LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck) Plus More Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

This busy weekend concert preview slate begun early with Thursday nighters yesterday, and moves into Friday-Saturday shows in Sault Ste. Marie city limits for post #2. The plan is to preview the Northern Vibe Festival next (I did get a tentative schedule from one of the performers), with this weekend's two ARCH benefit motorcycle rally concerts and Wax Mannequin to follow where space and time allows. Stay tuned on those fronts, but here's what you should know for this weekend otherwise, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will head just outside of town to Echo Bay TOMORROW NIGHT for a second concert at The Elks Lodge there linked to slo-pitch baseball! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this show via the band's Facebook page yesterday, though the Echo Bay Sunday Slo-Pitch League Facebook page first confirmed their involvement last week. Soundcheck had first rocked Echo Bay in June as part of the Elks Bay Days tournament, but things clearly went well for the baseball players and fans in Echo Bay then, as their return TOMORROW's concert is for the league proper's end-of-season banquet, and will be preceded by a catered dinner with cash bar. This is a ticketed and publically attendable event, and admission will be $20 (kids 10 & under are free), which will also enter you for the door prize.

Soundcheck's set TOMORROW NIGHT at 96 Church Street is at 9:00 PM running for your standard nightclub runtime, and free on-site camping is also available. Hopefully TOMORROW's concert is another home run for Soundcheck as they rock Echo Bay one more time to end the slo-pitch baseball season there, so don't miss their fan friendly hard rocking covers there or this evening at the newer A&W for the Cruisin' The Dub car show! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, joining his regular weekly concerts TOMORROW at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post and on SATURDAY at Misty's Fifties, local acoustic classic/hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will play a rare gig at a more standard nightclub when he returns to Reggie's Place on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Reggie's gig, it was only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday. Tym is way more commonly seen at atypical and more unplugged-friendly venues than he is at nightclubs known for hosting bands regularly, so keep his return to Queen Street East in mind on SATURDAY NIGHT for his own entertaining blend of classic and hard rock covers! Remember, he had played in the vicinity of Reggie's at the former Tazzi's a few times in the past year. Of course, his regular weekly shows at The Mike Case Memorial Stage tomorrow and at Misty's on Saturday prior are still going on as those series march on into (at least) next month.

The Reggie's show is a one-nighter due to or resulting in a karaoke night there tomorrow. Tym's triple header this weekend has start times of 7:00 PM tomorrow, 4:00 PM at Misty's on Saturday, and at 9:30 PM at Reggie's on SATURDAY NIGHT! The Trading Post show has no age limit, and none have a cover charge. Weather-wise, tomorrow's Mike Case Stage show is looking to have cloudy weather at 21°, but it's not expected to rain. Click here & here and visit the above links for more details, and here he is live!

Now let's head to Sault Michigan, where "weird Wisconsin hard rock" trio Sunspot will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This will be Sunspot's fourth annual trip from Madison to Sault Ste. Marie to coincide with the annual Michigan Paranormal Convention, which returns to the Soo Kewadin this weekend from today through Saturday for what will actually be its final year (click here for more details on why the MiParacon is "bidding the mortal realm adieu"). Suffice to say, if you are at all into ghosts, aliens, cryptids, and anything else paranormal, you'll definitely want to check out all of the action at the Kewadin ballroom this weekend, and click here to see who all is coming to the Soo for this year's festivities! Of course, you don't need a MiParacon wristband to see Sunspot at The Rapids Lounge, but they're quite fitting for the weekend.

Sunspot actually have ghost investigators in their lineup, many of their songs are about mythical and fantastical concepts, and their hard rock/power pop hybrid sound (including some violin input) has definitely turned local heads since 2021, and hopefully the end of the convention doesn't mean the end of Sunspot making 7 hour trips northeast to play here! Expect 9:00 PM start times and 21+ age limits tomorrow and Saturday, and these absolutely have no cover charge, paid MiParacon admission isn't needed. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Sunspot live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to Gateway Casino for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last date at Shooters alongside bassist Pierre Anthony Vaillancourt's son Liam as a guest singer, regular frontwoman Valerie Powley will be back on Saturday, in what will be their first show at the downtown casino since they ended Rotaryfest weekend there. Hopefully Generations' skilled blend of classic and hard rock covers find another solid audience of fans and casino patrons alike on Saturday! No, they're not playing elsewhere tomorrow that I'm aware of. Saturday's concert has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' casino return on Saturday night, and for a preview, here they are live at Rotaryfest last month!

