We have a new news post on this Sunday morning, which includes some new videos, big updates on a prominent local musician, and leading off, a new album release from a very prolific local group, so here's what you should know!
Local blue Chinese metal crash punk quartet Sykotyk Rampage have released yet another new studio album onto their Bandcamp page, and it's their third in a five month span, and 68th total! Officially dated with a February 1st release date despite being posted on Bandcamp last week, this has the unwieldy title "Genius Mushrooms With Thoughts Of The Stoned Ape: Hal-lu-ci-no-gen-ic-Mus-i-cal-Brain-Scans-3", and it is the belated sequel album to their prior two "Genius Mushrooms With Thoughts Of..." albums that were released in 2011, harbouring the same scheme of songs generally having one word names. However, "Genius Mushrooms 3" has a whopping 27 songs, including one for each letter of the alphabet in order, and it would have to be a double album if released physically. Sykotyk Rampage also jokingly claim that this album is not associated with the prior two albums in this series, or the "bands" that recorded them.
Allegedly, "they stole our idea", and this album was just in the works for 12 years and not rushed out in 2011. Now you know!? Given the double length, "Genius Mushrooms 3" is on sale for $15, but you can of course stream the whole thing for free on Bandcamp as well. Will this be reviewed on the SMS? Not short term, as I'd rather review these albums in order and I haven't yet looked at the first two, but a review of either of their September 2022 albums ("Scott's Pub & Crash Music" or "Love Muffin") will hit the site no later than next month. Still, be sure to give this and dozens more of Sykotyk Rampage's unique brand of bluesy alternative and psychedelic rock a listen at the above links, it's quite an experience!
Next up, here's the latest from local alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who has finally spilled the beans about his recent plans, especially in regards to his homebase after previously teasing a move out of Thompson, Manitoba last fall. This will be no surprise to anyone who knows Mike personally, but on his Facebook page yesterday, he revealed that he has moved to Barrie, Ontario for work reasons and career advancement opportunities, but Mike does plan to become active in the music scene in Barrie, including solo concerts and possibly "calling the boys" for full band sets. He didn't 100% confirm if he meant his local band from Rotaryfest last year, but note that Mike is much closer now (Barrie is 6 hours east of the Soo), and keep in mind that his hometown of Windsor is a 4 hour drive from Barrie. Also, don't forget that his old Haggith bandmate Daniel Horton already moved down there with Spades GT.
Regarding his upcoming album "All The Best In All You Do", Mike confirmed that "good progress is being made in the studio", and he's hoping for it to come out in mid-2023, perhaps with a release concert. He also plans to resume monthly live-streams and album review videos in the spring now that he has a dedicated area to host his video recording setup. Mike had a very productive run with his best received solo output yet during his five years in Thompson, but hopefully Barrie proves to be just as fruitful artistically and personally, and we'll definitely keep you posted when more comes out on his next musical plans!
Also today, here's some brief clips of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT's new lineup playing at the Walter Froebrich memorial concert at The Rockpile in Toronto last night! Uploaded by YouTube user Belgian Jasper, this is a compilation video of six bands from the event, plus interviews with attendees/performers about Walter and what it means to pay tribute to "the metal mayor of Toronto". Spades GT turn up 1:19 into the 5:49 video, and are seen/heard for about 25 seconds, though remarks from members of Anger By Design are overlaid during it. Not a long look at the expanded Spades GT yet, but they sound good for what little we see, so check it out below, and R.I.P. Walter!
Finally, here's a new video from local progressive metal band PROV3RB5's Facebook page yesterday, which sees guitarist Benjamin Roswell playing a 72 second chunk of their song "Sea of Tranquility". Thankfully, the live instrumentation is enough for this video to avoid being content matched to itself by Facebook algorithms, so it can be embedded here, and Ben has a strong, technically sound handle on things as you'd expect! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from PROV3RB5 in 2023!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, continuing our monthly spotlight of randomly selected local metal, hard rock, and punk acts of the past in order to spotlight them and their run for current readers! This month's installment is a double profile, as the first band only had minimal information online, so I randomly picked a second band, namely early 2010s Sault Michigan hard rock band Swayze Train, only to re-discover that I had announced their removal from our band links last year due to a lack of surviving public content (their Reverbnation page proves it), but forgot to actually delete them. Blonde moment! I picked the closest un-profiled & alphabetically adjacent Sault Michigan band with minimal info to fill things out, so here's what you should know on both!
