It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, letting us spotlight another inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk band from our links, randomly selected as usual, at that! This month, we're heading across the river for a look at one of the more recognizable local cover rock bands of a decade ago, so here's what you should know on them!
Chris Leask (Highway 63, River Witch), vocals/bass Chris Gurnoe (River Witch), guitar Bob Helsten (I.S.O.M., Clownsack), drums
Audio/Video: A covers-only band, public Power Slug media is pretty much limited nowadays to videos uploaded to their Facebook page, which was only launched over two years after the band's inception. Two videos were posted there, both from a June 2014 gig at The Savoy Nightclub, including covers of Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" and (as embedded below) Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning", so check out both to see what Power Slug brought to the table in their heyday! Their range of covers did lean heavier than these videos may suggest, bearing some similarities to Chris Leask's later work with Highway 63 in particular.
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Info/Analysis: Succeeding the two Chris' short-lived band River Witch upon their debut in late 2011, Power Slug would become a fan favourite sight at E.U.P. nightclubs in the early-mid 2010s, despite not having a Facebook page to promote themselves with until mid-2014, and often playing shows with limited or no public notice there. Fans may recall seeing Power Slug at larger vents like the I-500 and LemmaFest, alongside sets at venues like the regional Kewadin Casino branches, the former Dan's Place in Rudyard, and Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird), among others, while also hitting the road for gigs in the western U.P. and downstate. Power Slug last advertised playing live in Manistique in May 2015, with Facebook updates quietly ceasing in July of that year, though Chris Leask & Bob would perform together in later bands. Chris, Bob, and Chris had a good thing going during their run, and while surviving videos have distorted audio, you do get a sense of their chemistry and talents!
Their hard hitting, down-to-earth brand of rock covers definitely found an audience of fans willing to chug their mugs with Power Slug during their run, and they easily could have ran longer as a band with success, but hopefully members are still active music and/or are doing well nowadays!
I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! We're heading back to Sault Ontario for our next randomly selected band of the past in this series, and we're going way back for a look at early-mid 2000s hard rock quartet Redefined! Look for that on or around May 10th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Let's keep the line moving with another new news post for your Tuesday afternoon, especially as there's a show to preview TONIGHT! To round things out, we have some new videos from bands on each side of the border, and an inactive band to take note of, so here's what you should know!
A special Tuesday night concert from promoters Six, Two, Oh. goes down TONIGHT at The New American Pub with one of the most eclectic band lineups of the year, with Edmonton pop punk quartet Debutaunt headlining in their local debut! This punk rock outfit should rip up the stage tonight in support of their new EP, and their catchy, fan friendly blend should get a good response at The New A, so come on out as they continue their Road to Nowhere Tour! An extremely varied opening lineup will include local goregrind duo Rotopsy, rapper and fellow Blood Shed Productions artist Mikey Thomas, and stand-up comedian Shane McGuigan, so there truly is something for everyone to enjoy tonight! This 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while a $5 cover charge is advertised, the Facebook event page also says this is a "pay what you can" event, so bring $5 just in case, but keep the apparent varying admission in mind. Debutaunt should deliver a fun headlining set, and while the genre smorgasbord of the openers is a risk, hopefully this is a huge hit! See above for more, and here's Debutaunt live!
Next up, we have regrettably moved Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, having last posted publically on their Facebook page
last July, and not playing an announced live concert since before that.
Active since the fall of 2011 when they succeeded the defunct River
Witch, Power Slug were a steady sight at local concerts in the early
2010s (even if they often didn't plug them online publically), with the
band appearing at a number of special events like LemmaFest and the
I-500, as well as taking road trips outside of the E.U.P. on occasion.
Power Slug haven't played a public show since a Manistique Kewadin
weekend last May, but the guys are still visibly on good terms, with
frontman Chris Leask and drummer Bob Helsten playing together since in I.S.O.M. and The Creepy Little Coffee People, though Chris has largely focused on his classic/hard rock cover band Highway 63 in the past year.
Though
Power Slug's quiet online presence in their early years was tricky to
maneuver when covering them, I always liked Power Slug's gritty blend of
hard and modern rock material, including some originals, and they had a
fun stage show and sense of humour that made them easy to get into!
Hopefully we see Power Slug back on stage down the road so fans can chug
a mug with them once again, but best of luck to Chris, Chris, and Bob
in the future!
Also today, here's our long overdue coverage of Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock trio The Din's two recent Facebook video postings, in advance of their CD release show THIS FRIDAY at The Tech! Apologies for the delay in getting these on the site, but better late than never, especially with the release show fast approaching. One video was a teaser for their most recent "Cover of the Month" YouTube video last month (a cover of Matchbox 20's "Real World"), with drummer Brandan Glew preparing for the performance by playing just a tad too slow, forcing frontman Mike Haggith to intervene in surprising ways. Cute clip that served as fun promotion for the full cover, so give it a look above! Embedded below is The Din's newet Facebook clip, where they opened boxes containing copies of their debut album "Give In To The Din", with Mike in particular admiring the final product and attempting to cleanly open the second box. Definitely some more good promotion, so check it out below, and get your copies of their CD first on FRIDAY NIGHT!
