LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck) & Other Indoor Weekend Concert Previews!!

With Rotaryfest's remaining music schedule still very much up in the air (no pun intended), it may be worth noting that there are other concerts locally over the next two days, and indoor ones at that, so if you want to see some live music on what's supposed to be a busy weekend, you have alternatives! The focus around here is always on metal, hard rock, and punk concerts, but I thought that it's appropriate to mention other known concerts in Sault Ontario tomorrow and Saturday before we dive in to regular previews. Country cover veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride are playing at Jay's Piston Broke Pub tonight & tomorrow night, DJ Dark Mark will be spinning tunes at Beck's Bar tonight only, Juliana Regan & Convergence guitarist Jacob Valois will play a joint acoustic gig on Saturday at The Whisky Barrel, and a reunion of classic rock veterans Pegasus is slated for tonight at The Water Tower Pub. Consider these as possible alternatives if you're in the market!

Now to heavier concerts, and we'll start those previews with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as local classic/hard rock cover band Soundcheck will reportedly rock Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned of the gigs via confirmation by Separate Wayz singer Nicole Thibodeau in a comment on this post from the Sault Live Music Gig Announcements Facebook page. At press time, neither Soundcheck (nor their sister band Separate Wayz) have publically corroborated these bookings on social media, with Soundcheck not updating their Facebook page since May, and Reggie's hasn't confirmed them publically online either. Based on shares of this photo, these appear to strictly be Soundcheck gigs and not "epic crossovers", as Nicole reportedly isn't singing on a local stage again until the fall, but kudos to her for at least mentioning these bookings!

Note that recent live photos and videos of Separate Wayz appear to show a synth player in the back of the stage, but I have not seen a firm public confirmation of his identity on social media, let alone if he has joined one/both bands full time. Regardless, singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe should be back TONIGHT and TOMORROW after missing the Separate Wayz-branded concerts at Jay's last week (which weren't promoted as "epic crossovers" anyway). TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S Reggie's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover. While Soundcheck haven't played Rotaryfest in two years, you can still rock out with them this weekend, so see above for more details, and here they are live!

Next up, here's quite the nightcap TOMORROW NIGHT regardless of if Rotaryfest proceeds with music or not, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will return to the Soo that night as headliners at Beck's Bar! While technically their first local stop since they rocked The Distraction in August 2024, it's not for a lack of trying, as their planned return there last year was cancelled during the openers' sets due to police stopping the show after reported fire code violations (The Distraction has been closed ever since). Paul Gott and crew love touring here, and local fans give them great receptions time and time again, so kudos to Beck's for bringing The Ripcordz back for what should be a ferocious night of punk, especially indoors and within the fire code! Nanaimo, British Columbia pop punk quartet Danger Box (as seen at The Distraction in May 2025 and at a private event here last month) will help set the tone as openers tomorrow night, while the local openers are crossover thrash trio Hails in their first local gig of the year.

Unless you saw them in Toronto last week, this will be your first chance to see Ha!ls with With Gunfire guitarist Anthony Orazietti in place of the Muto cousins, and what a way for him to debut in city limits! This concert has a $10 cover charge (first come first serve, this is expected to draw well, Rotaryfest or not), a 19+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time. If Stage 1 takes place as scheduled, Hails (who played Stage 2 last year) will take the stage during Zed's featured set at Clergue Park, with The Sidekicks still to come there. Hardcore punk fans won't want to miss out on all of the action in the west end tomorrow night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Ripcordz live!

Finally for known hard rock concerts this weekend, we'll head to Michigan, where London, England post-grunge/hard rock quartet Bush (a.k.a. BushX for Canadians of a certain vintage) will make their local debut TOMORROW NIGHT with an outdoor concert at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Long-time rock radio staples thanks to hit songs like "Everything Zen", "The Chemicals Between Us", and "Mouth", Bush were among the most prominent rock bands of the 1990s, and while I was admittedly never their biggest fan, this show should be a good time for fans, especially if air conditions improve! As of this writing, Kewadin Casino have not said anything about possible air quality provisions on social media, but the air quality index is high an hour south of here too, so follow Kewadin's website and so forth if you are at all concerned. Planned openers Candlebox (of "Far Behind" fame) can relate, as this has hit them here before when they last planned to play in the E.U.P..

The Seattle grunge/alternative veterans were supposed to headline at the Soo Kewadin in April 2020 before the first pandemic lockdown scuttled that gig, so hopefully something similar doesn't recur! Presented by Northern Michigan's Rock 105 & 95.5 and Classic Rock: The Bear, this show is nearly sold out, with limited tickets still available in the right section for $106 USD and the general admission lawn area for $96 at this link, in person, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. The show starts at 7:00 PM, it is definitely all ages, and 9&10 News is calling for clear skies with temperatures around 67-72° (low 20s Celsius), smoke risk aside. If all goes well, this should be a huge concert for 1990s rock fans, so see above for more details, and here's Bush live!

That's all for now, but between air quality reports, the possibility of further adjustments to Rotaryfest (let alone Bush), and other news and notes, we're not sitting idle despite this weekend's concert previews seemingly being done, so stay tuned for more on the SMS shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bimbo) & Ripcordz Concert Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of veteran radio host Bob Kevoian, who passed away yesterday at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. Read more about this news at this link. Many readers will remember Bob as the long-time co-host of The Bob & Tom Show, the nationally syndicated morning zoo crew show that locals could hear on Classic Rock: The Bear throughout its 2002-2010 run on the local dial via WIHC 97.9 FM in Newberry. Long before The Bob & Tom Show began out of WFBQ in Indianapolis, Bob and Tom actually started working together much closer to here than you may think, at radio stations in Petoskey in the early 1980s. They moved to Indiana in time to debut their show in 1983, which went national in 1995. The Bob & Tom Show left the local dial when Northern Star Broadcasting took WIHC (now Strong Tower Radio) dark in February 2010 upon selling off their E.U.P. stations.

