LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Separate Wayz, And TNT), Plus Recent Concert Clarifications!!

Before we dive into this weekend's hard rock concert previews, we have two related notes to clear up. First, I want to profusely apologize for missing local alt-punk cover band BookcluB's concert at Searchmont Resort this past Saturday, as they were one of the bands booked to play at the C.S.R.A. Snowcross Championships festivities last week. Alas, I only found out that they were playing via a Facebook "Story" (one of the temporary vertical videos in that strip on your news feed) from BookcluB that I didn't see until a half hour to go before the concert was scheduled to end. Neither BookcluB nor Searchmont confirmed in a permanent public post that they were playing on Saturday whatsoever (I also have not seen a public confirmation of who played the Sunday matinee show during Snowcross weekend). For such a busy and well hyped weekend, why wasn't the promotion better for the bands playing at The Kiln? 

Apologies again for missing that show, I'd have happily plugged it had someone promoted it publically with even one day's notice, but hopefully BookcluB had a strong turnout! The other note relates to the band who played at Searchmont this past Friday (local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations), who announced on their Facebook page that their previously announced Water Tower Pub show on Saturday has been cancelled due to an unspecified family emergency. In lieu of that, bassist Pierre Anthony and drummer Tony Santoro will instead be playing that night with members of country cover veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride, so keep that in mind for the weekend, and I hope all's well with Valerie or Joe!

Today's previews will be broken up into two posts due to a bunch of linked SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS coming to my attention, so our previews of Tym Morrison's Saturday matinee and The BAG's album release party will be in tomorrow's post. Otherwise, let's start at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Separate Wayz will take the stage for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page on Monday, though the AI program that Jay's uses for concert advertising didn't nail what this weekend's bands look like. When did "Elly" and comedian Ron White join Separate Wayz? This will be Nicole and the guys' first concert since their short notice "epic crossover" with Soundcheck at Beck's Bar on Monday, March 30th. For standalone, Travis-free gigs, Separate Wayz last took the stage at The Water Tower Pub early last month.

Regardless of sister band collaborations, this will be Separate Wayz' first stop at Jay's in over six months, so expect lots of fun rocking tunes from this talented foursome TOMORROW! A rare one-nighter at the former Roosevelt Hotel (country cover band Elly McWatters & The Drifters are playing there on Saturday), TOMORROW'S concert is a 9:30 PM affair with no announced cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Separate Wayz live!

Next up, this will be a very busy weekend for Separate Wayz guitarist Terry Eaton, as he'll be doubling up on SATURDAY at Beck's Bar, starting with a matinee concert with his Soundcheck bandmate Travis Sharpe in their new acoustic side project TNT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this show via this venue's own advertising on Monday, and I still am not aware of Terry n' Trav(is) launching an online page to promote this project or their shows. They do have an AI-generated logo to match Terry's current electric bands now, so there is that! Last seen a month ago at The Full Throttle Saloon, TNT are occasionally seen at local nightclubs, typically in acoustic-amenable matinee timeslots, and often in conjunction with shows from one/both of Terry's bands. This will be a solid appetizer for what's to come later that night at Beck's, so keep this one in mind!

As usual for Beck's Bar's (typically) unplugged Saturday afternoon acts, Soundcheck's acoustic splinter group will be playing from 3:00-7:00 PM with no cover charge, and while a 19+ age limit would make sense given that it is Beck's Bar, note that they did host the underage 5 Dollar Bribe as matinee performers earlier this month. Visit the above links for more on what might be TNT's Beck's debut, and we'll let you know when/if public videos of Travis & Terry unplugged surface for preview purposes!

Lastly for this preview post, we'll stay at Beck's Bar, where the aforementioned Soundcheck will complete the Terry triple header with a concert on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, I learned about this show in the exact same way as I learned about TNT's. Last seen at Reggie's two weeks ago, this gig will allow Terry & Travis to rock out in full force with Jim & Johnny returning from TOMORROW'S Separate Wayz gig at Jay's to make up the rhythm section once again. If you like classic and hard rock covers, you have a lot of options for how you want to experience it in the west end this weekend! I am not sure whether the Soundcheck or Separate Wayz concerts are respectively due to or the result of the other band booking a one-nighter, but if you're curious, Beck's are hosting a rare live band tomorrow (new blues rock cover band Sunday & The Broken Hearts) rather than bringing in a DJ.

