LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), This Weekend's Concert Previews, And More!!

Here's our last weekend concert preview post before Rotaryfest next week, and while things are surely quieter than they will be, there's a fair amount of hard rock events this weekend, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and a farewell to a concert venue as we currently know it. There's also a new video to cap things off, but here's what you should know for this weekend's concert previews!

Sault Michigan hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. After taking last week off, 906 are back for another concert at one of their favourite venues on SATURDAY, having last played the Strongs Tavern at last month's Brenda Holmes benefit. This show has no direct theme, though for what it's worth, Project 906 were plugging the softball tournament taking place through the Strongs Tavern in event advertising, and the team search therein, so if there's a reference to softball or an appearance by teams, that's why. SATURDAY NIGHT's concert has a 21+ age limit, a 9:00 PM start time, and no announced cover charge. Don't miss Project 906's hard rocking covers this weekend out west, here they are live, and stay tuned for more on a big festival they're playing again in August!



Next up, we'll move back to previews of concerts that had advance notice, starting with another busy weekend from Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, as he has five concerts going down this weekend, including his final Gliss Steak & Seafood concerts at it's current location TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, plus traditional nighttime gigs at The Road House Bar & Grill TOMORROW and at Room 21 on (Sangria) SATURDAY! With Gliss leaving The Quality Inn later this month and relocating, this weekend's triple-header will be Tym's final bookings at 180 Bay Street as we know it, so come on down to Gliss to help send off Tym and the venue before the big move! For what it's worth, a new restaurant is opening at The Quality Inn in it's place, and a job fair was held yesterday towards hiring new staff, as noted in this SooToday article. Note that one commenter believes that Gliss is moving into the old Cesira's building on Spring Street, though nothing has been confirmed publically, so take that with a grain of salt.

That all said, The Road House and Room 21 aren't going anywhere, so if you're in the east end or downtown, you have some nighttime options to take in Tym's unplugged classic hits tomorrow and Saturday! Tym's Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced age limits, while the Road House and Room 21 shows are 10:00 PM engagements with 19+ age limits, and none of these five shows have an announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here, here, and here for more details, stay tuned for more on Gliss' future, and for a preview, here's Tym live!



Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, we'll head to LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT, where local funk/improv/hard rock band Gianni Gagoots are scheduled to play their first concert of the year as openers for Niagara Falls experimental prog rock quartet The Road Waves! Before I get too deep into this, just a warning that Gianni Gagoots' Facebook page was quietly taken down again for unannounced reasons in recent weeks, which typically isn't a good sign for a band's active status, but event advertising is still promoting this concert with them opening, so I am cautiously still including it in this weekend's previews in case the page's deletion was accidental. Either way, with no other online pages, I had to delete from our active band links, though they'll return if their Facebook page resurfaces. This is (was?) scheduled to be the Gagoots' first show since originally disbanding last fall, and is a relocated sequel to their Like Ten Promotions-held New A show in June 2017.

While not a hard rock band, The Road Waves' creative soundscape will be a nice fit at LopLops tomorrow, and they should deliver another fan favourite set, even if Gianni Gagoots disbanded again! This 19+ show has a 10:00 PM start time, and contrary to initial advertising, there will in fact be a $6 cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview (assuming that they're playing), here's Gianni Gagoots live!



We'll close today with a new video from local grindcore solo project Crucify The Whore's Facebook page from May 26th, with project leader Tyler Gibson asking which of his fans would be attending his "future appearances". As it turns out, C.T.W. did play some level of a live concert set at The New American Pub on June 3rd which completely flew under the radar, to the point that I can't find any reference to it outside of the band's and Tyler's personal Facebook pages. Apologies for missing that, hopefully the show went well! The 67 second clip features a facemask-clad Tyler playing an instrumental, and it sounds good for what it is, so check it out below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & The Rivers Of Nihil Concert Preview!!

I wasn't originally planning to break up our first concert preview post of year #11 in two, but with an unusually large amount of related updates for one performer playing this week, we're going to bump our previews of this weekend's Soundcheck and Banned concerts to our next post. Don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know today, including lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has a busy month ahead once again, with at least 10 dates confirmed for July at varying venues! First, he'll play at Gliss Steak & Seafood for two more weekends at it's current locale TONIGHT, TOMORROW, SATURDAY, and next week from July 12th-14th, while he will also play at Room 21 for Finger Food Friday events TOMORROW & on July 20th, plus a Saturday nighter there on July 14th! Apologies for the short notice on this week's four concerts, they were all announced via their respective Facebook event pages (linked here & here) earlier this week. Yes, Tym is back on Thursdays at Gliss, as is customary for his lengthy arrangement there in the second half of the year, but these two weekends appear to be his last at 180 Bay Street. While not stated publically, Tym has noted on his personal Facebook page that Gliss is moving to a new location later this summer, which will put a temporary hold on his regular gigs there, but his run there is expected to resume after it re-opens.

I haven't heard a reason for Gliss moving, but hopefully this is the best move all around for restaurant management and The Quality Inn alike, and stay tuned for more when we hear it! Along with these and the trifecta of Room 21 shows on Albert Street West, SooToday's events calendar lists him as returning to The Road House Bar & Grill on Trunk Road on Friday, July 13th, which may explain why he's playing at Room 21 that Saturday instead. Even with the Gliss hiatus impending, Tym's got a lot of entertainment for fans downtown and in the east end this month, so don't miss out on all of the action! Also, for what it's worth, I do want to apologize for missing a big element of Tym's Canada Day show on Sunday at Room 21, as he actually opened for a touring act that night, namely Australian indie rock artist Steve Lane, who was only acknowledged on the venue's Facebook event page, not Tym's. Profuse apologies for missing that, but check out videos of Steve on Room 21's Facebook page, it looks like the show was a hit!

