The 2024 Lake Superior State University Battle Of The Bands Review!!

Here's a rarity for the SMS that I hope won't be so rare in the future: A review of a concert in Sault Michigan! On Thursday, Lake Superior State University hosted their second annual community battle of the bands at the on-campus Arts Center, and after missing last year's (I was seriously planning on hopping the border for it before getting a cold), I saw a golden opportunity to bear witness to my first local battle since the pandemic began! Just nice to see one take place in the E.U.P., there haven't been many compared to Sault Ontario. For readers unfamiliar, the Arts Center is LSSU's theater/auditorium at the far left of campus, roughly opposite their bookstore, and it remains as nicely laid out and professional as it was when I was a student there over a decade ago! Tickets were at a proper booth with concessions, and while the start was delayed a bit, there was a decent turnout in the auditorium for the battle on Thursday night!

By no means was it sold out, but I'd estimate 100-200 people were in attendance, and they were very vocal and loud for all acts! The MC of the battle was Arts Center director and LSSU assistant theater professor Noah Luce, while the four judges included two deans at the university (Mindy McCready and Steven Johnson), Arts Center business manager Melissa St. John, and Jillian Roush, who I believe was a current student representative. In terms of the judging criteria, this battle was handled very differently than others I've seen, as each judge individually handled one metric rather than judging each band on all points. One judge scored solely on originality, stage presence, and preparation each, while Jillian handled the audience vote. To that end, Noah encouraged attendees to cheer as loud as they could for each act after their sets for judging purposes. Acts competing on Thursday had a 15 minute set like last year, meaning that they got to play three or four songs each

Unfortunately, there was a late band withdrawal, as Traverse City hard rock band Sonic Dayze did not perform on Thursday for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing too serious happened, it would have been neat to see them in action! The stage setup for the bands was quite cavernous with lots of room to roam if need be, while the three solo musicians performed with a curtain behind them, and regardless, a projection screen displayed the band's name or logo above or behind them. The first act on Thursday was new local rock band Small Town Society, who united vocalist Holly Sibbald, ex-Double Jack guitarist Melvin Willis, (stand-up!) bassist Chris Bennett, drummer Daniel Jackson, and in a surprise not indicated in advance, veteran local guitarist "Blind" Bob Quinn Musically, the Small Town Society covered three songs, including Radiohead's "Creep" and Hozier's "Too Sweet".

Nothing too heavy, but they were a talented band with some solid professionalism for night #1 together, and Holly sure traveled the stage on most of their set! It was neat seeing Chris break out a big stand-up bass too (shades of The Rising Tide there), and they seemed to get a solid response, but it'll be interesting to see where things go for a longer show! Second was the night's first solo act, namely Kaleb Shannon, a local pop rock singer/guitarist who played four songs, including "Acceptance" and three that he mostly described the origins of, but didn't directly name. Kaleb had a natural ease about him and a good rapport with the audience that masked some of the hiccups between his songs! He has a good voice and writes some direct and honest, but upbeat, lyrics, and he has a bright future! Third up on Thursday was solo performer #2, namely veteran local folk singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney, who returned from last year's battle for a four song set of his own.

Kevin played songs named "Thank God For The TV", an instrumental that I think he called "Angry Man", and a short song he wrote for his granddaughter named "Butterfly". Kevin's matter-of-fact folk rock was well performed and had a strong grit to it, with his vocals reminding me of a cross between Tom Waits and Mark Knopfler (which is certainly not a bad thing). It's tough to assess solo musicians against bands at a judged battle setting, but he left a distinct impression! Local metal/hard rock band Tarnished were next, though not as fans have seen them live this fall. Rather than have Chris Leask & Ron Suchey back as the rhythm section, Alex & Josh called in Destini Smith & Molly Escherich (more on her in a bit) to fill in for the night. Kudos for supporting young local talent! Tarnished and crew played a three song set, including covers of Cameo's "Word Up" (yes) and Judas Priest's "Living After Midnight"

Notably, frontman Alex Traynor did not play guitar at all, instead singing in his finest fuzzy white coat. Gotta be honest, I wanted to see him shredding along with Josh Fair (exclusively called Josh Tyler here) on Thursday, but his vocals suited the songs well with good energy! Destini's bass wasn't working on their opening song, but she and Molly acquitted themselves well, and Tarnished got fans going well with good audience involvement and some solid rock throughout! After a brief intermission, the battle resumed with the band advertised as Unsure, but it seems that they were unsure about that moniker, and instead performed as "The Undecideds". So, who are they? Well, if you were wondering why 2023 battle winners The Sole Aggressors didn't come back, this band may explain why! As far as I'm aware, Sole Aggressors frontman Calvin Swedene and drummer Isaac Brindley were in The Undecideds.