Info/Analysis: Launched by former F.F.B. bandmates in August 2014, The Red & Black posted seven songs to their Soundcloud page & six mostly-shared songs on their Bandcamp page over the next three months. Plans were teased for a full length album, then a split release with Christopher's recently reunited punk duo Orange, but neither came to fruition. A planned live debut opening for The Whiskey Shits in November 2014 was cancelled, but they did play an unrehearsed impromptu set in June 2015, opening for Toronto doom metal band IRN at The New American Pub. Public updates did not follow, and the band dissolved by the end of 2015. If you know Telephone & Address' more aggressive, plugged-in material, then The Red & Black's raw, unpolished sound & Chris' distinct vocals on songs like "Talk Talk Talk" will be very familiar, and Damjan's drumming fit in well! Solid stuff for fans, hopefully we hear from both guys musically again!
Lineup: Stoned Ape Evolution never revealed their lineup publically and always wore masks on stage, not unlike prior Sault Michigan metal band Clownsack. Two of the band's four (later five) publically depicted members were John Napoletano and Melvin Willis, instrument roles unclear, though I believe John was the frontman. If you can fill in any blanks as to this band's lineup(s) and if it's alright to reveal them now, let me know!
Info/Analysis: Formed by early 2016, Stoned Ape Evolution sought to "bring a taste of a bigger metal band to a smaller area". Primarily seen at the Bay Mills Bands Together series of charity concerts in the mid-2010s, they debuted at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley in May 2016, and also played at that year's Rudyard Musicians Festival. Their final gig was an outdoor Bay Mills Bands Together event in September 2017, and the band otherwise shared memes on their Facebook page into early 2018 before quietly dissolving. Two public videos are known to exist from their run, including covers of Megadeth's "Sweating Bullets" in Rudyard and of Metallica and Megadeth songs in Brimley, and while I do think the vocalist was trying a little too hard to sound evil, they were technically sound and definitely unique for the E.U.P. in this day and age! Hopefully their members are still active!
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around October 10th when we look at another randomly selected band, this time back in Sault Ontario with inactive local "shield rock" band Swmapgut! Look for that in a month's time, and for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
Happy Canada Day to all of our Sault Ontario readers! It's now time for a new concert review at long last, as I was in attendance for Saturday night's Re:Born-headlined concert at The Rockstar Bar which served as a going away party for roadie/filmer Cory Burch before his impending move west. Disappointingly small turnout, but on the Canada Day long weekend and a busy Saturday concert lineup (including Slaughter in St. Ignace), I can't be too shocked. Fans in attendance were definitiely into everything! Also, I apologize if I missed any nuances or certain moments on Friday, I had a persistent headache for most of the show, but I am fine now.
Opening this concert was a shorthanded version of local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, who were originally asked to open this show alongside funk/hard rock quartet The Elements. However, with Rob Speers, Tiffany Stocco, AND Jonas Gasperas unavailable over the long weekend, the two bands sort of had to combine operations. For this set, Elements guitarist Jesse Cook rejoined Jack Spades for the night, while his replacement Daniel Horton shifted over to bass a'la Project 421. All told, this temporary lineup got the job done with this slightly stilted set, which saw the intro for "Breakneck Speed" chopped and "Rise" shifted until unusually late in the set. A single guitar sound isn't optimal, but everyone performed well, with J.D. Pearce up to his usual entertaining standards on vocals, and Johnny Belanger's drumming was on point! Nice to see Jesse break out some solos with Spades once again too. Not the optimal conditions, but Jack Spades made things work out well!