Tym's final shows at the current Gliss location (including TOMORROW through SUNDAY) are 6:00 PM matinees as usual with no announced cover charges or age limits, while the Room 21 shows (TOMORROW included) and next week's Road House gig are 10:00 PM concerts with no announced cover charge and 19+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, don't miss Tym's unplugged hard rock experience four times this weekend, and here's a newly discovered video of him live at Room 21 from Live705's Facebook page on May 1st! This is of Tym at their open mic night, possibly playing an original song (at the very least, the song's not familiar), and it's well filmed from a side angle, with Tym's voice in strong form! This softer ballad comes through nicely, and it's nice to have a newer public video of him in concert, so give it a look below, and don't miss him at Gliss or Room 21 this weekend!



Finally for this post, here's one more concert preview that had lots of advance notice, as a brutal onslaught of American technical death metal is coming to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, courtesy of local promoters Live705 in their second official concert of the year! Reading, Pennsylvania quintet Rivers of Nihil are the advertised headliners in this stop on their Where Owls Know My Name Canadian tour, and their devastating, groove-influenced blend of death metal should attract a solid audience tomorrow, so don't leave early! Sacramento-based tech-death quartet Alterbeast and Nashville metal quintet Inferi will bring more intensity of a similar vein as openers, but don't assume these bands are all the same, as Alterbeast's fast-paced attack and Inferi's black metal influences will help them stand out in this high quality package tomorrow night! The local openers are death metal trio Pillory in their first announced concert in almost a year.

While it will be great to see them back after far too long, note that the band has not acknowledged this show publically (or posted on their Facebook page) since last July. They definitely are still advertised, but I'm just noting that! A rare Live705 show without A Dire Setback, tickets for this 19+ show are on sale for an apparently flat $15 at this link, as well as The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and presumably at the door, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. This should be a great concert for fans of  brutal technical death metal, with all four bands having high profiles, so be sure to visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Rivers of Nihil live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Banned and Soundcheck previews on the site either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Elements, Soundcheck, And The Wyld Stallyns) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

A busy hard rock concert weekend is finally upon us for the summer season, so the first of this weekend's hard rock and punk shows make up the entirety of this post! We will need two full preview posts to spread things out, so shows with advance notice and no Thursday component will be covered in tomorrow's news post, namely this weekend's Cover-Up and Redundant shows, and hard rock events in the E.U.P.. Don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend, leading off with lots of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local acoustic hard rock cover trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT for their latest Finger Food Friday installment! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Tuesday. While this is the Elements side project's most frequent live venue, this will be the second appearance for Rob, Christina, and Jesse there during their new appetizer-laden Friday theme nights, last seen there in this setting two weeks ago.  TOMORROW's concert should be another prime opportunity to hear The Wyld Stallyns' fan favourite and involved covers, so don't miss the action and the finger food above Low & Slow then! As usual for The Wyld Stallyns' Room 21 stops, this one-night-only concert has a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and here are the headliners live!



Next up, we'll head to The Rockstar Bar, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday, and while the band proper hasn't acknowledged them on their Facebook page at press time, note that they haven't plugged their shows there since April. On that same token, the Mourning Wood successors will also play a one nighter at The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, June 23rd, as part of that venue's ever-changing array of nightly entertainment, and our source for that booking is the poster featured below for our Tym Morrison previews. TOMORROW'S Rockstar Bar show will be Soundcheck's first concert at this venue since playing a Saturday nighter there early last month, and fans of their classic and hard rock covers should be right at home once again, while next weekend's Water Tower Pub concert should be a good one too as they make a rare appearance at that venue!

A one-nighter due to or resulting in the Saturday show at the same venue that we're covering next, TOMORROW'S Rockstar Bar concert is at 10:00 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit, and while this mostly translates to Soundcheck's Water Tower Pub show on the 23rd, note that their advertised start time is 9:30 PM. Visit the above links and below poster for more details, and hopefully some public videos of Soundcheck turn up sooner or later!

So, who's playing at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT? Well, how do local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements sound? Apologies again for the short notice, this show was also only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. While we have seen Rob and Jesse live frequently this year in the aforementioned Wyld Stallyns, this will be their first concert with the full plugged-in band since September, so if you're missed The Elements live this year, here's your next opportunity! Of course, this booking is a one-nighter due to tomorrow's Wyld Stallyns show at Room 21 and/or the Soundcheck concert at the same venue. Also, while The Elements themselves haven't promoted this show on their own Facebook page at press time, it is definitely a go, as Rob Speers did ask for our help in finding an opening act for SATURDAY, preferably a "new band". This could be a big opportunity, so if you or a band you know would be interested in opening for The Elements on SATURDAY NIGHT, message him at this link!

As with tomorrow's Soundcheck concert, this show has a 10:00 PM start time (with or without an opener), a 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's The Elements live!



Finally for today's previews, we'll touch on shows that did have advance notice, those being the latest array of acoustic solo shows from former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison, as he'll make a rare solo headlining appearance at The Water Tower Pub TONIGHT, before continuing his long term arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood with matinees there TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Joining a busy entertainment roster at The Water Tower Pub this month, Tym's one nighter there tonight could serve as a prelude to his expected return to Thursday concerts at Gliss next month, though fans of his lengthy run at The Quality Inn's house restaurant will be right at home tomorrow and Saturday evening, so keep all three of these dates in mind! Tonight's Water Tower Pub show is a 9:30 PM affair with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit, and while the two Gliss shows are also cover-less, they are at 6:00 PM with no announced limit (though mind the locale, it's not your typical nightclub.) Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Peril, Cover-Up, Project 906 and Redundant previews  tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Hey everyone, just a heads up that due to personal commitments today (specifically, my 29th birthday), this weekend concert preview post is an auto-post entirely written yesterday afternoon. A such, if there's any more late notice show announcements, I won't be able to get to them until Friday. With that said, there's a solid weekend of music in store to help kick off the month of June, so here's what you should know, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, partially on SHORT NOTICE! (Due to the amount of shows this weekend, our preview of Sunday's Dumpster Mummy concert will be in our next news post, coming on Friday or Saturday.)