And as I frequently note, TNT aren't technically "opening" for Soundcheck on SATURDAY, as the two bands have 4 hour timeslots each spaced 2 hours apart, but the common lineups are absolutely acknowledged. Soundcheck are on at 9:00 PM on SATURDAY NIGHT with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more on all of Terry's short notice gigs this weekend, and here's Soundcheck live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Tym Morrison and The BAG previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Crush & Headrush) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

(Updated at 10:45 PM) Another quiet weekend for hard rock concerts in the Twin Saults is upon us, so we can fit almost everything in this post with the exception of Sunday's Pop Evil concert, which will absolutely be in our next news post. As always, we'll start with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know on this Thursday night, along with new videos from two of the bands in question!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to The Kiln at Searchmont Resort for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced by drummer Tony Santoro on the band's Facebook group this past Friday. While the band connection isn't reflected in Searchmont's recent postings, TOMORROW'S show is well timed, as Generations are playing at the resort during the final weekend (the "season ender bender", if you will) of the C.S.R.A. Snowcross Championships, and Searchmont is getting a festival to go along with the snowmobile racing ahead, including DJs, pig roasts, and vendors from TOMORROW through Sunday, so click here to see what all is taking place! There will be different musical acts at The Kiln on Saturday night and in an 11:00 AM-5:00 PM Sunday matinee timeslot, but I don't know who is playing on those days.

If you want to see Valerie, Joe, Pierre, and Tony's old school rock covers at Searchmont, they'll take the stage tomorrow at The Kiln from 8:00-11:00 PM with no announced age limits, and while there are ticketing fees to see Snowcross races, I don't believe you have to pay to just see Generations live. I admittedly don't get too engrossed into the winter sports scene, but Snowcross weekend looks pretty packed, so see above for more on everything going down while it still looks like winter outside! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Generations live!

Next up, fellow local classic/ hard rock cover quintet Headrush will set up shop at The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were first announced via their official Facebook event page on Monday. Marking their first concerts outside of the Full Throttle Saloon since they last rocked The Esquire Club in late November, it will be good for west end fans to see this skilled 1980s-leaning cover rock group back at it this weekend, and expect a nostalgia rush along with the Headrush TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! The Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank hit the stage both nights at 9:30 PM, these are 19+ events, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more on TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S concerts, and for a preview, here's some brand new videos of Headrush live at The Full Throttle Saloon two weeks ago!

Publically shared by bassist John Amendola to their Facebook group, these were filmed by frequent local concert attendee and supporter Audrey Marshall for her personal Facebook page. She filmed the guys covering Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" and, as embedded below, Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me". While both are incomplete (90 seconds or so apiece), Audrey was filming horizontally, and had a close tight angle of the band, though I will note that they do seem really cramped on the stage at the former Primavera Hall. Sound performances of these late 1970s classic rock staples, so give them a watch above & below!

Also, we'll head to Sault Michigan briefly, where local hard rock trio Crush will play their second show of the year on SATURDAY at The Merchants Bar! Apologies again for the short notice, this show was only announced via this comedy video on their Facebook page on Tuesday (I won't dare try to describe it). While the show was only announced on five days' notice, at least it got that much, unlike their Savoy Bar show in February, which neither they nor About:Blank publically acknowledged on social media at all! Unless they had another unadvertised concert in the past six months, this will be Crush's debut gig at The Merch, though members have played there in the past with their sister band Tarnished (remember, Crush basically took over as Alex & Josh's outlet for both original music and comedic viral content after Tarnished shifted to a covers-only focus in 2024). 

It's good to see Crush back at it, and hopefully the guys rock The Merch well with their nicely developing original slate on SATURDAY NIGHT! Note that I saw reference on their Facebook page last month to a pair of shows downstate next month but I can't find the post that mentioned the dates and locations. The video above notes that SATURDAY's show has a relatively short run-time of 10:00 PM-12:00 AM, it is a 21+ affair at The Merch, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Crush live in their local concert debut last year!

Finally for today, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for a show that did get advance notice before this week, specifically at The Water Tower Pub, where reunited local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly will take the stage for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their most recent gig at the Boots & Saddles Roadhouse, this will be Quite Frankly's first show at this central venue in three months. If you haven't see the new look Quite Frankly in recent months, why not make a trip to The Water Tower Pub for their rocking cover slate on Saturday? As always, this venue hosts different nightly acts, and tomorrow's band is veteran country cover quintet Out & Out Country (featuring former That's Chester/Double Down drummer Ric Datson). There's no cover charge on Saturday, a 19+ age limit, and an 8:00 PM start time as usual here. Visit the above links for more details!

For a preview, here's a brand new video of the band at Boots & Saddles two weeks ago, courtesy of their Facebook page, and it features their cover of Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet". Like with the Headrush videos above, this is horizontal but incomplete (a minute long this time), and while this isn't exactly a surprise pick or a deep cut, it's well performed with Linsaey L.W. delivering strong vocals, so give it a watch for yourselves below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for the Pop Evil preview and more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck) & This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

This is a quieter weekend for hard rock-leaning concerts, so let's lead off this preview post with a couple of notes for events this weekend that glanced our radar. If you follow veteran country cover band Tex Riviera & The Ride, you may be aware that they're in the midst of their "Dale Corcoran Appreciation Tour" in memory of the recently passed local musician, who played with Tex in the 1990s country rock band The Hillbilly Heartbreakers. Songs played with Dale and stories about Dale have been shared and will continue to be, but tomorrow & Saturday's Ride concerts at Jay's Piston Broke Pub will feature a one-off (two-off?) reunion of The Hillbilly Heartbreakers, with guitarist Tim Laplante, drummer Jeff Pennett, and saxophonist Risk Wysynski joining in. Tex did note that The Heartbreakers "were the first who managed to get away with playing Motorhead & (Merle) Haggard in the same night", so who knows what you'll hear from The Ride and gang this weekend!