As for Elements bassist James White, he was here too, as in a mild surprise, fans were treated to a mini-set next from local alt-punk/"no genre" trio Handsome Sandwich! Their concert sets nowadays are very sporadic and often unannounced, like at what became of last year's Michale Graves show, so it was good to see them again! Of course, Jesse and Johnny remained on stage from Jack Spades' set, but the guys weren't alone, as James' Stoned To Deaf bandmate William Jordan Wardlaw guested on lead vocals for all four songs. As far as I know, Stoned To Deaf have only played one public concert to date, so if you missed their debut, you could call this a preview! Their short set included covers of Rise Against's "Like The Angel", two Red Hot Chili Peppers' songs, and in a throwback to Stoned To Deaf's debut, Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name." Handsome Sandwich performed well, and while William's voice was a good match (especially for Rage), his stage presence could be a little looser. Hopefully we hear more from everyone soon!
Your co-headliners on Friday, in another surprise, were local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback, in their first concert set of the year! Fresh off of the completion of their album recording sessions, the guys dipped into their original material well for a set focused on familiar tracks like "Kicking & Screaming", "Faded", and "Forget This Memory", and they got a good reception from assembled fans. Chris Nielsen's vocals are definitely improving in a live setting, and he and Matt Quinn played off of each other well on guitar and bass, while Nick Kainula's drumming was reliable and added strong rhythm! I liked their jokey nature on stage too between songs, definitely keep up with that in the future. I don't know when we'll see the album on sale, but A Dire Setback's return was definitely well received, and here's hoping for a stronger crowd here on July 20th!
Finally, your featured attraction (and the only one with advance notice) were local power rock quartet Re:Born, of course featuring Cory Burch's dad Blair on guitar. This was the first time I've seen Re:Born since Elly McWatters replaced Robert Nevitt on lead vocals (and since Frank McGillivray left the band entirely), so how did they sound? Pretty good overall, they're adapting well with this lineup! Compared to last year, their sound has more melodic material, but rather than covering bands with female singers (Halestorm aside), Re:Born instead tackled more glam and hair metal, with Poison and and Guns N' Roses now making their setlist, alongside many old standby covers like "Children of the Sea", and select originals/421-holdovers like "Running Away" & "Die Another Day." Elly's voice is strong and confident on this material, and she was a solid pick-up for the band, but she does need to work on her stage banter a bit. Blair's guitar work was as solid as ever, and Fred & Brandan handled the low rhythm end just fine! A new rhythm guitarist isn't necessary, for what it's worth.
Even featuring a guest singer late whose name I did not catch, Re:Born's set seemed to be the best send-off for Cory before his big move this week, and everything went pretty good despite the turnout! In spite of my headache, it was nice to be back out for another concert, and you can check out my photos and videos at this link or at our Facebook page. Video-wise, here's Jack Spades playing "Crossroads", Handsome Sandwich covering The Chili Peppers' "Can't Stop", A Dire Setback playing "Nightmares", and Re:Born covering Motley Crue's "Live Wire"
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!
It's now time to dive into another busy weekend of concert previews in the Twin Saults! However, due to the length of this post, I'm holding our preview of this weekend's Fluid 5ive concert(s!) for our next post, coming either tonight or tomorrow morning, so look for them and more then! Now, let's kick things off with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!
Kinross/Mount Pleasant, Michigan hard rock musician Alex Traynor will return to Biggby Coffee in Sault Ste. Marie for another afternoon matinee concert THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced by the venue on their Facebook event page on Monday. It appears that the Banned frontman's quietly announced show there this past weekend was a hit, as the Ashmun Street coffee shop is bringing him back for an encore just a week later, and hopefully Alex's unplugged covers play well with shop patrons and fans alike on SATURDAY! This show is a part of Biggby Coffee's expanded weekend concert schedule, with the hook being that performers will play 2 hour blocks on weekends for tips and complimentary coffee. You may have seen an open guitar case for tips in videos from last week's Alex Traynor and Tyler Dettloff shows, so it's clear those sets were part of this seemingly new series.
