Today's post is mostly of the catch-up variety, in order to cover some recent assorted updates and tackle a couple of new videos, so here's what you should know on this Monday morning! We'll start with the newest song from Sault Michigan metal solo project The 1,000,000,000's Who Died, as posted to their label Werehold Records' YouTube channel on New Year's Eve! Entitled "Long Walking Upright", project leader Jason Mills indicated that this is his first new song recording with his new 9 string guitar. While it's a short showcase, it's a strong technical go for a first unveiling, and while the guitar's the star, I can't fault the bass either! Give it a listen below!
Next up, here's a surprise cover of AlgomA's "Reclaimed By The Forest" by The Black Lodge Masters, a new Sault Ontario electronic project from former Strange Coyotes guitarist & recent Autumn Roots member Chase Wigmore! Perhaps the end result of Chase's earlier plans to form an industrial band, The Black Lodge Masters already have a YouTube channel chock full of material, including their entire intended debut album, and while not a hard rock or metal band in the usual sense, there are glimmers of heaviness on many tracks. Creative and original, especially for this area, and despite these being instrumental, note that the song names seem to have a concept about a secretive fraternal lodge. That all said, The Black Lodge Masters do dip into metal waters with this cover of the title track from AlgomA's debut CD, so how does it sound? Definitely harbouring an industrial bent, this is a solid and unexpected cover of who Chase called "one of (if not) the best Sault bands ever"!
On a quick glance, you wouldn't even connect the two songs, but it's strongly performed with quality drums and effects, and if you're at all a fan of electronic and doom metal, this will be worth checking out! You can do so below, and hopefully Chase keeps churning out some quality music here!
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:
Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer announced on their Facebook page yesterday that, despite some fans fearing that he quit the Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet, they're just taking time off until May, adding his automotive repair business Hank's Body Shop & his health as additional reasons for the break. However, Henry did announce plans to play a half-hair metal/1980s set when they do return, as he wants to play music he likes & excels in while he can, so keep their planned return in mind for then, and don't miss their side project Cousin Eddie in the interim!
Former Sneaky Pete/Glitch drummer Mike Oakley is looking for a keyboard player (preferably one with a synthesizer or piano/organ tones) for a new "rock & blues" band that he's working on in Sault Ontario. No word on if the band in question will fit our coverage range, but just in case, message Mike at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from New Year's Day if you're interested in trying out!
Want to hear more studio material from defunct local indie/punk quartet Nebraska Arms? Good news then, as drummer Adam Sauve posted 11 studio tracks to their new posthumous Soundcloud page last month! At least four of the songs aren't publically available elsewhere that I know of ("Presenteeism", "Clockwork", and two untitled demos), but this isn't entirely comprehensive, as "I Was A Runner" isn't featured. No word on if we'll ever get a full album-formatted posting of the entire "We'll Never Sleep Again" CD, but it's great to hear more from Guy, Dave, Wayne, and Adam, and you can do so at the above links!
Ride For Sight Northern Ontario chairman Dave Ostrowski-Gallant announced on their Facebook page on New Year's Eve "that there will not be any (Ride For Sight) events" locally this year. Dave and his wife Nicole had previously announced that they were stepping down in September for personal reasons, but a search to find new organizers doesn't appear to have panned out in time to put on the annual blindness motorcycle rally/concert in July. Very disappointing, especially given the event's successes and reception, but hopefully someone can take it on for 2019!
By chance have you seen reference to a new hard rock band named Sault on social media? Just to clarify, this band has nothing to do with Sault Ste. Marie, with the name being an intentional misspelling of "salt", in it's informal definition of having a resistance or toughness. Sault are actually the new side project from Kamelot bassist Sean Tibbetts, but they have more of a mainstream hard rock sound compared to his usual power metal material. While there is no local connection, give Sault a listen above, they aren't bad!
I have regrettably deleted local pop punk quartet Stereo North from our inactive band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point late last year. Stereo North had been on hiatus since June of 2016, but with their Facebook page gone (I hate when bands delete their pages like this), it's clear that they've fully disbanded. Hopefully we see them back again down the road, they were a fun sight in the mid-2010s, and don't miss Andrew Pucci's solo project or Bill Bennett with Stegadeth!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
Here's another new news post for your Sunday afternoon, as we continue to get caught up following one extremely busy weekend of concerts! Today's post features some assorted recent updates, a new solo cover video, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, but leading off, here's initial details on a debuting local band playing that very concert!
We have a new local band to add to our active band links, and they are Vol. (pronounced "volume"), so what should you know on them? Self-describing themseles as an "indie rock" band, they cite Alexisonfire, Queens of the Stone Age, City & Colour, and Dinosaur Jr. as influences, so I would assume that a high volume noise/hard-alt sound would not come amiss when media turns up. Specifically, Vol. indicated on their Facebook page that their sound has "high energy, crispy tones, (and) crunchy distortion", so read into that however you will. Their lineup features original Pixo Control bassist Steve Edwards on vocals & guitar alongside their mid-2015 drummer Matthew Thibert, with their ranks filled out by former Aldous guitarist Shane Storozuk. Solid lineup, and it's great to see that Steve and Matt stuck together following their abrupt Pixo departure! Vol. quietly launched last year, but when can you see them live and on stage for the first time?
On Tuesday, August 8th, for a newly announced New American Pub concert from Six, Two, Oh., that's where! Vol. will debut as local openers for a trifecta of out of town metal duos, including headliners If I Look Strong, You Look Strong (yes, that's their name), an experimental noise rock duo from Calgary. Very creative and progressive sound with punk and hardcore tinges, so definitely give them a listen in advance of this show! Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" duo Zaum will play the Soo for the first time since their Rednecks headliner in May 2015 as this show's co-headliners, and their blend of dark metal and chanting vocals should appeal to genre fans once again, so don't bypass Zaum next month either! The other touring two man band is Ottawa/Pembroke hardcore punk outfit Flying Fortress, whose sound is arguably the most accessible of the the three groups, but still heavy and relentless, so don't be late for their fast-paced originals either!