The other SMS-adjacent event this weekend will be the first ever "big three" emo night at Shooters Downstairs Lounge on Saturday night! The big three being My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco. Of course, this era of emo and pop punk are very intertwined, and while this isn't a concert, the TVs will be playing music videos by emo bands (especially ones from the 2000s), and Tattoo Tearz will be offering flash tattoos. No word on if you'll hear songs from local emo/post-hardcore bands of the era like The Crossed, Fuller, or A Fall From Innocence in the rotation, but see above for more on this event if you're curious!

Now to our known hard rock concert previews, and we'll start with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will rock Reggie's Place TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were first announced via the venue's Facebook page on Sunday, though note that the band has not corroborated these bookings on social media at press time. Last seen at The Esquire Club three weeks ago (unless that reported Tap Room show last week actually took place despite a lack of public promotion), TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts will be Soundcheck's first at Reggie's since their revival and since Travis and Johnny joined the band's new lineup. If you missed Travis' original run with Soundcheck and/or just wanna rock out with this talented veteran group, head downtown!

All of the action goes down TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Soundcheck's first Reggie's stops of 2026, and here they are live!

Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will end their schedule for the first quarter of 2026 by rocking The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After a busy start of the year that saw them and sister band Peril play three combined weekends at the Soo and St. Ignace Kewadin branches, tomorrow & Saturday's shows mark Scarkazm's first in the E.U.P. since they last rocked The Rapids Lounge at the end of January. Scarkazm always deliver a fun mix of hard hitting crowd favourites and select originals, and hopefully Adam, Dave, and Jeff keep their momentum rolling in their latest local stops this weekend! If you can't make it, the guys will be back at the St. Ignace Kewadin in just over a month. Tomorrow & Saturday's concerts are 21+ affairs with no cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live!

Finally for known/advertised hard rock-leaning shows in the area this weekend, we will head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will set up shop on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Kiln at Searchmont Resort! Note however that Searchmont have yet to corroborate this booking on social media (they often don't). Temperatures are expected to warm up this weekend, but regardless, the music should be cooking inside the ski resort from this experienced veteran quartet! Generations had previously had a Saturday nighter at The Kiln on February 21st called off due to "a booking error", so this will be their first show at Searchmont since late January. If you're up for the drive or are hitting the slopes already, don't miss Valerie, Joe, Pierre, and Tony's latest classic rock blast on Saturday! This is a 19+ show at 8:00 PM with no cover. See above for more details, and here's Generations live! 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dos Amigos), A New Local Band, And More Recent Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I have to apologize for another missed concert in our weekend concert previews, this time local alt-punk cover band BookcluB at The Kiln at Searchmont Resort on Saturday, January 31st. The band only announced last week's show (their first of 2026) on their Facebook page that Tuesday, which completely slipped me by until getting links for a related show that we didn't miss later in this post. I apologize again, I hope to catch their next show for the SMS, but hopefully this one was a blast all around! Now, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, new videos and related updates, and leading off, a new band with some notable faces!

We have a new band to add to our active Sault Ontario links, and they are Even Flow, the Pearl Jam tribute band that debuted at Beck's Bar on Halloween last year! There was easily the chance that this was a one-off band given the occasion, but their new Facebook page confirms that they're an ongoing project. In their only posting so far, they curiously note that they are "hailing from Northern Ontario", possibly to leave the door open for a wider range of shows beyond Sault Ste. Marie. They promise "a high-voltage, nostalgic experience that proves (that) the spirit of grunge is alive, well, and shivering up north". At the time of their debut, I knew from Facebook shares that the band included new local guitarist Cameron Brock and former Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner, but who else is involved? Derek's old Papa Fogals Chair bandmate Mike Bird is on bass, while Odd Man Out/ex-Sense of Truth guitarist Steve Myers is also in the fold.

Jokey nicknames aside, the band only gave their singer/guitarist's name as "Rob", but the most logical name here would be Barbarians/ex-Elements frontman Rob Speers, who was a bandmate of Mike & Derek's in the 2013-2014 hard rock band The Side FX, and also briefly worked with Derek in The Wyld Stallyns a decade later. Certainly a talented batch of musicians who will be familiar to many readers (maybe excepting Cameron), and it will be interesting to see what Even Flow have in store for Pearl Jam and alternative fans this year! Visit the above links for more on them!

Next up, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, as local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos will return to The Whisky Barrel for one night only on Friday, February 20th! The band scarcely updates their own social media, so kudos to the Gore Street nightclub for announcing the show on their Facebook page on Wednesday, allowing us to hear and get the word out about it. Fans last saw the Inner City Surfers side project live last month at Northern Superior Brewing Co. (assuming you saw the minimal online advertising for it), and hopefully their unplugged punk covers go over well downtown in just under two weeks! It's worth noting that Mikey and Dustin remotely joined their old Surfers bandmate Brad Example for his YouTube series The Afterparty tonight at 9:00 PM, which I do plan on covering & recapping here on the SMS in a dedicated post, so stay tuned for that next week!