That's all for now, but look for our preview of this year's Northern Vibe Festival next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sunspot & Fyrbird), A New Hails Video, And More!!

Keeping this run of daily posts going, we're mostly staying in Sault Michigan and the Eastern U.P. for a third straight say, but some Sault Ontario content has poked its way in, including a video and some assorted updates. We're leading off in Michigan though via some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday evening!

We have addressed some of the upcoming hard rock shows in the next two months at the regional Kewadin Casino lounges via promotion from the bands themselves, but we have two unaddressed weekends from hard rock bands at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie branch next month, starting with Manistique hard rock duo Fyrbird's return to the Soo on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th! While we're on the subject, frontman Jamie Hider's wife Shannon confirmed more dates in the E.U.P. in a concert calendar post on their Facebook group back in March, so if you wanna see them at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin, you can do so on October 4th-5th & November 29th-30th! Yes, they'll be playing more frequently through the end of the year in Gould City and Newberry, but both are further than an hour's drive from the Soo. Fyrbird were last seen in our coverage range at The Rapids Lounge in early May.

Hopefully Jamie & Rick's gritty two-man rock attack gets another strong reception at The Rapids and Northern Pines Lounges at these three weekends, so keep them in mind if you miss seeing Fyrbird this far east! All six shows have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details!

The other newly confirmed hard rock shows from Kewadin's entertainment page are courtesy of Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot, who will rock The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on Friday, August 23rd & Saturday, August 24th! This will be Sunspot's fourth straight August trip here, always timed with the annual Michigan Paranormal Convention, which takes place annually (2020 aside) at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin's ballroom. Sunspot's brand of "weird Wisconsin rock anthems" will prove an apt soundtrack for MiParacon attendees and fans of the paranormal, especially with their creative lyrical themes and unique electric violin-infused brand of hard rock and power pop, so keep their annual E.U.P. pilgrimage in mind for next month! Again, these shows have no cover charge, 9:00 PM start times, and a 21+ age limit, and you don't need MiParacon tickets to go to The Rapids Lounge that weekend (it may be a lot busier than normal though).

If you're curious about the paranormal convention proper, click here for details on the guests, vendors, speakers, and how you can attend. If you didn't know, Bridge FM owner/morning host Tim Ellis is the co-founder of the MiParacon, and there are a lot of familiar faces coming here that you may recognize from ghost/cryptid hunting & exploration TV shows (even the saxophone player from The Lost Boys!). See above for more on Sunspot's local return for the convention next month!

Also today, let's head north to Sault Ontario for another new video from local punk/thrash quartet Hails' Facebook page yesterday! Lately, it's seemed like Ha!ls have been posting a live video every few days, which is very welcomed for fans, especially compared to some bands who lean into "Stories" or "Reels", or mainly post videos on personal accounts, so kudos to Brent and crew for letting fans see everything as originally shot! This sees the Vanity First side project playing their non-EP original "Dawn Of The Dead" at the It's The Pits festival in Leeburn last month, and while just 70 seconds long, it captures this ripper with good quality and relatively natural lighting, so check it out for yourself below!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or event name: 

• I have removed Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock cover band Banned from our inactive band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the last two years. Active from 2011-2019, Banned are best known today as the first high profile live band from future Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor, who played covers and select originals in this group alongside his dad Don on drums and a rotating array of bassists and other musicians. Given how young Alex was when Banned launched, it was impressive to see his skill level then and how it's developed, and while I'd have left Banned's page up, check out some early videos on their YouTube channel!
• In a late lineup change for this year's Rotaryfest Stage 2, Sault Ontario alt-indie rock band The Hollow Heads have replaced The Crossroad Magdalenes as the 6:30 PM band on Saturday, July 20th, as per the festival's Facebook page. A reason for The Maggies' withdrawal wasn't announced, but that band never acknowledged their 2024 reunion on their own social media. This will be The Hollow Heads' third straight year on the Second Stage, and Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch will be also playing with them next weekend, meaning that he will be playing in three acts that day. Hopefully Gabrielle and crew get a good response!
• The ninth annual Northern Vibe Festival in nearby Ophir on the August 24th weekend "will (likely) be the last", as per festival organizers on their Facebook page on Saturday when promoting the festivities. The post alludes to needing to "take a break and re-evaluate" if they can't make Northern Vibe better each year, and reference is made to "our core group of attendees who always show up", but I'll let you read into things further if you are so inclined. Northern Vibe has proved to be a fun event for local music fans post-pandemic thanks to the increased rock band contingent, and hopefully this year's is a smash hit, last year or not!
  