Finally for today, here's the newest video from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, as per their Facebook page this morning! Shared from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page, its titled "Writing music", and it assembles clips of him and guitarist Steve Giles tracking new music in studio, complete with a cameo from Craig's(?) dog. Not a lengthy look at Theatre of Night here, but it's great to see them still working on new material, so check it out below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
With some serious personal family matters going on this weekend, I don't anticipate posts to be as frequent for the next few days (at least), so if we miss any late notice concert alerts from a band like Mourning Wood, my apologies in advance. Today's post features some assorted recent notes, a local band's recent activity, and more of this weekend's hard rock concert previews, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for one night only at The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show yesterday via it's Facebook event page. After taking the Rotaryfest weekend off, this will be Jugga & company's first show since rocking Rednecks and Ride For Sight a couple of weeks back, and their hard hitting and often varied covers should find a solid audience once again TOMORROW! No word though on why they're not playing at Rednecks tonight. Like usual for Havadder concerts, tomorrow's show is a 19+ affair with no announced cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links! Havadder are always a reliably good time for your weekend entertainment, so keep tomorrow's show in mind, and here's the guys live last month!
Moving to a pair of previously announced concerts, Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug are slated to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! The local cover favourites featuring I.S.O.M. members Bob Helsten & Chris Leask will be making their first announced public concert appearances in over a month this weekend, and while the band hasn't acknowledged them on their own Facebook page, Kewadin's entertainment page confirms them (note also that we have new shows through September to announce at local Kewadin branches, so stay tuned for that!) As usual, this weekend's shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links! Power Slug haven't played as much lately, but hopefully the guys have a great weekend in store, so make sure to chug your mug with them! Here's the guys a few years back!
Next up, here's some long overdue updates from local rap/metal quartet & VM Radio Battle finalists The Apocalypse Afterparty, so what have they been up to in the past month? As per their Facebook page on Sunday, the masked bandits are still working on their debut EP, planning to be "reclusive & ghost-like" while recording brand new tracks at Mission Control Studios, and upon release "after many, many moons", it'll be a 3 song EP on USB sticks, mp3 downloads, and a limited vinyl pressing (no word on CDs though.) The guys also elaborated on their earlier teases of a comic book on the band, which is apparently in it's final draft, will have work by a professional comic artist, and a cover will be posted in a few weeks upon completion. In terms of concerts, the Afterparty teased an upcoming Gonqshow appearance (presumably August 7th's Hard Up show) and other upcoming concerts.
There's no direct reference within to their drummer vacancy, but the post includes some vague remarks including an apology to "Rotary support", and plans to start a war with "a loud, public figure", but you can read into things however you want. Nice to see that The Apocalypse Afterparty are still active and running through some ambitious plans, so follow the band above, and stay tuned for more from their camp as it rolls in!
Finally for this post, here's three assorted shorter news
items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order
by artist name:
With their announced breakup following their Rotaryfest set last
week, we have moved local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue to our
inactive band links, albeit under their original name The Suicide Kings,
as they accomplished more & were active longer under that name. If a defunct band has had multiple names, we usually list them in our links under their most prominent
name for familiarity's sake, not unlike with bassist Mitch Sirie's old
band Stillbroke, who closed their run as Borderline Divine. If Beuamont Avenue ever reunites under that name, they'll be re-listed accordingly!
This might just be re-stating the obvious, but we might as well
confirm that next month's planned Das Bunkerfest II concert from Six Two Oh
appears to have been cancelled outright. Promoters had hoped to host
the Garden River-based house party festival in a new location after
ceding control of the original venue, but with the Facebook event page
now deleted, that presumably ends plans for the sequel event. Keep an
eye out for new Six Two Oh shows!
If you noticed that SooToday's "Soo To-Do List" from last week listed an appearance by Kingston country solo artist Tom Savage at the Pixo Control/Gnaeus concert at LopLops Lounge, you're not alone, but that appears to be a typo. Savage did play a LopLops event on July 10th opening for Brock Zeman,
so that might be where wires were crossed, and no advertising for the
Pixo Control show credits extra performers beyond the Gnaeus teases.
Hopefully that show was a hit!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes when possible! Thanks everyone!
For at least the next two posts, we're focusing on this weekend's hard rock and punk concert previews, but with a busy weekend ahead, we're splitting things up into two posts: Thursday & Friday nighters here and Saturday concerts either tonight or tomorrow morning, with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to be in both. Before we get too far ahead, remember that the auditions for the local stage production of The Who's Tommy (featuring That's Chester as the house band) will take place TOMORROW & FRIDAY at Superior Heights Collegiate, so click here for more details! Now, here's what you should know for these first previews!
Prolific local solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will keep his busy schedule going this weekend, as his weekly arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill continues TOMORROW NIGHT, but before then, he'll also play Gliss Steak & Seafood for a second straight week TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on tonight's Gliss show, that was only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. As of this writing, he's only back at The Quality Inn's restaurant for tonight rather than all weekend, and there's no indication yet that he has a new regular weekly run at Gliss, but his shows there last week obviously went well, so keep TONIGHT'S show in mind if you want some entertaining acoustic hard rock at supper time! Of course, his regular Harp show is tomorrow as well for fans of his usual shows, but note that he is not playing there Saturday night due to The Harp's broadcast of UFC 188.