Save for a 2017-2023 spell where The Bear replaced Bob & Tom with local morning shows (it aired on sister stations then), the program has continued to air on The Bear's network, including its current tip-of-the-mitt home on WWSS 95.3 FM in Tuscarora Township, which gets fringe reception in the Soo. Bob retired from the show in 2015, but it still carries his name, and while I preferred Scott & Brian back in the day, Bob & Tom certainly had their moments, especially if you stuck with the show regularly to get their in-jokes and recurring gags. Along with Tom Griswold, Bob gave so many listeners a lot of laughs over the decades, and he will be missed. R.I.P. Bob!

Today's post otherwise mostly keeps is in the E.U.P., with a brief Sault Ontario detour, but we'll start with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for Sault Michigan, as Marquette art punk duo Bimbo will make their local debut on Saturday, May 2nd at... Pizza Hut? It's hard to be shocked about that conceit when the Ashmun Street chain restaurant hosted Permanently Pissed, Werewolf Jones, and locals in November, so why not an encore? Like then, this is expected to be in Pizza Hut's basement. Bimbo are a brother-and-sister band with noise rock influences and an minimalist yet distinct and abrasive original sound, and it will be neat to see them make their way east in two weeks! Detroit electronica musician Nicholas "R. Solomon" Sapounas will return to the Soo as well, who you may recognize as the mixer of local punk trio The Sole Aggressors' self-titled album, but he also headlined locally at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley in August 2024.

Nice to see an extra local connection from R. Solomon, and this will definitely be a diverse bill! Two local bands will open here, including the new local hardcore punk band Viscera, who you may recall making their local debut at Three One Three On Ashmun last month! For this concert, they will expand to a trio, as they have added Chris Lovins as their new bassist, as per their Facebook page. I don't know anything about Chris musically, but hopefully he compliments Blind Bob and Mitchell well next month! Another band who was a duo at the aforementioned Three One Three gig will round out the bill, namely punk/hard rock band About:Blank, though I don't know if Parker and Kade have found a new guitarist/bassist in time for this show. While I don't know if this Pizza Hut show is a Serious Business-promoted event, they did host the last Pizza Hut concert. This concert has a 7:00 PM start time, a $15 admission fee, and will have an 18+ age limit. 

While multi-band, originals-leaning concerts in the E.U.P. have been trending upward in the mid-2020s, this is still now the most common thing, especially compared to Sault Ontario, so come on down to Pizza Hut in two weeks to see this diverse array of musicians rock out! See above for more details!

We'll close this post in Sault Ontario with some notes relating to the previously announced Ripcordz show at Beck's Bar on Saturday, July 18th! The venue confirmed this show months ago, in arguably their biggest touring artist booking yet, but a Facebook event page with the particulars went live this week, including the openers, including Nanaimo, British Columbia pop punk quartet Danger Box, who first played here at the still-closed Distraction in May of last year. Good to see their hardcore punk-tinged original attack back in town this summer, so don't miss them! Local crossover thrash band Hails (who opened last year's Danger Box concert and were playing at The Ripcordz' Distraction show last year when the cops pulled the plug) will fittingly do the honours in July! At press time, this will be Ha!ls' first show of 2026, as well as their first gig since the departure of founding guitarist Mikhal Muto in January.

Unlike last year, this will presumably be a 19+ event, it will have a $10 cover charge, and bands start at 9:00 PM. Some fans will also have two chances to see Danger Box in July, as on the way east on tour before looping back, they'll actually be headlining a private house party concert on Thursday, July 2nd alongside local openers A.S.D.P. (fronted by Mikhal) and 5 Dollar Bribe. While a publically advertised event with an admission fee, the address is not public, so if you want to go, "ask a punk", and click here for more details! See above for more on The Ripcordz' return, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Ripcordz & Soundcheck) Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

On this snowy Tuesday morning, we have a packed news post to check out, featuring some notable LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, a new promotion agency's initial activity, and a returning face on the local FM radio dial, so here's what you should know before you head out the door!

Defunct local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will reunite for concerts at Jay's Piston Broke Pub on Friday, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st! First announced on Sunday via the venue's Facebook page, these will mark the first official Soundcheck bookings since their farewell gig on New Year's Eve 2024 at the YNCU Curling Centre. Personal Facebook postings indicate that this will be a reunion of most of the band's final 2023-2024 lineup, including singer/guitarists Terry Eaton & Cameron Oliver and bassist Jim Michaud along with guest musicians to be revealed (I assume the AI generated band in the poster will not be among them). The band's final drummer Glen Thomas does not appear to be involved in the reunion. Now, you may recall seeing Cameron, Terry, and Jim play together a few times last year under the name "The Band", so why is it only now that they're reviving the Soundcheck name, even if temporarily?