A 19+ concert, this show has a $7 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. While one would assume that Rotopsy, Them, or Twistory as openers would have fit the two-man-band lineup better, Vol. have a solid showcase ahead for their debut, surprisingly as the night's largest band, so definitely keep this rare Tuesday nighter in mind for August 8th, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Next up, here's a new solo cover video from ex-Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison's YouTube channel on Wednesday, surprisingly his first upload there this year! A cover of "Drown" by the Texas-based modern rock band Fighting Gemini, the well-bearded Ryan sticks to vocals in this cover, and he showcases a solid voice (as old Riot! By Night fans can attest), and it's nice to see him tackle a song that uses more vocal range with such ease! That said, the black and white colouring and the raindrop filter effect can be distracting. Give Ryan's newest solo cover a look below, and hopefully more comes soon!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, company, or event name:
Following a positive reception for their YouTube video for their song "Straus", local progressive metal project Kraken Mara have announced that all of the songs on their upcoming self-titled debut EP will have a music video made for them, and are fielding fan suggestions for locations to shoot them at. Sounds like a good plan to me, so message Brendan and/or Jacob at the band's Facebook page to suggest filming spots!
Just as a house-cleaning note, I've replaced the link for local subscription crate company Ma Lady Menace from their website (which is currently blank) to their Facebook page. This company was supposed to promote the ambitious CureCon concert/convention next month, but haven't issued any updates on venue, lineup, or specific details since May when indicating website maintenance, and it's not clear if the company are still actively operating. Ma Lady Menace had promising ideas, and hopefully more comes out!
If you're wondering why we didn't cover this year's Ride For Sight motorcycle rally and attached concerts on the site, it's because the musical lineup didn't feature a hard rock band for the first time since the local arm of the rally began in 2012. This year's musical entertainment featured country quartet Bone Yard and their acoustic side project The Bearded Lounge, alongside 1960s-themed classic rock band The Peace Vibe playing out at Stokely Creek Lodge over the July 7th weekend. Hopefully everything went well, it's a great event for a great cause!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week on the site! Thanks everyone!
Here's a new news post on this Saturday morning, so what's on tap? Some assorted recent notes, a removal of a major annual concert event from our links, and big news concerning a local concert venue's future, but first, here's a big lineup update from a prominent local band!
We'll start today with a surprising lineup departure, as guitarist Tiffany Stocco has left local metal/punk band Jack Spades. The band hasn't acknowledged her departure beyond quietly removing her from their Facebook page's lineup, but she didn't play at last night's Anti-Queens show at The Rockstar Bar, and won't be joining them on their upcoming tour. In a personal Facebook post yesterday (which I won't detail in full out of respect to it's personal nature), Tiffany said that she "loved my band more than anything", and wishes her ex-bandmates the best, but "big personal changes" led to her decision to leave, and she wants to have "fun with music again". With that said, Tiffany apparently has a new band in the works, so we'll keep you posted when that makes it's way to our radar! Tiffany was an original member of Jack Spades dating back to their 2013 debut, playing at all of their shows and on both their EP & the "Fed Up!" split, and had previously played with their covers-centric predecessor band T-Rex Manning from 2011-2014.
Tiffany's been a fixture in local metal and punk concerts in the 2010s, whether as a guitarist or as the promoter of Skull Fist's local gigs, and while it's disappointing to see her exit Jack Spades, hopefully this truly is the right move for her, and that we hear more from her musically soon! And yes, when/if Jack Spades add a new second guitarist, we'll let you know!
Next up, here's some news that may impact a newer but artistically beneficial concert venue downtown, as Gore Street Cafe co-owner and local experimental musician Sam Decter has moved back to Toronto. A reason hasn't been publically announced, but after the high profile Fortnight Festival and his own recent music work, it does seem fairly sudden. Hopefully it's for the right reasons, as Sam is a talented guy with a lot of ambition! This presumably explains why his band The Leash Kids dropped out of Wednesday's Astral Gunk show, but more importantly, his departure may impact the future prospects of the laundromat, cafe, and concert venue. With Sam moving and construction on Gore Street already affecting business, remaining venue owner Nicole Dyble is hosting a community consultation event at 164 Gore Street on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, so she, friends, and supporters can talk about ideas to keep the cafe open.
The Gore Street Cafe has really grown in prominence for the local arts scene in recent years, especially with their accessible "pay what you can" model for most concert and food events there, and while it's not a steady sight for metal and punk acts, the ones that have played there have spoken highly of the environment and atmosphere! Hopefully Nicole, staff, and customers can push through these difficulties and continue to prosper as redevelopment of Gore Street continues, and consider attending Tuesday's consultation to see if you can offer anything for the cause!
Also today, I wanted to acknowledge a deletion from our "Other Local Metal Links", that being for the Swampstravaganza, the van fundraiser-turned-all ages concert marathon that was held annually mid-year from 2011-2015. It's website (and only online page) has been deleted from it's host site Wix for unannounced reasons, and a rumoured sixth installment for this year likely isn't in the cards, given promoter Steve Mozarowski's move back to Toronto last year, and that it's intended timeframe of early May (where the last two were held) has came & went. The Swampstravaganza (a.k.a. Swampfest) was a fun event that saw 9 or more bands play all day at The Oddfellows Hall (or The Canadian last year), with band merchandise & even some refreshments on sale some years. Though attendance varied as the day wore on, a diverse lineup of metal, punk, indie, and more could be seen throughout each installment, with 38 different acts playing scheduled sets across the 5 years, plus 8 open mic artists in the last two.
Frequently seen bands included The Bear Hunters (the only band to play each Swampfest), and three-timers RedD Monkey, Sykotyk Rampage, and Haggith, while Steve himself played each year in varying projects (with RedD Monkey through 2013, solo during 2014's open mic block, and with the one-off Faceityoureametalband in 2015.) I was lucky enough to be at all 5 Swampstravaganzas, which could make for a long day, but they always delivered musically, and even if their website doesn't return, hopefully Steve hosts Swampstravaganza VI in the future if possible!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
Local doom metal trio AlgomA have parted ways with label Dead Beat Media and have signed a new deal with Indian metal label Transcending Obscurity Records! A reason for their split with Dead Beat Media hasn't been publically announced, but AlgomA bassist Boyd Rendell did thank them on his personal Facebook page yesterday, so it sounds amicable. AlgomA plan to release their second full length album through Transcending Obscurity, though no word on if that will come before or after the Hooded Menace split (which is through that band's label, not AlgomA's.) Read the full press release at this link!
A press release for the aforementioned Jack Spades' upcoming "Disastour" can now be seen on SooToday at this link! The press release doesn't break any news that we didn't know before, but it features some good promotion for the tour, particularly their return to Spiderfest in Meyersburg next week, as well as a quote from guitarist Jesse Cook, so check it out below!