For reference, Tym is among the lineup of this year's Ride For Autism event, and we will preview that in our next post to spread everything out. TONIGHT'S Gliss show has a 6:00 PM start time, and has no announced cover or age limits (but keep the restuarant setting in mind), while TOMORROW'S Harp show is at 10:00 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit. For more details, click here & see above, and here's Tym Morrison live at the former Smack Daddy's!
Next up, local classic/hard rock quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT for one night only! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced via it's Facebook event page on Sunday, but we held it for this weekend's previews. A one-nighter due to Saturday night's Cherry Crush concert, tomorrow's Lucky 13 gig keeps their recent busy streak going, following their fill-in at The Rockstar Bar two weeks ago, and their Rednecks Saloon gigs last weekend (apologies again for missing them), so if you haven't gotten a chance to hear their alt-rock covers on stage recently, here's your next best chance! TOMORROW'S show has a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge (but bring cash just in case), and a 10:30 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Lucky 13 live last year!
Moving to previously announced concerts, local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will headline a big fundraiser event TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rankin Arena at 17 Batchewana Street! Entitled "Pixo Plays For Food", the event is designed to help The Pixo Control raise funds to both release their debut CD and launch their first ever tour later this year. To that end, the show will also feature free pizza, games, prize draws (including from The Rad Zone), and a cash bar, while The Pixo Control will of course be playing a headlining set. Opening the fundraiser are Frasiers successors Caroline Divine in just their third concert appearance, so keep their glam metal/power pop hybrid in mind as the event kicks off! Public ticket sales ended on Tuesday, but this 19+ fundraiser still lists a $15 door charge for tomorrow night, which has an 8:00 PM start time. For more details on Pixo Plays For Food, visit the official Facebook event page!
A fundraiser concert of this scale from a local hard rock band is something we haven't seen in a few years (Garden of Bedlam and Stillbroke had notable ones in their prime), so hopefully The Pixo Control have a huge turnout and put a huge dent into their album & tour funding plans! Get more details on Pixo Plays For Food above, don't miss tomorrow's event, and here's the guys live at The New A earlier this month!
Finally for this preview post, we'll head down to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock trio Power Slug are scheduled to rock The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen at the Soo Kewadin about 3 months ago, we haven't seen much of Chris, Bob, and Chris in our neck of the woods in recent months (barring unannounced or missed gigs), so if you've missed their aggressive and fan favourite covers this year, a trip to The Rapids Lounge wouldn't be a bad idea! Maybe the I.S.O.M. reunion has been taking up some of their recent time? Note that the band's Facebook page hasn't plugged this weekend's shows as of this writing, but they are listed on Kewadin's entertainment page, so there's our source. Power Slug should be on at 9:00, there's no announced cover charges, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Power Slug live at The Savoy!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more concert previews and late notice announcements next! Thanks everyone!
Today's post is almost 100% dedicated to new concert announcements at the two actively booking regional Kewadin Casino branches, as Kewadin's entertainment page has finally been updated to reflect shows at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Michigan and The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace through the end of July! Given our focus on metal, hard rock, and punk, check the above links for dates on country, classic, and general rock bands with new Kewadin dates for the summer, including Hawk Junction, Touch of Class, The Brooks Band, Perry Hatch, and The London Gentlemen, plus Highway 63 gigs that they already announced via their Facebook page. Now, here's what you need to know in rough chronological order, including bonus shows that were announced on a familiar band's website!
We'll start next weekend, where Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E are next scheduled to rock The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Friday, June 5th & Saturday, June 6th! The only listed Kewadin dates of the summer (so far) from the Splitshot successors, these shows will likely be their first after taking May off from announced gigs, and will also be their first advertised shows in Sault Ste. Marie of the year. We haven't seen Dave, the Hubbards, and Mitch as much as usual in recent months, but hopefully their often heavy, Van Halen influenced originals and covers attract a solid audience to help kick off June! Like usual for Kewadin Casino lounge events, there's a 9:00 PM start time, a 21+ age limit, and no announced cover for both nights. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from 415E as we hear it!
Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug are also back under the Kewadin umbrella for at least two weekends this summer, including stops at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie on June 12th & 13th, and at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on July 24th & 25th! Like 415E, we haven't seen Power Slug as much as usual in recent months (barring unannounced or missed gigs), with both weekend sets coming around 3 months after their last weekends at that venue. If you've missed Power Slug lately and are overdue to chug a mug with this gritty and and entertaining trio, circle these weekends on your calendar! As above, you must be 21 to attend these shows, each has a 9:00 PM start time, and none have an announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, and hopefully we hear more from Power Slug soon!