Keep in mind that Terry is the only original band member, so he can theoretically use the name with whoever he wants. Of course, Terry & Jim still play together in Separate Wayz & The Guilty Party, who Cameron has guested with live, and Terry has recently been seen playing with Cameron during his solo country dates, so there's a lot of synergy regardless of name. I'm treating this as a one-off (two-off?) booking unless otherwise stated, but 2025 collaborations under other names aside, fans won't want to miss Soundcheck's official return! These are 9:30 PM and 19+ shows with no cover, as usual for Jay's. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, I'd normally wait for local promoter announcements to cover this here, but seeing as the venue has eagerly plugged it on social media, I figure getting the word out now can't hurt. Montreal hardcore punk trio The Ripcordz will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Saturday, July 18th when they debut at Beck's Bar! While this legendary punk group last played here in August 2024 at The Distraction, Paul and crew were in town for an encore in July of last year that was shut down by the police due to a fire safety complaint, with the East Street venue remaining closed for new concert bookings since (read more at this link). That show was stopped before The Ripcordz could even begin their set, but at a new west end venue with fire code measures in place, hopefully they tear it up after (technically) almost two years away! I don't currently know if this is being promoted in-house by Beck's or through another agency.

No word yet on local openers, but Hails (who opened both of The Ripcordz' Distraction gigs) and Sylo did the honours last year, while technically active local bands like A Dire Setback, The Gambit (then The Sick Sons), and the former Jack Spades have all opened for The Ripcordz since 2017. Finer details are forthcoming, but last year's Ripcordz show had a $20 admission fee (or "pay what you can") with a 7:00 PM start time, though that was all ages and I assume Beck's Bar will be 19+. Something to get excited for this summer, so stay tuned for updates on The Ripcordz' return to the Soo in six months!

Also today, you may recall that ex-Hails guitarist Mikhal Muto put on the aforementioned Ripcordz concerts at The Distraction, and he has recently formally launched his own concert promotion agency! Mikhal has returned to Facebook on a personal basis and launched the page for Underground Events SSM at the same time, and it is through this name where he's putting on the Demon King concert at Soo Blaster in March. Other upcoming concerts have been plugged on their Facebook page too, The Ripcordz among them. This video implies that "news bombs" are coming soon, including "new venues, new bands, and new bookings", so we'll have to see what all that entails! However, a prior "news bomb" is that Underground Events SSM have released a compilation album for sale on Bandcamp! It leans to folk and acoustic artists, but there are some names involved that you are sure to recognize from prior concerts and coverage.

Mikhal's own folk punk solo project Agnosticism leads off with a song called "Growing Up", and recognizable names like his cousin/ex-Hails bandmate Carmen Muto, his old Vanity First bandmate Andrew Beggs (as "Andrew Keith"), Golden Scoundrels/ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno, Gimiiwan Ikwe, Shae Tull, and Tye Lawless Co. are among the performers. Like with 2022's Clusterfolk compilation tape (featuring The Uncanny Valley), this doesn't cross our punk/metal radar enough to join the monthly album review backlog, but there's a lot of talented artists here, and hopefully you guys buy the album for $9.99 to support their work (or stream its official YouTube copy from Mikhal's channel for free below!)

Finally for today, we have some news from 104.3 The Fox, as Sault Ontario's rock radio station has a new local midday DJ! After five months with Mitch Belanger from 101.9 The Fox in North Bay in the 2:00-6:00 PM timeslot here (following Country 104.3 holdover Dan Koo's departure in August), the station's Facebook page revealed via the video embedded below that Zenga McCurdy was back on the local airwaves, making his on-air debut yesterday. If the name is unfamiliar to you, then you likely don't tune in to Kiss 100.5, as Zenga was an on-air personality on The Fox's sister pop/top 40 station from 2018-2021. Originally from Kitchener, Zenga debuted on CHAS in the fall of 2018 alongside Taylor Lucas (and later Casey MacDonald) to replace the former morning drive show hosted by Scott Turnbull and Lou-Anne Young, moving solo to midday after Rogers added the Toronto-based Roz & Mocha Show to more Kiss stations' morning timeslots in November 2020.

Zenga left Kiss 100.5 in the summer of 2021, after which he worked at 101.5 Indie FM in Orangeville and 96.3 Cruz FM in Saskatoon, and the latter is a rock station, so he does have experience DJing this format. I don't listen to Kiss 100.5, so I was totally unfamiliar with Zenga before yesterday, but he did good from what I heard on-air on day #1, and he was already referencing local weather and ticket giveaways for the Triumph concert, so it's good to have a truly local DJ on The Fox again! Watch his return video below, and listen for him today from 2:00-6:00!

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

A Missed Concert Apology, More Ripcordz Cancellation Fallout, And New Videos!!

Before we dive into what is looking like a little busier concert weekend in the Twin Saults, let's look at some news and notes from both sides of the border, including new video uploads, updates on a major recent concert cancellation, and more, so here's what you should know!

To lead off this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this past weekend's round of previews. Given how slight last weekend's hard rock/punk slate was, knowing about this one would have been extremely optimal! This past Saturday, local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos returned to Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s on-site Tap Room for a one-nighter, after playing their third announced show there in June, but unfortunately, the venue only plugged the gig on their Facebook page that morning and it completely slipped us by. On Dos Amigos' end, the BookcluB side project also never acknowledged the booking on their Facebook page prior. I profusely apologize for missing this show regardless, but acoustic acts do well at the unique setting of the Tap Room, and hopefully Mikey & Dustin had a good show on Saturday! Actually, we can see if they did for ourselves now, as they shared a video from the concert the following day!

The first public video on Dos Amigos' Facebook page (and their first post there of any kind in almost four months), the video sees Mikey & Dustin covering Rancid's "Roots Radical" and doing a solid job of adapting it to a two man unplugged setting! I wish the filmer got more than 24 seconds, but everything sounds and looks good at the Tap Room. and the vertical camera angle isn't as objectionable because both guys are in frame without issue. Give it a watch below, and apologies again for missing this show in last weekend's previews, I'd have happily covered it with even a day's notice!