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Obsession & Bone Yard), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we begin this early weekend concert preview post, here's a surprise concert cancellation, as Toronto metal legends Anvil's show at Soo Blaster on Saturday has been cancelled, as per this Facebook post from the venue, who cited "unforeseen circumstances" for the cancellation but didn't publically elaborate. Very disappointing, but Soo Blaster will refund tickets, and they are planning to announce a rescheduled date for the spring, so stay tuned on that front for sure! With an all-Northern Vibe Festival post dropping tomorrow, let's get an early jump on this weekend's hard rock concert previews, intertwined with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard will return to the public stage for a one-night-only concert at Shooters Downstairs Lounge THIS FRIDAY NIGHT, but along with that previously announced date, they'll also return to The Esquire Club for new shows on Friday, November 18th & Saturday, November 19th! Friday's concert will mark Bone Yard's first truly public concert (as in, not birthday parties, weddings, or anniversaries) since July 18th at the same venue, so if you've missed Greg, Alex, and Warren's hard hitting blend of classic covers at a regular nightclub, you know where to be on Friday! As for November's Esquire Club dates, they are in lieu of what appears to be Tripod The Dog dropping out of that weekend, and will see the current three-piece Bone Yard's first ever appearances at the Second Line West venue, having not taken part in their "Buckets, Bands, and Birds" matinee series earlier in the year.

Hopefully Bone Yard deliver a knockout punch or two when they return to The Esquire Club in three months! Those dates have 9:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, and while the same can mostly be said for their Shooters show this Friday, it starts at 8:00 PM. Also, the Saturday band this weekend is L!me. Visit the Shooters concert's Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Bone Yard live!

Next up, here's a couple of other new shows for later this year, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Obsession will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge themselves for shows on Friday, November 18th & Saturday, November 19th! The band's website's schedule quietly confirmed both dates, as the venue haven't gotten that far ahead yet for Facebook event page promotion. As you may recall, Obsession surprisingly parted ways with frontwoman Valerie Powley and replaced her with Jessica Amadio (the guest back-up singer from Rotaryfest weekend) last month, and while the new look Obsession did play at Poohfest in White River this past weekend, their local debut with Jess on full lead vocals is currently slated for the fall, barring anything shorter notice beforehand. They'll be at The Esquire Club for two weekends first, but this full weekend booking at Shooters will be Obsession's first there since May.

Obsession's Facebook photos from Poohfest indicate that things went well for Jessica's full debut, but with months ahead, hopefully she and the guys are in full form with no rust when they make it back to the Dennis Street venue in November! As usual for Shooters gigs, expect 8:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and don't miss Obsession at The Esquire Club over Halloween weekend!

Back to this weekend, let's head to the temporary Legion Bar downstairs at The Marconi Cultural Event Centre, where Hamilton outsider folk/punk musician B.A. Johnston will play his third local concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Fans may recall seeing B.A.'s humorous, unpredictable, "you-had-to-be-there" brand of punk rock at two different venues in 2015 and 2019, but tomorrow's concert will be in relatively unique confines, as The Legion Bar is a temporary space at The Marconi Club to basically host the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 while their proper home base on Great Northern Road is demolished and rebuilt. The Legion proper was scarcely highlighted on the SMS as a venue, but hopefully B.A Johnston leaves a positive mark there and that this leads to more concerts while the Legion Bar exists! Shortly before they head to Ophir for Northern Vibe (more on that tomorrow), local instrumental surf rock trio The Dynowaves will open this concert.

Fresh off of dropping out of Rotaryfest and (ironically) Marconi Meets World last month, hopefully The Dynowaves deliver a solid concert for fans in their return! Tickets for this all ages event run for $12 (up from $10 at The New A in 2019), and you can buy them at this link or at The Marconi Club during office hours. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a small sampling of the wild, hard-to-describe B.A. Johnston live experience from earlier this year!