Now, missing from the Kewadin concert calendar are any dates from Traverse City metal musician Jeff Hudson's prolific bands, but he doesn't appear to be taking too much of a break from the E.U.P., as his metal trio Scarkazm list two summer weekends for our neck of the woods on their website! The band will make rare non-Kewadin appearances in the Soo on June 26th & 27th at The Savoy Bar & Nightclub (which Jeff's other band Peril have played at in the past, albeit very sporadically), which precede their return to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on July 3rd & 4th (shows that Kewadin's entertainment page list as "TBA", for what that's worth.) If definitely on, the July dates will be Scarkazm's first in the Eastern U.P. in about three months, so be sure to welcome them back this summer, including their likely Savoy debuts next month! Like above, the shows have 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover, and 21+ age limits.
Back to shows confirmed via Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, new Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings are listed as returning to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on Friday, July 17th & Saturday, July 18th! Their only currently announced summer dates at either Kewadin branch (though they're also rocking The Savoy next weekend), these will be their first St. Ignace shows in over 3 months. Ten Kings have been impressing fans since their debut, and given their members' past band work and collective talent, fans won't want to bypass their Kewadin dates in July, and any others to be announced! As usual, the new dates have no announced start times, 9:00 PM start times, and 21+ age limits. For more details, visit the above links, and don't miss Ten Kings at in their Savoy debut next weekend!
Finally for today's new concert announcement post, Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, July 31st and Saturday, August 1st! Also their only currently announced Kewadin gigs of the summer, these will be Banned's first Rapids Lounge appearances in almost 4 months, but it remains to be seen if we'll see Alex, Wayne, and Don anywhere in our region next month. This talented band have slowed down their usual frequent concerts in recent months, but don't miss out if you're a fan this summer as Banned return to the Soo in this mid-summer weekend! Like the above shows, you must be 21 to attend both nights, these both have 9:00 PM start times, and there's no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links, and like above, stay tuned for more from Banned when we hear it!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile TOMORROW, plus more news and notes to come, including a couple of extra Kewadin dates! Thanks everyone!
As we enter the latter half of the week, let's touch on this weekend's concert previews today (barring potential late notice announcements), including a pair of shows in the E.U.P. and some familiar veterans on this side of the border, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local alternative/classic rock quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rockstar Bar for a solo headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced via it's official Facebook event page on Sunday, so we held it for today's previews. A one nighter due to Saturday's show by local country cover band Summer Thunder, this will be Ed, Jeremey, Jeff, and Roger's first announced concert since rocking this venue on St. Patrick's Day last month, and they should be up to their usual tricks as they rock The Rockstar Bar once again with a hard hitting night of familiar favourites, so keep TOMORROW'S show in mind! This is a 19+ event, a 10:30 PM start time is advertised, and bring cash just in case there's a cover. See above for more details, and here's Lucky 13 live last year!
Moving to previously announced concerts, local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood's weekly jam night at The Rednecks Saloon will continue into it's 6th week TONIGHT, but there will be a melancholy air to the proceedings, as this will be their first concert since the passing of drummer T.J. Case's father Mike on Sunday. Tonight's jam night will actually take place the night before Mike's funeral and celebration of life (click here for full details), so I'm sure things will be extra emotional for T.J., the entire Case family, and all of Mike's close friends and students. The show must go on though, and Mourning Wood will hopefully rally together to deliver a fun night of hard-edged covers, with hopefully lots of attendees jamming alongside in Mike's memory! And of course, I send my condolences out to T.J. at this difficult time, but make him proud with a great set tonight!
Note that there's no announced Mourning Wood shows for this weekend (barring a possible late notice matinee) as T.J. and frontman Terry Eaton will be playing at The Rednecks Saloon this weekend with their other band Asylum Country, so keep those in mind if you're a country fan or want to offer your condolences to T.J.. As for TONIGHT'S jam night, there's no announced cover charge, a 9:30 PM start time, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, here's Mourning Wood live last year!
Lastly for Sault Ontario hard rock concerts that we know about for the weekend as of this writing, we'll head to The Harp Bar & Grill, where local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison will continue his weekly acoustic concert run TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! The longtime Caveman Morrison frontman has teased having new tunes ready to add to his extensive setlist at the former Madison's Pub, but even if he didn't, his guitar skill and natural ease will go a long way to ensuring a good time with his two shows this weekend! Like usual for his Harp run, there are 10:00 PM start times in effect for both nights, you must be 19 to attend either night, and there's no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, don't miss Tym's entertaining solo shows this weekend, and here's Tym live at The Harp early in his weekly run there!
We'll close today's previews across the river in St. Ignace, Michigan, where Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug will return to the stage at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen (that we've heard about) at the I-500 beer tent in February, this will be the first concert weekend in St. Ignace from Chris, Bob, and Chris since January, and if you want to chug your mug with Power Slug, now is as good a time as any, as they haven't been playing shows at the same frequency that they used to, at least not that have been publically announced. Keep this weekend's shows in mind if you're in the E.U.P. for some good hard rocking times! There's no announced cover charges, 21+ age limits, and 9:00 PM start times in effect. See above for more details, and here's Power Slug live at The Bird!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and possible late notice concert previews to come! Thanks everyone!