Next up, here's more on the mid-show cancellation of last month's Ripcordz concert at The Distraction in Sault Ontario! In a follow-up article on SooToday on July 30th, Sault Fire Services public education officer Aaron Gravelle confirmed that the show was cancelled following "a fire safety complaint", with police and fire crews determining that the basement space didn't have sufficient fire/life safety measures in place, and was thusly not approved for use as a concert venue. Fire Services and the city's building division will reportedly work with The Distraction towards ensuring "future building compliance", but whether this means that concerts will return to the East Street nightclub and when, I don't know. In the article, Ripcordz frontman Paul Gott is interviewed in text and in an attached video by contributor and former Honest Job frontman Drew Armstrong, where Paul praised the Soo and small concert venues like The Distraction.

Despite the cancellation, Paul was cordial and respectful on camera about the abbreviated concert and the local scene, let alone the younger generation of punk fans and musicians, and it's a good watch for fans! Unfortunately, I can't embed videos directly embedded onto SooToday (this isn't from YouTube) on the SMS, but give it a watch above, and it includes black & white photos from the local openers' sets!

Finally, let's zip over to Sault Michigan for some relatively rare videos of local classic/hard rock quartet Tarnished's current lineup in action! These actually come from the Fourth of July parade in the Soo last month, where Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron performed on a float once again (the band as a whole has done this for at least three years now). At least two people posted their own copies of the half hour-long parade route to YouTube, one being user onewxone, who was stationed beside the Ashmun Street Bridge. In his video, Tarnished become audible 24:30 into the 30 minute video (which was edited slightly in post-production to reduce the dead air between floats). While in earshot, Tarnished were covering The Go-Gos' "We Got The Beat" and while you only see them on camera for about 25 seconds, you can hear them at varying levels of clarity for two minutes before and afterwards.

Click here to jump straight to Tarnished's spot in the parade, but I won't embed that particular video here because of the sharp stationary angle of the procession. Embedded below is the parade video shot by Sunshine Gregory, who was filming further down the route at the corner of Ashmun and West Portage Avenue, capturing the procession with more of a side view, and not on a tripod. In Sunshine's video, you can first hear Ron's drumming at 24:17, and the guys are covering Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at this juncture. Like they did for at least part of last year's July 4th parade, Alex & Josh walked alongside the float while both cameras were rolling, with Chris and Ron performing on the float itself, and you get a better view of that in Sunshine's video given her placement en route. Here, Tarnished are only on camera for 16 seconds, but Sunshine was moving her camera around to better capture what an attendee might see.

You can hear Tarnished finish the song, so they're audible in this parade video for about 80 seconds. The guys sound good on both covers, and Alex was definitely having fun engaging with the crowd from what was captured! If you're curious, the Independence Day parade actually featured two bands, as the E-Free Church's Sault Ste. Marie campus had contemporary Christian performers on their float, which rode down midway through the parade. They had a camera of their own rolling for their own parade video on the float itself, which gives a unique view from the other side, but check out the full parade and Tarnished's performances there above and below!

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

The Ripcordz Concert Cancellation, A Reunited Local Band, And More Recent Updates!!

Let's dive into some recent news and notes on the SMS on this Sunday afternoon, including a Tuesday night concert preview, a well publicized concert cancellation from this weekend, a recent (and long awaited) album release, and a surprise band reunion, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with the big story that was all over Facebook late Friday night and into Saturday, as The Ripcordz' concert at The Distraction on Friday was abruptly cancelled when the police and fire department arrived to shut the show down. This may sound ultra fitting in a way for the Montreal hardcore punk icons, but the plug was actually pulled during the late stages of Hails' set in the middle of the program. The Ripcordz were open about what happened on their Facebook page, and frontman Paul Gott spoke by phone with SooToday's Darren Taylor for this article about everything. There, Paul indicated that he was told that someone called the police with a complaint about the concert, and while his assumption was over noise (makes sense given what the former Foggy Notions nearby dealt with), Ha!ls' set occurred before the time that a noise ordinance would have been in effect.

Based on what I have read from those in attendance on Friday, it appears to have been related to concerns over permits or the fire code, possibly due to the single door access to the basement. I won't speak further as to what happened, but the discussions ran fast and furious on Facebook (for what it's worth, The Distraction haven't posted on their Facebook page in almost three weeks). Hopefully this is just a stumbling block for The Distraction, which has gotten rave reviews for the basement space since moving downstairs last summer, and that The Ripcordz try here again soon, as they love playing here! No word on if they can on this tour run, but we'll let you know when they get a chance to return to Sault Ste. Marie!

Next up, here's some surprising news, as local hard/classic rock cover band Quite Frankly have reunited! Well, their Facebook page is treating this as a new debuting band, but three band members from their original 2009-2010 run (2000s local metal guitarists Frank LaTassa and Joe DelBasso and former No Arrow/Half Past bassist Harley Syrette) are back for 2025, though Joe has shifted to electric drums in lieu of the departed Adam Pettenuzzo. Original singer Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat has been replaced by 2024 The Soo's Got Talent semifinalist Haley Alopaeus, and while keyboardist Vince LaTassa (Frank's brother) isn't back either, he did guest with his old band in their first gig back, which was at a private function at Venue on Queen Street East. In their first public video from July 14th, you can see them covering Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" in a jam session, which does sound good across the board!