They were joined by a keyboardist named Frank, as well as Calvin's dad (I think) Jason Swedene on bass. Jason happens to be an arts, letters, and social sciences professor at LSSU, for the record. Unlike the Sole Aggressors, The Undecideds played a reserved indie/alternative sound, but were the only band on Thursday to play an all-original set, with their four songs including ones named "In Heaven" and (I think) "Strawberry Pond", with Frank singing lead on their closer. I do prefer what I've heard of the Sole Aggressors, but the songs here had merit for indie rock fans! I would heavily encourage the guys to work on their stage presences though, as they were very stiff, and their set ended very abruptly without a thank you to the fans. Promising musicians in this group though, and the crowd response was good! The penultimate performer on Thursday was former Tarnished bassist Parker Talentino.

He played three originals (including "Already Been Said" & "Barter") as well as a cover of Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)". Despite a brief technical glitch at the start when there was no microphone for him to use (Noah lent his for the set), Parker performed well with his own brand of alternative rock originals, showing off a good melodic singing voice and a relatability with his lyrics! Definitely a far cry from what he played with Tarnished at this event last year (the 2023 battle was his debut with them), but a strong effort and it came off naturally! Last but not least were Molly & The Other Guys, a one-off(?) live band to support last year's runner-up artist, Dafter singer/guitarist Molly Escherich. She was joined here by former Tarnished guitarist Nathan Webber, founding/current Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor on bass, and Exit 808 drummer Jackie Moon.

I'm not one to make a big deal about musician ages, but Molly is twelve years old, and even if you put aside the ample cheering section that came out to support her and The Other Guys (they even brought signs and t-shirts!), her talents were on full display both here and when she drummed with Tarnished! The crew covered Hole's "Celebrity Skin" and Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" during their three song set, and while the intro to the latter song felt kind of off, everyone performed well, and it was nice to see Nathan shredding with good enthusiasm on stage again! Molly got a strong backing band here, and while her voice did get a bit strained late, she has a very bright future, and again, she's twelve! While judges deliberated and tallied the scores, Noah promoted upcoming Arts Center events, and the prizes were unchanged from last year ($150 for first place, $50 for second, both as gift cards).

The winners of the 2024 Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands are... Molly & The Other Guys, and given the rock attack and fan response, I'm not too shocked by that! It's a solid jump for Molly after finishing second as a mostly solo act last year (fan-only voting acknowledged), and hopefully she rides this momentum well as she develops as a musician! Tarnished claimed second place after missing the podium outright last year, so kudos to Alex and Molly for sweeping both prizes! Like last year, third place was not announced. Everything ended around 10:00 PM, so it was a nice early evening for this all-ages event, and things seemed to go well for all involved! As a relative outsider to Sault Michigan concerts (I really must continue fixing that), there was a lot of strong talent on display from the bands, Kaleb, Kevin, and Parker, and I do hope that the university brings this back next fall!

You can check out our photos from the battle at this link or via our Facebook page, and yes, I did get a video of each band, namely everyone's first song! Given the short sets, that was the easiest way to ensure everyone was filmed, so apologies to Tarnished for filming the one song where Destini's bass wasn't working! If it helps, it wasn't obvious in the moment. In order, here's The Small Town Society covering The Black Keys' "Wild Child", Kaleb Shannon playing an un-introduced original song, Kevin Blakeney playing "Gone Are The Days", Tarnished covering AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", The Undecideds playing an original song that may be named "Sad People Are Beautiful Things", Parker Talentino playing "When I Fall", and Molly & The Other Guys covering Flyleaf's "Fully Alive"!

I hope you guys liked this extended battle of the bands review, and for Sault Ontario readers, don't bypass the bands and musicians in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Its a smaller area, but there's a lot of talented artists who would benefit from getting hits and fans in Canada, let alone attendance at their shows if you've able to cross the border! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LSSU Battle Of The Bands Lineup Updates, Plus A New-Ish Local Rock Radio Station!!

For a second straight day, we're focusing squarely on Sault Michigan and the Eastern U.P. for today's post, which fills in some blanks for a major upcoming concert event and looks at a regional radio station that some readers may not be aware of, so here's what you should know!

Here are some clarifications for the lineup of next Thursday's battle of the bands at Lake Superior State University's Arts Centre! First up, you may recall in our initial coverage that I held off on talking about hard rock band Sonic Dayze pending a proper write-up, but as it turns out, they're actually from Traverse City, which may explain why I'd never heard of them! A band travelling out of market to compete in a non-local battle of the bands is not a foreign concept, as Tarnished competed at two battles downstate earlier this year, inclding the Rock Recovery one in Alpena that fellow local hard rockers Double Jack (now Exit 808) played at. However, non-local bands coming here is more of a novelty as the Soo goes, and it'll be interesting to see how Sonic Dayze go over next Thursday, especially if the battle is fan voted again! They've been active since at least February, and multiple live videos can be seen on their Facebook page.