With a busy concert weekend in store, we're slightly breaking up this week's hard rock and punk concert previews to spread them out, so a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW NIGHT will take residence in today's post, alongside some more news and notes! We also have upcoming CD notes, some assorted updates, and first, a new band addition to our full coverage, so here's what you should know!
We have a local metal project to add to our band links, though we've alluded to them on here for the last few years in a series of posts. You may remember that we cover Sault Michigan metal label Werehold Records' Friday the 13th new music posting events (which return next week, by the way), and in some of the installments, you may have seen us mention The 1,000,000,000's Who Died (or The Billions Who Died), an extreme metal band that was billed from outside our coverage range in Isle Royale, Michigan, which has no permanent population, adding to their initial secrecy. Given that, we held from adding them to our full coverage... until now, as Werehold owner & Life's Eclipse mainman Jason Mills revealed on his personal Facebook page earlier this week that The 1,000,000,000's Who Died is his own solo project (albeit under the stage name Spizwizbanizz), and their Facebook page now bills them from the Soo as well! So, now that we know more on them, what else should you know on them?
Active since at least May 2012, The 1,000,000,000's Who Died have largely only shown signs of life for the Werehold Records Friday the 13th events, with 3 songs from them being posted on the Werehold YouTube channel ("Whispers Removed", "Declaration", and last year's "Pile of Tongues"), though all are instrumentals. Their sound will be familiar to Werehold loyalists, though putting an extreme death metal slant on crunchy groove metal, and it'll be interesting to see what Jason has in store for next Friday! Give "Pile of Tongues" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from The 1,000,000,000's Who Died!
Next up, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW NIGHT, as Sault Michigan cover hard rock trio Power Slug will be playing a unique concert set under the beer tent as part of the events leading up to the annual International 500 snowmobile race (or I-500) this weekend! Apologies for the short notice, the band only just announced their involvement yesterday on their Facebook page. Though not credited by name on the I-500 website, their set will be among the entertainment during what is billed as "the midwest's largest Winter Pub Crawl", and spectators are encouraged to visit bars and beer tents tomorrow night in Sault Michigan and at the I-500 track, which is based at 984 West 4th Avenue, a few minutes from Lake Superior State University. Power Slug should deliver a solid night of hard rock action during the pre-race events at the I-500 this year, and kudos to them for braving the elements too, as tent or not, it is outdoors. Admission is via purchase of a button (a'la Bon Soo), and while it is $20, that guarantees you admission to see the actual I-500 race on Saturday, which is always exciting! Power Slug's set is at 8:00 PM tomorrow night, and given the time and connection to the pub crawl, it's likely 21+. For more info, visit the above links, and here's Power Slug live at The Bird!
Also today, here's some updates from Sault Ontario doom/punk trio The Revolution, who recently unveiled more details on their forthcoming debut EP! Last week, the guys revealed that their first release will be called "Roll Call", and it will feature 5 songs, those being "Prisoner of Hate", "Monsters", "Cold Temptress", "Into The Fog", and "Get High With Me". Most have been teased in earlier concerts and videos, but "Into The Fog" isn't immediately familiar, so it may be the new song that the guys teased in this Facebook video (unless one of the other songs was reworked.) Obviously, not all of their originals made the cut, including live songs and older preview tracks like "Murder For Sport", "We Are The Gladiators", "Mercury", and "Belly of the Beast", but if things work out, we might see some or all on a future CD. It sounds like the guys have things under control, and with PaperClip Productions behind them, things can only go up, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
A new post by promoter J.D. Pearce on next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands' Facebook event page strongly hints that local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters have signed up to compete at said battle, with J.D. noting that "things just got heavy in here", and that the battle may "end 'er with Render" (This Void). Will The Bear Hunters successfully defend their Viva La Battle crown from 2013 next month? Stay tuned for updates, and sign up A.S.A.P., as only 3 band packages are left!
Oh! Right Arm! Promotions are apparently bringing Ottawa sludge metal band Biipiigwan back to the Soo on Thursday, April 30th, as per a post by co-promoter Jamie Vincent at this link yesterday. No venue or other details have been announced yet, but for reference, Biipiigwan last played here in November 2013 at The Moose Lodge alongside locals The Bear Hunters & Bad Back. Stay tuned for more as it comes in!
According to their Facebook page on Monday, local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address have sent their new studio album "Rust Orchid" away for pressing of physical copies! No word yet on when we can expect CDs and digital downloads to be officially released (along with their teased "Early Tapes" compilation), but we'll keep you posted when more is announced!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more of the weekend's concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
In what may be our last non-feature post of January 2015, we're tackling previews of this weekend's hard rock concerts today, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, but we're capping things with some overdue album news from a talented lo-fi solo project in the area, so here's what you should know!
Sault Ontario classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood will return to the stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for headlining concerts at The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced these shows via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. Last seen at Reggie's West two weeks ago, the guys are giving extra hype to this weekend's shows at the former Nicolet Tavern (their first of the year there), as members are now over cold bugs that impaired them at their earlier gigs this year. It's great to hear that Terry, Steven, and T.J. are back to normal all around, so get ready for classic and hard rock covers all weekend on Albert Street West TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! There's no announced cover charges for this weekend, you must be 19 to attend either night, and there are 10:00 PM start times in effect. For more details, visit the above links, and here are the guys at Toystock last fall!
