs on April 14th & 15th, 21st & 22nd, and 28th & 29th, so look for more unplugged hard rock classics at this downtown restaurant over the coming four weekends! As for TOMORROW NIGHT'S Roadhouse show, this marks Tym's first appearance at the Trunk Road venue of the year, and if you've missed him at this venue, don't bypass this show either!

As usual for Tym's Gliss shows this month, expect 6:00 PM start times and no announced cover or age limit (but remember where these are being held), while TOMORROW'S Roadhouse concert has a more typical 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and no cover. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



Finally for today's concert preview post, here's a special Thursday night concert going down TONIGHT at The New American Pub, as Toronto hard rock quartet Return For Refund will make their local concert debut! Touring in support of their newly released studio album "Lift You Up", this talented band will definitely intrigue many fans with their 1990s-inspired blend of alternative rock styles, throwing in some grunge and blues influences for good measure, and they should attract a solid base of fans when they rock The New A tonight! Fast-rising local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback will open as expected, but there has been a lineup change, as it was confirmed two weeks ago that blues/hard rock trio Electric Church have replaced pop rock artist Mike Mikus as the show's first act (apologies for the delay in noting this on the site, it slipped us by last month.) A reason for Mike's withdrawal wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and it will be neat to see Electric Church take on The New A for the first time tonight!

Apparently promoted by the venue proper (it is not Live705 affiliated beyond A Dire Setback's set), this show has a 9:00 PM start time, $5 cover charge, and 19+ age limit. This should be a solid night of hard and alternative rock originals, so definitely consider a trip to The New A tonight, check the official Facebook event page for updates, and here's Return For Refund live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Who Made Who & Peril previews, and more, next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck), Plus More Recent Updates

February 2017 is now in the rear view mirror, so let's tackle March with a new news/concert preview post! Barring the potential rush of late notice shows, this is a quiet weekend for hard rock fans, and for the record, we'll be covering Sunday's K-Man & The 45s post on Saturday in all likelihood, with this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post coming in between, either tonight or tomorrow. Now, let's kick things off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

With March now commenced, we'll add local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's next slate of Gliss Steak & Seafood concerts to our band links, including matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, plus an extra nighttime show at The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on those three, we waited for Facebook confirmation of the shows as usual, which came a couple of days ago. SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse show will mark Tym's third show at the downtown tapas restaurant since debuting there last month, but his Gliss shows will march unabated into the spring, with this weekend's gigs also joining presumed & likely concerts at The Quality Inn's house restaurant on March 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th, and 24th & 25th, as well as March 31st & April 1st, as the two months straddle that weekend. Sounds like a solid and busy month of gigs, so don't miss Tym's unplugged cover favourites on the above dates!

All of this month's Gliss shows (including TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S) have no announced cover charges or age limits, though keep in mind their host venue, and they're all 6:00 PM events, while his Barrelhouse show on SATURDAY is presumably 19+, takes place at 10:00 PM, and also has no cover. For more details on this weekend's shows, click here & here or visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Next up, local 1980s-themed cover hard rock band Soundcheck will return to The Rednecks Saloon for their St. Patrick's Day party on Friday, March 17th! Announced on unusually early notice for one of Terry & Steven's bands, this will mark their first show for the former Nameus since rocking The Rockstar Bar last month, and to fit the holiday theme, expect drink specials, green beer, and even hot dogs for the occasion! The Facebook event page (from members' promotional company Twin City Sound) also notes that Soundcheck have "a new addition to our band", implying that they're expanding to a quartet, but unless the band launches a Facebook page or indicates their identity on a personal Facebook page, we may have to wait two weeks for the reveal. Given Steven Flint's multi-instrumental talents and ease of moving to them, the implied new member isn't necessarily a second guitarist, but we'll let you know if we hear anything!

No word yet on a potential Saturday the 18th booking at Rednecks, but as for Soundcheck, expect a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit, and while there isn't an announced cover charge, bring cash in case there's special holiday admission fees and/or to partake in the refreshments. Check the above links for current details on this St. Patrick's Day bash, and stay tuned for possible updates on Soundcheck's teased "new addition"!

