LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Quite Frankly), The Go Skate Day Concert Preview, And Epic Rush Concert Videos!!

Let's close out this weekend's known hard rock concert previews tonight, along with new videos from a recent tribute band concert, so here's what you should know for this late Friday night post!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band quietly announced the show on their Facebook page on June 2nd and it slipped us by until this week. Last seen on May 1st at Beck's Bar, this will be Quite Frankly's first Water Tower Pub stop in two months. This talented group should have another wide array of entertaining rocking covers in store for central fans TOMORROW, so keep this one-nighter in mind if it piques your interest! The Water Tower Pub never hosts the same band on consecutive nights, and as such, funk rock cover band The Rhythm Junction are playing there tonight (replacing the cancelled Yuk Yuk's comedy night). Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe take the stage TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Quite Frankly live at The Water Tower Pub!

Next up, here's this weekend's last known hard rock concert preview, and it takes us to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre, where Go Skateboarding Day returns on SUNDAY! After promoters Underground Events SSM's planned debut as hosts of this event last year were severely impaired by heavy rain, I am pleased to report that 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies on Sunday with temperatures ranging from 16-19°, with no likelihood of rain, so Mikhal "Cha" Muto finally gets to put on the Go Skate Day he intended last year! Sponsors and vendors will be on site at the skatepark, and skaters of all ages & skill levels are encouraged to come down to hit the ramps and rails, play games, have fun, and of course, listen to live music! After last year's program was abruptly moved to a private event with late replacement bands, Mikhal has secured six acts this year, the largest Go Skate Day lineup in a decade, so who all can you expect on Sunday afternoon?

The presented lineup order lists the apparent headliners as Half Scoundies (Josh and Todd from The Golden Scoundrels) in an acoustic folk/bluegrass set. Preceding them are this year's two returning acts from Tidal Records-era Go Skate Days, including Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson with his fan favourite turntable mixes, as well as party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty (featuring Mikhal on bass). Fast-rising teenage hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe will make their multi-band/outdoor debut on Sunday, preceded by Mikhal's ska punk trio A.S.D.P., who were a late addition to last year's private Go Skate Day rainout concert. Local jazz/EDM solo artist Mario "Yecharo" Kwan is listed last for this year's bill, and while he is a bit of a wild card, he does appear on Underground Events SSM's compilation album. Nicely varied lineup for sure, and the weather should hold up for the duration!

Admission is FREE whether you are skating or not, and this is definitely an all ages event, with bands presumably set up on top of the big ramp at the skatepark like they were under Tidal's supervision. Things seem to be shaping up well on musical and logistical fronts this year, and hopefully things go well at the skatepark on Sunday! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Apocalypse Afterparty live!

Let's close today with videos from last week's Epic Rush concert at The Full Throttle Saloon! Like at the Crazy Babies show there, a representative of the venue was filming videos for their Facebook page, but unfortunately, they were all shot vertically. We do get some longer videos this time though (all run for at least 3:45), and they include the former Rust playing the Rush classics "Time Stand Still", "Freewill", and as embedded below, "Red Barchetta". Notably, the latter cover was filmed from the back corner of the stage, giving us a unique angle of the proceedings, especially to really show off drummer Eric Kuthy channelling the late Neil Peart with gusto, but his playing comes off very loud as a result. I do wish that more fans were on the floor close to the band, let alone that the house lighting was at least darkened, but Rush fans got their fill from this talented Sudbury-based trio, so check out all three videos!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Curtis McKenzie & Tarnished), Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, here's the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews, but we also have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, one on SHORT NOTICE, one for next month, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Tarnished will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced on the band's Facebook page yesterday, and as ever, The Merch does not promote bands playing there on social media. TONIGHT's show may be well timed in terms of sports fans being present, as the United States' men's national soccer team opens FIFA World Cup action against Paraguay on Fox (plus CTV in Canada) at 9:00 PM, and The Merch is known to show live sports on the TVs, so will Tarnished's rocking slate of covers prove a good soundtrack if the game is on? Regardless, Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron are fresh off of concerts at the St. Ignace Kewadin last week, with TONIGHT'S gig being their first in the Soo in over a month, and their first at The Merch in three months. Keep this late notice return to 108 West Spruce Street in mind!

TONIGHT'S Tarnished concert also begins at 9:00 PM, with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here they are live a couple years back!

Next up, here's a new show from an artist who was once advertised to be playing this weekend, as Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie will bring his acoustic solo show back to The Dive Gastro Pub on Saturday, July 4th! Curt had announced this show on his Facebook page on May 20th (apologies for the delay in that making the site until now), but it was announced alongside a show at The Dive tomorrow that Curt eventually confirmed was cancelled due to being double booked. If you didn't read yesterday's post, The Dive are hosting new local "diamond rock" quartet Stones At The Alter on their patio for a short notice outdoor concert TOMORROW NIGHT. At least Curtis will be back in three weeks, so if you like the Project 421/Eclipse alum's unplugged hard rock covers, you know where to be! This is expected to be a "Patio Play" concert, weather permitting.