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to Room 21 for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT as part of their Finger Food Friday festivities! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page last night. Two weeks removed from their Upper Deck Bar & Grill debut, the Elements side project will return to their favourite venue for the continuation of Room 21's new Finger Food Friday series, where appetizers will again be on hand for willing patrons to enjoy along with the live musical entertainment. Rob, Christina, and Jesse should have another fun night of hard and funk rock covers in store at the Low & Slow sister bar TOMORROW, so don't miss out on the unplugged action then! Expect a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit TOMORROW NIGHT, so visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live earlier this year!



Next up, and with June about to begin, let's add Tym Morrison's latest array of acoustic hard rock solo concerts to our concert listings, including Gliss Steak & Seafood shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and then on June 8th-9th, 15th-16th, 22nd-23rd, and 29th-30th! Again, apologies for the short notice on this weekend's shows, remember that we take his Gliss bookings one month at a time due to their long term nature. Elsewhere this month, we knew of Tym's upcoming Mark's Breakfast Plus shows from June 11th-13th already, but there are two Thursday nighters to note in advance of his expected return to thrice-a-week Gliss gigs next month, as Tym will return to The Water Tower Pub for a rare solo show there on June 14th (as per this venue schedule), while he will play a special "Back to the 80s" concert on Thursday, June 21st at.... Burger Don?! Yes, the restaurant at 7 Great Northern Road (formerly Gigi's Bistro) does host live solo musicians on occasion, and this will be Tym's debut there!

With a 1980s rock-centric setlist expected for this themed concert, hopefully Tym has a great set at Burger Don in three weeks time, and might a successful night lead to more gigs there? Tym Morrison's Gliss shows (TOMORROW & SATURDAY included) are 6:00 PM matinees, while the Burger Don show on the 21st is at 8:00 PM, and the 19+ Water Tower Pub show on the 14th is at 9:30 PM. None of these dates have announced cover charges, but remember, both Gliss and Burger Don are sit-down restaurants, not traditional nightclubs. Visit the Gliss concerts' Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll touch on the long awaited return of Live705 to local concert promotion after a 9+ month hiatus, as they're bringing Timmins punk quartet All The Wasted Years to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT for their local concert debut! Touring in support of their new album "High Blood Pressure", A.T.W.Y.'s upbeat and familiar punk rock style should be a fine fit in the Soo on Friday, so genre fans should be right at home when they take the stage to kick off the month! Local support will include Live705's flagship punk band A Dire Setback in just their second show of 2018 and third as a trio, while in a late confirmation, fellow local punk trio Stegadeth will take the stage tomorrow as well, replacing the already departed Skeyes of Seven. Solid choice that helps add to this show's punk-heavy nature, and they should have a fun set! Local heavy rock quintet Re:Born will play just their second live concert set as openers on Friday night, so prepare for an old school heavy attack before punk rock takes over!

Note that both All The Wasted Years & A Dire Setback will be heading back to Timmins on Saturday for the headliners' official CD release party, so good luck to both bands out east this weekend! As for the local show tomorrow, it is a 19+ affair with a $10 cover charge and an advertised 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's All The Wasted Years live a couple of years back!



Also this weekend, let's head south to Kinross, Michigan, where hometown classic/hard rock trio Banned will play their first of three special concerts at the Jack Passmore Grandstand at Kinross Speedpark during this summer's racing season THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Specifically, Banned will be serving as the musical entertainment for Saturday's post-practice festivities, with the full season schedule commencing on Sunday, so whether you're in this for the fast driving action or Banned's hard rocking covers, entertainment is likely for Saturday!  They'll be back at Kinross Speedpark in three weeks after practice for the Triple Crown event later this month, so keep that return in mind also. Saturday's show has a 9:00 PM start time with no age limit or cover charge (though the races proper have paid admission), while the race practice itself is from 12:00-4:00 PM. See the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Whoop-Szo) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

I know, things remain quiet as of late, and that has translated to this weekend's concert previews, but there's still some intriguing concerts this weekend, even one to note that doesn't even have announced bands?! That said, we do have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month to lead off with, so here's what you should know on this Thursday evening!

London "true-psych/post-metal' quintet Whoop-Szo will make their local concert debut on Friday, June 29th when they headline at... Outspoken Brewing?! Yes, the craft brewery at 350 Queen Street East (beside Shabby Motley Handcraft) doubles as a venue for live events, but this is the first time that an SMS-fitting concert has ever taken place there that I'm aware of. Whoop-Szo will definitely deliver a unique sound to the local stage at the end of next month, with electronic, psychedelic, folk, and sludge influences in their experimental "noisy mountain", but they are definitely heavy enough to appeal to genre fans, so keep their set in mind! Hamilton garage rock band Billy Moon will open in their own local debut, and with an accessible, lo-fi brand of original material in store (maybe even some guided meditation), they should attract an audience next month as well! Advance tickets for this (presumably) 19+ concert are $10, and can be bought online at this link, though a potential hike at the door isn't stated on the Facebook event page.