Moving to previously announced shows, local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison will continue his regular run of shows at The Harp Bar & Grill by hosting and playing at their weekly jam night TONIGHT! The last of his January bookings at the former Madison's Pub (though we fully expect February show announcements to come on Facebook next week), this is a one nighter with no Saturday solo gig due to The Harp's broadcast of UFC 183 tomorrow night, so if you want to see Tym this weekend, be sure to be there TONIGHT, not tomorrow! One night or not, the longtime Caveman Morrison frontman should deliver a solid night of hard rocking covers all night at The Harp, so don't miss out! There's no announced cover charge tomorrow, you must be 19 to attend, and everything should start at 10:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and here's Tym covering Journey live at The Harp!
Lastly for known hard rock shows in the Sault area this weekend, we'll head south to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Sault Michigan hard rock cover trio Power Slug are scheduled to play their first gigs of 2015 TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Also playing in St. Ignace for the first time since 2013 (barring any unannounced shows last year), this popular and talented trio featuring Chris Leask, Chris Gurnoe, and Bob Helsten will surely be ready for a full weekend of hard rocking covers for their fans to chug a mug along with! Just for the sake of clarity, I've seen no Facebook updates plugging these shows from available sources related to the band, but we'll treat these shows as on unless indicated otherwise. Power Slug will be on at 9:00 PM tonight & tomorrow, both have 21+ age limits, and neither has an announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, and here are the guys covering Thin Lizzy!
Finally for today, here's some long overdue updates from local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address, who remain hard at work on new studio material! While we await the release of their new album "Rust Orchid", project leader Chris Shoust revealed four weeks ago that their songs "Sunrise" and "Like An Abstract Poem" will be on that album, though both were uploaded to their Soundcloud page a year ago. I won't review the songs yet, as we do expect to review "Rust Orchid" in full on the site this year, but they do confirm the announced change in sound for this album, moving from the bass & drum sound of "Need Not Apply" to experimental rock instrumentals (and no word on if the older song "In Reverse" will also be included, but it's also tagged as "experimental".) This isn't all for Chris' album plans for this project, as Telephone & Address are also working on a compilation album for release this year, so what should you know on that?
To be called "The Early Tapes", it will compile selected songs from their first four albums (2011's self-titled album & 2012's "Live", "No. 3", and "Broken Head"), with the first revealed song being an instrumental named "The Plumbers", original album unclear. For reference sake, "The Early Tapes" will not supercede "Rust Orchid" in CD review priority for the SMS, as we always place original albums over compilations, but keep an eye out for both next year, and check the above links to hear the new/old songs!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review and more over the weekend! Thanks everyone!
Today's post is dedicated to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS at the two regionalKewadin Casinos that actively book bands, as Kewadin's entertainment page now lists 2015 concerts through the May 23rd weekend! Among bands outside of our coverage range like The London Gentlemen, Sault Ontario's Touch of Class, Hawk Junction, Ricochet, The Brooks Band, Crossroads, and Perry Hatch, we have 36 shows over 18 weekends from 5 bands to add to our band links for the next 3 and a half months, though keep in mind that 5 weekends (2 in St. Ignace) have bands to be announced. Visit this link for more details and the full schedule, and now, here's the new Kewadin hard rock shows in rough chronological order!
We'll start with Kinross classic/hard rock notables Banned, who are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT (and later still on May 15th & 16th), with those two weekends bookending returns to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin on February 13th & 14th, and then on April 3rd & 4th! This weekend's shows will be the Traynor family-led group's first shows of the new year (and in St. Ignace since the Halloween weekend), while their February gigs in the Soo will be their first at that location in just over 2 months. It's great to see Banned keeping up their usual busy schedule (though no word on why they're not playing either Kewadin branch in March), so don't miss out THIS WEEKEND or through the coming months! All 8 shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover, and 9:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details on Banned's next Kewadin shows!
Next up, here's 10 new shows (one weekend over each of the night 5 months) for newer local classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63, who will rock The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on January 16th & 17th, March 20th & 21st, and May 22nd & 23rd, alongside Northern Pines Lounge shows in St. Ignace on February 13th & 14th and April 3rd & 4th! Next weekend's Sault dates mark the Sir Charge successors' first stops there in three weeks, while the February shows in St. Ignace will be their first there since late November. I'm not sure yet if the alternating venue each month is an intended pattern, but it's awesome to see Highway 63 taking off and building new successes in the area, and hopefully they'll build on Henry's past work with the likes of Monkey's Uncle! Like with the Banned shows, there are 21+ with no cover and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more info!
Also in early 2015 at these two Kewadin Casino branches, we'll see Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm return to the Eastern Upper Peninsula for three weekends, including returns to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on January 23rd & 24th and on February 27th & 28th, which precede a weekend at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on March 13th & 14th! Nice to see Scarkazm (featuring Peril's Jeff Hudson and Adam Crawford on drums & guitar) back in our neck of the woods some more in early 2015 after their successful 2014 regional shows! Their late January weekend will be Scarkazm's first in St. Ignace since April, but the March shows will be their first in the Soo since a late November weekend that completely slipped us by for site coverage (our sincere apologies, I don't know how they fell through the cracks!) Take in their entertaining originals and covers each night at 9:00 PM, there's no cover, and you must be 21 to attend. See above for more!