We'll last trek south to Sault Michigan, where Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino on FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT! Like last year, Sunspot are crossing state lines to play during the Michigan Paranormal Convention (or MiParacon), which is the annual gathering for fans and supporters of everything related to aliens, ghosts, sasquatches, and anything in between, so click here for full details on the convention proper! Sunspot proper are an ideal band to be in town for MiParacon, with their own brand "weird Wisconsin rock anthems" inspired by a wide array of themes and often paranormal events, and their psychedelic and power pop influenced hard rock should be a perfect nightcap to convention attendees! No, you do not need to have a pass for MiParacon to see Sunspot at The Rapids Lounge, it's an adjacent event open to everyone whether you're at the convention or not.

As usual for Rapids Lounge gigs, this is a 21+ event with no cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. Sunspot is not an easy band to sum up briefly, so definitely look them up and their very eclectic mix of original songs to see what they bring to the table, live and in studio! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Sunspot live at The Rapids Lounge last year! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel last September (apologies for missing it then), this is one of the better quality live videos I've seen from the Soo Kewadin lounge, and this rendition of "I Don't Wanna Be A Ghost" is fun & lively with strong musicianship, so definitely check it out for yourself below, and don't miss them at the casino!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our full Northern Vibe Festival preview (lack of a full band schedule acknowledged) tomorrow, with more news to follow over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sunspot & Peril) Plus New Sault Michigan Videos!!

An all Sault Michigan post lies ahead on this Saturday evening, including some new videos from two prominent local acts, but leading off, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month!

New hard rock dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino branch for next month have been confirmed via Kewadin's entertainment page, so what should you know there? Not counting the Tarnished and Fyrbird shows next month (the bands revealed those first), the first of the brand new dates will see Traverse City classic metal trio Peril return to the Soo for gigs on Friday, August 12th & Saturday, August 13th! After playing at Kewadin branches in the E.U.P. in both May and June, it's great to see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks' hard rocking and fan friendly selection of classic covers back in the Soo next month, and hopefully there's another great turnout for Peril on both nights! As usual for their Kewadin lounge gigs, expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more updates on Peril's trips north of the Mack when they roll in!

The other new Rapids Lounge hard rock concerts are courtesy of Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot, who will return to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, August 26th & Saturday, August 27th! As you may recall, Sunspot headed east to Michigan last year to perform during the Michigan Paranormal Convention (or MiParacon) which is held at the Sault Kewadin branch at the end of August annually (save 2020), and you can click here for full details on the convention. I'm not a massive paranormal follower, but if you are, this looks to be another huge weekend! Sunspot are actually releasing a new album next week, and it promises to have more of their requisite "weird Wisconsin rock anthems" that apply some deep and otherworldly topics to a fun power pop-laden hard rock sound with electronic and string influences. Had band to pin down, but definitely give them a listen for yourselves!

Like with Peril above, Sunspot's Kewadin shows next month are 21+ affairs with 9:00 PM start times and no cover charge (attendance at The Rapids Lounge is not conditional on buying MiParacon tickets, public attendees can come as normal). Obviously a huge weekend for alien, ghost, and Bigfoot fans in the E.U.P. ahead, and Sunspot should deliver some fitting tunes for attendees and general fans alike, so visit the above links for more details!

We'll close today with some new videos, starting with a live concert upload on blues/hard rock quartet Project 906's Facebook page on Sunday! Filmed at their Bird's Eye Outfitters show last week, this features 906 (who are just shy of 906 Facebook followers, incidentally) covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", though based on how Billy's singing, they're definitely more doing the Shinedown cover than the original. Not badly done at all, though the vocals can be a little forced on the verses. The venue lighting seems too fancy given that it's not dark in the store, but it's a solid quality behind and in front of the camera, so check it out below!

Finally for today, here's a couple of new solo performance videos from local classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel earlier this week! Both uploaded in black & white, they are erroneously labelled as "shorts" despite not being in the TikTok competitor format. One features guitarist Steve Giles delivering "some 80's style shred goodness" for one minute via multiple stationary camera angles, and it gives a nice pure showcase of his talents that won't come amiss to old Dust N' Bones fans! Embedded below is the longer upload, which features keyboardist Craig Harrison playing an original composition named "Live Without Your Love" that he calls "a songwriting idea in short, raw form". It's a dramatic yet surprisingly lively piano piece that fans of Theatre of Night's more orchestral side will appreciate, though it's definitely unfinished. Check out both of their new videos above & below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile and much more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Sunspot Concert Previews, Show Cancellations, And Much More!!