As usual for Thursday nighters at The Dive, this Fourth of July concert is at 9:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Hopefully things go well (and that Curt isn't double booked again) next month, so visit the above links for more details on his next advertised solo date!

Back to this weekend's concert previews now via a pair of shows that do have advance notice, starting with local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, who will return to Beck's Bar for one night only TONIGHT! After a three month spring break prompted (in part) by personal concerns, this will be the first fully electric and plugged-in concert from "The Dirty Three" since February. It's great to see the full Bone Yard experience back, and you can get a taste of what they've been working on as of late via their website, which has a new preview clip of the fourth studio track from their upcoming debut album! It's entitled "Welcome To The Shit Show", and while I'll hold comment pending our eventual review of the full album, give the 30 second teaser a listen in the bottom right corner! As teased in this jokingly ominous Facebook video, tonight's Beck's gig is at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge.

Tattoo Tearz will be on site at Beck's from 6:30 PM onward tonight, so if you want to get a tattoo before/during the concert, take advantage of this opportunity! Remember, when Beck's does host bands on Fridays, they do not host the same band on Saturdays, so if you come out tomorrow, the nightcap will be from country rock veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride. See above for more details, and here they are live!

Finally for known heavier concerts in the Twin Saults this weekend, Sudbury-based Rush tribute band Epic Rush will return to town TOMORROW NIGHT when they headline at The Full Throttle Saloon! The second stab at booking a touring tribute band at the former Primavera Hall, this comes a month after Ozzy Osbourne tribute Crazy Babies played a well received (but expensive) concert there. Epic Rush previously rocked the former Soo Blaster in late 2024 and 2025, but now, the former Rust are making their way to Steelton for a summertime concert, and hopefully the Kuthy brothers deliver another fun and technically sound blast of Rush classics, especially well timed given that the real thing began their reunion tour earlier this week! Advertising for this concert does not mention an opening band. This 19+ concert goes down tomorrow night at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, and tickets are $40, which is much lower than Crazy Babies attendees saw, but up from the $25 tickets that fans paid to see Rust/Epic Rush at Soo Blaster.

If you love Rush and their progressive and hard rock catalogue, you'd be hard pressed to miss Saturday night's concert, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Epic Rush live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (M1, Epic Rush, Silent 9, And Curtis McKenzie!!)

Between the glut of recent major concert videos (that still isn't entirely cleaned out), regular feature posts, and personal life dealings, I'm behind on a lot of stuff around here, so let's start rectifying that tonight with an all-LOCAL CONCERT ALERT post for Sault Ontario through the fall, so with a lot more coming up ahead, here's what you should know to start!

Fresh off of hosting Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band Crazy Babies there this past weekend (videos forthcoming), The Full Throttle Saloon are trying again with booking a touring tribute band, this time courtesy of Sudbury-based Rush tribute band Epic Rush on Saturday, June 13th! This is far from their first time here, as the Kuthy brothers previously brought the former Rust to Soo Blaster for shows in the fall of 2024 and 2025, but they're coming back for their third go-around sooner than locally normal, and at the former Primavera Hall this time. As fans have seen from both Epic Rush's prior local dates and their sister band Just Leppard's shows here, they deliver the goods for fans of the real thing, and why not strike while the iron is hot with the real Rush back on tour? No word on a local opening band as of this writing, but Headrush did the honours last week.

This 19+ concert will take place at 10:00 PM next month, and tickets will run for $40, which is up from what Rust/Epic Rush cost at Soo Blaster ($25) but thankfully, is much lower than the Crazy Babies show was ($70). No word on if they'll also not allowing attendees to pay at the door again, but you can buy tickets in advance at the Saloon or by calling ahead, and seating is reportedly limited. Visit the above links for more on Epic Rush's third local concert!

Next up, if you like hard rock tribute bands, there's another notable one returning to the Soo this summer, as Calgary-based Motorhead tribute band M1 will return to Beck's Bar for one night only on Wednesday, July 8th! This show comes precisely 52 weeks (though not quite a calendar year) removed from M1's local debut at Beck's, and while the identical mid-week timing remains just as non-ideal, it is neat to see them back at the same time of year. If you missed M1's July 2025 stop, you missed a faithful sounding and hard hitting (if not visually close) homage to Lemmy and crew, and if you're up for more in-your-face speed metal classics from the Motorhead catalogue, head to the west end in two months! No word yet on a local opener, but last year, Dodge This/ex-Phastick frontman Jason Taillefer eased into things with an acoustic set. Unlike last year's 9:00 PM start time, the Facebook event page advertises an 8:00 PM kickoff this time.

While last year's show had no cover, I have not seen any firm declaration on if that will be the case for the encore or not. Regardless, expect this one to be 19+ again. Motorhead fans won't want to miss this one, so visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for possible updates!