In a late update for TONIGHT'S Ride For Sight musical entertainment at Stokely Creek Lodge in Goulais River, we can now confirm that country rockers Bone Yard (returning from last year) and blues musician Paul Dellavedova will join The 3 Day Millionaires on this year's music lineup! Bone Yard confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page yesterday, while drummer Ric Datson's personal Facebook page verified that Paul was also performing. I wish organizers had announced the full music lineup well in advance, but it's great to see everyone fighting the cause against blindness, so don't miss these acts at 8:30 PM TONIGHT!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
A new weekend is approaching fast, so here's our first weekend concert preview post! Due to the amount of shows, particular thanks to SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, we have held our previews of this weekend's Highway 63 shows in Sault Michigan for tomorrow's post, so don't worry, they are coming! Now, let's dive into our previews, starting with late notice new shows in rough chronological order!
Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's ongoing weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood will march on with acoustic matinee shows there TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but he'll also return to The Road House Bar & Grill for a solo gig TOMORROW NIGHT as well, and his Thursday nighters appear to be back on at Gliss, so don't miss him there TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the Road House show and the Thursday Gliss show, they were only announced via their respective Facebook event pages earlier this week (here & here.) Tym had previously teased that he'd be playing Thursdays at Gliss again earlier this summer via his personal Facebook page, and it appears TONIGHT is the first night of the re-extension, so if you love his acoustic covers, head to the downtown restaurant this evening! With that in mind, we have also added July 14th, 21st, and 28th to our concert listings, assuming that he's playing thrice weekly for the time being again, but we'll fix that if this ends up being a one weekend change.
As for TOMORROW'S Road House show, he was last seen at the Trunk Road bar three months ago, and it's great to see Tym back at the site of his old weekly solo concert run, so if you've missed his hard rock covers at a more typical time (or in the east end), don't miss out TOMORROW NIGHT! The Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM with no age limit, TOMORROW'S Road House show is at 10:00 PM with a 19+ limit, and none have an announced cover charge. For more details on this weekend's four acoustic hard rock shows, visit the above links, and here's Tym live!
Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for solo headlining gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, the band announced the shows via their Facebook page on May 10th, but they slipped us by until now (I'll try and make sure that won't happen again!) In any event, Kewadin's entertainment page hasn't been updated yet to reflect July dates, hence why we didn't hear about them through there. TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows also join two more concert weekends announced in May, including returns to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault's Kewadin Casino on July 22nd & 23rd, and two more Northern Pines Lounge gigs in St. Ignace on August 19th & 20th, so keep all three weekends in mind! This weekend's shows follow Manistique concerts two weeks ago, but are Dave, the Hubbards, and Mitch's first regional shows since playing St. Ignace in April.
You can see 415E TOMORROW, SATURDAY, and over the other four nights at 9:00 PM, with no cover and 21+ age limits. 415E's Van Halen-inspired hard rock sounds should attract a good audience this weekend and beyond, so definitely consider checking them out, apologies again for the delay and late notice, and here's 415E live!
Also, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will rock out for a great cause THIS SATURDAY NIGHT as (part of?) the live entertainment for this year's Ride For Sight motorcycle rally! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page on Monday, which organizers haven't done as of this writing. This year's event is relocating from Searchmont to Stokely Creek Lodge
at 194 Pickard Road in Goulais River for scenic reasons and to
accommodate campers, but it will still unite motorcyclists &
supporters in the effort to prevent & cure blindness, and it
should attract a great turnout once again THIS SATURDAY! Though The 3
Day Millionaires are new to Ride For Sight, members Travis Sharpe
& Scott McLurg played last year's installment with Havadder, so
they're no strangers to the cause, and should deliver a solid
performance for classic & hard rock fans! No word on additional
bands, but for reference, Havadder were joined by country rockers Bone
Yard last year.
The 3 Day Millionaires & any
other possible bands will be on at 8:30 PM on SATURDAY after the awards
& presentations, and you can see the full tentative itinerary at
the official Facebook event page,
which also features an acoustic bonfire jam on Friday night, bike
games, vendors, a Sunday breakfast, and of course, the rally proper
through the city at 10:30 AM on Saturday. Admission for the concert
portion is FREE & ALL AGES, but check the above links for full
details on how to register for the rally and/or donate, and here's The 3
Day Millionaires live!
Closing with a previously announced concert, let's head to The Rockstar Bar, as Toronto punk/grunge quartet The Anti-Queens will make their local debut TOMORROW NIGHT! With a 3/4ths female lineup, this D.I.Y. outfit should make a strong impression with their straightforward and fun originals, so keep them in mind for tomorrow night! This show was originally planned to be headlined by frontwoman Valerie Knox's Oshawa punk band The Black Cat Attack (who played here in 2013), but they were forced out of the show due to "recent issues" with their tour van, though they plan to book a makeup date here this fall, as per their Facebook page. Disappointing, especially if you loved their set three years ago, but hopefully B.C.A. are back up north soon! As for tomorrow's concert, the local openers include punk/metal quintet Jack Spades (in their last local gig before their "tiny disastour" of Ontario) and classic metal quintet Project 421, who'll return to the stage after a month off as late replacements for The Black Cat Attack.
This 19+ concert will take place at 10:00 PM tomorrow, and with the lineup changes, the cover charge has been halved from $10 to $5, so there's a plus for potential attendees! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview of what should be a fun union of punk and metal at The Rockstar Bar, here's The Anti-Queens live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Highway 63 previews and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
For this second post on this Saturday, we're covering a pile of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the spring months, with some cover band action, an out of town band, a notable return to the stage, and a double shot of punk rock bingo all ahead! Read on below for what you should know in chronological order, and remember to check out current details on the VM Radio Battle of the Bands schedule below this post!
Local extreme metal band Winkstinger will make their long awaited return to the stage on Wednesday, March 16th when they rock The New American Pub as part of the third installment of Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo series! Last seen in a public live concert in May 2013, it's great to see Jesse & Jonas back on stage with this fun and explosive metal band, and while they're not "punk" per say, they should provide a solid soundtrack for the next punk rock bingo installment in their New A debut! The Facebook event page confirms that they have a new bass player (identity yet to be revealed), but there's no word there about their current singer... is Alan Wells back too, or is someone else now handling vocals? We'll let you know if we hear anything! A rescheduling of the originally planned third punk rock bingo from earlier this month (which would have seen Sam Decter and friends performing), more irreverent prizes await for winners, from CDs to skateboard decks to... breakfast with caller Brent Ellis?!