Also today, here's a very delayed new video from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, courtesy of their Facebook page from two weeks ago! Apologies for the wait in getting this on here, especially as it commemorates a milestone for The Din, as they surpassed 500 fans on Facebook last month! The video features drummer Brandan Glew noting to Mike and Tammy that he watched a Star Trek episode about alternate dimensions where there are slightly different copies of everyone, as they wonder how things would be different in the band if they were in such a dimension. This leads to two different clips of The Din with members swapping (Brandon on vocals, Mike on guitar, and Tammy on drums, then Tammy on vocals, Brandan on guitar, and Mike on drums), plus the real band's reactions. Without giving anything away as to how the alternate Dins sound, this is a cute video that showcases everyone outside of their usual roles, and one variant comes across better than the other!

Just as an aside, did they miss the boat by not showcasing an evil alternate version of The Din where everyone's wearing goatees? Now 535 likes strong, The Din are showing no signs of slowing down, so check out their newest Facebook video below, and stay tuned for much more from them!

Finally for today, I wanted to acknowledge on there that Ancaster-based record store chain Sunrise Records have announced that they are moving into at least 70 current HMV locations once they close by the end of next month, which has led to speculation that Sunrise is taking over the local HMV's place at Station Mall. In articles from both The Sault Star & SooToday, mall officials would neither confirm nor deny that Sunrise Records are opening up there, but if you ask me, they'd have denied it if they weren't at least talking. This would make sense if it happens, as that location at the Sears end of the mall has had a music store since Music World moved there in the late 1990s, so we'll have to see what happens! For what it's worth, write-ups on Sunrise Records indicate that they sell albums from local musicians, plus a fair amount of vinyl records, and they encourage HMV employees to apply to work at new Sunrise branches. In the meantime, what is known is that HMV's liquidation sales are now 30-50% off, as per their website, so keep the increasing deals in mind!

In one last somewhat related note, novelty gift store chain Spencer's Gifts (which is opening at Station Mall in the coming months) is obviously not taking over the HMV location. Spencer's is actually opening in the corridor between Sportchek and Roots, and if it's not opening in the former Bluenotes location, it's opening near it. They do sell band merchandise though, so keep them in mind when Spencer's finally opens! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's"Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906 & Soundcheck), Jack Spades Updates, A New Band, And More!!

I wasn't expecting to have two posts today, but alas, SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from two local hard rock cover bands came to my attention this afternoon, so I got this post ready to make sure I didn't miss anything! It also includes some surprising lineup news from a local band and  surprise additions to an upcoming concert, so read on below for what you should know, and check out another late notice show announcement and more news in the post below this one!

Local 1980s-themed hard rock cover trio Soundcheck (formerly Nameus) will return to The Rednecks Saloon TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for their second concert weekend of the year and with their new name! Severe apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via their Facebook event page about an hour ago, and Soundcheck still don't have an online page to plug upcoming concerts. A month removed from their 2017-opening gigs at The Rockstar Bar, this will be Soundcheck's first weekend at the former Nicolet Tavern since their New Year's Eve party there as Nameus. Travis, Terry, and Steven have proven to be a reliably entertaining band since their debut in the fall, so if you're up for some old school hard rock classics (and/or missed Mourning Wood or The Jukebox Junkies lately), don't miss out on Soundcheck's Rednecks gigs TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Expect 10:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits to be in effect, as usual.

Again, I sincerely apologize for the very late notice, we'd have plugged these shows earlier had Soundcheck announced them earlier! Check the above links for more details, and hopefully they post some videos or an online page at some point to help preview them with!

Next up, Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will make their first ever appearances at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the extremely short notice, the band only announced the shows via their Facebook event page this afternoon, though yes, Kewadin Casino's entertainment pages  finally list 2017 dates at the Soo and St. Ignace branch lounges (we'll touch on those in an upcoming post.) A few weeks removed from their Soo Kewadin debuts, the Ten Kings successors should be in fine form for another weekend of hard rocking covers, and as for their future planned Kewadin gigs, they'll be back at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Michigan on March 31st, April 1st, and on May 19th & 20th (they have no listed St. Ignace dates otherwise yet.) All six of these shows, including TONIGHT'S & TOMORROW'S, have no announced cover charges, 9:00 PM start times, and 21+ age limits.

For more details, visit the above links! I profusely apologize again for the short notice, we'd have plugged the shows earlier had Project 906 mentioned them before this afternoon, and/or had we known about the Kewadin schedule posting sooner, but don't miss a fun weekend of blues and hard rock renditions in St. Ignace TONIGHT & TOMORROW, and then in the Soo this spring! Here's Project 906 live!