While based out of Traverse City, Sonic Dayze's new guitarist Jeremy "Wylde Child" Gates was born and raised in the Soo, so they're not completely devoid of local ties. I'm not familiar with Jeremy beyond Sonic Dayze media, but they have a good handle on grunge covers and have some deceivingly diverse originals and instrumentation, so don't bypass Sonic Dayze next Thursday at the battle! Regarding the local bands, we can confirm a little more on the debuting Small Town Society, as per personal Facebook postings from band members. Former Stoned Ape Evolution guitarist Melvin Willis will be joined in this group by singer/guitarist Holly Sibbald, bassist Chris Bennett (no word on if he's bringing his stand-up bass), and drummer Daniel Jackson. Still a lot of unknowns on this band, but it'll be interesting to hear how the Small Town Society do next week! Finally, we can confirm that I was 50% right on who's joining Molly Escherich in her band!

This is per a comment reply on our Facebook page when first plugging the battle of the bands yesterday, so thanks to Molly for the kind words! Her comment is ambiguous as to whether she meant that Nathan & Cayd are 50% of "The Other Guys" or if only 50% of those two (as in, only one of them) will be in the band next week, but the full lineup will reportedly be unveiled next week before the battle occurs. I'm still unsure of who Unsure are, but stay tuned in case we get more updates on the second annual LSSU battle of the bands in the coming week!

Let's close this post by acknowledging a new-ish and local-ish rock radio station on the FM dial! Readers who live/travel often in the central Upper Peninsula may be familiar with the McMillan-based radio station (WMJT) once known as Eagle Radio 96.7, which was owned by Darby Advertising from 2006 until 2018. That year, veteran local radio personality Tim Ellis bought their sister station WUPN (95.1 FM) in Paradise, and has since rebranded it as Bridge FM while maintaining its classic hits format, but WMJT 96.7 was sold at the same time to Travis Sumbera, who ran it initially as a hot adult contemporary station named 96.7 Flash FM, named for his dog. Starting in 2022, Flash FM started branding itself on social media as "Luce County's Rock", and fully filed to change their format to a rock station earlier this year. If you've wanted a local alternative to Rock 101 since The Bear left the E.U.P. in 2010, is Flash FM what you've been hoping for?

Maybe if you're located in western Chippewa County or Prince Township, Ontario, but from Sault Ste. Marie, I can't pull it on FM using normal equipment. A couple of stations technically based out of Newberry in Luce County (most notably Oldies 93) pick up here, but WMJT is not as powerful and is 15 minutes west of Newberry, and I recall not having luck in pulling WMJT here back when The Eagle was only on 96.7. If you try to scan 96.7 in Sault Ste. Marie now, you will likely instead pick up Kalkaska rock station KLT, which simulcasts at WRGZ 96.7 out of Rogers City for the Alpena market. When tuning into 96.7, I thought I had picked up Flash FM until I heard KLT bumpers, which was mildly surprising given that KLT's Boyne City affiliate (93.5 FM) picks up better here from past experience. Without travelling west, you'll likely need higher end equipment and/or a large directional antenna to pick up WMJT, especially given that WRGZ is nearby.

Barring that, you can always hear the live-stream on 96.7 Flash FM's mobile application and/or on Live365 (when it's on air), and it's interesting to hear their rock rotation along with sometimes familiar but mostly unique commercials! When I tuned into Flash FM, I heard songs by Matchbox Twenty, Chevelle, Europe ("Superstitious", believe it or not), The White Stripes, and Modest Mouse, among others, but I'll let you decide how their rotation compares to Rock 101, KLT, or any other stations. Flash FM truly is meant to serve the central U.P. but it's great to see another rock radio option up here, and hopefully Travis continues finding success with WMJT! See above for more details on 96.7 FM in McMillan, and stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

Black Label Society Concert Video Showcase (Part 2!!)

Let's belatedly close out showcasing videos from the  Black Label Society-headlined concert at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino today! The delay was just to ensure that nothing else went up belatedly, so I think we have everything publically uploaded in the bag now, but we're not starting on YouTube. Actually, let's start with B.L.S. frontman Zakk Wylde's own Facebook page, as he uploaded three videos taken during and prior to the show there! Go back through posts from May 6th-9th for the local goods. Two of the videos are pre-show clips, including this 14 second video of berserkers who met the band for the meet & greet beforehand in a group shot of the Black Label Society's Sault Ste. Marie Chapter (this happens at all B.L.S. tour stops), as well as this 57 second clip of Zakk roaming backstage just before their set with a Doom Crew Inc. coffee mug while doing a silly voice.