I wasn't expecting to start today's post like this, but we have THREE cancelled concerts for this weekend, for different but understandable reasons. First, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will not be playing at The Mike Case Memorial Stage at The Trading Post tonight due to the rain forecast in Sault Ontario (the stage is very much outdoors), as per the Facebook event page. Disappointing to see Tym's summer-ending weekly string of shows there end like this, but hopefully we see him again soon! I'm not going to rush a September concert schedule of his onto our listings, as the venue's Facebook page strongly hints that they only book live music in the summer season (re: late May-the end of August), but we'll let you know if he announces anything there for September. Meanwhile,  local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek have cancelled their planned (and already late notice) concerts tonight & tomorrow night at Reggie's West.

The band cited "an unfortunate medical issue with one of the guys" on their Facebook page yesterday. The shows were only announced on Monday, and thusly would have led off this post, but they will still hold their planned merchandise giveaway on Facebook. Hopefully all's well with the laid-up band member, and that Fort Creek are back on stage before you know it! Now, we have previews of a pair of still-on shows, a new video, and some assorted updates, so here's what you should know!

As part of the returning Michigan Paranormal Convention at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino this weekend, Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot will make their local concert debuts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge! A rare touring band from outside of Michigan to play a regular lounge weekend set there, Sunspot self describe themselves as "party rock from weird Wisconsin", but they have more than their fair share of heavy and power pop-leaning songs with very distinct and creative subject matter befitting MiParacon, so definitely check them out to hear that Sunspot has in store! These concerts are not explicitly tied to the convention, so you don't need a wristband or special admission to get in, and general attendees who aren't into the paranomal can come out. As such, there is no cover charge, a 21+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time.

And as usual, please respect any and all social distancing measures at Kewadin Casino and/or The Rapids Lounge to ensure everyone has a safe time, and mask up where required! I'm not a huge paranormal follower, but MiParacon is always stacked for ghost and alien aficionados, so be sure to check out the huge itinerary of stuff happening in Sault Michigan at the above links, and of course, give Sunspot a warm welcome east to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan! They're a creative, diverse, and often heavy band, don't bypass them this weekend, and here they are live in concert!

Next up, here's a new video from Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's YouTube channel this week, namely of another new instrumental song of his named "Pulse"! The video features heavy use of a filter that mirrors the screen in flower and circular patterns (it's hard to explain), but just as a content disclaimer, a sped up clip of a dead & decomposing fox is also included from 1:59-2:21, so don't look at the screen or skip past it if you think that may upset you. The song has a very slow ominous build into a heavy prog-metal breakdown (coinciding with the start of the fox clip, FYI), and musically, this is a nice change of pace that ends on a brutal note! Give it a watch below, but again, be cautious.

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

 

• According to photos in James Hopkin's SooToday article on Sunday, last week's Entomica Insectarium summer social fundraiser at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ontario was kinda/sorta held outdoors. Rather than have everyone inside the museum, the bands performed just inside the open hangar doors with attendees enjoying the music outside at patio tables by the waterfront, an aspect never made clear in pre-event advertising. Fun optics that allow for more open spaces re: social distancing! There are a couple of photos of The Josh Norling Jazz Quartet's set in the photo album as well, but James didn't get any of other bands.
• In late schedule clarifications for this weekend's Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir, local punk supergroup Jonesy Land will reportedly be playing tonight at 9:00 PM, and local Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters will reportedly be closing the Saturday night bill at 10:00 PM. My sources are frontmen Dustin Jones & Jules Cote's respective personal Facebook pages (it's all we have, alas). I wish a proper schedule had been released, but these at least fill in a couple of late blanks! Hopefully someone films some videos this weekend!
  
• Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's music video for their song "Metalyn" was submitted by director Jay London for this year's Soo Film Festival as one of seven music videos on this year's program. I believe the music video was added after the schedule was made up, but it looks to be part of the Tunes & Toons show at The Soo Theatre on Sunday, September 19th. Congratulations to Jay and Tarnished on this great exposure, and if you're in the E.U.P., consider checking out The Soo Film Festival for lots of diverse independent films!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post of some kind by Monday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Spun & Sunspot) And More On The Return Of Weekly Concerts At Kewadin Casino!!