This show is also advertised to start at 9:00 PM on June 29th. It's nice to see Outspoken Brewing host a heavier show, and one with lots of musical creativity on both sides of the coin, so visit the above links for more on Whoop-Szo, Billy Moon, and the venue/beer in advance of this concert!

Next up, let's move to this weekend's concert previews, starting with former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's latest Gliss Steak & Seafood shows, as he'll rock The Quality Inn's house restaurant once again TOMORROW & SATURDAY! With his long-term weekly run of acoustic matinees wrapping up another month this weekend, prepare for more unplugged hard rock and classic rock covers at this downtown locale over these two evenings from this local music veteran! Note that we will approach Tym's June concerts (his presumed last before returning to thrice weekly bookings there) next week, as we take his long-term Gliss shows one month at a time due to their length and frequency. As usual for Tym's Gliss gigs, these shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!

Also this weekend, we'll head south to Brimley, Michigan, where Munising hard rock quartet Infathom will travel for a headlining concert at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! This infrequently seen group (fronted by former Saultite Dillion Semasky) will be making their first E.U.P. concert appearance of 2018 on Saturday, though fans will have seen them open for Theory of a Deadman in the Soo in December, and previously at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley last fall. This will be Infathom's debut at the waterfront nightclub at "your perfect up north retreat", and their hard hitting covers and originals should provide a Memorial Day weekend spark, so keep their Back Bay Grill show in mind for Saturday! Note that this concert does not conflict with former Nudge frontman Danzo McCracken's advertised acoustic gig on Saturday, he's playing in the Northwoods Lounge at Bay Mills that night (and tomorrow.)

This 21+ concert has no announced cover charge, and has an advertised start time of 10:00 PM. It's great to see Infathom back east for another night of metal and hard rock hits, so keep their Brimley return in mind for Saturday night, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Infathom live in Sault Ste. Marie in December!



Finally, I wanted to acknowledge an event taking place TOMORROW NIGHT at Room 21 in Sault Ontario entitled Jiannipaloozahtoo (The Sequel), which curiously has no publically advertised bands, so what is there to say about it? Well, first off, apologies for the short notice, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. Jiannipaloozahtoo has nothing (visibly) to do with the reunited Gianni Gagoots, as it is actually the belated sequel to prolific local metal/punk drummer Johnny Belanger's 2016 birthday concert at The Oddfellows Hall (entitled "Johnny B.'s #Litfam Birthday Sheezy".) The event page indicates that Room 21 are going to "bring together a bunch of instruments" and host "musical performances from everyone", with drink specials also planned to be offered. The lack of an announced performer lineup suggests that this may be more of an informal jam session event with performers coming and going, but the event page's confirmed attendees may shed light onto who's playing tomorrow!

For reference, Johnny's 2016 "birthday sheezy" featured his bands The Bear Hunters and Jack Spades alongside Winkstinger, the dormant Exploring Detritus, and the now-defunct Eclipse and Heavy Head, while Johnny has since joined Stegadeth and Handsome Sandwich. That said, Room 21 hasn't been a haven for extreme metal since launching last year, with smaller and acoustic acts being the norm, so I would imagine this will be a whole different animal than 2 years ago. In any event, hopefully Johnny has a great birthday bash with his second "paloozah", I imagine a fun night of music is in store from him and his friends tomorrow night!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, plus this month's YouTube Channel Profile this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The 3 Day Millionaires And Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

(Updated on Friday at 1:35 PM) Before we get into this weekend's concert previews, I wanted to note that the obituary for former Fistmagnet guitarist Chuck Ayotte was posted on SooToday on Monday, which you can now read at this link. There, it's confirmed that Chuck passed away at the Algoma Residential Community Hospice on Saturday at just 51 years of age, and he is survived by his wife Danielle, three children, one grandchild, and four siblings, among other extended family. Chuck had requested that there be no funeral service, as he wouldn't want his passing to be mourned, but the family said to "raise a beer in celebration of a life well lived." A celebration of life is reportedly in the works for a later date, though no mention was made of the golf tournament in his name that was announced for May 1st, so keep tabs on that in case it is still a plan. Memorial contributions to ARCH or Tracy's Dream would be appreciated by Chuck's family. I've seen a lot of fond reminiscences on Facebook regarding Chuck as a person, father, and musician, so be sure to check there for kind words from those that knew him better than I.

Sadly, we never got that Fistmagnet reunion that had been teased since Hardcore Homecoming in 2014, but maybe that celebration of life will have a live concert component. Time will tell, but keep the Ayotte family in your thoughts, and of course, raise a beer for Chuck! Now, let's dive into a quiet weekend of hard rock concert previews in Sault Ontario, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Alongside shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY during his ongoing arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood, former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT as the musical performer for their Friday the 13th festivities! Apologies for the short notice on that show, we only received confirmation of his involvement on Friday afternoon. TOMORROW'S show will be Tym's first at the nightclub above Low & Slow in two months, but there will be a Friday the 13th twist, as the Facebook event page indicates that he'll be in costume as Jason Voorhees! Will Tym just have the mask, or be in full regalia? You can find out TOMORROW, and fans are encouraged to come dressed as a horror movie character or victim for the occasion! There will also be hourly drink specials, if you are so inclined.  Of course, Tym as himself will also rock Gliss for two matinee shows tomorrow and Saturday, but don't bring your horror costumes there!

With his extensive setlist always at hand, another fun weekend of classic and hard rock covers should be in store at Gliss and Room 21, so don't miss out! As usual for Tym's long-term run at Gliss, expect 6:00 PM start times this weekend, no announced cover charges, and no stated age limit (but remember that this is a formal restaurant), while the Room 21 festivities are at 10:00 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit. Visit the Gliss shows' event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!




Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to The Rockstar Bar for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these were only announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Sunday, though note that The Millionaires haven't posted on their Facebook page in almost two months. Marking their second concert weekend in a row at The Rockstar Bar after previously playing there three weeks ago, this should be another fine opportunity to hear their hard rocking array of classic hits, so don't miss out TOMORROW or SATURDAY! The venue will reportedly also be marking their customer appreciation day TOMORROW by offering free pool all day, so keep that offer in mind as well! These shows have 10:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live!



Finally, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to the stage for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT when they headline at The Water Tower Pub! After taking the month of March off, the Mourning Wood successors will return to activity with this concert up on Great Northern Road, as previously announced via this concert calendar from the venue. With Asylum Country, Carbon Black, Suicide Kings, and Rainhorses alumni in their lineup, there's a lot to like from this quartet, so keep Soundcheck's return to The Water Tower Pub in mind for tomorrow! Note that this venue doesn't typically have the same band on Friday and Saturday of a given weekend, with The Paul Dellavedova Band instead bringing the blues on Saturday night. Tomorrow's Soundcheck concert has no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and no, we still don't have any public videos to preview them here with, but hopefully we will soon!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison And Rob Speers & Jesse Cook), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

With the first concert weekend of April 2018 drawing closer, here's most of this weekend's concert previews! Due to the amount, we're holding our preview of Saturday night's Don't Look Back show in Sault Michigan for our next news post, coming tomorrow or Saturday morning, so don't worry, it's coming! Now, here's what you need to know on the Ontario side of the border, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE! (Updated on Friday at 4:52 PM)

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook will join forces for another acoustic concert TOMORROW NIGHT at Room 21! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier today. Three weeks removed from their most recent joint concert appearance at The Rockstar Bar, this will be their first trip to the concert venue above Low & Slow since February, with event advertising crediting them under the Wyld Stallions name again (with Bill & Ted 3 rumblings, why not?) This show should see more acoustic hard rock and funk/blues classics for fans TOMORROW, and if you haven't seen Rob & Jesse in this setting, look for guest appearances (possibly including Daniel Horton again) and more encouragement of fan involvement. Note that the event page openly admits that they are up against "a certain other show", likely meaning tomorrow's Shit Liver concert, but they do encourage fans to head west and finish the night at Room 21 after that show wraps up!

A 10:30 PM start time is in effect for this show from Rob & Jesse (or The Wyld Stallions, or The Kariokeheads), while this is a 19+ event, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Rob & Jesse live at The Rockstar Bar!

Next up, and with a new month fully in force, let's add prolific hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison's slate of Gliss Steak & Seafood matinee concerts to our listings, including shows there TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and then on April 13th-14th, 20th-21st, and 27th-28th! Again, apologies for the short notice on this weekend's shows, remember that we take Tym's Gliss bookings one month at a time on here due to the long-term nature of it's scheduling. These shows join an already busy month for the former Caveman Morrison frontman, who just played a pair of matinees at Mark's Breakfast Plus and will return there thrice more in a few weeks, while his Thursday open mic nights at The Canadian are also marching on, though at press time, there had not been an announced continuation of his bi-monthly Roadhouse shows. Tym's talented and fan friendly brand of hard rock covers should attract another good audience at Gliss throughout the month!

Also, in case you heard reports of a kitchen fire at the restaurant proper, don't worry, they are back open! This month's Gliss shows (including those TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT) are 6:00 PM matinee events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this isn't a traditional nightclub venue, it's a sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!

Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll next look at the homecoming of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver as they kick off their Canadian tour here TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! Originally announced to take place at The Algonquin Pub, the venue was quietly changed in recent weeks to The Speak Easy, but the show was forced to relocate Friday afternoon due to venue staffing issues, forcing the late notice move to Rednecks. Kudos to them for stepping up and helping out with thhe local release concert for Shit Liver's new studio album "Hitting the Fan"! This will be Josh, Mike, and Matt's first show here since the "Trading Faces" release show last fall, so if you're hoping for a vinyl record copy or related merchandise, here's your first non-mail order chance! Of course, Shit Liver's brutal and crusty death metal onslaught is the headline attraction, but a surprisingly varied night of music will see them be joined by punk trio Stegadeth and indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota (replacing a drummer-less Vol.), so there should be a little something for everyone to rock out to at Rednecks, whether you're buying a record or not!

Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., tomorrow's show has an $8 cover charge, 9:00 PM start time, and (sadly) 19+ age limit, while copies of "Hitting the Fan" will run you $20. It's great to have Shit Liver back home after half a year away, and with good reviews already coming in (ours soon to come...), hopefully there's a huge response to help launch their release tour! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Shit Liver live!



Finally for today's previews, local AC/DC fans will not want to bypass this one, as Who Made Who (the definitive tribute to AC/DC) will return to the local stage TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! About a year removed from their last show here, this fan favourite tribute band will be back for another night of high voltage rock 'n roll, and if you haven't seen their past local appearances here dating back to the early 2010s, then prepare yourself for a faithful looking and sounding experience from Who Made Who tomorrow! This one night only event has an advertised 10:30 PM start time, you must be 19 years of age or older to attend, and admission is $10 in advance (tickets are available at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk) or $15 at the door. However, venue staff is expecting this show to sell out, and are advising interested attendees to not chance it and buy tickets A.S.A.P., so keep that in mind. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Who Made Who live in Southern Ontario!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Don't Look Back preview and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Weekend Concert Previews, A New Old Treble Charger Interview, And Sault Michigan Updates!!

In what may just be the calm before the St. Patrick's Day storm, this weekend's concert previews are very slight in number, with only two batches of hard rock shows to cover this weekend that have advance notice. To fill things out, we have a new-ish radio interview with a prominent local band, and some assorted Sault Michigan stories, so here's what you should know!