Admission is once again free (with bingo cards being 50¢ a piece) for this 19+ concert, which has a 9:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links! It should be noted that this show takes place the same night as the second semifinal of next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands (where Jesse Cook is playing during Jack Spades' guest set), but as Winkstinger aren't expected to play at The New A until around midnight, I imagine they can schedule things so Jesse can play at both venues. It's great to have Winkstinger back after an almost three year stage hiatus, so stay tuned for more as it comes in on this punk rock bingo installment!
Next up, let's take a detour to Sault Michigan, where new local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will play their second & third live concerts when they rock Dondee Lanes on Friday, April 1st & Saturday, April 2nd! Coming two weeks after their live concert debut in Brimley on March 17th, this will be the first full weekend set from Ten Kings/Full Throttle bandmates Joe Jenkins & Will Storey's newest local band project. We don't hear about regional hard rock bands playing at the Dondee as much as we used to, so we'll have to see how Project 906 do there to start April off! Early start times of 8:00 PM are in effect for these shows, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more from Project 906 when we hear it!
Heading back to Sault Ontario, let's return to The New American Pub once again, where Six, Two, Oh. have announced the planned fourth punk rock bingo installment already, to take place on three weeks after next month's on Wednesday, April 6th! In this case, the punk rock bingo series will welcome an out of town band for the first time that night, they being Black Tremor, an instrumental doom/classical metal trio from Saskatoon, who will bring their violin-laden doom originals to the Soo for the first time. Intriguing sound with some creative flourishes, so check them out if you like the included genres! Local doom/sludge trio AlgomA will open in their first local concert appearance since December's second punk rock bingo installment, but it will actually follow a pair of out of town gigs that AlgomA are playing next month alongside bands like Empyrean Plague and IRN in Sudbury & Toronto. Great to hear, and hopefully they continue to spread the doom as they rise in prominence!
According to the Facebook event page, more info is "coming closer to the date", but this currently has a 9:00 PM start time, will be 19+, and while 50¢ cards for that night's bingo with Brent (or "Buck Norris") is to be expected, as well as the requisite irreverent prizes, the presence of an out of town band may warrant a cover charge to be announced. I hope both of these punk rock bingo installments go forth as scheduled, as too many previous attempts have had to be cancelled or postponed, but this round of "doom metal bingo" should be a fun time on April 6th! Keep posted for more details!
Finally for today's all-concert announcement post, local cover hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will rock The Garden River Community Center on Saturday, April 9th when they provide the house music once again for the second annual Ride For Sight chili cook-off! After a successful first run of this fundraising event for the annual motorcycle rally for blindness prevention & research, this event returns in advance of the Ride For Sight proper once again, with the chili cook-off awaiting fans and foodies alike. Stiffler's Mom will be continuing their strong support of the ride with another set of partying favourites, so keep all of this in mind for April 9th at 7 Shingwauk Street! Tickets are $20 for this ALL AGES event, which takes place at 5:00 PM again, but it's not yet clear on if there will be prize raffles, or where tickets will be available outside of Ride For Sight committee members.
As for the cook-off proper, Redundant frontman Justin Langlois and his wife Monique will return as competitors, and contact the official Facebook event page for details on how you can be one of the 10 entered teams, or to get more details on what should be another fun event for a great cause! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
We're back with (barring very late notice concert announcements) our second & last concert preview post for the weekend, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS concerning a local favourite at two different events, an extra preview for a metal show tomorrow night, and looks at some recent episodes of a popular webseries! For reference, a second post is coming today, be it a news post with late notice shows, or this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, so stay tuned, and here's what you should know!
Local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder have a busy weekend ahead, with a one night only return to The Rednecks Saloon TONIGHT and a set at the annual Ride For Sight motorcycle rally/fundraiser TOMORROW NIGHT at Searchmont Resort! Apologies for the short notice on both, we only received formal public confirmation of their involvement in both shows in the last couple of days. TONIGHT'S Rednecks Saloon show will be their first there (and second total) since drummer Scott McLurg's return from his recent heart attack, so if you want to help welcome him back to the stage, tomorrow's a good opportunity in a familiar spot! Obviously, they're not playing at Rednecks tomorrow, as they'll be join local country cover quartet Bone Yard on the evening lineup for TOMORROW'S Ride For Sight, the annual blindness fundraising/research event that will see a motorcycle rally through the Soo and various entertainment events at the Searchmont homebase, including bike games, dinner, prizes, and more!
Note that local country musician Lorrie Bolduc & Sinners bandmate Marco Pedalino, and local First Nations musicians, will play matinee sets at 5:30 PM as well, so keep that in mind too if you're at Searchmont early! Havadder's Rednecks show TONIGHT is a 10:00 PM affair with a 19+ age limit and no cover, while Ride For Sight lists them and Bone Yard tomorrow at 9:00 PM, which has no cover, and is presumably ALL AGES. Whether you're a fan, fundraiser, or rider, click here & here, and visit the above links for more details on both shows! Great to see the guys supporting a great cause, and if you can't make it up to Searchmont, consider a trip to Rednecks tonight! See above for more info, and here's Havadder live last month!
Next up, here's a preview of a previously announced concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT, as Toronto melodic metalcore quintet Out Of The Ruins will make their local concert debut at the aforementioned Rednecks Saloon! An aggressive, female-fronted band that have been making steady waves in recent years, their hard hitting hardcore originals should get a great response tomorrow night, so be sure to check them out and see what you think! The local opening slot has been a carousel of sorts, with four different bands (The Bear Hunters, the soon-to-be-defunct Beaumont Avenue & Haggith, and most recently Project 421) all dropping out of the show for varying reasons in recent weeks, but promoters have finally secured local alternative/acid rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din to open the concert, returning Mike Haggith & Curtis McKenzie to this show after the band Haggith's prior withdrawal. Nice of the guys to step in on short notice, marking the second time in as many days that they're filling in for Project 421, so come early to see them in action!
A co-production of PaperClip Productions & Mitch Sirie, this concert has a 9:30 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and a $5 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With a local opener finally locked in, this will be a solid concert for metalheads, as Out Of The Ruins have some vicious originals, and The Din are on the rise, so check the above links for more info for TOMORROW NIGHT, and here's Out Of The Ruins live!