For what it's worth, Biggby Coffee is looking for performers for extra dates this weekend, namely a 10:00 PM set tomorrow and a 12:00 PM set on SATURDAY before Alex takes the stage, so contact the venue at this link if you're an E.U.P. artist looking to play for tips and coffee this weekend! Alex's 2:00 PM matinee on SATURDAY has no cover charge or age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Alex at Biggby Coffee!
Next up, a pair of local tribute band sets will hit The Rockstar Bar in Sault Ontario THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, headlined by the second live concert set by new local HIM tribute Poison Girl! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. Over six months after their debut at the same venue over the Halloween weekend, this union of all 3 members of Stegadeth and ex-Gates of Winter keyboardist Brian Holmes will finally dust off their gothic metal and hard rock renditions in this headlining set, and it'll be interesting to see how things look for Poison Girl on SATURDAY! The other band on this night is Stoned To Deaf, a new (and online page-less) local Rage Against The Machine tribute band! A Rage tribute isn't brand new around here, as Dysfunkshunal Kemistry can tell you from 2009, but as far as I can tell, this band is completely unrelated.
As per videos of jam sessions floating around on personal Facebook accounts, their most familiar member is Elements/ex-Redundant bassist James White, and he's joined in this new band by singer/guitarist William Jordan Wardlaw, guitarist Spencer McGillivray, and drummer Jamie Labreche, who previously played with James in the Blind River hard rock band The Disciples of Rock. I won't embed videos I've seen of Stoned To Deaf, as none are publically posted yet, but the guys have the sound down from what I can tell, and William's a better match to Zach de la Rocha's vocals than I saw with Dysfunkshunal Kemistry. I'll be curious to see how Stoned To Deaf perform in front of a live audience, and you can see for yourself on SATURDAY NIGHT! A presentation of (Choose) Maxx Entertainment, this concert has a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit.
See the above links for more on this double blast of local tribute action on SATURDAY, and when videos of either band surface, we'll let you know! I don't recall public videos existing of either band at press time, sadly, not even Stegadeth covering HIM pre-Poison Girl's launch.
We'll close this preview post with the previously announced continuation of local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's arrangement at Gliss Restaurant, as he'll return there for matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, with a nighttime gig at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road tucked in between TOMORROW NIGHT! While fans can regularly see Tym's unplugged cover action at Gliss each week, tomorrow's Roadhouse concert will be Tym's first there in over a month. He'll be back one week after all three of these shows at the same venues, so you'll get other chances if you miss out, but Tym's diverse and prolific setlist should provide ample entertainment at the downtown restaurant or the east end bar this weekend! The Gliss matinee gigs are at 6:00 PM, the 19+ Roadhouse shows is at 10:00 PM, and none have a cover charge. Visit
the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live in concert earlier this year!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Fluid 5ive previews and more next! Thanks everyone!
Here's a new news post for your Tuesday morning reading, as it happens, it mostly inactive artists, including bands being moved out of our active links, as well as a noted drummer retiring from the scene, but we do have a new video from an active band tfill things out. Here's what you should know!
We have regrettably moved local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom to our inactive band links. While the band has not formally acknowledged their active status, they haven't issued a public update since their Esquire Club concerts over the weekend of September 9th, 2017, past our one year cut-off point for active bands. One of the longest running hard rock bands in the city, Stiffler's Mom had been active in varying permutations and names since 1996 (save for a brief 2011-2012 breakup), becoming fan favourite attractions at solo nightclub concerts, festivals, and other community events during that span. Fans may recognize Stiffler's Mom from their 2004 demo CD, 2007's INXS concert, their finals run in 2009's Kiss Battle of the Bands, three Rotaryfest Stage 1 gigs in the mid-2010s, and the first two Toystocks, among many other events. In the past year, singer/drummer Greg Simpson has stayed musically active with his country cover bands Bone Yard & The Bearded Lounge.