We'll start today's shorter than usual batch of concert previews with the return of prolific local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison to Gliss Steak & Seafood for another pair of unplugged gigs TONIGHT & TOMORROW! As his long-term weekly arrangement at The Quality Inn's house restaurant marches on, Tym should have another solid pair of shows in store for fans and patrons alike, so keep an eye out for his skilled blend of classic and hard rock covers over these next two evenings! Note that Tym played Gliss yesterday as well on special request (if that was a public show, our apologies for missing it), while he has also confirmed that his hosting of open mic nights at The Canadian will continue on Thursdays rather than Wednesdays starting next week through at least May 24th, so keep the date change in mind if you like open mic nights! As usual for Tym's Gliss matinees, expect a 6:00 PM start time tonight and tomorrow.

Also, remember that while there are no announced cover charges or age limits, mind the locale, this isn't a traditional nightclub venue. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on these and upcoming Tym Morrison shows at Gliss, and here he is live a few years back!



Next up, here's this weekend's only other previously announced hard rock show, and it's a big one for metal fans, as Sudbury death/thrash metal band Archelon will return to Sault Ste. Marie for a headlining date at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Almost 3½ years removed from their Oddfellows Hall concert on Devil's Night 2014, this show could be seen as a delayed final stop from theirs and locals Jack Spades' joint Northern Ontario tour last fall, which didn't have a Soo concert scheduled. Archelon's brutal onslaught should be welcomed back to the local stage tomorrow, so don't miss out on their original tracks then! The aforementioned Jack Spades are the advertised co-headliners in their first concert appearance of 2018, and their second since Tiffany and Johnny returned to their lineup, so look for more high impact metal-tinged punk from them! Might there be a new song to look forward to?! Hamilton punk/grunge trio Doors & Fours will also perform on Saturday in a makeup date of sorts following their drop-out of a headlining show here in November, also with Jack Spades.

No word on why they're playing between locals, but Doors & Fours old school-inspired hybrid sound should garner a solid audience of their own tomorrow night! The openers are new local power rock quintet (and Project 421 successors) Re:Born in their public concert debut, so how will Robert, Blair, Frank, Fred, and Brandan sound in their first live go-around? Find out tomorrow night! This show has a $7 cover charge, 10:00 PM start time, and 19+ age limit, and while the genres on display seem more suited for The Algonquin Pub downstairs, all advertising indicates it's upstairs. This should be a great night of metal and punk action, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Archelon live!



Also today, here's a new YouTube find for fans of local/Toronto indie punk veterans Treble Charger, namely an interview with singer/guitarist Greig Nori and then-bassist Rosie Martin on Calgary rock station CJAY 92 back in December 2000! Uploaded to YouTube user Colin MacDonald's channel yesterday, the interview was conducted by CJAY personality Stone Malone, the interview took place during Treble Charger's tour stop in Calgary on December 4th, 2000 alongside Eve 6 and Gob. In the interview, Greig and Rosie talk about how the tour is going, their beginnings as a band, their then-new album "Wide Awake Bored", working with producer Matt Hyde, tour experiences in the United States, their pinball-inspired website, their new music video for "Brand New Low", members' loves & hates, and more (Stone also throws to "Brand New Low" and "Funny", but both tracks and the commercial break are clipped out, likely for copyright reasons regarding the songs.)

Despite a 17+ year wait to see this interview come online, it's a fun listen, and both Greig and Rosie are completely at ease and having a lot of fun bantering and reminiscing with Stone (even joking that they'd be CJAY's new morning hosts), so this is definitely worth listening for Treble Charger fans! Do so below, and hopefully we hear more from Treble Charger in 2018!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all relating to Sault Michigan in some respect! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by venue, station, or program name:

• Classic Rock: The Bear in Cheboygan (WCHY 97.7 FM) is moving to 95.3 FM on a 5X stronger signal on Tuesday, as per their Facebook page! The move appears to involve the purchase of or trade for existing country station WWSS 95.3 FM in Tuscarora Township (which shares ownership with the Eagle classic hits stations in our market.) Though 95.3 is a much stronger signal, Tuscarora is a half hour south of Cheboygan, so how well will The Bear pick up in the Soo now, especially compared to KLT? We'll find out next week!
• In a name change for our "Other Sault Michigan Links", I have reverted the name of Rock 101's weekday morning drive program back to Scott Cook In The Morning, following co-host Brian Davie's second departure last year. To my knowledge, an online statement wasn't made regarding his exit, but on-air promotion of the show doesn't list Brian anymore, and I haven't heard him on air in months. Hopefully nothing bad happened, it was nice to have him back!
• A second musicians competition will be held at the Superior Cafe (inside Bird's Eye Outfitters on the former Golanka's Bar site) in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, March 27th! Ground rules are basically identical to January's competition, with gift cards awaiting the winning acts (bands and solo artists welcomed), so visit the official Facebook event page for details! For reference, 9 acts competed in January, including winning alternative quintet Midnight Logic and half of Project 906, among others.

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide And Tym Morrison), Plus This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

March is coming in like a lion with today's post, as we're previewing an eventful weekend of concerts for hard rock fans on both sides of the border! That said, let's begin with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this month, including three on SHORT NOTICE!

With a new month underway, we'll add former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's slate of March 2018 concerts to our schedule, including Gliss Steak & Seafood gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY (as well as March 9th-10th, 16th-17th, 23rd-24th, and 30th-31st), plus nighttime returns to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW and on the 30th! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's three shows, remember that we approach Tym's solo shows on a month-by-month basis due to their prolific nature and long-term length. Now into the spring months with even more acoustic solo shows, Tym Morrison's skilled evenings of familiar covers should play to more positive crowds at Gliss over the next five weekends and beyond, so keep them in mind for your supper-time entertainment downtown! As for the Roadhouse shows, these are the final two shows of his advertised run of bi-monthly concerts in the first quarter of 2018.