As for the Venue gig, this 3 minute video (which features both vertical and horizontal camera orientations) is a compilation of clips of cover songs from that night, including The Black Keys' "Gold On The Ceiling", Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", The Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" (with Frank on vocals), Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Sun", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care Of Business", Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine", Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey", and Collective Soul's "Shine". Not long clips of anything, but a good sampler of the new Quite Frankly, who definitely still have talent, and Haley has a nice voice, so check things out above & below!

Speaking of Harley Syrette, his old 2005-2011 grunge band No Arrow's unreleased studio album "Souls For Sale" was finally released this past Monday! As detailed here, Mike Haggith's indie label MorningStar Records has belatedly given this album a professional physical release, and you can now order it via ElasticStage at this link for $17.90 on CD or $43.90 on vinyl. As best as I can tell, the album is not currently officially available through MorningStar on major streaming services, but you can hear the unreleased free demo version at this link. The album's track listing is mostly the same to what was presented on the demo, but "Cuts" was moved from the end of the album to track #6, the final two songs were flipped in the order, and the original track #7 ("Most Of All") was dropped from the final product for unannounced reasons. I'm only going off of the song previews here, but they sound largely identical to how they did in the late 2000s.

It may take ordering the album for potential liner note details (remember, they broke up in 2011), but No Arrow are represented here by singer/guitarist Dann "Wayek" Pichette and drummer Joe Falco, with Harley and Brad "Gortium85" Griffith supplying bass tracks. This has to be exciting for No Arrow alumni who couldn't get this album out at the time, so kudos to Mike for getting things completed and published all these years later! I wonder if Dann & Brad's successor band SBD's limited print album "Sonic Experiments" could get a similar reissue next? Given our immense backlog of album reviews, "Souls For Sale" is pencilled in for December, so 2025 is now booked solid. In the meantime, buy it for yourselves above!

Finally for this news post, here's a special preview of a show on TUESDAY NIGHT, as local punk/alternative cover band Bookclub will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion as part of the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Summer Concert Series! Annually, local musicians (typically covers-centric ones) take the stage under the big tent downtown on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, with BookcluB being the fifth of eleven with the honours in 2025. Last seen at Rotaryfest Stage 1 this past weekend, Tuesday's show should see the return of saxophonist Josh Norling, who was out of town and missed their Saturday evening set at Clergue Park. Hopefully a strong crowd turns out on Tuesday for BookcluB's eclectic mix of unexpected rock covers! Mikey, Dustin, Brandon, Allan, Erin, and Josh take the stage from 7:00-9:00 PM, and this concert is FREE & ALL AGES, as are all others in the Summer Concert Series, which runs through late August.

As the show is kinda sorta outdoors (tent acknowledged), 9&10 News is currently calling for mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature of 23° and a 10% chance of rain, so not quite as warm as it is today. That said, we're not close enough for an hourly forecast, so check in closer to for updates on the likely conditions. Visit the above links for more on BookcluB's Tuesday evening gig downtown, and here they are live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus Two Missed Show Apologies!!

Before we begin this news post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in our packed Rotaryfest weekend coverage, as local hard rock band HeadF1rst returned to the Pridefest Loud & Proud family fun day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday. I honestly saw no public advertising for a band lineup this year (shouldn't there have been some given the events last week?), but HeadF1rst frontman Red Jettison let me know about it earlier on Sunday. They played this event alongside veteran rock trio Spiders Have Names (who played this event in 2019 under the name Woodwind), though a planned return set by The Apocalypse Afterparty didn't take place. I hope things went well for this Pridefest event, and apologies again!

Now, this preview post takes us to a busy (but not as busy) weekend of hard rock concerts in the twin Saults, with Saturday's WestFest and Generations concerts being held for tomorrow's previews, and we'll start with the big one this weekend, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will return to The Distraction for another basement punk concert TOMORROW NIGHT! As regulars of the East Street all ages venue may recall, Paul and crew kicked off the permanent move of concerts there from the former barbershop upstairs to the once-named Stellar Door downstairs when The Ripcordz took the stage here this past August. That show went very well for the bands' and attendee's sake, and here's hoping for more punk intensity downstairs tomorrow in The Ripcordz' tenth show here since 2013! Fresh off of their Stage 2 debut at Rotaryfest, crossover thrash quarter Hails will return as openers tomorrow as well.

Taking over for 2014 openers The Haze tomorrow are local hard rock quartet Sylo as their summer reunion run continues, so don't miss their energetic originals and covers to kick things off! This all ages (but unlicensed) concert begins tomorrow at 7:00 PM with a cover charge of $20 or "pay what you can", though limited $20 advance tickets were available at The Rad Zone and through the local openers. Should be another great time for fans of fast & furious punk rock, so visit the above links for more details, and here are The Ripcordz live at The Distraction last year!

Next up, let's head to the E.U.P. for some hard rock cover action, and we'll start at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Peril will set up shop TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge! Last seen at the St. Ignace branch at the end of May, this will be Jeff, Howard, and Brooks' first E.U.P. booking since rocking The Rapids Lounge in the Soo last month. This weekend's shows should give fans a strong weekend of hard rocking favourite covers, so keep these in mind if you'll be in the region or are up for a short drive south! Note that Peril have not confirmed these shows on their Facebook page as of late, but they are listed on Kewadin's entertainment page. Tomorrow and Saturday's concerts are 9:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live! 

In a brief detour back to Sault Ontario, fans can check out classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison live at Misty's Fifties for another matinee concert on SATURDAY! The latest stop in Tym's long run of shows at this Second Line West nightclub in 2025, this will be his first matinee gig there in three weeks, and his first public show anywhere since he played a show that we missed for coverage on here, as he debuted at McCauley's Restaurant in Goulais River this past Saturday. Tym quietly announced the gig via its Facebook event page one week ago today, and I never saw social media reference to it from McCauley's end. Hopefully Tym's trip north to Havilland Bay was a success this past weekend, and I'd have happily covered it had I known about it! Alas, Rotaryfest week is always very busy. We won't miss his Misty's return on Saturday, which has a 19+ age limit, no cover, and a 4:00 PM start time.