I don't know what happened to Stiffler's Mom, but they've always been a reliable and fan-friendly band over the years, something apparent even when seeing them rock a Bawating Collegiate dance about 14 years ago! Their brand of party rock and their old originals have served them well with local audiences for over two decades, and hopefully we haven't seen the last of Stiffler's Mom on stage! Best of luck to Greg, Michael, and Jon in the future!
Next up, we have some sad news regarding a veteran local musician, as prolific hard/classic rock drummer Scott McLurg has left Soundcheck and retired from performing in bands due to health concerns. Scott's last show with them was at The Water Tower Pub on August 25th, and while Scott had suffered a heart attack back in 2015, I don't know if that's related to this current news. Scott had replaced Steven Flint as Soundcheck's drummer in recent months, and will be very familiar to SMS readers for his work with bands like Turner Up, Havadder, The 3 Day Millionaires, Wishbone, The Thrill Junkies, and Full Circle, plus bands that predated the site, like Generation Gap, One Bad Habit, Lois Lane, Blender, and Big River. This news is definitely a bummer, as Scott's always been a talented and prolific sight in our coverage over the past decade, while being friendly and cordial to me over the years as well. That said, his health obviously comes first.
Hopefully his musical retirement goes as smoothly as possible, and our best wishes go out to Scott and his family, he'll be missed behind the kit! Also, no word on Soundcheck's (still?) open drummer position, we'll let you know when they confirm a replacement and/or hit the stage next!
Also today, here's a more positive story via a brand new upload to Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel! This is a YouTube copy of their rendition of the Christmas carol "What Child Is This", featuring German classical singer Gaby Koss, who was an official studio member of the band in the early 2010s. Though not a new recording, this is an effective symphonic metal performance, with Gaby's vocals excellently suited to the song, and the dark snowy visuals are a good match as well! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!
Finally, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all regarding bands moved out of our active band links in recent days. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
I have removed local metal solo project The 1,000,000,000's Who Died from our active links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in recent months (it's possible it was deactivated for disuse, but either way, it's their only online page.) Led by Werehold Records founder Jason Mills, this project was best known from songs during the label's old Friday the 13th music events, last posting a new song on the Werehold YouTube channel in January. The Billions Who Died had some solid instrumental tracks, and hopefully Jason revisits the project down the road!
We have also moved Sault Ontario hard rock cover quartet Griphook back to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. While they haven't been seen on stage since Rotaryfest 2016, Griphook announced the end of their then-year+ long hiatus on their Facebook page last August, an announcement that had no public followthrough. They were a solid band in their original run, and hopefully Joel, Brian, Dan, and Tony actually return down the line!
Also, we have moved Sault Michigan metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution to our inactive band links, as they haven't posted on their Facebook page regarding band matters since their Bay Mills Bands Together concert in Brimley on September 2nd, 2017 (though they continued sharing memes unrelated to the band through January.) A mid-2010s effort to bring a large-scale theatrical metal band back to the area (complete with Clownsack-esque usage of masks and hidden member identities), Stoned Ape Evolution had clear promise and originality, and hopefully John, Melvin, and company bring this group back in the future!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With August drawing to a close and September beginning very shortly, here's most of this weekend's concert previews! Due to it's prominence and Saturday night scheduling, we're holding our Diamond Head preview until tomorrow's post, likely as the headlining topic, so don't worry, it's coming! Leading off today, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a couple on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!
Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these shows via their Facebook event page yesterday, and these dates are not listed on the Kewadin entertainment page (the next advertised Northern Pines Lounge bookings there from any band are at month's end.) After an eventful month with shows in Gould City, Sugar Island, and the Soo, Banned will head back to St. Ignace for their first shows at this Kewadin branch this year, and this should be another solid chance to see Alex, Wayne, and Don's fan favourite range of covers, so keep TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows in mind if you're in the E.U.P.! Remember, Banned are also scheduled to play this venue in three weeks as well, shows that they announced back in June.