As for Dos Amigos at The Whisky Barrel, that show is at 8:00 PM as usual there, this is a 19+ event, and there is no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and stay tuned for our recap of the Afterparty episode!

Also today, here's some of the latest from local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, who will return to Beck's Bar next week for their first ever "stoplight party" on Valentine's Day, but they're staying busy otherwise! On Thursday, "the dirty three" shared this vertical video to their Facebook page featuring a sneak peek of a new original song in progress (heavily implied to be named "Shit Show"), and you even hear vocals in the short 15 second snippet! Alex is seen on guitar with Warren at the computer, while Greg notes that it's "pretty bad when we actually have to rehearse our own song". The caption also hinted that a new cover song is also in the works, and while they didn't 100% tie everything to their album-in-progress, note that they did confirm that their "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" cover will be on the final product and not just live gigs. Hopefully we hear more soon, but if you want to hear a full original song on video, we have you covered!

I'm surprised that I didn't get to this last month, but Beck's owner Becky Sawyer filmed your local 225 during their electric gig there on Saturday, January 3rd, and in the (thankfully) horizontal video, you can see the guys playing their original song "The F Word" (alternately, if not formerly, known as "Fuck!"). No major angle or zoom changes here, but Becky had a good central angle of the guys rocking out on this energetic and fast paced rocker, and expect more of the same there next week! Remember, wear clothing based on traffic light colours to signify your relationship status (i.e. green = single). Get more from Bone Yard above & below!

Finally, here's a brief new video posted on The Machine Shop's Facebook page yesterday featuring Nova Scotia alt-hard rock quartet The Trews promoting their local date there on February 25th! In the 13 second clip, frontman Colin MacDonald says that "we are making our long awaited return to The Machine Shop", even though they have never played a local date there. Regardless, it is always good to see major touring bands give local shoutouts like this in advance of their shows here, even if the videos are brief, so give it a watch below, and buy tickets for the concert later this month at this link!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Curtis McKenzie) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

In what is shaping up to be a very cold weekend in the Soo, there are a few venues that you can warm up in with some live hard rock-leaning music! Not the busiest weekend going, but there are new videos from two of the bands in question, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Former Eclipse/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie will bring his acoustic solo act back to The Dive Gastro Pub for a "Think It Over Thursday" gig TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, he and the venue only announced this show via their respective Facebook pages this afternoon in the 2:00 PM hour. Curt himself apologized for announcing the show last minute, as "I was just asked today if I could make it". If true, that does take some blame off of The Dive for their lack of a monthly concert calendar, which they haven't posted online in months (though I wish they would put those together again). This will be Curtis' first public gig of 2026, having last rocked Beck's two months ago, and he last played at The Dive in October, albeit a "Patio Play" gig when weather was amenable for that. As such, TONIGHT's show is indoors in "the naughty corner", and hopefully there's a good turnout in spite of the bitter temperatures locally!

TONIGHT'S concert is at 9:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Hopefully Curtis' hard and alternative rock covers are a hit in their 2026 debut, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Curt live!

Next up, here's some shows that did have advance notice for this weekend, starting with southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225's return to The Water Tower Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the third concert of 2026 from "the dirty three" after a Beck's double header three weeks ago, and their first Water Tower Pub stop since December 6th. As always for this Great Northern Road venue, tomorrow's concert will be "uncorked", as their Beck's Sunday matinee gig earlier this month was, so if you like the softer/more intimate side of Bone Yard, circle tomorrow on your calendars! If you'd rather see the guys in their full electric splendour, you can do so next week at The Esquire Club. Tomorrow's unplugged festivities go down at 8:00 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit, and if you're curious, the band playing at The Water Tower Pub on Saturday is classic rock trio The Sidekicks.

Visit the above links for more details on tomorrow's acoustic action, and for a preview, here's a new (albeit plugged-in) video from their Saturday, January 3rd show at Beck's Bar! Now, this was live-streamed to the band's Facebook page, so as per the current guidelines for live-streams, the video will vanish from Facebook in under two weeks unless they convert/re-upload it, but it's a song that we've seen the guys play live multiple times on video in the past (Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show's "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'"). Laid back but sound rendition of this 1970s rock staple, if shot vertically, so give it a watch below while you can!

Also this weekend, we'll stay in acoustic territory (fitting how many artists are staying "chill" given tomorrow's weather!), as prolific local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Misty's Fifties for another unplugged matinee concert on SATURDAY! After taking last week off from his long run of Saturday concerts at the Second Line West nightclub (though he was at The Dive last Thursday, Tym will return to his most familiar recent confines on Saturday for lots of classic and hard rock covers, and you can expect strong musicianship and a presentation that belies the one man acoustic format, so don't miss out if you want some early rock action! Saturday's festivities are at 4:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge, and if you can't make it, Tym will be back at Misty's in two weeks. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here he is live!