Tym's huge setlist of rock covers should drive a solid response at Misty's Fifties on Saturday, so keep this one in mind for some early live music action this weekend! Visit the Misty's Facebook event page for more details, apologies again for missing last week's Goulais River show, and here he is live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Michigan for local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun's return to Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard on SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen in St. Ignace last week, this will be the Fake Chow successors' first show at Huck's in three months, and comes on day #3 of the annual Rudyard Summerfest, so there should be a larger crowd for all of the action! Technically speaking, Huck's isn't part of the official itinerary (click here for the schedule), but they're smart to capitalize on the festival this weekend by hosting lots of live music, including three days starting tonight (for reference, tomorrow's band there is named Reserection, though I know nothing about them). Whether you'll already be in Rudyard, are up for some live music, or are planning to attend the "biggest party in the EUP", keep Unfortunate Sun's hard rock stylings in mind for Saturday night! This is a 21+ show with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover. See above for more details and here's Unfortunate Sun live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Ripcordz, B.A. Johnston, The Nameless, And Dodge This!!)

Today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS over the next three months, with two of the cited bands also having lineup changes to take note of, so here's what you should know in chronological order!

Hamilton outsider folk/punk musician B.A. Johnston will return to Sault Ste. Marie for his sixth local concert on Friday, May 23rd! Notably playing all of his local dates at different local venues without ever repeating, that pattern will continue for this show, as he will be headlining at... Venue? Yes, that is its name, and it is a new public events space at 482 Queen Street East that is capable of hosting small & intimate concerts (their website lists a capacity of 60 guests, 30 seated). While new to the SMS, readers may recognize 482 Queen as the former location of the Fortune Shop, Queen Street Beads, and the boutique store/cafe Void Vinyl. B.A. Johnston was last seen here at The Whisky Barrel in September of last year, and his eclectic blend of punk, offbeat humour, and audience interaction is well worth checking out and remains as hard to sum up and detail in text as ever, so do watch some live videos for more of an idea!

Former(?) Wyld Stallyns/Elements frontman Rob Speers will return as the local opener on the 23rd, after doing the honours for B.A.'s last local stop, and who knows if he'll have any familiar faces guesting with him, which has been common at his recent solo dates! This show has an 8:00 PM start time, no announced age limit, and a $10 cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on B.A.'s return! 

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover duo Dodge This will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for another headlining concert in "The Naughty Corner" on Saturday, May 31st, as per the venue's Facebook page's concert calendar! For a second straight month, Jason & Jamie are hitting the stage at the former Low & Slow on its final Saturday, and hopefully they keep the good vibes rolling with some more solid rocking unplugged covers in a few weeks' time! Like last month, singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer will also play a solo show without Jamie (or Jeff) beforehand, as he'll take the stage this Saturday the 17th, but whether his solo gigs differ substantially, I couldn't tell you. As usual for The Dive, this month-capping concert has a 10:00 PM start time (Saturday shows now start a half hour later than Thursday nighters), a 19+ age limit, and no cover. See above for more details!

Also newly confirmed is the return of Sault Michigan hard rock cover band The Nameless to Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard on Saturday, June 14th! The guys just returned there for a headlining date this past weekend at the unusual matinee timeslot of 4:00-8:00 PM, but matinee concerts appear to be the new normal at the former Joe's Bar, as all of their advertised concerts since the end of February have been matinees starting no later than 6:00 PM. That is when The Nameless will be playing over the Father's Day weekend, and they'll be preceded on the 14th by local country veteran Gary Hatch at 2:00 PM (he isn't "opening" for The Nameless, this is a separate 3 hour concert earlier in the day). It's worth noting that The Nameless have officially parted ways with drummer Justin Lawless and backing vocalist/his wife Anna for unannounced reasons, and they have enlisted Dirty Musky drummer Jamie Costner into their lineup.

Our source is the band's Facebook page's updated lineup, plus personal Facebook postings. Jamie debuted as a fill-in drummer with The Nameless when they played at The Merch last month, and she did indeed drum with Joshua and the Mikes in Rudyard this past Saturday. Hopefully things are still amicable with Justin & Anna, and that we see them back out there in due course, but Jamie is a strong drummer and she will definitely fit in well here! Next month's Huck's show runs from 6:00-10:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. See above for more details on this show!

Finally for today's new show announcements, it's a big one for punk fans, as Montreal hardcore punk icons The Ripcordz will return to the Soo on Friday, July 25th when they headline at The Distraction! Their tenth local date in the past twelve years, Paul Gott and crew will return to the basement of the former East Street barbershop once again, memorably kicking off concerts in what was then known as The Stellar Door in August of last year, with The Distraction permanently moving all of their concerts downstairs afterwards. The Ripcordz raved about the basement space and atmosphere last year, both during and after the show, so if you want more of the same or missed out, you know where to be this summer, let alone to experience their fast-paced and hard-hitting hardcore punk originals! Crossover thrash/skate punk quartet Hails will return as local openers from last year's Ripcordz concert, and they should keep the ferocity up with their high impact originals!