As usual for Banned's trips to a Kewadin Casino lounge, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts will each take place at 9:00 PM, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there are no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Banned live!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts (including some upcoming future gigs), as Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for three more acoustic solo concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! This should be another fine way to spend your evening over the Labour Day weekend, but as this weekend's shows straddle both August and September, I'd say it's safe to add Tym's remaining Gliss shows in September to our concert calendar. As such, look for Tym to rock the Quality Inn's house restaurant with thrice-weekly unplugged matinees on September 7th-9th, 14th-16th, 21st-23rd, and 28th-30th as his ongoing arrangement at Gliss marches into the fall. No word yet on shows at other venues this fall, but keep these ones in mind!
This weekend's (and next month's) shows are 6:00 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!
Other currently known hard rock or metal shows this weekend are exclusively on SATURDAY NIGHT, including the third Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser concert, as the local charitable promoters will bring their bats to the Bay Mills Ballfield in nearby Brimley, Michigan for a concert and softball tournament! This event is designed to help recent Brimley High School
graduate Brandon Mills in his ongoing fight with leukemia, with all proceeds going to him and his family as they continue treatments, so visit this link for more details on Brandon's battle! This unique fundraiser will merge a double elimination softball tournament with a live concert, and for full details on the former aspect (all teams are secured), visit the official Facebook event page. Musically speaking, hard rock quartet Project 906 will headline this event at the on-site pavillion by the waterfront playing at 10:30 PM, while masked local metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will make a rare appearance as co-headliners at 9:00 PM (great to see them back!)
Opening bands will include acoustic rock duo Strange Brew and past solo performer Ken Jahnke's new band Damn Jahnkes at 8:00 & 7:00 PM respectively, while a 3 hour open mic block will precede the bands at 3:00 PM. Bay Mills Bands Together III will begin at 8:00 AM with the first softball game of the day, this is definitely ALL AGES, and while there is no cover charge, donations will of course be accepted, and don't forget about planned 50/50 and prize draws for the cause. This sounds like a great and original event to help Brandon in his cancer battle, so check the above links for full details on Saturday's entertainment, and here's Project 906 live!
Finally for today's previews (Diamond Head is coming tomorrow), local funk/hard rock/improv quintet Gianni Gagoots will promote their second show under their Like Ten Productions banner THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, as they open for Montreal jazz/rap/funk band The OM Sound in their return to the Soo at The New American Pub! Announced well in advance back in May, this show comes fresh off of the Gagoots' well received Northern Vibe Festival debut, and this should be another fine chance to check out their creative instrumentals, not to mention an encore from The OM Sound, who memorably headlined Six, Two, Oh.'s Holiday Funk Show in December at the same venue (and featured Gianni Gagoots as one of the opening acts.) The OM Sound's engaging hybrid originals should mesh well with the local openers' harder-edged jams, so keep this show in mind for Saturday as well as the S.S. Soppress lands at The New A for Like Ten's sophomore effort!
There is a $5 cover charge for this 19+ show, which begins at 9:00 PM that night. Whether you're in this for The OM Sound, "the thick funk from the heart of the Great Lakes", or a little bit of everything, this show should be a fine option for genre fans and wearers of black socks & sandals! Check the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Gianni Gagoots live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Diamond Head preview and more news and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
With a surprising amount of backlogged news to tackle over the next few days, here's a surprise news post for your Friday night, so what's in store? Some assorted recent updates, a pair of new videos relating to local metal bands, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!
Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will play a rare headlining concert set when they hit The Rockstar Bar on Friday, August 11th! Last seen at this venue on Canada Day, this talented and raucuous quartet will be in ska-mode in two weeks' time, as the Facebook event page confirms that saxophonist Josh Norling will join them as a guest for the first time this year! (This also seemingly gives online public confirmation that he's not a full band member.) Josh always adds a fun "element" to The Elements' live show, and it'll be nice to see him back with the guys next month! Local alternative/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open on the 11th in a rare Rockstar Bar appearance of their own, and they'll be a fine compliment with their own horn instrument-infused originals, so don't be late for their set! This 19+ concert has no announced cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates when & if they arrive!