It remains to be seen if Tym will play a similar schedule at this east end venue in April and beyond, but just in case, keep these shows in mind for the first and last Fridays of this month! As usual, Tym's Gliss shows (TOMORROW & SATURDAY included) are 6:00 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale, while TOMORROW and March 30th's Roadhouse gigs are 19+ events with no announced cover and a 10:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!



Next up, here's a new show that's not going down this weekend, but is well worth addressing, as local/Toronto Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will return from a lengthy hiatus when they open for local indie rock solo musician Jesse Merineau & his band at The Speak Easy at Algoma University on Thursday, March 22nd! Having only played one local concert in the past 2½ years (July 2016's Hedley show), it's great to see The Tide back after way too long, and hopefully they can pick up where they left off with more entertaining original material! Yes, they are back in our band links, but no word on if Mikey Hawdon or one of their guest drummers will be behind the kit on the 22nd. As for the headliners, SMS readers will recognize Jesse Merineau from winning the 2016 Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, headlining last year's Rotaryfest Stage 2, and featuring Caroline Divine & Electric Church alums in his solo band. Jesse's infrequent solo concerts are usually big events, and fresh off of his upcoming music video/single release, attention should be high for fans of his indie/pop rock originals!

Doors open at 8:00 PM for this ALL AGES concert, which has $10 tickets available at The Speak Easy, The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and the Thomas Walls School of Music. Crank Sound Distribution will handle sound on the 22nd, and it will apparently be co-hosted by AURA (a.k.a. Algoma University Radio), which is their on-campus podcast/discussion forum. This should be a big concert for alt-rock fans in three weeks time, with some punk for good measure from a returning notable quartet, so visit the official Facebook event page for current and continuing details!

Moving back to this weekend's concert previews, we'll next head to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace, where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Cousin Eddie will play their first shows of 2018 TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen in Rudyard back in November, this should be another entertaining weekend of hard rocking covers from Highway 63's sister band, so fans craving some good old fashioned rock in the E.U.P. this weekend should keep these shows in mind! However, I will note that the band has not publically acknowledged these shows (they were confirmed on Kewadin's entertainment page), but we'll edit this if we hear that the shows are not going through. Expect 21+ age limits for these shows, which have 9:00 PM start times, and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and hopefully some public videos surface in the future from Cousin Eddie concerts!

Finally, let's head back to Sault Ontario for Tidal Records' Punk Covers Night THIS SATURDAY at LopLops Lounge, where three different local bands will join forces! In public advertising, veteran local punk trio Redundant are the last listed band in a rare LopLops appearance of theirs, and with an established set full of punk covers (and perhaps originals from their forthcoming debut EP), they should deliver a fun set on Saturday night! The other two bands are listed in different order depending on source, but one will be another long awaited return from a Dustin Jones-fronted punk band, as his online page-less punk supergroup The Cover-Up will play their first advertised public concert set in three years on Saturday, with he and guitarist Marco Pedalino now joined by fellow Tide bandmate Marshall Jaaskelainen and K.I.C.K.'s Aaron Dunn. It's great to see The Cover-Up also back after their own hiatus, so don't miss them either! Saturday's other band is The Bananas Guerrillas, the new punk band from ex-Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci and ex-Gnaeus drummer Brendan Garlick.

A successor to or renaming of their Blink-182 tribute Enema of the Soo from last year's Halloween Party event at The Algonquin Pub, I cannot 100% confirm who's on bass this weekend, but Long Shot's Adam Dawe handled that role last fall. It'll be interesting to hear how The Bananas Guerrillas do, and they have some solid returning names! A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ show on Saturday, with a 9:00 PM start time listed on the Facebook event page, while the road on the poster above hints at bands to be covered. Punk fans should make a beeline for LopLops for all of the action on Saturday, so see above links for more details, and here's Redundant live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rob & Jesse) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

This weekend's concert previews are here for your delectation, and just a disclaimer: This is a shorter post than usual due to recent quietness for other news, and a relatively quiet weekend for hard rock and punk shows ahead. Of course, we'll touch on next week's Pop Evil and Big Wreck shows early next week, but it's way too soon to preview them now, so look for them on Sunday or Monday. Now, let's start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Elements bandmates Rob Speers & Jesse Cook will join forces for an acoustic concert at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier this week, though it was previously advertised on the venue's physical marquee board as a Rob Speers solo concert.  Making their first live appearance in this setting of the year, fans may recall Rob & Jesse playing as "The Kariokeheads" at Room 21 late last year, but that name is used nowhere on the event page. No word on whether they've dropped it, they're not incorporating live karaoke TOMORROW, or if the name was Room 21's idea, but it's the same base act! Now describing their sound as "bluesy acoustic rock", but surely with a harder edge akin to their electric bands, Rob and Jesse will be playing covers for assembled fans, and expect guest appearances from their friends and bandmates, as well as Rob's wife Christina, who guested with them at one of their Room 21 shows.

No word on why they're not playing on Saturday, but Rob & Jesse/The Kariokeheads are on at 10:00 PM TOMORROW, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and hopefully the guys launch an online page or post some public media at some point!