We'll close this post with the two newest episodes of Local2's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, both concerning concerts last month that new local hard rock trio Caroline Divine played at, so what should you know? The first episode from last week comes from Tidal Records' Go Skateboarding Day event at the skatepark at Queen Elizabeth Park on Father's Day, which uniquely begins with Tidal Records owner Dustin Jones introducing the episode on a megaphone! In it, Donna asks Dustin about why music & skateboarding mesh so well, the challenges involved in hosting the event, new signings to the label, his own skateboarding past and family involvement, and upcoming plans for the label. The only real scoops involve Tidal Records updates, like that they signed rapper Conika (who missed the event due to illness) to the label, and that they plan to go bigger with next year's Go Skate Day, but it's a solid and informative interview on Tidal Records' increasing interests and local plans!
In terms of music, there are clips of Garden of Bedlam's headlining set interspersed throughout the video, and you can hear DJ Seith in the background during the interview, but the focus is more on the label and the event than individual bands. It'd be interesting to see a Garden of Bedlam-headlined episode of Tuned, but this one has great footage from Go Skateboarding Day, so check it out above! Remember, Local2's video host doesn't allow external embedding.
Finally, the newest episode of Tuned (posted yesterday) focuses on the aforementioned Caroline Divine from their set at last month's Lopstock II "bohemian conclave" at LopLops Lounge, so what can you see in this episode? Within, Donna interviews all three members of the band about why they didn't keep The Frasiers as the name for the new band, how they view the development of the local indie rock scene, the members' family influences, their recording and tour plans for the future, and if there's any competition that they've seen among local bands, with footage from their Lopstock set scattered throughout as well. In terms of news we hadn't heard elsewhere, the guys noted that baggage from ex-members & the lack of real meaning was why they didn't recycle the Frasiers name, they have recorded some demo tracks, and they hope to go around to different studios before recording more formal material. This is another good episode of Tuned with light and funny banter, so give it a look at the above links, and stay tuned for more from Caroline Divine!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for either a new news post or this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!
In our second post on this Thursday, we're mostly focusing on previews of this weekend's hard rock and metal shows, plus a new video to share from a local punk band on a big stage, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend, and check out our Defunct Local Band Profile on Despised Eyes in the post below this one!
Local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will apparently be among the live entertainment at this year's Ride For Sight blindness fundraiser event at Searchmont Resort THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, the band just confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page earlier today. The third year that this motorcycle rally & fundraising event has been held in the Soo (and second at Searchmont), The Pixo Control will be among the live entertainment at 10:30 PM tomorrow, which will help cap off a busy day including the motorcycle rally/parade through the Sault and area, food, bike gamers, and more, so click here for the full event schedule! Sadly, a full list of musical performers has not been issued, but local country musician Lorrie Bolduc will be playing a set at 9:15 PM with local punk notables as her backing band (including Role Models guitarist Marco Pedalino and Northwest's Greg Callaghan & Clint Wilson), so keep that in mind! If you're not part of the rally, be at Searchmont at 8:00 PM on Saturday for the bands, there's no announced age limit, and while there's no advertised admission cost, donations are surely appreciated!
Nice to see The Pixo Control expanding their reach, and hopefully they make some new fans at Searchmont at this great annual event! Ride For Sight has been very successful in the Soo, so hopefully things keep up in 2014, and don't miss the action! Check the above links for more details, here's The Pixo Control live at Superior Heights, and I've added Ride For Sight to our "Other Local Metal Links" on your left!
Moving to shows with advance word, internet pageless local hard rock cover quartet Late Shift will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! As announced via frontman John Barber's Facebook event page this past weekend, this will be this band's first ever appearance at the old Nicolet Tavern, and their first known concert appearance since their more intimate LopLops Lounge appearance in May, though who knows what we may have missed in the interim. Busy with private and public gigs alike since their debut last fall, this band (featuring Redefined, Small Town Rivals, and Groove Committee alumni) have a diverse though often aggressive sound, as verified by their talented and familiar lineup, so don't miss out on Late Shift's show on Albert Street West tomorrow night! Remember, this is a one night only engagement, you won't see them on Saturday. There's no announced cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and there is a 10:00 PM start time in effect. Check the above links for more details, and here's Late Shift live in February!
Finally for known hard rock shows this weekend is Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's 32nd straight week at The Harp Bar & Grill, as his ongoing arrangement there continues with two acoustic solo gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After a weekend with no Saturday show due to a UFC PPV broadcast, Tym's back with a normal acoustic show this Saturday to follow his hosted open mic night tomorrow, so whatever your fancy, Tym will be rocking out with some unplugeed cover favourites all weekend long at the former Madison's Pub, so keep these shows in mind if you're in the central part of town! Admission should be free on both nights, each show starts at 10:00 PM, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links! This run at The Harp appears to be a continuing success, and you guys should know Tym's talents, so don't miss his newest weekend there over the next few days, and here's Tym at Mill Square last summer!
Finally for today, here's a recent video find from local Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide! While I'm hoping to launch an archive video feature mini-series on the site soon to cover punk videos for SMS readers, this is a very recent upload, so I thought it'd be best to share this now. Though unannounced on band pages, The Rising Tide returned to the Vans Warped Tour for their Toronto and Montreal stops last week, and attendee Raphaelle Loranger filmed this video from their Montreal stop on Saturday (where they played on the Hard Rock/Kevin Says Stage), and it's of their cover of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So"! Definitely a unique cover just from the Jaaskelainen brothers' unconventional instruments alone, it's a well played rendition of one of Weezer's better songs, and it has an edge to it too! Note that the drummer does not appear to be Mikey Hawdon (no word on his band status), though I can't place this drummer's identity off hand. Check out DJRT's new Weezer cover below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!
Today at the SMS, we're kicking off the month of May with most of the weekend's hard rock concert previews, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next two nights, but with two caveats. One is that we're covering Sunday night's Fuck The Facts show on Saturday to give it proper emphasis closer to showtime, so look for it then. Also, Garden of Bedlam & a one-off Papa Fogals Chair reunion (and "more") are playing at PFC bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe at The Moose Lodge on Saturday night, but given the nature of stags & does, we don't traditionally call them as full public concerts on here. Click here for more details though, as the lineup is solid, and who knows when you'll see PFC again! Now, let's get to the rest of the weekend previews! (Updated on Friday at 5:34 PM)
Local alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control will be playing a special outdoor concert set TOMORROW MORNING as part of this year's Passport To Unity multicultural festival in the Soo! Apologies for the short notice, we only just heard about this event earlier this week. We haven't touched on Passport to Unity on here before as it doesn't usually feature bands we cover, but this annual festival has grown greatly and seen a rightful positive response for it's diversity and awareness, so click here for full event details! The Pixo Control's set will be at the closed off block from Spring Street to March Street for a mid-day event known as Downtown Diversity, which will feature local arts and music performers alongside cultural food sales and other diverse events. They'll be playing at the 11:45 AM start time for Downtown Diversity, though aside from local pop rock quartet The Frasiers, I'm unsure of any other performers. Admission is FREE, and this is definitely an all ages event. For more details, check the above links!