Fun to see some of the pre-show and behind-the-scenes workings at a major Kewadin concert, and look for all of the posters from the previously cancelled B.L.S. dates there! Embedded below is the clip of Zakk & crew playing "Spoke In The Wheel" from quite a unique vantage point, appearing to be up on a balcony position high on the side wall, nicely showing how the venue was lit, gradually going from dark to light as berserkers on the floor are in view. Given the distance and abbreviated length, it's not an optimal view of the band, but it's an interesting angle, so check it out below!

Today's other videos come from prolific Rudyard-based musician Jon Johnson's YouTube channel, as Jon uploaded eleven videos from the May 6th proceedings, though be advised that six of them are "Shorts" videos that are intentionally brief vertical uploads not unlike what you see on TikTok. None of those are technically from Black Label Society's set, save for this pre-set clip of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" being played over the loudspeaker. Jon filmed three proper videos of B.L.S. in action, specifically their songs "Destroy & Conquer", "Spoke In The Wheel" again, and as embedded below, their set-opener "Bleed For Me". I didn't embed Jon's take of "Spoke In The Wheel" for variety's sake, as that's what Zakk himself uploaded, but Jon captured some good pre-song banter from Zakk with it, including acknowledgements of the pandemic postponements (though the March 2020 show was the first one cancelled, not the last one held.)

Apparently, Black Label had bus trouble they had en route to the Soo for this concert, so good thing they were able to power through, as could you imagine the show being postponed again? Not to mention Zakk actually losing his voice and having to postpone some dates after May 6th, so we got lucky in a sense! Jon's videos were shot from further back on the floor, so you have to deal with a lot of attendee heads, but he had a good view of the stage, and the audio quality holds up fairly well, so definitely give his videos a look above and below!

Jon did upload three videos of Nita Strauss' opening set, but all of them (including her radio hit "Dead Inside" linked below) are Shorts videos and have an insubstantial length & vertical orientation, and were also uploaded in monochrome. Check out the two instrumental clips here & here, but again, they're basically TikTok videos, and are notably from more of a side-stage angle before centering in time for B.L.S.' set. Give his Shorts clip of "Dead Inside" (with a David Draiman backing track) a watch below!

Finally, Jon uploaded three videos of opening blues rock artist Jared James Nichols' set, including Shorts of him playing his originals "Shadow Dancer" & "Bad Roots" (both remain in full colour). Embedded below is Jared and his backing band covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", and I do have to note that Jon accidentally re-uploaded this credited as Nita Strauss and her band playing her song "The Quest", which may explain why he only had Shorts videos from her set. No word on if Jon still has that actual file to re-upload, we'll let you know if it turns up. Solid video of Jared & crew tackling this grunge staple with a bluesy edge, so give it a watch below!

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

Black Label Society Concert Video Showcase (Part 1!!)

As promised, it's time to finally dive into some of the fallout from Friday night's Black Label Society-headlined concert at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, a show quite literally 2+ years in the making! Mercifully, there were no pandemic hangups or positive tests to throw yet another spanner in the works, as the fourth time was the charm for Zakk Wylde and crew to finally rock out with members of the Sault Ste. Marie chapter! I regrettably did not go as I caught a bad cold (not COVID) last week, and was still under the weather on Friday, so better safe than sorry, especially with the remaining pandemic measures at the border. That said, all reports I heard from attendees were very positive, and you can see for yourself via videos from the show, which have popped up from three known YouTube channels so far, and we'll start with a single Black Label Society upload from user Anthony Roy on Saturday!

Anthony filmed just the one clip of Black Label Society playing "You Made Me Wanna Live", and despite being in the vertical cell phone orientation, it's solid quality! Capturing Zakk in his finest kilt and sounding just like you'd expect from their albums, Anthony was in the second or third row on the floor, and the audio on this slower, more deliberate original is nice and clear with a good view of the stage, do don't bypass this one below!

The rest of today's videos all come from the prolific YouTube channel of Christopher Paci in his first concert video uploads since Buckcherry in Sault Ontario last fall, and his first at The Dreammakers Theater since The Hair Scare Live in February 2020 (we all know why it took this long). Good to see that Chris is able to cross the border and see shows across like normal, and he got eleven videos from all three acts on Friday, so let's start with Black Label Society, who were filmed for six of them! Along with 57 seconds of Zakk shredding and this 99 second clip of Zakk and fellow guitarist Dario Lorina dueling with guitar solos, Chris filmed four full songs from B.L.S.' set, including "Demise of Sanity", "A Love Unreal", "Spoke In The Wheel", and as embedded below, their closing song "Stillborn". While not as close to the stage as Anthony was, Chris was far more centered, and you get a good view of the mass of berzerkers in attendance on Friday!

The lighting can be a little overexposed from this vantage point, but Chris got some solid footage of the Doom Crew doing what they do best, and from his videos, you get songs that are both musically and emotionally heavy depending on your preference! Give these a look above and below!