Also, here's some surprising news from Sault Ontario punk/metal band Jack Spades, as they have reportedly parted ways with guitarist Jesse Cook and drummer Johnny Belanger. The news was confirmed in a personal Facebook conversation with Johnny today, and while I won't go into details on the circumstances, note that the band proper has not acknowledged their departures publically at press time (nor have they posted on their Facebook page in over a month.) Johnny had drummed for Jack Spades since replacing T.J. Case in mid-2013, while Jesse joined on lead guitar that same fall, with the pair factoring prominently in concerts through September's SNFU show, as well as both of their CDs. This is disappointing news to be sure, as Jesse & Johnny are very talented with solid chemistry, and added a lot to Jack Spades, but hopefully J.D. & Justin bounce back in 2017, and when will see Jesse & Johnny back together in a new band project?

Well, how does February 18th at LopLops Lounge sound? We already reported that newer local funk/hard rock improv quintet Gianni Gagoots will headline there in two weeks, but in recent days, the band and Facebook event page have confirmed that they will have two opening bands for their headlining & LopLops debut. One is new alt-rock quartet Bizotic in their own LopLops debut and second live concert total, who are themselves a very fitting choice. Where else will you see a band with a trumpet and keytar opening for one with conga drums? As for Jesse & Johnny's new band, they are called Handsome Sandwich (how's that for a name?), which will see them playing alongside Jesse's Elements bandmate James White on bass. No online pages or public media yet, but I can confirm that Johnny is the band's singer and drummer (a'la Stiffler's Mom or Sykotyk Rampage), some material will be similar to that of his mid-2010s solo concert sets, and they plan to add originals increasingly into their setlists.

No word on if this is the culmination of earlier teasers that he'd be fronting a local punk band or a completely separate project, but it will be very interesting to hear how Handsome Sandwich sound! If nothing else, don't expect this to be like Jack Spades or The Elements, this is it's own animal... er, sandwich. Check the above links for more on Handsome Sandwich and this quickly expanded concert, and stay tuned for more overall news and updates on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

More New Year's Eve Concert Previews, A New Video, And Much More!!

Barring an extremely late notice concert announcement, this will be our last regular post of 2016, so what's in store? A handful of musician searches to take note of, a recent album trailer video, and to lead things off, previews of two hard rock concerts for your New Year's Eve plans, so here's what you need to know to end the year!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will end 2016 in style by headlining The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve bash TOMORROW NIGHT! No word on who's playing there tonight, but this show will mark The Millionaires first live concert appearance in 4 weeks, and if you know The Rockstar Bar well, you'll know you're in for a big party to ring in 2017! Given the special admission fee of $10, expect some extra party accoutrements, and perhaps even refreshments, not to mention some hard rocking cover favourites from this union of Cleveland Steamer, Turner Up, Sneaky Pete, and Wishbone alumni! Note that a previously announced opening set by new punk band A Dire Setback has been dropped from this show for unannounced reasons. This $10 show has a 19+ age limit as usual, and everything is slated to begin at 10:30 PM tomorrow. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live!



Next up, new local classic/hard rock cover trio Nameus (is this their permanent name now?) will rock The Rednecks Saloon TOMORROW NIGHT to send out 2016 themselves! This union of Suicide Kings, Havadder, and Asylum Country alumni are still without an online page or any public media of their concerts, but they're definitely pulling out all the stops to get fans to the former Nicolet Tavern tomorrow, as not only will there be free pizza for attendees, but admission is FREE! Usually, promoted New Year's bashes like this have a higher admission charge, so kudos to Twin City Sound and Nameus for making this more open to the masses! Alongside the free admission, a 10:00 PM start time is in effect tomorrow, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Check the above links for more details, and hopefully some online pages and/or media of Nameus turns up at some point!

Also today, here's a belated trailer for local post-punk quartet Gnaeus' debut CD "Meditations", as uploaded to their YouTube channel late last month! Apologies in our own month's delay in getting this on the site, we didn't know it was online until the past week. The creativity points are high here, as the guys are green screened so that their heads are floating in space, while discussing the band, how to pronounce their name, songs on the album, and more odd topics (plus, did you know that Alex Proulx could fire lasers from his eyes?) My big problem with the trailer is the volume is woefully inconsistent, as the guys are very quiet when talking, yet the music is extremely loud, so I was constantly wrestling with the volume dial so I could hear everything at a normal volume. If you can get past that, this trailer is very fun and a nice (if delayed) promotion for "Meditations", so check it out below!