The late-morning/early afternoon timing might be rough for attendees who have work & school commitments, but it should be an interesting change of this pace for this rising young trio, so if you're in the area or are off, go check out The Pixo Control's set around lunch time, and enjoy the start of this year's Passport to Unity festival! Besides, I hear they'll have a couple new songs to debut (one called "60 Extra Chances Called Minutes"), so keep it in mind, and for a preview, here's The Pixo Control live at Dank Fest!
The other late notice hard rock gigs that we have this weekend are from local party rock veterans Stiffler's Mom, who have two concerts at two separate venues TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, I only heard about both shows earlier this week. Tomorrow's event will be a one nighter at The Rockstar Bar, which fans should be familiar with given that many of Greg, Mike, and Jon's recent gigs have been there! Like usual, their entertaining and decades-spanning covers can be seen tomorrow at 10:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a likely $5 cover charge, so click here for more details! There's no Stiffler's Mom gig at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday due to the Crued show we'll touch on in a bit, but never fear, as they'll still be rocking a live stage that night when they headline the Ride For Sight Vegas Night, a spring fundraiser for the annual motorcycle rally in support of blindness and vision loss, so what should you know on that front?
Held at the Garden River Community Centre at the corner of Shingwauk & Shannon Road, this event will raise money for this year's Ride For Sight in June via a poker tournament, other games, and a fish & pasta dinner, with Stiffler's Mom's set concluding the night. Tickets are $20, this is likely all ages, and while this event starts Saturday at 1:00 PM, Stiffler's Mom's set will begin at 9:00 PM. Click here for more details! It's great to see Stiffler's Mom supporting this great cause, so if you're up for a drive to Garden River on Saturday, help join in the fun, or go see them at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow! For a preview, here's Stiffler's Mom live at The Essar Centre!
Moving to previously announced shows, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill with (and we're positive on this) shows TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NIGHT! After two consecutive weeks of late word concerning the cancellation of his new Saturday half of his Harp run (following a Jay Case show and their UFC pay-per-view broadcast), Tym is definitely playing twice this weekend for the third time at the former Madison's Pub! Entering the 22nd week of this relationship, Tym's usual hosted open mic night is tomorrow, while Tym plays his usual acoustic unplugged gig on Saturday, so while you'll get his diverse hard rock covers either night, Saturday's will be most similar to his past solo gigs at other venues. Admission either night will probably be free, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a 10:00 PM start time in effect for each show. Click here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Metallica at the former Smack Daddy's!
Finally for today, Toronto-based Motley Crue tribute band Crued will return to the Soo THIS SATURDAY for a headlining gig at The Rockstar Bar! After returning north in November for the first time since 2011, it only took 5 months for a return date for this notorious tribute band, whose faithful and explosive tribute to Motley Crue has always been well received when they've came to our area, so hopefully the same is the case on Saturday night! Like their November show at the same venue, there are not any announced opening bands, and admission is $8 via an advance ticket purchase at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, while the door price will jump to $12 (up from $10 in November.) You must be 19 to attend, and there is a 10:30 PM start time in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Hair metal fans would be well served to check out Crued for a great tribute to Motley Crue this weekend, so don't miss it, and for a preview, here they are playing "Shout At The Devil"!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post tomorrow, plus our Fuck The Facts preview and more on Saturday! Thanks everyone!
In our second post of the day, we're completing our weekend concert previews with a look at the upcoming slate of Sault Ontario metal/hard rock concerts (including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT), plus a new song upload from a local band, so read on below for what you need to know, and get caught up on Sault Michigan weekend concert previews in the post below this one!
Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only found about the gig himself just last night. Once a very common venue for his acoustic solo shows, this will be just his second solo concert at this Trunk Road venue since May, and it'll be nice to see him back in the East End with his diverse blend of hard rock and metal covers in a more intimate setting! There's no announced cover charge for tomorrow's 10:00 PM concert, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Despite the late notice, this should be another solid acoustic night from Tym Morrison, so if you're up for some unplugged metal & hard rock covers, head to The Road House TOMORROW to enjoy the action! For a preview, here's Tym covering Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" at Bossy's last year!
The rest of our previews mostly revolve around this weekend's Ride For Sight, the annual motorcycle rally on Saturday to raise money and awareness for blindness, which is now in it's second year for the Sault Ste. Marie installment (click here for a full itinerary and schedule for the rally and related events, including how you can register or donate.) Contrary to what I said when we first plugged the Ride For Sight entertainment, the live musical entertainment WILL be spread between two locations, as Toronto based Bon Jovi tribute band Crush will be playing outside of The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM, NOT at the event's host site (more on there in a second, and my apologies for any confusion!) Their set will take place as early as 12:00 PM on Saturday as the rally arrives at the Bushplane Museum for a barbeque lunch, motorcycle show, and some Bon Jovi classics, so if you're downtown on Saturday keep it in mind! Crush won't go far though after the rally continues, as they'll also be playing a separate concert just seconds away at The Rockstar Bar that night, so if you're more comfortable with a typical night show at a familiar bar, keep that in mind instead!
There's no admission cost or age limit announced for Crush's Ride For Sight set on Saturday afternoon, while the Rockstar Bar gig that night is definitely a 19+ gig with a 10:00 PM-ish start time, and tickets are $7 in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, or $10 at the door. For more details, check the above links (and for the record, the announced Crush show last Halloween didn't take place, this is being promoted as their local debut.) Crush have a reliable and convincing take on Bon Jovi's hits, so don't miss Saturday's shows for some hair metal tribute action, and for a preview, here they are playing "Living On A Prayer"!