From the openers, Chris shot three videos of Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss' set, including her & her solo band playing her instrumental "Our Most Desperate Hour", her hit single "Dead Inside" (featuring a backing track of Disturbed singer David Draiman rather than live vocals), and embedded below, two different instrumentals, namely "Alegria" & "Lion Among Wolves", with Nita acknowledging playing on that very stage during her second ever show with Alice Cooper between songs. Really strong videos here capturing Nita's technical guitar wizardry very nicely, and her band's up to the task, so give these clips a watch above & below as well!

Finally for today, Chris did film two videos of opening blues rock musician Jared James Nichols' set, including of his original "Bad Roots", but given that he's not a hard rock/metal musician, I wasn't projecting embedding a video of his here... until I noticed that he covered Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box" on Friday! The audio quality of the camera is noticeably rougher here compared to the later bands, but Jared gets a strong beefy sound in both songs, and he's clearly a very talented guitarist who can back it up vocally! Maybe with a little too much vocal emphasis at the end of some verses, but A.I.C. fans will dig it, and you can see more above & below!

That's all for today, but more Black Label Society concert videos will be hitting the site soon, and for now, stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Handsome Sandwich), Plus The Black Label Society Concert Preview!!

A busy concert weekend is ahead in the Twin Saults, so much so that we'll have to break up this weekend's hard rock concert previews! As such, previews of the previously announced concerts from Fyrbird, Fort Creek, and Obsession will be in tomorrow's post, with today's reflecting SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and a huge headlining show over two years in the making, so here's what you shouuld know!

Local alternative hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich will play their first concert set of 2022 when they open for indie rockers Man Feelings in their belated CD release party at Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced one week ago today (oddly late for a CD release show), and Handsome Sandwich themselves only confirmed the date on their own Facebook page last night. Last seen in November at The Rockstar Bar, this could be a prime opportunity for Handsome Sandwich fans to see this genre-hating quartet play new original material from their still-forthcoming album "Lettuce", and hopefully Taylor, Jesse, Mitch, and Johnny leave a solid impression to kick off the evening! Of course, Man Feelings (featuring Bizotic alum B.J. Swire) have been gaining a steady profile as of late, though their CD in question has already been released!

Their debut EP "City Friends" came out last year, but presumably due to the pandemic, a release concert is only feasible now, which will also double as the formal launch for their new music video for their single "Modest Spouse". While not a hard rock band, Man Feelings are a talented and distinct alt-rock group, so don't bypass their set TOMORROW NIGHT! An 8:30 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has a $10 cover charge, though tickets are also available online at this link. See above for more details on what should be an entertaining night of live music, and here's Handsome Sandwich playing one of their newer originals last year!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows have not been publically acknowledged at press time by the band or venue on Facebook, but drummer Glen Thomas did announce the dates on his personal Facebook page (alas, there have been weekends where that's all their shows got). While fans will have seen Soundcheck at Reggie's West last week and/or tonight for their weekly jam night there, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows will be their first at the original downtown Reggie's in just over a month. Despite the slim notice, Soundcheck should deliver a solid weekend of classic & hard covers, plus select country favourites given the locale, so don't miss out TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY!

As usual for their Reggie's Place gigs, expect 9:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits this weekend once again. Visit the above links for more details when/if they roll in, and here's Soundcheck live!

Now let's head to Michigan for a preview of a show with lots of advance notice, namely this weekend's main event, as Los Angeles groove metal quartet Black Label Society will finally headline at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT! As you may recall, B.L.S. (led by long-time Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde) were originally supposed to play here in March 2020, with that show being cancelled due to the newly announced pandemic lockdown while they were at Kewadin setting up for it, with reschedulings for that August and last November also called off due to pandemic restrictions. With mandates and such at a much less worrisome state in May 2022, it looks like the fourth time will finally be the charm, but if you are at all concerned, keep tabs on Black Label Society and Kewadin pages for any pandemic-related updates.

Touring in support of their new album "Doom Crew Inc.", Zakk and crew have carved a very strong following with songs like "Suicide Messiah", "Parade of the Dead", and "Stillborn", and their hard hitting brand of metal should attract a strong turnout at long last tomorrow! The ravages of three prior postponements mean that prior announced openers Obituary, Prong, and Lord of Dying are not returning from any of the old dates. The top opener now is metal guitar virtuoso Nita Strauss in her second local concert appearance, having played here with Alice Cooper in June 2014 (her second show in his band!), and it will be awesome to see Nita deliver some skilled and very heavy guitar wizardry tomorrow night! Wisconsin blues rock musician Jared James Nichols will open the proceedings, and while not a metal artist, he fits in well for Zakk's own blues side, and he's a very capable artist, so don't bypass him!