Also newly announced at Beck's Bar are two acoustic concerts from former Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie, who will set up shop at the former Vibe Lounge for Sunday matinee gigs on August 9th and October 4th! Unusually announced with plenty of notice, Curt first mentioned them on his Facebook page earlier today, and will mark his first stops at Beck's this year, having last played there in November. Fans of Curtis' past local band work and his more recent unplugged solo work should take to his alternative and hard rock covers later in the year, so keep both shows in mind as we proceed towards the summer! Both are 3:00 PM matinees with presumed 19+ age limits and no cover charges, and we should at least see Curt live at The Dive Gastro Pub in the interim, if not elsewhere (the summer is fast approaching, after all). Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from him in due course!

Finally for today, if we're moving that far into the year for new show announcements, we might as well add local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's announced fall dates from their website's calendar onto ours! As usual for them, Silent 9 are focusing on festivals, special events, and private bookings this summer (I'm waiting for more details on their listed "grass drags" set at Runway Park next month), but their first proper local nightclub booking in four months will see them return to The Tap Room at Northern Superior Brewing Co. on Saturday, September 19th, so if you've missed this talented and fan-friendly foursome at this more intimate downtown venue, then you know where to be! The other fall date (so far) will see Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve return to the aforementioned Beck's Bar on Saturday, November 14th, so things are definitely being booked well in advance on Goulais Avenue!

Of course, it's way too soon to know who's playing the matinee slot that day at Beck's. The Tap Room show is at 8:00 PM, the Beck's gig is at 9:00 PM, and both are 19+ events with no cover. Good to see Silent 9 staying busy, even with a quieter/festival-focused summer again (if you'll be in/near Thessalon or White River, look out!), so see above for more details, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Rust, Bone Yard 225, And Curtis McKenzie Concert Previews!!

Before we begin our second weekend concert preview post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, who passed away yesterday at the age of 74 after being on life support following a fall at his home that led to a brain bleed. Visit your preferred music websites for continuing details on this sad news. A highly influential guitarist who co-wrote many of Kiss' biggest hit songs in the 1970s and early 1980s, and fronted what most considered to be the best of Kiss members' four simultaneous solo albums in 1978, Ace made his own name in the late 1980s and beyond with his own band Frehley's Comet and numerous solo releases, including last year's "10,000 Volts". Ace played two solo concerts in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, including at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino in November 2009, before headlining the outdoor '80s Rock Invasion concert at the St. Ignace Kewadin in July of last year.

Of course, Ace was not in the band anymore when Kiss played their two Sault Ste. Marie gigs, but his influence was felt from their setlists to the Spaceman costume taken on by Tommy Thayer, let alone the Kiss tribute bands that have played here. With hits like "Shock Me", "New York Groove", "Rock Soldiers", and "Cold Gin" on his resume as writer and/or singer along with ample guitar credits, Ace will be remembered fondly by the Kiss Army, and blast them loud if you can tonight. R.I.P. Ace!

Today's post otherwise looks at more weekend concert previews in Sault Ontario, and we'll start at Beck's Bar, where former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie will play their Saturday matinee timeslot TOMORROW! This will be Curt's first unplugged solo date since rocking The Dive Gastro Pub two weeks ago, a date that I regrettably missed covering on here despite teasing that he would be back soon when he announced that there was a scheduling mix-up the previous week and wasn't playing then. I profusely apologize for missing that Dive gig (which was a an outdoor "Patio Play" event), and hopefully he had a great on October 4th! Fans haven't seen Curtis rock out at the former Vibe Lounge since the end of August, so if you want a solid matinee block of alternative and hard rock covers, go west! Tomorrow's show is at 3:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Curt live!

Next up, who's playing the nightcap at Beck's Bar TOMORROW NIGHT? Southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, who will also pull the rare weekend double as the acoustic matinee performer on SUNDAY! One of the few local bands who play both of Beck's usual live band days (Fridays are typically DJ nights, tonight's Joe Mattalo country concert acknowledged), fans of "the dirty three" will have last seen Greg, Alex, and Warren at the Goulais Avenue nightclub in early September. Whether you prefer your Bone Yard in its full electric splendour or would rather see them earlier on and "uncorked", you have options this weekend! Just a reminder, Curtis McKenzie is not "opening" for your local 225 tomorrow, he and Bone Yard have separate four hour timeslots spaced two hours apart, but with no cover, you can hang out and see both if you choose. Tomorrow's concert is at 9:00 PM, Sunday's is a 3:00 PM matinee, and both shows are 19+ affairs. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard 225 live!

Finally for this weekend, we'll head downtown to "The" Soo Blaster, where Sudbury's Rust: A Tribute To Rush will return for a headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Fittingly now taking place in the wake of the real Rush's reunion tour announcement for 2026, this will be Rust's first local stop since November of last year, though the Kuthy brothers are far from strangers to the Soo, having played here four times with their Def Leppard tribute band Just Leppard, including in April. On this current tour, Rust are playing the album "Moving Pictures" in full and in order during their sets, and with their faithful looking and sounding stage show, fans of the Canadian progressive hard rock legends would be hard pressed to miss Saturday's concert for what should be a solid night of Rush classics! Doors open at 7:30 PM tomorrow for this all ages concert, which has tickets running for $25 online at this link or at the venue, though the door charge will jump to $35. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's the official trailer for this show!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rust & M1), The Clutch Concert Preview, And Exit 808 Updates!!