Finally for this preview post, there is some plugged-in classic/hard rock action this weekend, though it will be a bit of a hike for many, as local quartet Generations will return to The Kiln at Searchmont Resort on SATURDAY NIGHT! Three weeks removed from their late notice debut at the local ski resort's on-site lounge and concert venue (with a Full Throttle Saloon gig sandwiched in between), this Saturday's show should provide a solid opportunity for patrons, skiiers, and fans to check out Valerie, Joe, Pierre, and Tony's slate of rock covers, so keep this one-nighter in mind, especially as it had plenty of advance notice this time! As usual, this Kiln stop has an 8:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's our first public video look at Generations' current lineup, courtesy of the aforementioned Full Throttle Saloon gig two weeks ago!

Uploaded to the venue's Facebook page (one of many videos of artists playing there in their early months), this sees the band covering the Grand Funk Railroad version of Soul Brothers Six's "Some Kind Of Wonderful" with drummer Tony Santoro on lead vocals. Alas, this was also shot vertically, but the filmer did let us get more of an interior view of the former Primavera Hall, and the cover is sound and will appeal to Grand Funk fans! New guitarist Joe Miller fits in fine here, but I know there are songs that would better demonstrate his talent levels. Give it a watch below, and don't miss Generations at The Kiln on Saturday!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225 & Generations) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

For our first post of 2026, we're diving into another round of weekend concert previews, as there's a range of hard rock cover bands rocking out on both sides of the border, so let's lead things off with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, with some new videos tucked in!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will make their first ever appearance (to my knowledge) at The Kiln at Searchmont Resort on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced by drummer Tony Santoro on their Facebook group on Christmas Eve, which slipped me by initially among the holiday rush. Regardless, Searchmont have not corroborated the band's announcement on their own social media. Two weeks removed from their last 2025 date at The Water Tower Pub, this will be Generations' third concert with new guitarist Joe Miller, and if you're up for a trip to our local ski resort, hitting the slopes or not, you should get your fill of classic and hard rock covers on SATURDAY! This indoor concert takes place at 8:00 PM in The Kiln with no announced cover charge or age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Next up, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will kick off their 2026 with shows at Beck's Bar on SATURDAY & SUNDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via the venue's Facebook page on Monday. Bone Yard proper haven't confirmed these bookings on their own Facebook page, but their website's concert calendar does list them along with other January dates that we will cover in an upcoming post along with extra band updates. Three weeks ago, "the dirty three" rocked Beck's for their most recent double header there, and like usual for their bookings at the former Vibe Lounge, SATURDAY'S show will be a normal electric concert, while SUNDAY's is a 3:00 PM "uncorked" matinee. Regardless, both are 19+ affairs with no announced cover charges. Regarding the SATURDAY matinee timeslot at Beck's, that goes to local country musician and former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver.

Remember, Cameron is not "opening" for Bone Yard 225. He and the band have separate four hour timeslots spaced two hours apart. It's good to see Bone Yard starting the new year on a high note, and hopefully SATURDAY & SUNDAY's shows have strong turnouts! See above for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of your local 225 covering Van Morriosn's "Brown Eyed Girl" at their "uncorked" Beck's gig last month, courtesy of their Facebook page! While sadly shot vertically, it's a fine melodic rendition of this classic rock staple, accentuated with some holiday decor, so give it a watch!

Now to shows that did have advance notice, starting with new local classic/hard rock cover trio The Guilty Party, who will lead off their 2026 slate TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Reggie's Place! After a fast start to their run as a live band, these will see Brent, Terry, and Jim rock out as the first hard rock-leaning band to rock Reggie's since owner/namesake Reggie Daigle resumed management of the bar last fall after Randy Lapossie's five year tenure came to an end. It is a good sign that Reggie isn't immediately reverting to a country-only band rotation like in ye olden times, and hopefully The Guilty Party deliver a solid pair of shows downtown this weekend! The Facebook event page is teasing a "special surprise" for tomorrow's show, heavily implied to be a female guest singer in other postings, and while this isn't a 100% guarantee, note that members' other band Separate Wayz are fronted by Nicole Thibodeau (more on her and that band soon).

As usual for concerts at Reggie's, tomorrow's and Saturday's Guilty Party concerts have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this weekend's shows, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of The Guilty Party covering Bryan Adams' "Run To You" live at the former Reggie's West (Jay's Piston Broke Pub) in November! Sadly also shot vertically (and almost never capturing bassist Jim Michaud in frame), this Terry Eaton-sung rendition is soundly and professionally handled, though I'd have at least zoomed in a bit and moved the camera around moreso. Check this one out below as well, and don't miss the guys at Reggie's!