Admission for this standing-room-only (re: no seating) show is $27.50 USD, and it's not sold out, so get yours at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. Print-at-home and mobile ticket options are available as well, and click here for the nitty-gritty on any updated ticket procedures. Tickets from the prior three dates that were held on to will be honoured tomorrow night. The show proper is all ages with a 7:30 PM start time. As best as I can tell, this is the first major Dreammakers Theater concert of any genre since the pandemic began (other shows have been announced but cancelled outright or rescheduled afterward), so there are extra precautions to take note of. Notably, Kewadin recommends arriving a little early and to prepare to go through metal detectors before entering the theater (and do not bring backpacks or large purses).

As for Canadians hoping to go over, while the US/Canada border is open to fully vaccinated travellers without having to show a negative PCR test result upon re-entry, you will still have to enter your return trip into the ArriveCAN mobile application before returning to customs, and you may be given a random COVID-19 test, and/or may have to show paper proof of vaccination. Full information on current border rules can be found at this link. Fingers crossed everything goes smooth for the bands, casino, and fans tomorrow night, and hopefully Black Label Society deliver a great night of grim metal action for Saultite fans at long last! See above for more details, and here are the headliners live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Details On The Mask Mandate & Border COVID Test Repeals in Ontario, Plus Rotaryfest's Return To Normal!!

Today's SMS post has turned out to be way less directly musical than I expected (we'll make up for that shortly), but we do have lots of big and encouraging news regarding the roll-back of restrictions to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that have affected the concert experience, both from events scheduled and hypothetical. Here's what you should know!

As our Ontario readers will likely be aware, the provincial mask mandate has been lifted in most settings as of today, and regarding SMS-covered topics, this means that concert attendees and performers do not have to wear a face mask to enter nightclubs and concert venues for the first time since before the first pandemic lockdown began in March 2020. This doesn't necessarily mean that some venue staff won't encourage mask wearing still or ask that paid employees continue masking up for the time being, let alone a potential return of the mandate if COVID-19 cases go haywire again, but be observant about any recommendations, whether you'd prefer to wear a mask or not. Visit SooToday's article about the mandate lifting for further details. Could the end of the indoor capacity limits and mask mandate (let alone the winter season) lead to more concerts? Time will tell, but things have been slowly creeping upwards, so we'll see how things go!

For some more encouraging news regarding concerts, the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie have announced that Rotaryfest will return to a normal in-person format at Clergue Park in July! As outlined in this SooToday article, the Soo's summer festival will hopefully kick off on Thursday, July 14th, and they are planning to have a full festival that weekend like what we saw in the 2010s, including live bands, ribs, vendors, the community parade, and the Take Your Pick Draw (for what it's worth, the press release did not say anything about the midway). This year's Rotaryfest will actually coincide with the 100th anniversary of Sault Ste. Marie's first community night parade in 1922, so this would be a fitting return date! Due to pandemic restrictions, 2020's Rotaryfest was held entirely virtually, complete with an online concert, while a condensed music stage and rib sales were held at the former Lowe's Plaza parking lot last year, with a drive-in format in place.

As per this Sault Star article by Brian Kelly, Rotaryfest organizers are working on a plan B in case restored COVID-19 restrictions mean that they have to scale back the festival from what they're hoping to put on, but fingers crossed that nothing screwy happens to throw another spanner in the works! Given that the main music stage at Clergue Park will (hopefully) be dusted off for the first time in three years, organizers are looking for musicians interested in performing there in July, so if you want in, e-mail rotarymusicssm@gmail.com to get an application form! The deadline to apply is Sunday, April 17th, and visit the festival website for more details! In case you're wondering, none of the above sources said anything public about the return of the original indie/folk-centric Stage 2, which was also held at Clergue Park from 2015-2019 near the Art Gallery of Algoma.

For reference, note that the pandemic-altered Rotaryfests folded in covers-only acts you'd tend to see on Stage 1 with original acts more amenable to Stage 2 in the same lineup, so the possibility exists that this could recur, just on the main stage. Everything sounds encouraging for Rotaryfest to get back to normal-ish in a big way this summer, so whether you're interested in the bands or everything else, visit the above links for what we currently now about the festival's 2022 installment!

Finally for today, let's keep the pandemic optimism going with a big note for readers who want to cross the border, as Canada is planning to lift the pre-entry COVID testing requirement for travellers returning home on Friday, April 1st! As noted in this CTV News article, fully vaccinated Canadian travellers returning to the country from an international trip will not have to get a negative COVID-19 test (PCD, rapid antigen, or otherwise) before arriving at the border, but customs agents do reserve the right to administer random mandatory PCR tests as a response to new COVID variants. If that occurs, you don't have to isolate while waiting for your results. Travellers without two COVID shots will still have to isolate upon re-entry and be tested as required, while you will still have to enter in your estimated return to Canada with the ArriveCAN mobile application.