As we started to get into in Sunday's post, Kewadin Casino is finally bringing back their normal weekly concert schedules at The Rapids Lounge at their Sault Ste. Marie branch and The Northern Pines Lounge at their St. Ignace location, with live music resuming there this weekend! Of course, a return to normalcy in this late stage of the pandemic is further along in Michigan than it is in Ontario, hence why we're seeing new short-term concert announcements in the E.U.P., but there is optimism that once Stage 2 of the Ontario re-opening begins tomorrow, we'll start to see a few show dates turn up on this side of the border, even if they still have restrictions for now. The Kewadin lounges' links above list steady live dates through year's end for both prior Kewadin regulars and relative newcomers alike, including new shows from touring acts like Lansing classic rock band Showdown, Columbus, Ohio R&B outfit NuCorp, Traverse City dance rockers Risque, Detroit blues musician Chris Canas...

...Farwell classic rock quartet Detour, St. John's country outfit The Louie Longoria Band, Marquette rock trio Uncle Ugly, Traverse City electronic/jam rock septet Biomassive, and a few hard rock bands that we will be getting into shortly. Locals hitting Kewadin by year's end include hard rock trio Tarnished (whose shows we covered here on Sunday), classic rock group The American Band, former Insipid Brutality guitarist Tyler Dettloff's solo blues project, country duo Perry/Hatch, rock cover trio Paradise Excuse, and Sault Ontario classic rock veterans Touch of Class, who are one of the very few bands on this side of the border bands to regularly play Sault Michigan gigs in this millennium. Touch of Class aren't booked for Kewadin dates until December, theoretically leaving lots of time to get the border opened... right?! As well, there are two bands playing this weekend that are not listed above, one of which we'll be discussing on the site on Thursday in their own feature, so check back in a couple of days.

The other band is named Frybird, who are scheduled to play The Northern Pines Lounge this Friday & Saturday, with two further weekends booked this summer, but I cannot find anything out about this band. If we hear anything, especially if they happen to play heavier music, we'll let you know!

As for those hard rock concerts, let's start by noting the apparent local concert debut of Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot, who will be playing at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, August 27th & 28th! NuCorp & Touch of Class aside, you tend to only hear about Michigan bands playing at Kewadin lounges, but Sunspot are here on a big weekend, as they'll be musical entertainment during this year's Michigan Paranormal Convention, returning to Kewadin Casino that weekend after not taking place in person last year for obvious reasons. I'm not a big paranormal follower, but the Michigan Paracon is a big deal if you are, and they've got some strong guests coming north this year, so visit their Facebook page for fill convention details. Sunspot's songs are all themed around science fiction, the paranormal, and mythical creatures, so they're a perfect fit!

Musically, Sunspot are a hard rock/power pop act, and they have a fun sound and a relatively unique hook to their music (you wouldn't expect a band of this genre to be singing about these topics), so they should draw a solid crowd of convention-goers and general fans alike! As best as I can tell, Sunspot's Rapids Lounge concerts are not explicitly tied to MiParacon tickets (again, see above for details), so general admission for just the band should still be free for 21+ers with a 9:00 PM start time, and of course, please follow any extant public health guidelines and recommendations if needed.

We'll close today's post by noting the long awaited return of Marquette hard rock quartet Spun to the E.U.P., as they will hit The Rapids Lounge one week later on Friday, September 3rd & Saturday, September 4th before heading to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace three months later on December 3rd & 4th! In case you need a refresher, Spun were the successors to long-time touring favourites Nudge. with that band's final lineup (minus Danzo) forming Spun in time for a run of well received local dates at The Satisfied Frog in 2017 & 2018. Spun had announced shows at the St. Ignace Kewadin this past August (obviously never taking place), so after a surprising three year break, it'll be nice to welcome Spun back to a local stage later this year! Their fan friendly hard rock covers should go over well with attendees, and as usual, these are 21+ events with no cover and a 9:00 PM start time, but be cognizant of potential public health guidelines.

We do have more from Kewadin Casino to address on the site on Thursday, both via a band playing this weekend and two very familiar touring acts making their regional returns later this year, so look for those and much more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!