Next up, here's a pair of new videos, including a new promotional clip for the Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival in nearby Leeburn on September 9th! Posted to co-promoter/AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent's YouTube channel yesterday as his first upload there in three years, the video features assorted muted clips of local musicians (performing at the festival or not), friends of Six, Two, Oh., and other random footage, as interspersed with pan & scan views of the festival poster. The featured audio is of Sudbury punk trio Lightmares' song "The Sweat of a Hero" (will they play it here in September?), and while the video says more visually than vocally, it's a fun way to hype up this ambitious fall festival! I won't spoil the individual content, but it's well put together, if slightly random, so see more on this event above & below, and stay tuned for continued updates as they roll in!
Also, local punk/metal quintet (and Oh!NO Festival performers) Jack Spades' song "Motorwolf" is featured in a new YouTube video from Monday where Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno goes skydiving! Uploaded to Josh's personal YouTube channel (whose content is largely more based on his independent movie studio Spacebag Productions than his bands), the video features Josh and his buddy "Powers" as they prepare, take off for, and execute the skydive at the Niagara Skydive Center in Welland. Solid song choice for this well edited video, which is thrilling & amusing at different parts, though the audio is very quiet, so crank up your dial before you watch below!
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:
Are you wondering who's promoting the Dokken/Firehouse concert at The Essar Center on September 30th? None other than Superior Entertainment (source here), the Sault Michigan agency best known for putting on 2015's P.O.D./Hoobastank and Saving Abel concerts, plus numerous MMA events at Kewadin Casino. This rare cross-border promotional concert could also be seen as redemption for Superior Entertainment, whose Firehouse-headlined Superior Festival last year was cancelled shortly before showtime. It'll be very interesting to see how the promoters do on the Canadian side of the border, so keep that angle in mind!
Pillory bassist Jordan Leach-Berube announced in a Musicians Wanted Facebook group
post on Thursday that he is "leaving soon" and is looking for bass
players to take over in his three current bands (not named there beyond
genre, but I'm 99.999% sure he means Pillory, improv/jazz trio The Peach Thieves,
and ambient/drone trio Pointless.) I'm not sure where Jordan is going,
but he's a talented musician that will be missed in the Soo, and be sure
to message him at this link or above if you're interested in auditioning with one or more of these bands!
Sault Michigan metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will return to the stage as one of the opening bands at Bay Mills Bands Together's Labour Day Rock & Jock Softball Tournament in Brimley on September 2nd! They'll join fellow new confirmations Strange Brew (an acoustic rock duo) and The Damn Jahnkes (a new band presumably featuring past B.M.B.T. performer Ken Jahnke) at the outdoor fundraiser concert in just over a month. Solid choices, and it's nice to see S.A.E. alive and well, so visit the above links for more current details on this event!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With weekend concert previews and our new poll now taken care of, here's a full news post for your Sunday morning delectation! Below, you'll find some assorted recent notes, more videos from a recent Sault Michigan-area benefit concert, and first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota will play their first public concert of the year when they open for indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. at LopLops Lounge on Friday, April 14th! Originally planned to be on Saturday the 15th before being pushed back one day, this show will be Id Iota's first appearance on a public stage (last month's garage show doesn't count) since November, and it'll be a good chance to see Christian, Dustin, Dan, and Blair in their element at a familiar downtown venue as they take a brief break from recording sessions for their second CD! Similarly, K.I.C.K. have been in studio lately towards their debut album, and it'll be good to see the Keep It Cool Kids back with their skilled indie rock originals, so don't miss the 2016 VM Radio Battle winners either! A Facebook event page has not been posted (yet?), but a 19+ age limit, $5 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time are all likely for this event, so check the above links for more details on K.I.C.K. & Id Iota's LopLops return!