Finally, here's three assorted shorter stories, all relating to recent musician searches via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name!

• Project 421/Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton is looking to assemble a new band that would play originals and occasional covers. He's aiming to play hard rock that perhaps veers into pop rock territory, specifically "well structured and tasteful music", while he'd actually only want to play up to 5 times a year, and just wants creatively similar musicians. Daniel noted that "I've got some more free time", but if he has left his recent bands or seen them disband, that hasn't been publically confirmed. Message Daniel at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from yesterday for more details!
• A local guitarist named Kyle Foster is getting back into music, and is looking to jam with fellow musicians. His influences include bands like Strung Out, NOFX, and Propagandhi, and he is a songwriter that would be interested in maybe forming a band to play his originals and maybe covers. For reference, he has been playing a guitar borrowed from local punk veteran Lucas "Dr. Sal Velinus' Schmiedendorf lately. Message Kyle at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from yesterday if you're interested in jamming with him in the new year!
• In yet another local band search, former Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl guitarist Mike Vincent is looking to join a metal band of any kind (preferably thrash or death metal) as a guitarist and vocalist. If you're interested in jamming with Mike, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from December 20th!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our recap of the news & events in the local metal & punk scenes of 2016 tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Mourning Wood), Weekend Concert Previews, A Band Discovery, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to briefly acknowledge the upcoming Guy Thiffault benefit concert on Tuesday, which was announced on short notice just a couple of days ago. This will be a massive show, and we will absolutely cover it in our next news post, as with only a week's notice, I didn't want to basically say the same things about it twice in a few days' time. Look for our full preview over the weekend, and I promise, you will NOT want to miss this one! Now, we have this weekend's concert previews, updates for an upcoming concert, and first, a surprise defunct band discovery, so here's what you should know before Christmas!

We have a "new" band to add to our defunct local metal & punk band links, and they are Second Guess, the 2004-2005 predecessors to the short-lived ska-punk band Break the Violence, and more famously, hardcore favourites As It Stands! I'm surprised it took this long to find their Tripod page, apologies if you've been wondering why it wasn't linked here already. Their last publically stated lineup featured A.I.S./B.T.V. bandmates Garrett Masters on guitar, Angelo Huckson on bass, and John (then going by Johnny) Mignacca on drums, though intriguingly, their frontman was noted local folk singer/guitarist Cody McMillan, of Blackwater & Soft Shoe Shufflers fame, while current actor Dylan Cook was credited as an ex-band member. Second Guess didn't directly cite their genre, other than to say that they have "a little something by the late Kurt Cobain for your eyes", but they did play a gig at the former Downstairs Bar on Great Northern Road on January 21st, 2005.

A CD with 7 songs was in the works at one point, and Second Guess had teased playing shows with alternative/emo favourites The Crossed and Calgary Christian rock band Kiros, though I'm unsure if these sets went ahead. There's not much else online about Second Guess, but it's interesting to see this page and check out what As It Stands members and Cody were doing before their local music work really took off! I'd love to hear the music that the guys were working on, but alas, if Break the Violence material and As It Stands' EPs still haven't publically surfaced online, what are the odds? Give Second Guess a look above!

Next up, here's that SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will play their last show of 2016 TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the concert via it's Facebook event page yesterday, though at least this show had one. Despite some Facebook postings implying that their Reggie's West shows earlier this month would be their final of the year, this absolutely will be, so if you've missed their request-heavy, fan favourite covers since their last Rednecks show early last month, don't miss Mourning Wood TOMORROW NIGHT! Presumably, Mourning Wood aren't playing on Saturday due to the venue closing early for Christmas Eve, but this isn't publically stated by band or bar. Expect a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit for TOMORROW, so see above for more details, and here's Mourning Wood live!