Moving to previously announced concerts, fans can take in another two matinee concerts from ex-Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison also as his weekly concert arrangement continues for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Only playing at Gliss this weekend (Wednesday open mics at The Canadian aside), this weekend's shows should provide fans and restaurant patrons alike with another entertaining pair of evening concert sets from this prolific veteran performer, so don't miss out at The Quality Inn's house restaurant tomorrow and/or Saturday! As usual for Tym's long-term gigs at Gliss, these are 6:00 PM events with no announced age limits or cover charges, but mind the non-traditional locale (well, outside of Tym's shows, at least.) Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Lastly for known hard rock concert previews this weekend is a big show for blues rock fans, as Sault Michigan hard rock/blues quartet Project 906 will be among the openers for Ann Arbor blues rock singer/guitarist Laith Al-Saadi as he makes his local debut on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch! Entitled “The Best of Michigan Blues”, fans will recognize Laith as a finalist on The Voice in early 2016, but don't judge on that, as he has since carved his own path in solo music with a rich and skilled blend of blues rock, so don't miss out on Laith's headlining set on Saturday! Fellow Ann Arbor blues/funk act The Chris Canas Band will co-headline with their own powerful take on the blues, so definitely keep them in mind, especially with how well their shows tend to be recieved! Project 906 will add a hard rock touch to this show, which is just their second announced gig with new drummer Tommy Korcal, so see how they do on this big stage on Saturday!

Reunited local blues group Chord On Bluz (featuring Clownsack alumni) will open this show as well, and it'll be nice to see them back on a local stage! Despite an earlier rumour, this show (presented by U.P. Beat Entertainment) is not cancelled, and will go on as scheduled for Saturday night at 7:00 PM, with tickets going for $30 at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. At press time, seats are still available from the second row and back, so act A.S.A.P. for the best possible spots! This should be a fun time for fans of the blues, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Laith live tackling a Jimi Hendrix classic!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next, in all likelihood! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), A New Album Release, And Much More!!

Here's a new news post for your Thursday night, including our promised concert previews/(SHORT NOTICE) LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for a prominent local solo artist, but we have some extended info on a new local album release to round things out, and one more belated batch of previews! Here's what you should know, and get more concert previews in the post below!

Former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his ongoing weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood and his new bi-monthly run of shows at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill this month! These include Gliss matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and then on February 9th-10th, 16th-17th, and 23rd-24th, and nighttime Roadhouse gigs lined up for TOMORROW NIGHT and on February 23rd! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's triple header, remember that we go month by month for Tym's shows on here due to their amount and longevity. Another busy weekend is lined up for fans of Tym's skilled and prolific rotation of hard and classic rock covers, including the aforementioned 10 solo concerts and his newly ongoing run as host of The Canadian Nightclub's open mic nights on Wednesdays, so keep all of these chances in mind to see Tym live this month, including TOMORROW & SATURDAY!

However, Tym has reportedly cancelled his Twitch.tv webstream "concerts" on Thursday evenings for the time being due to scheduling issues, as per his personal Facebook page, but hopefully those return in the future! As for his Gliss and Roadhouse gigs in February, expect no announced cover charge at either venue, and while the Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM with no age limit (though mind the locale), the two Roadhouse concerts are at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!



Next up, local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary officially released his new full length solo album "Weight of the Truth" to his official Bandcamp page on Monday! When he teased last month that it'd be coming soon, he wasn't joking! Independently recorded since last year, Mike went into great detail on his Facebook page to describe some of the themes on this album, which evolved from "a fun rock album" to one that focuses heavily around mental health issues, something that he has experienced and fought, and wants to bring awareness to. Maybe releasing this in the lead-up to Bell Let's Talk Day was on purpose? Mike pledges to donate half of all proceeds from this album to TSN Radio host Michael Landsberg's SickNotWeak initiative, which is a great cause! Mike did make it clear that this isn't about money so much as creating "a positive and open dialogue about mental illness", and hopefully this helps facilitate the conversation in it's own way!

The 12 song album has entirely been posted to his Soundcloud page, though it should be noted that a track #13 entitled "Overkill" is featured there, but not in the Bandcamp sale copy for unannounced reasons, though it is more of an acoustic folk number than what did make the cut. Three of these songs had previously been on Mike's debut 2017 album "In Ruins" ("Roulette", "Snakes & Ladders", and "The Other Side", plus an acoustic version of the latter), but given that they've been re-recorded for this album, and that "In Ruins" was pulled from most services, that album appears to either no longer be in his official canon, or is being heavily reworked without those three songs. "Weight of the Truth" can be streamed on Spotify and is also available on iTunes, but I haven't found a mentioned Google Play posting yet. In any event, Mike is asking $9.99 for the album in it's sale format, but remember that he is donating half to SickNotWeak, so keep that in mind!

I am still leaning towards our first ever Mike McCleary album review on the site this month, and I will go with "Weight of the Truth" over his prior January EP "Hourglass" due to it's length, more recent release status, and presence of songs from "In Ruins", so unless something completely unexpected happens in between, watch for it this month! Lastly, Mike posted a music video for "Snakes & Ladders" to his YouTube channel on January 23rd, and it's full of creative and well edited imagery, which fits well with the song's lyrical message. Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Mike!



Finally for today, here's our somewhat belated preview of TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT'S concerts from Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned, who will play their first gigs of 2018 at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace! Profuse apologies for missing these shows in this post's initial version, they completely slipped me by when compiling our concert previews this weekend, and with not enough stories to compile a full news post at press time, I added this preview here and will bump the shorter assorted story block to our next full news post. They will be back very soon, I promise! Tonight and tomorrow's shows (which were previously announced last month and covered on here at the time) will be their first in almost two months, and first at The Rapids Lounge since November. Alex, Don, and Wayne should have another solid weekend of hard rocking covers in store for St. Ignace fans, so keep these ones in mind!

As usual for Banned's Kewadin shows, these are 21+ events with no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



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