Speaking of Ride For Sight, the event's host location this year has shifted from The Roberta Bondar Pavilion to Searchmont Resort, but if you're up for a trip north for some live music, you'll see the long awaited return of classic hard rock quintet That's Chester, who are returning from an 8 month breakup for their first live concert since last year's Ride For Sight! They'll be among at least three acts on Saturday night, joining local country musician Lorrie Bolduc (who played last year's Ride For Sight with her then-band High Road) and newer blues rock band The Shuffle Prophets, though a performance order isn't clearly stated (my source for the other acts is That's Chester's Facebook page.) The live bands follow the dinner and awards presenatations at Searchmont at 8:00 PM, though I don't know if there's admission costs or age limits to see just the bands. Check the above links for more details! It's great to see That's Chester reunited and ready to rock once again, and hopefully Ride For Sight serves as a good warm-up before their Rotaryfest return next weekend! For a preview, here's That's Chester covering Deep Purple's "Highway Star" in 2010!
We'll close today by covering the most recent video/song uploads from local grind/gore label/studio Blood Shed Productions! Among their more recent non-rap postings are a 10 second song named "There Is No God" by Tomgrindy, at least one more Crucify The Whore track with a controversial title, and this new song that's basically a collaboration between Brutaly Fatal's Austin McRae and Crucify The Whore's Ringsnaps Gibson. Named "Grandpa Grind", it features Austin on bass and Ringsnaps on drums (I assume), and it's solid enough, mainly because it takes more after Austin's Brutaly Fatal work, though there is some C.T.W.-esque pig squealing late. Again, there's moments of promise that I'd like to see expanded on beyond minimalistic studio work, but if you're up for some bass & drums grindcore, check out the new Brutaly Fatal song below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for some big news TOMORROW, including a new local band! Thanks everyone!
I wasn't planning to have another post until tomorrow, but with some backlogged Sault Michigan news to get to after this, I thought I might as well. Plus, one of today's notes relates to lineup changes for a concert going down TOMORROW, so read on below for that, new videos, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for two somewhat related concerts going down next weekend (and get some more recent concert updates and new videos in the post below this one!)
Toronto area Bon Jovi tribute band Crush and returning local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester will be among the live entertainment taking part in this year's Ride For Sight motorcycle rally/blindness fundraiser event one week from tomorrow on July 13th! The second year that this long running event has been featured in the Soo, this will be That's Chester's first local concert since 8 months ago at last year's Ride For Sight (great to have them back!), while it'll be Crush's first 100% verifiable concert in Sault Ontario since they rocked The Canadian in September 2010 (though they may have played a Halloween season gig at The Rockstar Bar last year.) My source for That's Chester's involvement is their Facebook page, while Crush are plugged on Ride For Sight's website's schedule of the local events next Saturday. As best as I can tell, both bands (and perhaps others) are playing outdoors live at Searchmont Resort, which replaces The Roberta Bondar Pavilion as the host site this year, with Crush playing at 1:00 PM to welcome bike riders back from their motorcycle parade through town, while That's Chester are likely among (or are solely) the evening entertainment at 8:00 PM onward.
No admission prices or age limits have been posted if you're solely seeing bands, but for more information on the full Ride For Sight schedule of events, click here and the above links! This is a great event to raise money and awareness for blindness, and hopefully there's tons of riders taking part for the cause! As for the music, That's Chester should be better than ever for their reunion tour, so don't miss them, but we're not done with Crush yet for new shows, as they'll also be playing at The Rockstar Bar for a second show that night! My source is The Rockstar Bar's Martin Fiser on their Facebook group, where he confirmed that tickets are now on sale at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk for $7, with the price jumping to $10 at the door (I'd assume a 19+ age limit and 10:00 PM-ish start time are also in effect.) Check the above links for more details! Crush have an authentic Bon Jovi tribute sound that should find an audience in their local return, so if you like old school Bon Jovi hair metal classics, don't miss them at either Ride For Sight or The Rockstar Bar next weekend!
Now to some big late notice changes to one of the Sault Ontario hard rock concerts TOMORROW that we previewed earlier this week, as out of town headliners The Promonium Jesters & Defence Mechanism have both dropped out of tomorrow's concert at The Algonquin Pub. Promoter J.D. Pearce cited "illness" for the last minute cancellation on the Facebook event page, but didn't elaborate further. Disappointing news to be sure, but hopefully they'll both come back to the area down the road! However, unlike the similar instance with last month's Ahna/Powercup show at The Oddfellows Hall, replacement bands have been secured, as both of the openers at last night's Golers show at The Rosie (alternative/grunge rockers Haggith and punk trio The Northern Tragedy) will now fill the top slots tomorrow night! Though this will be their respective debuts at The Algonquin Pub, both last played at this building at The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands in April. The other opening acts (Machines Dream & Johnny Dillinger) are still on, as are the $5 cover, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. For all current details, visit the above links!
Though one could argue that much of this show's unique qualities vanished with the out of town bands' withdrawal, J.D. got some solid local openers to replace them, and a diverse lineup of grunge, punk, progressive rock, and techno still awaits attendees, so don't write this show off! For a preview of the new lineup, here's two songs from Haggith's second place performance at the aforementioned battle of the bands this spring!
Finally for today, here's another live performance video from prolific goregrind singer/guitarist Ringsnaps Gibson! The Crucify The Whore/Malignant Neoplasm frontman posted this video of him "jamming in the Blood Shed" onto Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel
yesterday, and it validates his guitar talent further, as what
he's playing is much lighter and more melodic than his somewhat divisive
heavier material. Good angle to show his fingering too, and it's a nice
surprise if you're not into the usual goregrind songs from his bands,
but three new C.T.W. songs have been posted at the above links if you'd
rather something heavier (albeit all have potentially disturbing titles
and/or imagery.) Check out the new live video below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for some Sault Michigan-centric news tomorrow night! Thanks everyone!
It's time to preview this weekend's concerts, but before that, note the banner at the top of the site. Our 5th anniversary is fast approaching, and this year's anniversary surprises come in the form of expansion. How much, how far, and to what? The banner has clues, but the first stages will be revealed on Wednesday, so stay tuned then! As for today's post, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend across the river and TOMORROW at a local fundraiser that may interest some of you guys, along with previews of the other metal/hard rock concerts tonight & tomorrow, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 3:28 PM) I apologize for the short notice on these shows, but I literally only just heard about them a couple of minutes ago. Sault Michigan hard rock trio Powerslug will return to The Corner Pub Bar & Grill TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for their first concerts since LemmaFest! Drummer Bob Helsten only just announced the shows on his personal Facebook page this afternoon, but with no online pages, it's better late than never to hear word! Apparently, both shows will be outside The Corner Pub, possibly on a patio there, though I'm not sure why this is the case, as The Corner Pub does have an indoor stage. Maybe there's a conflicting event this weekend? No matter the case, Powerslug will bring their talented brand of hard rock back to the live stage tonight and tomorrow, so don't miss them! Admission should be free for both nights, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time seems likely. For more details, visit the above links! Powerslug should deliver some great hard rocking tunes all weekend long, so don't miss them across the river, and for a preview, check out this Facebook video (which I can't embed here) from their Ludington concert weekend earlier this month!