As far as the SMS goes, this news will be extremely welcomed for concert goers who want to cross the border to see concerts, particularly at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where Black Label Society will finally have their long delayed local concert on May 6th. Now that there's no COVID test requirement starting next month, will we see a strong contingent of vaccinated Sault Ontario metalheads there? It will be very interesting to see how things go for cross-border travel this spring, but visit the above links for complete details on all of the COVID restriction news, mercifully all good here, and stay tuned for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rhythm & Brews And Tarnished), Plus The New Black Label Society Concert Date!!

An all-Sault Michigan post lies ahead on this Friday night, and while I had planned to cover the big new Sault Ontario concert in May here, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT hit the news desk earlier today, so I opted to keep everything in the E.U.P. today, but we will cover that show on the site this weekend, I promise! Now, here's what you should know for that new concert, the remaining new hard rock shows from Kewadin Casino's April live schedule, and the big rescheduled show in the Soo this spring!

Local hard rock quartet Tarnished will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this date earlier this afternoon, but the show does legitimately appear to have been booked on late notice. Sault Ontario classic rock veterans Touch of Class were originally slated to return to The Rapids Lounge for this weekend's bookings, but they announced on their Facebook page yesterday that they have dropped out due to being unable to arrange the rapid antigen COVID test currently required to return to Ontario for both days. From what I have seen, availability of rapid antigen tests in Sault Michigan that Canadians can get is limited, and the free tests at the E-Free Church are not given on weekends, so I can see why Touch of Class pulled out, but Tarnished should fill in nicely!

Presumably due to the late notice, Tarnished are not playing at The Rapids Lounge tonight, but TOMORROW'S show will be Tarnished's first in Sault Ste. Marie of 2022, so look for lots of hard hitting originals and covers from this upbeat and talented foursome! As usual, expect a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live & in concert last year!

Next up, here's the last of the new hard rock concert announcements for next month from Kewadin Casino's website's above-linked concert schedule, as fellow local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews will return to The Rapids Lounge in the Soo themselves on Friday, April 22nd & Saturday, April 23rd! Last seen at the St. Ignace Kewadin two weeks ago, these will be the 415E sister band's first Rapids Lounge bookings in three months, so fans of this talented local supergroup should definitely circle that weekend on their calendars to see Brandon, Chris, Brett, and Ron in action next month! Like with Tarnished TOMORROW, Rhythm & Brews' shows next month have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits, but please respect any extant public health guidelines at the casino and/or lounge. Visit the above links for more on Kewadin Casino's upcoming concert schedules!

We'll close today with the big news out of the Sault Michigan concert scene from yesterday, as the long-delayed Black Label Society concert has another new date, but given the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's looking like this one might just stick! After the planned Dreammakers Theater dates at Kewadin Casino in March and August 2020 and last November were all postponed due to the pandemic (remember, B.L.S. were setting up for the March 2020 show when it was called off), the Zakk Wylde-led groove metal mainstays will now hit the Soo on Friday, May 6th in the fifth show on their American tour run this spring! The openers have completely changed from what was planned previously, with Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss replacing Obituary as the top opener this time out, so fans of her instrumental guitar attack and her hit single "Dead Inside" with Disturbed's David Draiman should take note!

This will be Nita's second live concert appearance in Sault Ste. Marie, having previously played at the same venue with Alice Cooper in June 2014 (only her second show in his band, no less!), and with 8 years of refined skills and popularity under her belt, expect a killer set from her in May! Wisconsin-based blues rock musician Jared James Nichols will replace Prong (and Lord of Dying before them) as the opening act on this tour, and while he may seem like an atypical choice of opener, remember that Zakk Wylde has a lot of familiarity and background with blues and southern rock. Jared's a great guitarist in his own right, don't sleep on his set! Tickets for the new Black Label Society date went on sale today for a flat $27.50 general admission, and you can buy them at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. The show proper is at 7:30 PM with no announced age limit.

All previously bought tickets for the previous three B.L.S. dates will be honoured if you held on to them, but if you can't make the new date for any reason, refunds will be offered for old tickets until March 16th (assuming this isn't postponed again), so for details in that regard, contact kewadinboxoffice@saulttribe.net. As for fully vaccinated Sault Ontario residents who are interested in attending, be advised that while the negative PCR molecular test is no longer mandatory to re-enter the province, a day trip to Sault Michigan will require a negative antigen COVID-19 test within 24 hours of re-entry, not to mention entering your return trip on ArriveCAN. I have looked up rapid antigen tests in Sault Michigan, and for ones with quick results that Canadians can get, the best option seems to be at the E-Free Church at 1901 John Street, who give free COVID tests from 7:00 AM-1:00 PM weekdays.

This would require loitering in Sault Michigan for a few hours before showtime, but results arrive in a half hour to your phone, and the alternatives that customs accepts appear to either take too long or require proof of US health insurance. If the E-Free Church test interests you, click here for details, but if you want to explore your options, SolvHealth does list other area clinics that may or may not be suitable for a concert run from Canada and back. For all we know, the COVID test results could be scrapped in the next two months, but I just wanted to outline your current options just in case. Visit the above links for what we know, and stay tuned for more news on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Apocalypse Afterparty & Fort Creek), Plus A New Album Release!!