Next up, reunited local hard rock quartet Eclipse and funk/experimental quintet Gianni Gagoots will return to The New American Pub on Sunday, April 23rd when they open for Montreal stoner rock trio The Hazytones! Yes, Eclipse are officially back together after a four month breakup, which is very surprising given how public and messy things became at first, but their reunion will surely be welcomed by fans and friends alike, so be there for their return to the stage at The New A next month! No word yet though on the April 1st show that they had teased, which doesn't appear to be an April Fools prank. Gianni Gagoots' creative instrumentals should continue their own upward momentum for their first show since headlining at LopLops last month, so don't be late for their set! As for The Hazytones, this will be deja vu in many respects, as this talented outfit just played at the same venue with Eclipse opening in August, just with K.I.C.K. as the second openers (and more advance notice.)
The Hazytones' psychedlic and deep originals should find another willing audience next month, and while they're not a metal band, they're well worth checking out! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., though uniquely courtesy of Lion Ride alum/punk rock bingo caller Brenton Ellis rather than the guys in AlgomA, this show has a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time, and while an admission fee hasn't been announced yet, last year's Hazytones show had a $5 cover. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, don't miss out on this near-encore 8 months later, and Eclipse are back in our active band links (no word yet though on Project 421's next moves!)
Also today, here's a new video of Sault Michigan's current masked metal band, Stoned Ape Evolution! Filmed at last month's Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley, this video was uploaded by band member John Napoletano to his personal Facebook page and shared to the B.M.B.T. Facebook page shortly after the concert. The clip features Stoned Ape Evolution covering Metallica's "Seek & Destroy" and Megadeth's "A Tout Le Monde" to close their set, and this gives us our best look yet at the band (who appear to have expanded to a quintet), so what can I say now? I think the band is largely sound musically, as best seen on "Seek & Destroy", but the vocalist is trying way too hard to sound evil, particularly on "A Tout Le Monde", a classic ballad which the band turns into a groove metal song. I applaud the creativity, but the performance is shaky and I don't find it works well for their style.
John also uploaded four more videos (all from similar corner-stage camera angles) to check out publically, including the Project 906 video we covered on here two weeks ago, and three of the night's cover rock bands, including The Whole Shabang covering Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69", The Brooks Band covering The Eagles' "Love Will Keep Us Alive", and Absolute Magnitude covering James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", so check out those if you want to hear some other bands from this fundraiser. Stoned Ape Evolution have clear potential and a cool look, so hopefully they continue to progress forward, and give their video a look below!
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:
Local doom metal trio AlgomAfinally have physical copies of their new split single with Finland's Hooded Menace available for local fans! The news was revealed on their Facebook page
on Friday, though they don't have any copies of the limited-run orange
vinyl records. This means that the split should be available (likely for
$20) when AlgomA headline at The New A on March 30th, making this the de
facto release show, so keep that in mind for month's end if you want
the split for your collection!
In the biography on the aforementioned Eclipse's Facebook page, it notes that drummer Chris
Thompson was a former member of Garden of Bedlam. This is not an error,
he was briefly the band's drummer in 2007, but Derek Turner replaced him
prior to their debut public concerts in 2008. That wasn't really a
secret, but I don't think we ever addressed Chris' brief run with them on here
before, and I just wanted to give that an overdue public
acknowledgement! Also, it does seem odd that Garden of Bedlam are
credited for Chris over Fitswitch, Frightlight, or Half Past, all of
whom he did far more with.
Local punk/metal band Jack Spades revealed on their Facebook page this morning that they will soon be unveiling their new lineup and single
(maybe "Kingdoms"?), plus announcing their next concert shortly as well!
The band hasn't been seen since opening for SNFU in September, after
which Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger departed the band, while frontman
J.D. Pearce hasn't promoted a show (with or without Jack Spades) since
his annual Halloween party. It's great to see that Jack Spades are still
alive and readying their return, so stay tuned for updates!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for lots more news and updates as the week progresses! Thanks everyone!