Today's post features a bit preview for a notable E.U.P. concert and recent fallout from another one, but leading off, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS concerning upcoming tribute band concerts in Sault Ontario, so here's what you should know!

Calgary-based Motorhead tribute band M1 will make their local concert debut on Wednesday, July 9th when they rock Beck's Bar! This is the first instance of a touring band of any genre to headline at Beck's since opening in April, and it comes by way of a tribute to hard rock legends that you don't often see tackled here beyond the occasional "Ace of Spades" cover by local acts. While M1 don't necessarily look like Lemmy and crew, they have the sound down well, and if you check out their videos on their Facebook page, they do a good job in mimicking Lemmy's gravelly vocals in particular! When Beck's announced the show on their Facebook page on Monday, they indicated that there would be an opening band, but we await public confirmation. This 19+ concert will be an early-ish night (ideal for a Wednesday) with the openers starting at 7:00 PM, and there is NO COVER.

It's not every day when a touring band plays a free show in the Soo, let alone a tribute band, and hopefully M1's take on Motorhead draws well at Beck's in three weeks, as it may lead to more touring acts playing at the former Vibe Lounge in due course! Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, there's more tribute hard rock action ahead this fall, as Sudbury's Rust: A Tribute To Rush will rock Soo Blaster once again on Saturday, October 18th! Fans may recall seeing Rust rock the same venue in November of last year, but their members are no strangers to the Soo, as the Kuthy brothers also perform in Just Leppard, who have played Def Leppard classics here four times since 2019, including at Soo Blaster two months ago. Rush fans will enjoy Rust's faithful take on the progressive rock legends' catalogue once again this fall, and hopefully there's a sizeable turnout at Soo Blaster once again for Rust's local encore! Notably, Rust plan on playing the "Moving Pictures" album in its entirety in four months. Like last year, tickets run for $25 online and at the door, this is an all ages event, and there is an advertised 8:30 PM start time. Visit the Facebook event page for more details!

Also today, let's get a slight jump on this weekend's concert previews by way of a major headlining concert in Sault Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT, as Maryland stoner/hard rock band Clutch will make their way to The Dreammakers Theater at the local Kewadin Casino! Well known among metalheads (if not necessarily mainstream rock radio) for songs like "Careful With That Mic...", "The Mob Goes Wild", and "10001110101", Clutch's melodic & bluesy but rough edged brand of hard rock stands on its own, and it'll be interesting to see how things go tomorrow in their local debut! Part of me is curious to hear if there's a normal amount of Canadian attendees given the current political climate and tariffs, but we'll have to see in that regard. Opening for Clutch tomorrow are Nashville southern hard rock quartet Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown and Washington D.C. folk/country musician Nate Bergman. 

The performers definitely get heavier as the night wears on, but Tyler and Nate are talented artists, so don't be late! Clutch frontman Neil Fallon even plugged the show directly to fans in this "Reel" on Kewadin's Facebook page, which is neay! Presented by Rock 101 (who have played a fair amount of Clutch on air in the past four months), this stop on Clutch's Full Ahead Flank MMXXV Tour is all ages with an 8:00 PM start time, and this is the rare standing room only concert at The Dreammakers Theater. Tickets run for a flat $55 USD at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. Should be a good time, and a definite change of pace, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Clutch live!

We'll stay in the E.U.P. to end today's post, courtesy of a new video from local hard rock band Exit 808! They kicked off their summer concert season at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino two weeks ago for their only truly local dates of this month, and it sounds like everything went well for Exit 808, aided by a bachelorette party taking place on the Saturday nighter! As per their Facebook page, they welcomed two guest musicians for the weekend, namely About:Blank/ex-Tarnished guitarist Nathan Webber (himself a founding member of Exit 808/Double Jack) and Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins on bass. While he was tagged in this post featuring photos from the weekend, Blaze Beairl appears to have missed these shows again, but he did rejoin them for their Walloon Lake concert on Saturday. A video was posted from the Saturday the 7th show, so what can you see there?

The video (sadly shot vertically) sees Exit 808, Nathan, and Joe covering the abnormally popular 4 Non Blondes' song "What's Up?" with Amy Beach handling lead vocals. I'll never quite understand how this song is such a popular cover choice (Sault Ontario bands cover it a lot), but it does have that crowd sing-along quality, whether I get it or not. The filmer was more to the side of the stage than we usually see from Northern Pines Lounge videos, and while I'm not a fan of accentuating empty crowd levels on the floor, they do eventually zoom in. Not my personal cover choice, but give Exit 808's newest St. Ignace concert video a watch below!

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

Saturday Night Concert Previews, A New Live Concert Video, And A New Original Song!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed Halloween concert in our weekend concert previews, as newer local acoustic hard rock duo Dodge This played at The Dive Gastro Pub on Thursday night. Originally, advertising just had (ex-?)Wyld Stallyns singer/guitarist Rob Speers playing a matinee there, but Jason & Jamie were booked on late notice as the night cap at The Dive. Alas, I only heard about the booking earlier that same day, hence why I wasn't able to cover it in advance, so I apologize again, but hopefully Dodge This and Rob both had a good turnout!