We'll head to Sault Michigan to round out this weekend's previews (as far as I'm currently aware), as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will kick off their year by rocking The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Jeff Hudson's two active rock bands will actually both be coming north of the Mackinac Bridge for Soo Kewadin gigs this month (Scarkazm will be here in four weeks), but the longer running Peril are up first for Yooper fans. Should be a solid pair of hard rocking cover concerts in store to lead off 2026, so don't miss out on this talented trio's launch for another year tomorrow and Saturday! If you miss out, they'll be back at the St. Ignace Kewadin over the Valentine's Day weekend for the pond hockey tournament, but they won't be back in the Soo until at least the second quarter of the year. Expect 9:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live a while back!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for an overdue news post on the SMS tomorrow! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Silent 9, Double Down, And Generations) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

This weekend is a tad busier for hard rock concerts in Sault Ste. Marie, so our preview of Saturday's Selias concert will be in tomorrow's post. With that said, today's focuses on covers-leaning bands, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know as we enter mid-November!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! In a way, I apologize for the short notice, but these shows have been announced since August via their Facebook event page. I erroneously listed them for next weekend when we first covered them, despite knowing that they are playing at The Water Tower Pub next Friday. That's on me, I'm sorry, but at least I caught the error! TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows will end a month-long break for this skilled veteran outfit, last playing at Jay's over the October 11th weekend, and they should have a good array of classic and hard rock covers in store for west end fans! As has been the case for all of their fall dates so far, bassist Dan Beaupre will be absent as he continues recovering from an undisclosed ailment, so his "stunt double" (Mid Life Crysis bassist Lori Reinholtz) will be back for both nights.

Lori has played all but one of Double Down's concert weekends so far since they ended their summer break, and she has fit in well with the Syrettes and Ric, so hopefully things go well again TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and that Dan gets better soon! These shows are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges as usual. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Double Down live!

Next up, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at Beck's Bar! Again, apologies for the short notice, drummer Tony Santoro only announced this show via the band's Facebook group on Monday. Last seen at The Water Tower Pub two weeks ago, this marks just their second show at the Goulais Avenue nightclub, last playing there in June. SATURDAY'S concert also marks the debut of their new guitarist, as veteran local musician Joe Miller has joined Generations, replacing the already-departed Tony Kajnar. Joe has been a presence in the scene dating back four decades, and while blatant credits for his band work aren't easy to find on social media, hopefully he fits in well with Valerie, Pierre, and Tony S. on SATURDAY! The matinee act that evening at Beck's is new local duo Silver Strings, who are not "opening" for Generations, and have their own full timeslot from 3:00-7:00 PM.

This is a one-nighter as usual for Beck's, but that's just as well for singer Valerie Powley, as she will be judging the finals of this year's The Soo's Got Talent tomorrow at Soo Blaster. We didn't cover it this year because it was full-on karaoke for 2025, partially thanks to it's The Voice-inspired audition rounds, but note that Convergence frontman Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio is one of this year's six finalists. Good luck to him and the other finalists tomorrow! Generations' Beck's concert on SATURDAY is at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Generations live!

Also, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will rock The Esquire Club TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but that's not all for them in 2025! While their website's calendar only lists three private gigs for the rest of 2025 (making this weekend's shows their last traditional bar gigs of the year), one of them isn't as private as you may think. On Friday, December 5th, you can see Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve set up shop at The Rockstar Bar when they headline the Searchmont Ski Runners' holiday mixer! This may sound odd, but they did the honours for the S.S.R.'s fall social in October 2023, which also took place at The Rockstar Bar, which remains available to host special ticketed or private events, but has been closed as a standard nightclub since mid-2022. Despite the band claiming it's private, the Ski Runners' Facebook page is publically advertising the mixer, which is a fundraiser for the youth alpine skiing organization.

Sounds like a fun time for a worthy cause, so keep this in mind if you want to support the Ski Runners and/or enjoy an all-too rare Rockstar Bar concert! Tickets run for $35 but that also enters you into a contest to win passes to Searchmont, and you can buy tickets for this 19+ event at 7:30 PM at this link. Before then, they wrap up their normal nightclub slate for 2025 tomorrow & Saturday at The Esquire Club, so don't miss Silent 9's crowd and party-friendly mix of rocking covers this weekend! Both shows are at 9:30 PM with no cover charge and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, stay tuned for more on Silent 9's 2026 plans, and here they are live!

Finally for this preview post, veteran local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison is slated to rock The Fraternal Order of Eagles Club on Wellington Street West on SATURDAY NIGHT! Before we get too far, just a note that Tym was originally advertised to be playing the matinee timeslot at Beck's Bar on Saturday himself, but the venue is listing the aforementioned Silver Strings from 3:00-7:00 PM that day. A reason for Tym's withdrawal from the Beck's booking was not publically announced, but his batch Facebook event page for shows there still lists this Saturday's matinee. He is currently slated to return to the former Vibe Lounge as their matinee performer next Sunday, so I'll let you know if that goes on as planned! And no, Tym's not in Silver Strings, here's a video of them from earlier this year. While Tym has pulled double duty for his solo acoustic act in the past, he'll just be rocking Aerie #3991 on Saturday night.