One more hard rock band will be rocking an E.U.P. Kewadin Casino this month, that being local hard rock trio Power Slug, who are slated to return to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on January 30th & 31st, and then on April 17th & 18th, which bookend dates at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on March 27th & 28th! Not as many dates as other bands we're touching on today, but remember that frontman Chris Leask has 5 concert weekends through May with Highway 63 as well. The March shows will be Power Slug's first at the Soo Kewadin in a month, but we honestly haven't heard of them playing in St. Ignace since at least 2013 (though unannounced gigs are very possible.) Fans have some solid opportunities to chug their mugs with Power Slug in early 2015, and these are also 21+ shows with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. See above for more details, and note that Power Slug will also return to the Manistique Kewadin Casino for shows next month & in May.
Finally for the known early-2015 hard rock Kewadin concerts, we'll see Traverse City metal trio Peril back in our neck of the woods for at least three upcoming weekends! We'll now credit Peril as being from Traverse City on the site rather than Charlevoix, to better reflect where members currently live. Fresh off of their first shows of the year in St. Ignace last weekend, we'll see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks back at it on February 6th & 7th and on March 6th & 7th at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo, before returning to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on March 28th! No word on when/if we'll see new Audio Circus or Kiss'd dates in the E.U.P., but these new shows add to a busy schedule over the coming months for Jeff & Adam, but their classic metal sounds speak for themselves where Peril are concerned, so keep their upcoming Kewadin dates in mind! Again, these start at 9:00 PM, they are 21+, and there's no cover. For details on all of the above shows, visit the above links!
And for the sake of clarity regarding their absence from Kewadin's calendar, Cheboygan hard rockers Driven have not posted a public update since Tony Rhome's departure last fall, but I'm unsure why locals 415E are not among the new bookings. Hopefully all's well with them! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news from both sides of the border as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!
Alright, this is almost certainly our last news post of 2014, as we have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to touch on for TONIGHT in the Eastern Upper Peninsula! However, we'll fill things out with another new concert for the 2015 schedule in February, and the latest from a prolific local solo musician, so here's what you need to know!
Sault Michigan hard rock cover trio Power Slug will return to Dan's Place in nearby Rudyard TONIGHT for their New Year's Eve party! Apologies for the short notice, the band just announced the show on their Facebook page last night, and it's also the first concert they've plugged in advance there since July. Fresh off of their most recent announced gigs two weeks ago at The Rapids Lounge, look for more entertaining heavier covers and classics from Chris, Chris, and Bob as they take the stage for one last time in 2014! For reference, this is the first full hard rock show that we've heard about at Dan's Place since Exiled's show last month, and it's nice to see this venue staying active! TONIGHT'S New Year's Eve show has a likely 9:00 PM start time, a 21+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Power Slug covering The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band live last summer!
Next up, we have another new concert coming up on Saturday, February 21st, and it's a house party show from Blood Shed Productions to celebrate the release of their anticipated 11-way split demo! Yes, the ambitious disc (featuring 7 local acts and 4 from out of town) will apparently see it's initial release on that night next month, but who all's playing? Headlining slots at 10:30 & 9:00 PM are to be announced, but three bands who are featured on the compilation will be playing that night, including local rap/metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty (in their first local concert set in around 6 months) at 9:30 PM, and promoter Tyler Gibson's two main live goregrind projects, Crucify The Whore & Rotopsy, at 8:30 & 7:45 PM respectively. Tyler's other live band, the reunited death metal duo Brutally Fatal, will take the stage at 7:00 PM, while the show will begin with four Blood Shed rappers, including Mikey Thomas at 6:30 PM, Phat Boii at 6:00 PM, Legitly Logic at 5:30 PM, and Miracle Man at 5:00 PM.
We'll let you know when there's official word regarding the two open band slots, but for reference, the other 4 local bands on the split are grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back (who some attendees on the Facebook event page are strongly hinting should play), experimental grind duo This Is Your Band On Drugs (who haven't played live since the spring), the yet-to-debut Das Skalpell Kampf, and the studio-only Malignant Neoplasm. Might one or two of them be in mind, or perhaps one of the out of town bands? Stay tuned for updates! To be held at 130 Poplar Avenue (a central location that hosted a private Apocalypse Afterparty event in the summer), this will be an ALL AGES event, and if there's a cover charge or a known price for the split demo yet, neither have been posted. For more details, visit the above links! This sounds like an entertaining event whether you're into young rap talent or grindcore and metal, so keep it in mind for February in what may be all of the above acts' first shows of 2015! Stay tuned for more!