Today's post otherwise finishes this weekend's hard rock concert previews (neither being belatedly seasonal) along with some new songs from two veteran local bands, so let's start things in nearby Brimley, Michigan for the newest concert from local concert promoter Brighton LeBlanc's agency Serious Business, as he hosts four bands live at Pickles Bar & Grill TONIGHT! Three of them are local, including 2023 LSSU Battle of the Bands winning hardcore punk trio The Sole Aggressors (featuring half of The Undecideds) and hard rock quintet The Nameless, who both played at Serious Business' last Pickles show in August. Reunited and online page-less hard rock band The Karstens will also return after playing at Serious Business' first show at The Satisfied Frog last fall, a show that also featured tonight's touring headliner, Grand Rapids experimental/synth project Dick Texas. Not a heavier act, but Valerie is a talented artist!

This 18+ (not 21+ concert) takes place in Pickles' basement level, and will have an 8:00 PM start time and a $10 cover charge. Multi-band concerts like this still don't take place in the E.U.P. all that often, so definitely support the ones that you can to ensure that more could happen! It does seem like Brighton has been getting the word out about tonight's show well, and Brimley is not a far drive at all (20 minutes west of the Soo), so definitely consider coming down tonight if you're able! Visit the above links for more on tonight's action, and for a preview, here's a brand new full-set video of The Sole Aggressors live at Pickles in August! This was uploaded to their YouTube channel shortly after that event, and features what appears to be an all-original 40 minute set, including "Ventilation", "Reject", "Teenage Guide", "Time To Commercialize!", "Melted Plastic", "Hypocrite", ...

..."False Hope". "Fast Punk For Fast Food", "Kill Thy Neighbour", "Fool", "State Of The World", "Kill A Celebrity", and "Down By The Bay". I didn't recognize any covers off hand, so if this was indeed all-original, kudos to the Sole Aggressors as they continue their growth, as they're developing well with a good ear for fast paced punk music! The guitar could stand to be a little louder, and the lighting could definitely stand to be not so green, but it's awesome to see a substantial punk band out of Sault Michigan for a change, and Brett, Calvin, and Isaac are gonna turn a lot of heads if they stick with it! See more from The Sole Aggressors (and more) tonight!

Now let's head north to Sault Ontario for this weekend's last known hard rock concert, and it's a big one for fans of progressive hard rock legends Rush, as the Sudbury-based Rust: A Tribute To Rush will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at Soo Blaster! While fans may have seen a separate Rush tribute band at Reggie's two years ago, Rust are a newer project by Alex & Eric Kuthy, who you may recognize from fellow Sudbury tribute band Just Leppard, who entertained hair metal fans locally in tour dates from 2019-2022. They know their way around 1980s rock, and from what I have seen of Rust in videos, they'll go Geddy, Alex, and Neil proud with a professional and technical sound that Rush fans won't want to miss, especially on the big Soo Blaster stage! As far as I can gather, there are no local openers tonight. You can buy tickets online at this link or at the door for $25 (less than Just Leppard's last show here.)

This appears to be a 19+ event, and everything starts at 8:30 PM. If you're a fan of Rush, you won't want to miss out on Rust's faithful tribute tonight, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Rust live!

Finally for today, let's address something that debuted during one of the Halloween concerts this weekend, namely local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225's second studio single "Gypsy Spell"! The guys launched the song with a late-notice Halloween concert at Reggie's Place, where it was played live, and it was released to major streaming services (ie. Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube) that afternoon. More of a loose dancier rock number with a bouncy riff, this song gives everyone in the band lots of time to showcase their talents, with Warren's bass really driving things along, and Greg's singing is at a full voiced enthusiasm, which works well! Fun track from your local 225, so give it a listen below!

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

Concert Cancellations, A Missed Show Apology, HeadFirst Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we begin this weekend's concert previews, just a heads up on a pair of cancelled concerts for this weekend. Firstly, local funk/hard rock cover band The Wyld Stallyns are not playing at Shooters Downstairs Lounge tomorrow, and have been replaced by local country cover band Tex Riviera & The Ride, as per updates to the Facebook event page (it wasn't deleted, it was just completely rebranded for a different group). A reason for The Stallyns' withdrawal was not announced, but hopefully nothing too serious happened, and that we see this talented sextet back soon! As well, the Just Leppard/Saturday Night Special concert at Soo Blaster on Saturday was also quietly cancelled, as per the Facebook event page & the deletion of its EventBrite page. As I recall, "unforeseen circumstances" were cited for the cancellation on the (now deleted) paid Facebook advertising. Shame to see, as Just Leppard went over well in prior local gigs!

Hopefully we'll get our Def Leppard and Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute fix again down the line, but alas, these cancellations wipe out most of this weekend's known hard rock concerts (November is always quiet after Halloween, but not this quiet, pandemic years aside!) Of course, we'll let you know if anything short notice or bypassed comes up.