Lastly for announced concerts on this holiday weekend, longtime Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for solo acoustic concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Similarly to Mourning Wood, Tym is not playing there on Christmas Eve, again presumably due to The Quality Inn's house restaurant closing early for the holiday, so we have removed that show from our concert calendar (at the time we added it, there was no public word regarding any holiday preemptions.) Making his penultimate Gliss stops of the year, Tym's unplugged hard rock covers should provide some solid entertainment before Christmas, so don't miss out tonight and/or tomorrow at Gliss! As usual for his long-term run at this venue, expect 6:00 PM start times, and no announced age limits or cover charges, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today, here's some updates for new local concert promoters/label Live705's second official concert on Saturday, January 21st, starting with word that the event has been relocated from The Oddfellows Hall to The Canadian Nightclub, as per the official Facebook event page yesterday. A reason for the move wasn't announced, but performers and Live705 flagship band A Dire Setback did have a well received set at The Canadian during last week's YouTube Party, so that could have been an impetus for the venue shift. Works for me, The Canadian's a big and high quality venue, and it should be a nice backdrop for this event! As for the lineup, it has been rounded out with three more bands, including local alternative/hard rock trio The Din & new local punk/metal trio Stegadeth (both of which played Live705's first concert), as well as a band named SleepWellCity, which is the current Ottawa-based electronic project from former local alternative/punk bassist Nathan Bouliane!

You may recognize Nathan (a.k.a. Jonna Maximilian) from bands like The Crossed, As It Stands, Stillbroke, and Like Father Like Son, so he's played it all locally, and it'll be interesting to hear his new electronic material in his long awaited return to the local stage! Finally for updates, Live705 have confirmed that the show's cover charge has jumped from $8 to $10 (possibly due to the relocation), though advance tickets will still be $8, though availability hasn't been confirmed. Things look like they're shaping up well for this concert, so check the above links for full current details, and stay tuned for more news this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906 & Tym Morrison), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

On this Thursday morning, it's about time to tackle another weekend of concert previews! There may be a short notice show or two to confirm, but this is the currently known roster for hard rock fans this weekend in the Soo. With that said, here's what you need to know, starting with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Alongside his regular triple-run of matinee concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road for a more-typical nighttime concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the Roadhouse show, it was only publically announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday, though note that Tym had acknowledged it on his personal Facebook page last month, along with a second Roadhouse gig in a few weeks to be announced. While his Gliss shows are no surprise, and continue his clockwork-like schedule at The Quality Inn's restaurant, fans in the east end or of his later nighttime shows will want to take note of TOMORROW'S Road House gig, which is his first there in over three months. Tym has a busy weekend in store, but you have plenty of options to take in his acoustic hard rock covers over the coming evenings!

While his Gliss shows remain 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charge or age limit (but remember where they're being held), TOMORROW'S Roadhouse show ia a 19+ affair at 10:00 PM, though also with no announced cover. Click here and visit the above links for full details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, Sault Michigan blues/hard rock cover quartet Project 906 will apparently return to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, at least! Apologies again for the short notice, the band only announced the show(s?) via their Facebook page on Monday. Last seen rocking both Brimley and Eckerman last week (that Brimley show was at Pickles), this will be Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Will's first engagement at Bay Mills' waterfront bar and concert venue in two months, and their mixture of blues and hard rock should find another good audience on SATURDAY! Now, the band didn't specify the date(s?) of this weekend's Bay Mills run, and while we are treating this as a Saturday nighter only due to their past dates there also scheduled that way, we will update this if they're playing both nights and/or tomorrow alone. In any event, expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time, no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's Project 906 live!

Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll skip back to Sault Ontario for the return of newer local classic/hard rock cover quartet The Band Camp Rejects to The Rednecks Saloon TOMORROW NIGHT for one night only! As advertised via members' personal Facebook accounts and the venue's physical marquee (the band still doesn't have a public internet page), this will be Jamie, Mike, Ryan, and Steven's first public show since playing their first Rockstar Bar gigs last month, and they should have more fan favourite covers in store as they return to the site of their live debut once again tomorrow! Note that this is a one nighter, with another band of drummer Steven Flint's apparently playing at Rednecks on Saturday for 2 sets with an opening band to be announced. It's not publically clear whether it's Mourning Wood, Nameus, or an entirely different band playing on Saturday night, but if we get confirmation regarding Saturday night's performers, we'll let you know!

In any event, tomorrow' Band Camp Rejects show at the former Nicolet Tavern will have a 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM-ish start time, and no announced cover charge. Check the above links (such as they are) for more details, and here's The Band Camp Rejects live!