Finally for today, Haggith drummer and local solo artist Mike Haggith has been staying busy with a sudden new compilation album
release that came out on Christmas Eve! A self-titled digital album
(despite coming after "The Best of Mike Haggith: Volume II"), the
compilation features 13 songs from Mike's five most recent studio
albums, including two songs from "A Place Of Our Own", three songs from
"Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends", "The Issue (Resurfaced)" from
"The Present Din", two songs from the original "Neighbourhood Watch",
and four from "Suspended Animation", plus the live version of "Miss 76"
from his "Live At Swampstravaganza IV" digital EP. The album also
includes "The Snake", a new song from his next upcoming full length CD
"The Warinside", which features backing vocals from Mike's Haggith
bandmate Curtis McKenzie. "Mike Haggith" is currently available on a
"name your price" model, so you can either have it free or you can pay
any amount you choose for it, so do whatever feels right at this link!
In
terms of being a review candidate for our monthly CD reviews, this
compilation is far down the list, as we always give preference to new
studio albums over compilations, and Mike has dozens of back albums and
"The Warinside" ahead of it in line, but it's a well put together
collection of recent solo highlights, so give it a look above! As for
"The Snake" (which has been uploaded in full and as an abridged single to his YouTube channel in the past week), I'll hold full thoughts until our likely review of "The
Warinside" next year, but give it a listen, as fans of Mike's music should be in good hands!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our 2014 retrospective post later today, and a preview on 2015 at large tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
I hope you guys are continuing to enjoy the holiday season! As predicted, I assumed we'd have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS today, so that leads off this post, but we also have a note on a band who's hit a year's inactivity for our band listings, a recent video posting, and more assorted notes, so read on below foe what you need to know!
Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug will reportedly return to the stage for headlining dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we just heard about these gigs via frontman Chris Leask's personal Facebook page yesterday, and the shows have not been plugged on the band's own Facebook page. Fairly dormant over the last few months, these will be their first concerts that we've heard about since their Manistique road trip in September, and their first at The Rapids Lounge since at least the summer, and while we haven't heard much on why they took a break in recent months, it's great to see Chris, Bob, and Chris back in the saddle for one more weekend before the new year! You can take in their hard rock covers TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at 9:00 PM, you must be 21 to attend either night, and there's no announced cover charge. Go chug your mug with Power Slug if you can this weekend, and here are the guys at The Bird!
Next up, we regrettably have a band to move to our inactive band links in the next few days, that being local/Toronto hardcore punk/classical trio RedD Monkey. While the guys have not officially announced a breakup, they haven't issued an online update since Boxing Day last year when they played at the former Roosevelt Hotel, with frontman Steve Mozarowski later confirming an indefinite hiatus (or worse) in interviews and Facebook postings. Active since their formation in Kelowna in 2009, RedD Monkey had grown to become one of the more prominent local punk bands of the early 2010s, which saw them go on tour a number of times, record three albums (though only two were released), and play a number of major local concerts like the first three Sewer Swampstravaganzas, Rotaryfest's 2010 Second Stage, and 2009's Algoma University Battle of the Bands. In the past year, Steve had stayed busy "songwriting" with The Apocalypse Afterparty, while his brother Pete has dabbled in solo cello work, and drummer Joe Bumbacco can currently be seen in the Toronto sludge band Larval Host.
RedD Monkey accomplished a great deal in their 5 year run, and while the circumstances behind their year-long inactivity were never publicized, their energetic and fast paced concerts have been missed in the past 12 months. I hope we see their third album "Opus 2" come out at some point at the very least, but for now, best of luck to Steve, Pete, Joe, and their other former drummers in the future, and fingers crossed we see them again!
Also, here's a new video from local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back, who you can next see live opening for the Detroit reunion at The Algonquin Pub on Tuesday! Hyped as their "Sault Ste. Marie comeback show" (as they haven't played a public gig within city limits since opening for The Archaics in July), this video from drummer Nathan Sauve's YouTube channel on Monday will give you a preview at their setlist on Tuesday, as it compiles many strung together clips of originals & covers alike from a recent jam session. The audio quality is solid, but the camera angle leaves something to be desired due to it's high angle, fish-eye lens filter, and complete lack of Nathan in visible frame. It gets the job done though, so give Bad Back's newest video a look below!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or store name:
In their first Facebook page post in almost 3 months, local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats revealed that drummer Calico Katie will be vacationing in England over the Christmas holiday, but they'll be back together in January to return to the stage. The girls haven't played live since September for unclear reasons, but hopefully they're back in action in short order, as they've been missed, and hopefully Katie has a great trip!
Rudyard, Michigan hard rock cover quintet Exiled revealed on their Facebook page on Sunday that they're currently taking a break while drummer Justin Lawless and his wife welcome their new baby. Completely understandable, so look for them upon their return in the new year, and congratulations in advance to Justin & Anna on the coming arrival!
Have you seen Facebook postings in the past week suggesting that Music Depot closed? A number of personal statuses suggested that the Gore Street music instrument store had it's last day on Saturday, but apparently, Music Depot just had an owner change and will be re-opening at some point soon, possibly next week. Hopefully that's all, as I know how much many local musicians like Music Depot! Our source is longtime staffer and Lucky 13 bassist Jeff Gray in a personal conversation.
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates over the weekend! Thanks everyone!