This is a light concert weekend to be sure, so before getting too far ahead, I wanted to offer my profuse apologies for a concert that we missed covering on the SMS this past Saturday, at The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan, a venue that we haven't talked about in ages on here! I was told about it in e-mails by musicians affiliated with the concert, but between the busy Halloween season and personal commitments, it completely slipped through the cracks and I apologize again for that, especially as it was a rare multi-band show with touring acts in Sault Ste. Marie proper! The show featured sets from Grand Rapids/Muskegon hardcore punk band Cell Rush, Grand Rapids experimental/synth solo project Dick Texas, Escanaba indie/minimalist band The Hell Town Trio, Muskegon alt-punk band Ledhead, and a surprise reunion of online page-less local hard rock band The Karstens.

The show was promoted under the name Serious Business, with poster design credited to Lucid Pixels. Once again, I profusely apologize for not covering this show on the SMS, it's certainly not every day when touring bands (plural) play at a local concert, let alone one not affiliated with Kewadin Casino, but hopefully it was a hit and encourages more smaller touring bands to come to Sault Michigan, let alone play at The Satisfied Frog! It still surprises me that they don't really have a social media presence. If The Karstens, Serious Business, or The Satisfied Frog have more public material to announce, I hope to address it on time!

Now let's dive into known and publically advertised hard rock concerts in the Soo area this weekend.... all two of them, as new local classic/hard rock quintet HeadFirst will play their first ever public concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Reggie's Place! The new group from ex-Raincourt guitarist Raine Rancourt and ex-Them drummer Anthony Boudreau, HeadFirst will bring their retro inspired brand of rock covers to this downtown staple this weekend, and it will be very interesting to see how things go for this group of talented rising musicians! If you can't make it this weekend, HeadFirst's third announced public gig will be at Toystock on November 26th. These two concerts have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's HeadFirst's ...first video of them in action!

That's surprisingly it for verifiable hard rock concerts currently advertised in the Twin Saults, but a familiar local band will actually be hitting the road next weekend for their first ever tour run! Local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich will venture beyond the Algoma District for shows in Sudbury and Oshawa next week (each city is linked to the respective Facebook event page), before playing in Ottawa and Cornwall over the January 19th weekend, details forthcoming. The Sudbury show will actually have local relevance beyond the close-ish 4 hour drive to The Townehouse Tavern, as Jesse & Johnny's old Jack Spades bandmate Tiffany Stocco will open for them next Friday with her current punk band The Knuckle City Dusters. Good to see her still rocking out! The Sudbury show is a headlining gig, but the next night's concert at The Atria will be in support of Oshawa metal band Dead Silence.

To promote the upcoming tours, the band (minus the guitarists) appeared in this Facebook video on Monday, and with their song "Shiver" as background noise, the guys promoted the upcoming shows, pointing at the cities' rough locations on a map of the Great Lakes, and noted that official t-shirts & CDs will be on sale. Taylor also noted that they are looking for recommendations of the best sandwich (of course) in each city for them to try. Of course, good luck on the road next weekend, and see above for more details! I can't embed the video here due to Facebook flagging "Shiver" as copyrighted audio. That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Rock & Roll Heaven On The Borderline's Episodes On Sault Memorial Gardens Concerts!!

With news remaining very slow for the local metal, hard rock, and punk scenes, today seemed like a good day to dive back into local internet radio station The Borderline, so what else is available to hear there that would fit our coverage range? Let's start with veteran local musician/photographer Brian Tremblay's series Rock & Roll Heaven, which focuses on musical acts that have played in Sault Ste. Marie in the past, either through personal and guest recollections, or interviews with musicians who have came here on tour, and there are a lot of episodes you can hear on demand now on The Borderline's website. Last month, episodes of Rock & Roll Heaven were posted that explore the history of live concerts at the former Sault Memorial Gardens, which was our major concert venue and hockey arena from 1949-2006. While Brian's musical tastes can stray from our usual coverage, hard rock concerts there do come up, so what can you find within?

The initial Memorial Gardens episode runs for 63 minutes, and it is entitled "A Garden of Music", which primarily explores classic rock-leaning musical acts that played there through the early 1980s, and Brian does play DJ by airing select studio tracks from bands discussed during the show (a full playlist can be seen at this link.) At the 17:24 mark, Brian talks about being in attendance progressive hard rock legends Rush's third and final Sault Ste. Marie concert from 1977, which he fondly recalled, despite being poorly attended. In this segment, Brian played the live version of "Closer To The Heart" from their live album "Exit Stage Left", followed by "(Make Me Do) Anything You Want" by Toronto hard rock band A Foot In Coldwater, who opened for Rush on this tour. Fun 10 minute segment overall, and it's nice to hear some first-hand context about Rush's last local date from someone who was there!