In a mild surprise, local hard rock band Sylo will also open here in their first public gig since headlining at Soo Blaster in August. The former Raincourt had been on hiatus while frontman Elijah Russell attended university out of town, so it is cool to see Eli bring them back while home for the summer! Their Instagram page implies that they are looking for more summer dates, and also now credits Owen Middleton on guitar. Nominally, he's replacing Owen Dearing (same name, different musician), but Owen Dearing was their bassist, so my best guess is that Alder DeVries is handling bass right now? I wish Sylo had more of a social media presence, but hopefully they make a good impression in the coming months! Promoted by Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto, this all ages concert has a 7:00 PM start time and an admission fee of $20 or "pay what you can", though message Mikhal if you want advance tickets.

Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on what will be a huge concert for hardcore punk fans, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

The Devil's Sons Concert Preview, Ripcordz Concert Videos, And More!!

In our fourth post in two days, and last before the National Day For Truth & Reconciliation (wear your orange shirts!), we're covering some recent news and notes, new videos from a big show last month, and leading off, a concert preview for tomorrow night, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with a special Monday night concert preview, as Edmonton punk/hard rock quintet The Devil's Sons will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT at The Whisky Barrel! A very atypical headliner compared to the usual acoustic fare seen at the Gore Street nightclub, The Devil's Sons will bring a raw and rollicking brand of punk n' roll (even including a keyboard player!) to local audiences tomorrow with an in your face attitude and familiar influences, and it will be interesting to see how they go over at The Whisky Barrel, especially to see if more heavier and plugged-in bands stop by there! Local support will come by way of thrash metal trio The BAG in their Whisky Barrel debut and their first public date since last month's ARCH Run. This fast rising young group should set the tone well and hopefully keep things as heavy as possible without the venue getting too much shock given how different this show is from the norm there! 

Presented by promoter Mikhal Muto, tomorrow's concert is FREE and has an 8:00 PM start time, but it remains a 19+ event. Despite the timing on a work/school night for many, this should be a fun concert, and with no cover, hopefully that ensures a decent turnout at 113 Gore for all of the action tomorrow! Visit the above links for more on tomorrow night's festivities, and for a preview, here's The Devil's Sons live!

Next up, here's some videos from last month's Ripcordz-headlined concert at The Stellar Door underneath The Distraction, as per prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci's YouTube channel! For unannounced reasons, these were only uploaded last week, but of course, better late than never! Chris filmed 13 videos from all three bands at The Distraction's intimate basement space (which The Ripcordz highly praised after the fact), with eight of them coming from the headlining Montreal hardcore punk legends' first local set in almost a year. The filmed Ripcordz videos included Paul and crew playing "Anarchy", "Girls In The Pit", "Elvis Death Cult", "All Gods Must Die", "Hippie Kids", "Your Mother Wears Army Boots", "X" (which Jack Spades frequently covered in the 2010s), and as embedded below, "The Fence". If you missed the Ripcordz and Total Chaos shows at The Stellar Door, these will likely be your first public looks at the venue, so how is it?

Hard to say to an extent given how packed of an audience they had downstairs here, to the point where The Ripcordz themselves are hard to see behind attendee heads, but it does have the ambiance of the basement punk show that many fans recall in days gone by. Musically, these aggressive and cutting hardcore punk originals will get the job done for fans, and the audio is even a little crisper than Chris' videos of their Loft show last year, so definitely give The Ripcordz' 2024 local concert videos a watch above and below!

Chris' five videos of the two local opening bands include two of alt-rock band The Haze (who played as a trio here) covering two Arctic Monkeys songs, namely "When The Sun Goes Down" and "Bigger Boys & Stolen Sweethearts". If you recall the marketing for the former Skinbox last year, they were advertised as playing 1990s-2000s alt-rock and Arctic Monkeys covers, so the name and drummer changes didn't seem to portend a sound change. In that sense, they were an outlier on this bill, but there's been far more diverse lineups locally than this. The Haze are a talented group, and hopefully they made some new fans before things got heavier! The middle band on August 10th were hardcore punk/crossover thrash quartet Hails, who Chris filmed three videos of, including their Slumshine holdover "Thrashmastertenbillion", this song that I couldn't immediately title, and as embedded below, a longer-ish 3 minute song that also wasn't introduced by name on camera.

Most of Ha!ls' own videos on Facebook are incomplete, and whether by design to encourage live concert attendance or not, it would be handy if they had more full songs to help identify such videos from other sources! On both The Haze's and Hails' videos, the smaller audience near the band's area helps us see more of the basement, and yeah, it's a basement. That said, the aesthetics and ambiance lend itself very well to a punk show, and it looks like everyone had a great time! Ha!ls deliver some ripping thrash/punk originals here, and Chris had a better shot of both local bands than he did for The Ripcordz, so check these out above & below as well!

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

• A new video of Bardo guitarist Christopher Neveau playing part of their new original song "Blood Moon" (which he at least co-wrote) was shared from his personal Facebook page to their Facebook page on Friday! Unfortunately, it is a "Reel", so I can't embed it here, and it was uploaded in full horizontal orientation and thusly pillarboxed (why not make it a normal landscape video then?), but the performance is solid and shows his underrated skill level, if with very muffled audio! Give it a watch above, and hopefully Bardo had a good debut at last night's Selias concert!
• In their first Facebook posts since June (reportedly due to "life's trials"), newer local hard rock trio Bullet Train revealed earlier this month that they are working on not one, but two demo EPs, and the first one was in post-production as of September 9th! "The next set of tunes" were also on their way, along with "a new killer kit and studio setup", and a release date for the first demo (which will reportedly be available on CD) will be made in the coming weeks (which clearly means more than two weeks). No word on if their three public singles so far will be on either EP, but this is exciting news for Bullet Train, so follow them for further updates!
• I have removed defunct local glam metal quartet Dirty Virgin from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook group, which was their last surviving substantive band page. Primarily active from 2007-2010 before reuniting as a support band for two Canadian Nightclub gigs in 2011 & 2012, the 2009 YMCA Battle of the Bands runners-up were ahead of their time in bringing a 1980s throwback sound & visual style to local concert venues, and it's a shame that they didn't last longer. Hopefully we hear more from Bobby, Lionel, Matt, Ryan, and Dickie in the future, and don't miss original guitarist Matt Clement in his current London-based rock band The Stone Doves!
  