Regardless of venue or timeslot, Tym's prolific setlist and clear-as-day talents as a vocalist and guitar player will bode well for attendees at the Eagles Club on Saturday, so don't miss out! If you do however, he'll be back in two weeks. As usual there, this is an 8:00 PM start time, no cover, and no advertised age limit. See above for more details, and here he is live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Selias preview and more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (BookcluB) & More St. Patrick's Day Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's continue this busy stretch of weekend concert previews on this Friday night! Due to a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT hitting the news desk earlier today, we will have to extend things into a third post, so our preview of tomorrow's HeadFirst concert will be in tomorrow's post, hopefully making it on the site sooner rather than later. Now, here's what you should know for more of tomorrow's live hard rock/punk concert action!

Local alternative punk cover sextet BookcluB will play their first announced public concert of 2025 TOMORROW NIGHT at The Kiln at Searchmont Resort! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook page earlier today, but it was quietly announced on Searchmont's website's events calendar earlier this month. TOMORROW'S show will be BookcluB's first announced gig since the Illuminate The Season fundraiser in November, so if you've missed this horn section-infused supergroup's unexpected array of covers over the winter, keep TOMORROW'S concert in mind if you're up for a drive to Searchmont! No word on if there will be St. Patrick's Day themes or frills TOMORROW, but Bookclub are effectively the night cap for Searchmont's end-of-March-Break party, which features various family entertainment, prizes if you wear plaid or denim, and a barbecue. 

To that end, The Kiln will actually be hosting two distinct concerts TOMORROW, with cover rock band The Boat Dads playing a matinee gig from 3:00-5:00 PM, but they're not "opening" for BookcluB, whose set doesn't begin until 8:00 PM. There isn't a stated age limit at Searchmont's on-site restaurant and concert venue, and there is no cover charge beyond what you might be paying to hit the slopes. With spring coming faster and faster, hopefully BookcluB have a strong set TOMORROW at Searchmont, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

Next up, let's head across to Sault Michigan and the E.U.P. for more concerts in an unusually busy weekend for hard rock bands, and we'll start at Three One Three On Ashmun, where three hard rock/punk will join forces TOMORROW NIGHT for The Shamrock Show! However, this event has seen a late lineup change from initial advertising on the bands' social media, as local hard rock/classic metal band Tarnished are not playing tomorrow due to being booked at the Manistique Kewadin Casino this weekend instead. We'll see Tarnished locally again soon, but they have since been replaced by Munising classic/hard rock cover quintet The Sky Pilots, who I don't recall ever playing in the Soo previously. How that came together over finding another local band, I have no clue, but The Sky Pilots are a talented band with a good handle on some heavier hits, and it'll be interesting to see how they go over at the former Back Door!

2023 LSSU battle of the bands-winning punk trio The Sole Aggressors (here's their teased setlist) and new local punk trio About:Blank (featuring two former Tarnished members) will round out tomorrow's stacked lineup, and you should get a nice selection of rock subgenres from the touring band and the locals! Beyond the posters, no word on what level of St. Patrick's Day theming will be on hand at Three One Three, but this is a 21+ event with a $10 cover charge, and doors open at 7:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's The Sky Pilots live!

From one show featuring a band at next week's Musicians Unite benefit concert (About:Blank) to another, let's take a brief detour a half hour south west to Brimley, where local hard rock cover band Exit 808 will return to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino TOMORROW NIGHT! After a month's break from public concerts, this will be Exit 808's first stop at "your perfect up north retreat" since debuting there four months ago, and it will notably mark the first time that Heavy Lies The Crown drummer Blaze Beairl has played a full four-set concert with the band as opposed to playing partial sets or guest spots. However, the band has clarified that Blaze will actually be playing rhythm guitar tomorrow, not bass. To fill that open position, Exit 808 have recruited Project 906 bassist Dustin Paras to handle the low end at The Back Bay Grill, as per their Facebook page, which should work well for their sound tomorrow night!

Of course, Exit 808's singers Amy Beach and Dillion Semasky will be filling in for 906's set at Musicians Unite, so it's nice of Dustin to return to the favour! The double vocalist-led hard rock cover attack commences at Bay Mills tomorrow at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. St. Patrick's Day wise, the Brimley casino will have a seasonal dinner special on Monday but I have seen no direct Irish links for the Exit 808 concert from the band nor grill. See above for more on Exit 808's concert tomorrow, and for a preview, here they are live last year!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, we'll head back to the Soo, where local hard rock cover quintet Dirty Musky will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Another band taking part in next week's Musicians United benefit, this will be Dave, the Blackwoods, and Jamie's first concert since rocking the Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest pub crawl last month, and their first concert in Sault Ste. Marie of the year, last playing at The Merch in December. Fans should take to Dirty Musky's hard rocking tunes and fun energy when they rock The Merch on Saturday, so keep this show in mind when planning your weekend! The West Spruce Street nightclub will be throwing a St. Patrick's Day party on Monday, but aside from branding in the band's poster for tomorrow, I have not found finite seasonal frills or activities taking place at The Merch tomorrow (that doesn't mean there won't be any, of course).