The second episode (entitled "A Musical Hockey Barn") can be heard at this link or above in the second (lower) file. It's formatted very similarly to part 1, and runs for almost as long, but it does creep later into the 1980s in the second half, and thusly talks about more hard rock acts. There's also more recommendations from friends and listeners than in "A Garden of Music", for what that's worth. Hard rock fans will be most interested in segments from 18:02 on, starting with Brian's recollections of Vancouver hard rock icons Prism's local stop, including their songs "Spaceship Superstar" & "Flyin'". At 29:08, Brian looks back on Canadian guitar icon Kim Mitchell, who played the Gardens solo and with Max Webster, and he played his classic song "Lager & Ale" in this segment. Next, at 34:13 in, Brian talked about Alannah Myles, who opened for Kim locally at the show Brian attended.

Rather than go the obvious route by playing "Black Velvet", Brian chose her track "Still Got This Thing For You" to play on air. The last show Brian talked about in this episode was a triple bill from Canadian hard rock legends Moxy (not Moxy Fruvous), Goddo, and Trooper that he saw at the Gardens in the late 1970s. Moxy's segment begins at 40:04, and he plays their song "Ridin' High" here, before switching to Goddo at 45:01, from whom he plays "Walk On", and gives some extra detailed information on meeting and helping frontman Greg Godovitz much later on. Fitting of the headliners, he covered Vancouver hard rock favourites Trooper last at 52:52, and he plays their two first singles to close, "Baby Woncha Please Come Home" & "General Hand Grenade". A third episode was teased, perhaps diving into Gardens concerts in the 1990s, but it sounds like it's dependent on listener recollections and requests, so contact Brian if you can help.

I enjoyed listening to these episodes, especially when Brian had unique thoughts on specific concerts to share beyond just if he liked the bands in question, and his biography details in between were also welcomed! Re: a third episode, I wonder if getting a hold of Duane Roy (author of the Soo Stories book about Memorial Gardens concerts) would be worth considering? He definitely had strong recollections of shows there. Even if a part 3 isn't imminent, there is more to discuss from Rock & Roll Heaven (now linked on the SMS), so give both of Brian's Memorial Gardens episodes a listen above, and stay tuned for a new post of some kind by Saturday! Thanks everyone!

An Inactive Band Note, New Videos, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I'd like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rush drummer and author Neil Peart, who passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 67, after a three year battle with brain cancer. The news spread quickly around social media and the rock music community, and understandably so, given Neil's impact as one of the greatest drummers of all time, and as a key member of Rush from 1974 through their final concert tour in 2015. Older local fans may recall seeing Neil play live with Rush at the former Sault Memorial Gardens thrice from 1975-1977, shows that received some renewed attention locally in the past week. Neil's passion and skill level was unrivaled, as was his courage to return to music & writing in the wake of his wife and daughter's deaths in the late 1990s. With his drumming ability and classic lyrics, Rush wouldn't have become what they were without him, and he will be deeply missed. R.I.P. Neil!

Today's post otherwise dives into recent video postings and an inactive band note, and we'll start there, as I have moved local extreme metal band Winkstinger back to our inactive band links. The group has not issued a public update since their last announced concert at December 2018's True North Talent Entertainment multi-genre Christmas concert at Soo Blaster (their Facebook page shared archive photos from the early 2010s last year, but it wasn't maintained during their last active run as a band.) After taking a year+ hiatus, Winkstinger returned for a third active run in August 2017, which saw the return of Ryan Sherman on bass and the debut of Twistory's Josh Amendola on vocals, taking the band into full death metal territory as a result. The new lineup played 7 recorded concerts in the latter halves of 2017 & 2018, including sets at the first two Oh!No festivals, the "Trading Faces" split release show, and concerts headlined by The Faps & The Costanzas.

Given their lack of an online presence in their 2015-2018 reunions, it's always possible that Winkstinger are just lying low again, but it's been well over a year since we last heard anything from their camp. Of course, you can still see constant members Jesse Cook & Jonas Gasperas with The Elements, while Jonas frequently guests with Jesse's acoustic band The Wyld Stallyns, so don't miss seeing them there, and best of luck to them, Josh, Ryan, and other former members in the future!

Next up, here's some newly discovered live videos of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck from one of their Reggie's West concerts earlier this month! Filmed by SaultOnline's Mike Caruso for his YouTube channel, these are the only heavier-leaning concert videos he has uploaded in the past month, but definitely give his channel a look to see other live videos from veteran cover acts as of late! Despite the outdated band photo at the beginning of each video, these do feature Soundcheck with their new singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver. Regarding the covered songs, one has Soundcheck covering David Wilcox's "Riverboat Fantasy" (with guitarist Terry Eaton on vocals), which is particularly notable because it's the full song, rather than the bookends of their Travis-era cover medley. The others have Cameron singing, and they are of The Eagles' "Take It Easy" and, as embedded below, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son".

Overall, these videos sound good, and Cameron seems to be acquitting himself well to Soundcheck so far! His distinctive voice works well on southern rock and country songs, which presumably bodes well for Reggievelt gigs in particular. Alas, bassist Paul Belair was largely obscured by that post on stage once again, I wish they could do something about that. Give Soundcheck's new videos a look above & below!