Before we get into this post, just a heads up that the Black Label Society-headlined concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Saturday has been postponed (again) after consultation with tribal health professionals, as per the Facebook event page last week. You can look into COVID case rates in Michigan on relevant news sites, and of course, this is disappointing to miss out on B.L.S. locally yet again, but tickets can be held on to for the planned rescheduling in 2022. On to happier news, as we head to Sault Ontario for a big new album release and, leading off, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next weekend! Here's what you should know!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to the stage for concerts at Reggie's West on Friday, November 19th and Saturday, November 20th! Making their first live concert appearance in just over two months, fans will have last seen Fort Creek in a injured motorcycle riders fundraiser on September 11th, but Fort Creek last rocked The Reggievelt back in July, following a cancellation at the same venue in late August due to an undisclosed band member illness. Twelve weeks later, the guys are finally back there, and during their two month break from the stage, they were learning new songs and even gave away some more merchandise in another Facebook contest, so they've hardly been idle. Hopefully Justin, Shane, Matt, Robin, and Tony have another strong weekend of covers in store for fans next weekend, so if you're up for some live music, keep these gigs in mind!

Another merchandise giveaway will take place next weekend, for the record. 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits are in effect, but remember that vaccine passports must be shown to enter Reggie's West for either show, and as usual, please mask up where necessary and use common sense to keep yourself and everyone else safe. Visit Fort Creek's Facebook page for more details on next weekend's concert action!

Next up, local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty will play a rare public concert set on Saturday, November 20th when they perform at Glambition, a festival set up at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center as a fundraiser for local youth homeless shelter Pauline's Place! The title of the event is apt, as Glambition isn't just a concert, but promises to have "entertainment from every part of the community", including fashion shows, dancing, and of course, musical acts, with multiculturalism also promoted on the Facebook event page. Despite it's wonderful artistic and charitable goals, there are a lot of unknowns for Glambition, especially given that the event is 11 days away, and that organizers have not confirmed a performer lineup/schedule at press time, but The Apocalypse Afterparty signaled their own involvement (with an 8:00 PM set) on their Facebook page yesterday.

Note that a performer slot was still open as of 4 hours ago, so click here for details on how to apply, while Handsome Sandwich singer Taylor Emlaw promoted a performer search for it on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group late last month (that band proper has not publically confirmed if they're playing or not). In any event, admission is $10 via ticket sales at this link or at the door, food & drinks will be available, this is an ALL AGES event, and it starts at 6:00 PM. Vaccine passports must be shown upon entry, and please use common sense re: the pandemic, especially as kids will be present. Intriguing event with more to announce, so stay tuned for updates!

Also, after almost four years, local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith finally released his 51st studio album "Bridges" on Saturday! The date wasn't announced in advance, but Saturday was Mike's 30th birthday, so the timing works out well in that regard! Released via Mike's own MorningStar Studios and recorded at Thompson's Lionheart Audio, "Bridges" is Mike's first canon album with an outside producer, Justin Sobey, who is a guest musician on three songs. Digitally, the ten track album is available on Bandcamp for just $5, but physical copies are available through Kunaki for $10 (CD) or $35 (vinyl, albeit with an altered track listing). Mike gave a long write-up about the album proper on Bandcamp, where he clarifies that "Bridges" is a concept album inspired by isolation and mental health issues, and that it reflects heavily on his early months living in & adjusting to Thompson after moving there in the fall of 2017.

Despite it's delayed release, Mike does note that "Bridges" sounds like a musical transition point between his old band The Din's 2017 album "Suburban Dream" and last year's "If Ever Comes The Day", and while it "is a straight-cut retro rock throwback" with more in common to The Din, he did acknowledge that his solo music has moved "toward lighter instrumentation and more pop-inspired tones", with more symbolism of the songs and cover artwork following. Of course, you can buy "Bridges" above and/or stream it on major streaming platforms, but Mike does have one more test printing of the album on vinyl that he's giving away in a contest if you are so inclined! You can hear a sample from it in this video from Mike's Facebook page, which has a factory test sleeve, but closer audio quality to the final pressings. Like, share, and tag a friend in that video's post to enter for a chance to win that test copy!

The winner will be drawn during Mike's next Facebook live-streamed concert on Saturday. Also, he has posted official lyric videos for most songs onto his YouTube channel, each with unique visuals! The exception is "The Nature Of The Times", which has it's own proper music video, albeit without lyrics. There's more to get into from Mike's new album (click here to get a head start before we cover them), and it's extremely likely that "Bridges" will be reviewed on the SMS later this month. For now, watch the lyric video for the opening song "From The 55th Parallel" below, and buy it above!

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