Everything goes down tomorrow at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. Always good to see Dirty Musky rocking out on a local stage, so consider swinging by The Merch for all of the action! Visit the above links for more details, and here's everyone live earlier this year!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bookclub) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another concert weekend is upon us, so let's preview known hard rock/punk concerts taking place over the next couple of days! As heavier shows go, this is a quieter weekend, perhaps the hangover after St. Patrick's Day, but there is a big concert in the E.U.P. to note, and first, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for Sault Ontario, so here's what you should know!

Online page-less local alternative/punk cover band Bookclub will play their first publically advertised concert of 2024 when they return to Searchmont Resort TOMORROW for their Spring Bash! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this event via this poster on Searchmont's Facebook page this past Saturday, and Bookclub still do not have social media pages to promote their concerts with. While this Inner City Surfers alum-laden supergroup have played Searchmont before inside at The Kiln, TOMORROW'S concert will be outdoors on Searchmont's patio, marking out first concert preview of 2024 where a weather forecast will be optimal! Along with the music, skiiers and snowboarders can expect a terrain park party TOMORROW with drink discounts, fun & games, prizes, and more, so visit Searchmont's post linked above for more details on what to expect!

Prices for skiing and such aside, TOMORROW'S show has no cover charge or age limit, and Bookclub are playing a 3:00-5:00 PM matinee, with the bash proper beginning at noon and running into the evening. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for sunny weather at -5°, so the recent winter resurgence will likely not have new precipitation TOMORROW, but the cold temperatures will be a plus or minus depending on what you personally like if not hitting the slopes. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Bookclub live last fall!

Next up, here's some previously announced concerts, stating with local southern hard rock veterans Bone Yard 225, who will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for an unplugged (uncorked, if you prefer) concert at Gateway Casino! Last seen in their acoustic format at The Water Tower Pub four weeks ago, this will be Bone Yard's first unplugged show since tacking "225" to their name late last month. If you like/prefer their stripped down "uncorked" set, and/or miss The Bearded Lounge, don't miss out on all of the action tomorrow, with lots of classic and hard rock hits to go around! A one-nighter as is standard for the venue, Bone Yard 225 take the stage at Gateway Casino tomorrow at 9:00 PM, and expect a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's two brand new videos from Bone Yard 225's jam night-hosting duties at Reggie's Place last night!

Originally filmed by attendee Marcy Catherine before being shared to their Facebook page, the videos are not standard fare in any sense. Reggie's was in the part of town hit by a raccoon-induced power outage last night (click here for details), so Bone Yard 225 made the most of it by getting uncorked a day early! Marcy filmed them (with Greg on vocals, Alex on guitar, and Warren providing hand clap percussion) covering Van Halen's "Ice Cream Man" and, as embedded below, Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls". Lighting is much worse on the latter, but again, they were literally blacked out at Reggie's. Fun, if vertically shot, covers that show Bone Yard 225 turning lemons into lemonade, so check them out above & below!

Finally, here's the big one for known & announced hard rock shows this weekend, as New Jersey glam metal icons Skid Row and Anaheim hard rock band Buckcherry will both return to The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT! This sold out concert will be Skid Row's first here since October 2005 (the cancelled 2008 show at Runway Park in Sault Ontario acknowledged), but they've had momentum on their side in recent years since their lead singer carousel stopped on Erik Gronwall, whose energy and Sebastian-esque voice have won very positive reviews as of late, so hopefully classics like "Youth Gone Wild" and "Monkey Business" go over strongly tomorrow! Buckcherry have been more prominent on local stages since we last saw Skid Row, with this being their fifth show in the Twin Saults since 2011, and third in under five years!

Readers will have last seen Josh Todd and crew in October 2021 when Buckcherry were the first major touring hard rock headliners in Sault Ontario following the pandemic lockdowns, but they last played at Kewadin during their outdoor show with Pop Evil in 2019. While I'm admittedly not a fan of theirs, Buckcherry have been good to the area in the past 13 years, and hopefully their hits like "Crazy Bitch" and "Lit Up" draw a solid response once again! Philadelphia hair metal quartet Britny Fox will open the proceedings in their first local concert since opening for Great White at the Soo Kewadin fifteen years ago, though only bassist Billy Childs remains in the band from that 2009 set. He's found a solid lineup to bring hits like "Long Way To Love" & "Dream On" to the stage, so don't be late for their set! This concert (and its tour leg) was postponed from October 28th to tomorrow due to Skid Row singer Erik Gronwall's health concerns.

Presented by Rock 101 and The Hair Scare, this all ages concert begins at 8:00 PM tomorrow night, and it is legitimately sold out (hair metal's a proven draw up here!). If you want to be notified on late ticket availability, click here, call 1-800-KEWADIN, or check the in person box office, and for reference, anything that opens up will start at $45 USD. Non-refunded tickets from the original October date will be honoured tomorrow. This will be a huge night for hair and glam metal fans, and the new Skid Row lineup definitely deliver the goods for old and new fans alike, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Skid Row live!

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