Finally for today, here's some new drum cover videos from former As It Stands mainstay John Mignacca! These were uploaded to his "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel in the past 6 months, which is otherwise focused on video gaming footage (more or less). John will be most familiar locally from his hardcore drumming, and was most recently seen as Jesse Merineau's new live drummer, but his new covers are largely distant from his band work. Since last summer, John has covered songs by A Day To Remember, Machine Gun Kelly, , Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, and Merkules, but embedded below is his cover of "2001" by Mike Froh, the former frontman of past Oddfellows Hall headliners The Holly Springs Disaster. John's videos are strongly recorded with good usage of multiple camera angles, and he plays with energy and skill, as you would expect! Very eclectic group of songs, but there are some glimmers of metal and hardcore within, so give John's new drum covers a look above & below!



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

The Din & Theatre Of Night Updates, Plus Lots Of Assorted News & Notes!!

Before we get our review of Saturday night's Rednecks Saloon relaunch party goes up on the site, here's a new news post to keep things rolling on that end for this new week! Today, we have lots of assorted recent notes, but first, here's some updates and new videos from bands on each side of the border!

Local hard rock/alternative trio The Din have stayed busy in the past week, so what should you know from them? Well, the band released their first paid CD at the aforementioned Rednecks concert on Saturday, as "The Din Does Laundry" finally went on sale! Though sold in a paper sleeve, it actually has a proper label & cover art insert, so it would actually be eligible for a review on the site (and it all fits just fine in a jewel case!) The 15 song disc was on sale for $3, and by post-show accounts, it was a good seller, so keep it in mind for when The Din play live next! As for a review of it on the SMS, I want to hold off in lieu of The Din's previously hinted official studio debut CD, which has been teased a fair amount in the past few days. On Friday, the band shared a teaser video where frontman Mike Haggith teased plans to release the cover art and title, while riding an exercise bike, on their Facebook page, but in a video four hours later, Mike & guitarist Tammy Hill revealed that this was an April Fools joke of sorts.

The cover art, title, and first single are apparently coming later this month, but the reveal (fittingly in front of laundry machines) was actually for "The Din Does Laundry", despite it already being revealed in older photos. Hey, they technically weren't lying! No word on if it'll be available online in some form, but check out the teasers above and below, stay tuned for The Din's next Cover of the Month video in short order, and stay tuned for our review of their Rednecks set in our next post!



Next up, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, as uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, and it's of a new instrumental track named "Fraxical Dream" that guitarist Steve Giles composed using effects programs on his iPad (which he has made good use of for many prior tracks.) Complete with many psychedelic images, the song has a dark, ethereal essence, albeit not heavy, but fans should check it out below, and hopefully we hear more from Theatre of Night in short order!



Finally for this post, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• In their latest Facebook page update on March 21st, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters revealed that bass recording sessions for their upcoming second CD "The Dead Testament" were ongoing at Mission Control Studios, and that sessions were still on track for a release this year. Sounds like things are on track, so keep posted as more comes in!
• Are/were defunct local hard rock band Borderline Divine planning a comeback? The former Stillbroke posted a cryptic status saying "Download is complete. Installation is ready to begin." on their Facebook page in October, their first status there since the band went on hiatus in mid-2012, with frontman Jesse Frigault moving to Alberta later that year (he's no longer a listed band member on their page either.) Given that there hasn't been any follow-up since, we'll have to wait and see if Borderline Divine do indeed re-emerge, but it'd be cool to see Sam, Mitch, and Justin on stage again!
• We don't often have news items from Twitter on here, but Redundant frontman Justin Langlois revealed on his Twitter page on Thursday that the local punk trio has "a couple of out of town gigs booked." The band hasn't elaborated on this yet, or when they'll return to the local stage, but we'll let you know when we hear more!
• According to a Rolling Stone article for the 40th anniversary of their classic album "2112" last week, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed that the Canadian prog-hard rock legends wrote the riff for their song "Temples of Syrinx" during their June 1975 stop in Sault Ste. Marie when they played at the former Sault Memorial Gardens! SooToday's Kenneth Armstrong followed with their own article about the reveal, with reminiscences from Rad Zone owner Paul Muncaster on Rush's three local shows from 1975-1977, and Rush's impact even at that early stage. Both are well worth the read for Rush fans, so give each a look above!
• Local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven have quietly posted four photos on their Facebook page since February which seem to indicate the titles of (at least) four songs for their upcoming debut EP. If I'm reading these right, the tracks will be "Cognitive Dissonance", "Fallen Faith", "Enough", and "Pretend", complete with quotes relating to each title, though it's not established if "Fallen Faith" & "Enough" are re-recordings of their earlier studio tracks or not. Stay tuned for more from Skeyes of Seven!
• The Tuned with Donna Hopper episode on last month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands finally went online on Local2 yesterday, where Donna interviewed winners K.I.C.K. on their victory last month, how new bassist Kevin D'Orazio has fit in, and their songwriting process & recording plans. Sadly, there's no footage of the other finalists (or from any of the semifinals), but it's a solid (if brief) interview, and there's some live footage from their set during the credits! Give it a look at the above links!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of Saturday night's Rednecks Saloon relaunch party next! Thanks everyone!