Finally, we'll close back in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, as Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St Ignace Kewadin Casino for shows there TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen in both Hessel and Manistique three weeks ago, this weekend's St. Ignace stops are the last publically advertised gigs of 2016 for this busy trio, though they could always have a surprise non-Kewadin gig in store for the next three weeks, much like that late notice Hessel show. Banned are a reliably entertaining sight for local hard rock fans, so whether this is their 2016 closer or not, consider a trip to St. Ignace to take in their diverse but often heavy covers! As usual for Banned's Kewadin stops, expect a 21+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times. Check the above links for more details, and here's Banned live at this very Kewadin Casino lounge!!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates over the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Nameus), New Solo Cover Videos, And Much More!!

After a few quiet days, we are back with a new news post on this Tuesday, and below, you'll find some assorted recent news and notes, a pair of new solo covers recently uploaded to YouTube, and to kick things off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Here's what you need to know!

New and online page-less local hard rock cover trio Nameus (yes, that is still their name) will headline The Rednecks Saloon's New Year's Eve bash on Saturday, December 31st! Announced well in advance thanks to it's seasonal trappings, this union of Mourning Wood's Terry Eaton & Steven Flint with Terry's ex-Carbon Black bandmate Travis Sharpe will tackle a set of 1980s hair metal and similarly retro covers for the occasion, so if you're a fan of Mourning Wood's heavier material, and/or Travis & Terry's long band history together, don't bypass Nameus at the former Nicolet Tavern to send out 2016! As this is a special event, these is a special $15 cover charge on December 21st, though there will be a buffet and champagne included with admission. You must be 19 or older to attend, and doors will open at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

Though the wait continues for the band to launch an online page, post public media, or announce a final name (I find Nameus is too close to the existing Gnaeus as it is), they are a good choice to headline Rednecks' New Year's party, as fans should know their talent from older bands and Nameus' first two weekends at this venue! Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, we have a couple of new cover videos for your delectation, starting with the newest video from Stegadeth/ex-Jack Spades guitarist Tiffany Stocco's YouTube channel! Her first video posting since the summer, Tiffany covers Gob's "Give Up The Grudge" in this clip, she definitely has the song down, and while the video's audio quality is somewhat tinny, I blame that on the camera. Solidly done, so give it a look below, and keep your eyes peeled for Stegadeth's next shows!



Also, here's the newest solo vocal/guitar cover by ex-Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison! The former Sault Michigan hard rock staple posted this surprising cover of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles' "Tracks Of My Tears" onto his YouTube channel yesterday. Very out of left field choice for a cover, but in his hands, it doesn't sound like a Motown standard, for better or worse. If anything, this song is a great workout for his vocal range, and though the beard says otherwise, he's hitting high notes better than I've ever seen him do! I don't see the point to the orangey filter though, but Ryan's definitely growing as a singer & guitarist, so give his new cover a look 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 name:

• Sault Ontario doom metal trio AlgomA will take a road trip to Quebec for headlining shows in Montreal and Quebec City this weekend! These are a bit of a surprise announcement given that they barely got a week's notice, but good luck to the guys as they bring the sludge to la belle province, and visit their Facebook page for full details! No word on if there will be any progress towards the release of their split with Hooded Menace this weekend though, but remember that it was teased to come out this month, and the specific date is still not announced.
• This may mean something or nothing, but defunct Sault Michigan alternative hard rock trio The Spendthrifts quietly changed their name back to Plastic on their Facebook page last month. A reason for the name reversion wasn't announced, but Plastic accomplished little publically under the Spendthrifts name before falling inactive in late 2014, and given that they've posted nothing since becoming Plastic again, it may have just been a posthumous acknowledgement of the name they had their successes under. Keep an eye out just in case they do re-emerge, and check out frontman Zac Crook's solo project for his recent music work!
• Din frontman Mike Haggith posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday to look for a band to open for one of Nameus drummer Steven Flint's local bands at The Rednecks Saloon on SATURDAY, as The Din can't due to work obligations. He didn't specify which of Steven's bands is headlining, but it's not The Band Camp Rejects, as they were never playing on Saturday, and the band in question curiously is only playing two sets, hence the opener search. If you're interested in opening, message Steven at this link or above, and stay tuned for formal public details on this show, assuming it fits our coverage range!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates later this week! Thanks everyone!