Also in new shows, local classic hard rockers That's Chester are the headlining entertainment at this weekend's Ride For Sight event in Sault Ontario! This long running charity fundraiser for blindness has brought motorcycle riders out on the road for a great cause since 1979, but only this year is it finally debuting in Sault Ste. Marie, so click here for all the details on this great event and how you can support the cause or ride your bike with everyone else! In That's Chester's case, they'll be performing at 9:00 PM TOMORROW NIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion to close out the Saturday, and they're among three local acts playing this weekend, including local country band Asylum Country tonight and the new local country band High Road (featuring ex-Lion Ride guitarist Marco Pedalino) tomorrow at 4:30 PM. The music is more spread out than you tend to see, but there's plenty of Ride For Sight events happening before and after the bands on Saturday, so it'll all flow! Note that "Social" is credited alongside the bands for entertainment, but I have no idea if that refers to anything musical. As best as I can tell, That's Chester's set under the tent downtown has no admission charge or age limits, and I don't think it's restricted to just Ride For Sight participants. For more details, check the above links and the Facebook event page!
It's great to see That's Chester supporting such a great cause, and it'll be interesting to hear them play at the Pavilion, which is definitely a change from their usual concert spots! I apologize for the short notice on this show too, I only just heard about it yesterday. If you're up to support a great cause, check out some cool motorcycles, and hear some solid local music, head downtown for That's Chester at Ride For Sight tomorrow night! For a preview, here's That's Chester covering Deep Purple's "Highway Star" at Docks a few years ago!
Now to the rest of the weekend previews that we knew about before, starting with a stacked metal concert TONIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub, as five high profile metal bands are coming to melt our faces! Toronto death metal standouts Hallows Die will return to the Soo as headliners, which is bound to interest fans disappointed by their two song set at the Ypres Metal Fest in April, so be prepared for their brutal and melodic take on metal tonight! They're local favourites from a reason dating back to their shows here last year, so don't miss them! Opening for them, we have four notable Northern Ontario metal bands, those being Sudbury improv/comedy death metal trio 85 Pound Poutine (likely featuring Wolven Ancestry's Mark Howitt under a stage name), Sudbury blackened death metal quintet Before The Black Gates, North Bay death metal quartet Buried Out Back (featuring Empyrean Plague guitarist Dave Strba), and local death metal notables The Bear Hunters (guitarist Mitch Sirie is promoting this show), which adds up to a stacked lineup of Ontario metal! Of the openers, 85 Pound Poutine should be very amusing (especially if you can decipher death growling), and B.T.B.G. are a long time coming for a local show, and they should do great, as they're rising fast in their genre!
As for the other bands, Buried Out Back are a group I need to hear clearer audio from, but the videos I've seen show a brutal death metal sound and nice intensity, so they should compare well! And The Bear Hunters, we know very well locally, so I'd expect nothing but the best from them tonight! Also note that this concert does have the feel of an unofficial continuation from the Ypres Metal Fest thanks to it's same venue & familiar lineup (only Before The Black Gates don't have alumni from the event), so if that's some extra incentive to go, keep it in mind! Admission is $10 at the door for tonight's show, it is ALL AGES like other recent metal shows at The Canadian, and everything starts at around 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome concert, and I will not miss it for anything, so I hope to see you guys there for all of the Ontario metal mayhem at The Canadian tonight! Check out all of the bands above, I'll see you guys there, and for a preview, here's Hallows Die's opening songs from their set at what's now Coch's Corner last fall!
Now to the only Sault Michigan metal/hard rock shows that I know of this weekend, as Marquette hard rockers Nudge are back in town TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for another weekend engagement at The Satisfied Frog! Continuing on a recent schedule of playing in the Soo every four weeks, this entertaining cover quartet will be sure to rock The Frog as well as they ever do, and hopefully a good crowd came out for frontman Danzo McCracken's solo shows there over the last two nights! As usual for Nudge's local stops, they'll be on tonight & tomorrow at 10:00 PM, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like another fun weekend from Nudge, and it's always good to see them keeping up a more frequent local schedule than we've been used to in recent months! Their hard rocking covers always pull in a good crowd and response, so don't miss Nudge at The Frog this weekend! For a preview, here's Nudge covering an Ozzy Osbourne classic at a show a few years back!
And finally, brace for impact at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow night, as Maximum RNR are coming back to Sault Ontario! The prolific Toronto hardcore/punk quintet will play their third ever local concert tomorrow, though it will be their first show here outside of the former Foggy Notions, where they previously played in 2002 & 2011, though it'll just be their second with Saultites in their lineup. As you may remember, ex-Lion Ride bassist and former Detroit frontman Brenton "Diamond Brent Panther" Ellis has sang with Maximum RNR since 2010, and they've since been joined by his longtime bandmate (and fellow local talent) Curtis Faux on bass, after replacing Davey Dee in the band last summer. Their relentless energetic hardcore sound will be sure to bring a much needed dose of heavy music to The Rockstar Bar tomorrow, and old Detroit fans will be right at home with Maximum RNR, so don't miss them! The openers for this show were slated to be local country/punk favourites The Billy Bastards, but they revealed on the Facebook event page yesterday that they had to cancel. A reason for their withdrawl wasn't publically revealed, but I heard that frontman Aaron Gibbs became a father a couple days ago (congratulations!), so that could be related. A new opening band is apparently in the works though, so stay tuned to the SMS for updates on that front!
Admission will be $5 for tomorrow's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is listed. Check the above links for more details! It's great to see Maximum RNR back in town, and I definitely will be there to check them out finally! I was too young in 2002 and was sick last year, so I especially don't wanna miss this show! Stay tuned for updates on the opening band, prepare for some great hardcore/punk (and lots of quick but intense songs), and for a preview, here's Maximum RNR's current lineup playing three songs live last summer!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Hallows Die concert review and our review of The Harsh Heads' CD tomorrow, and much more as we enter July! Thanks everyone!