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Curtis McKenzie) & This Weekend's Final Hard Rock/Punk Concert Previews!!

As promised, here are this weekend's final hard rock and punk concert previews as we finally wrap up this extremely busy slate of concerts! This last post looks at concerts taking place in Sault Ontario tonight, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Despite dropping out of his planned "Think It Over Thursday" gig at The Dive Gastro Pub yesterday, former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie will instead return to this venue TONIGHT as part of their "Patio Play" series of Saturday night outdoor concerts! Apologies for the short notice, Curt only announced the new date via his Facebook page on Wednesday, with a Facebook event page following the next day. For unannounced reasons, Curtis was bumped ahead two days at the former Low & Slow (half of Soundcheck played inside The Dive on Thursday instead), and while the scheduling TONIGHT leaves its own variables due to weather that Thursday wouldn't have had, fans of outdoor patio performances will like hearing Curt's hard rock and grunge covers thusly if Mother Nature plays ball! Curtis' fifth 2024 date at The Dive (indoors or out) has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge.

As noted in our prior weekend concert preview posts this week, rain is very much in the forecast TONIGHT, with 9&10 News currently calling for a 60% chance of showers & thunderstorms during Curt's expected showtime of 9:00 PM-1:30 AM (temperatures will be hovering around 14-15°). Normally, I would say to keep tabs with Curt and/or The Dive if you're concerned about this show being cancelled or postponed, but given how The Dive hosts musicians indoors on Thursdays, it seems way more likely that they'd just move him indoors if weather necessitated it. Don't miss Curt TONIGHT in any event, and for a preview, here he is live!

Next up, here is arguably this weekend's main event for many punk fans, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will play Sault Ste. Marie for the ninth time in eleven years and first time since last fall TONIGHT! Unlike last year's upscale confines at The Loft, The Ripcordz have the honours of kicking off public concert bookings inside The Stellar Door, the new basement level venue at The Distraction at 72 East Street. Bookings here are limited and somewhat seasonal, and I understand that it's an intimate space, but hopefully it proves inviting and well suited to Paul Gott and crew's intense hardcore punk favourites as prior local venues have done! Local support bands tonight include crossover thrash/skate punk quartet Hails and alternative rock quartet The Haze (née Skinbox), so hopefully both bands' familiar lineups continue riding their own summer momentum tonight! This ALL AGES show begins at 7:00 PM.

While advance tickets were limited to just 30 people, admission tonight is $20 or via a "pay what you can" entry model. The Stellar Door is accessible via a back door leading to the basement at the former barbershop (it should be obvious once you get there). If you have enjoyed The Ripcordz' other local dates in the past decade+, or want to experience raw and unfiltered hardcore punk by subgenre icons, be at The Distraction (well, below it) tonight! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Ripcordz live here last year!

Also TONIGHT is a scheduled joint show from local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich and their sister bluegrass/folk quartet The Golden Scoundrels at Soo Blaster, but I do have concerns that this show is not taking place. Announced in late May as part of Soo Blaster's summer concert series of (generally) Friday night gigs from solo musicians and duos, I have found no further public advertising of this event on social media from band or venue in well over a month. Yes, this show was always advertised for tonight, yesterday's Rent Strike concert was booked separately and was never listed as part of the Friday series, but Handsome Sandwich & The Golden Scoundrels splitting the bill tonight was always an outlier in the series given that it is (was?) a double band event. Both bands (who both feature guitarist Brandon Ruch and drummer Johnny Belanger) have had a busy summer, and momentum is theoretically on their side!

IF this show is taking place (I'll let you guys know if I hear public confirmation that it's not), it starts at 8:00 PM with a presumed 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Handsome Sandwich live!

Finally on this exceedingly busy slate of weekend concert previews in the Sault Ste. Marie area, we'll head to Shooters Downstairs Lounge TONIGHT, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage! Last seen at Gateway Casino to cap off Rotaryfest weekend last month, tonight's show will have a big change from what fans of theirs will be used to, as singer Valerie Powley will not be present tonight due to "a prior commitment", as per drummer Tony Santoro on their Facebook group. Rather than play as a trio a'la in the Jus' Chillin days, they've called in bassist Pierre Anthony's son and former Fluid 5ive bandmate Liam Vaillancourt to fill in for the night! Yes, Vaillancourt is Pierre's real last name, but he's always been billed as Pierre Anthony since Generations formed. Liam is better known to me from his guitar work in bands like Smokehouse, so I couldn't tell you how his vocals are (let alone that he's filling in for a female singer.)

Liam also presently lives out of town, so it is neat to see him back home playing in a band with his dad once again, and it'll be interesting to hear how this one goes! A one nighter due to Shooters' DJ nights on Fridays this year, tonight's concert has a 9:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, hopefully all is well with Valerie, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

That is all for this weekend's stacked roster of hard rock and punk concert previews! There's a lot of news and notes to touch on here in the next week, including this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, so stay tuned for all of that starting later today! Thanks everyone!