LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Havadder) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

As we continue our regular stretch of daily posts to begin the year, we'll focus on the weekend's concert previews today, as there's some entertaining cover hard rock action going down on both sides of the border! This all includes a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW, and while some extra late notice shows are possible (look at last week's Havadder & Mourning Wood gigs), we'll touch on any that come up as soon as we can. Now, here's what you need to know for this weekend! (Updated at 9:18 PM)

Local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder will play their second show of the year when they hit The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only just heard about this event today via it's Facebook event page, and it apparently replaces an announced show by The Thrill Junkies, which was listed on SooToday's entertainment page earlier today before being edited to reflect the new booking. No word on why The Thrill Junkies are out, but note that they never confirmed the booking on their own pages, and I do apologize for any confusion. Hopefully all's well, and Havadder are a solid fill in with their own diverse and entertaining blend of hard rock and other classics! While Havadder are far from regulars at The Rockstar Bar, they have played the venue before, but as far as I can tell, not since March of 2012, so this has been a long time coming for them, and keep this show in mind if you want to see them somewhere a little different from their norm!

Also, the band appears to have confirmed that Scott McLurg is back as their new full time drummer (replacing T.J. Case), as a post on their Facebook page last week said that "I am pretty sure this is the ultimate Havadder lineup." Solid choice, especially given his 2011-2013 run with the band, so hopefully he adds to the whole package for the long term! TOMORROW'S show will be a 19+ affair with a likely 10:00 PM start time, and bring $5 for a cover just in case. For more details, check the above links, and here are the guys at The Rednecks Saloon!

Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll next head across the river to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned are scheduled their play their first shows of 2015 TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Announced on Kewadin's entertainment page earlier this month (though not yet on Banned's own Facebook page), these will be Banned's first shows in St. Ignace since the Halloween weekend. Alex, Don, and company have always proven to be a prolific sight at shows in the Eastern U.P., and their talented blend of originals and covers should be more than welcomed back to The Northern Pines Lounge this weekend, so keep it in mind if you're in the States! This weekend's Banned shows have no cover charge, 21+ age limits, and 9:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details, and here's Banned live last year!

Back in Sault Ontario, you can head to The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT to see former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison rock out with his acoustic hard rock covers all weekend! Continuing his successful ongoing run at the former Madison's Pub that has ran almost weekly since December 2013, this will be the first weekend of the year where Tym played a usual acoustic gig on the Saturday and the hosted jam night on the Friday, after a UFC PPV took the place of his show last Saturday. It's great to see Tym's ongoing Harp run continue successfully in the new year, and here's hoping his hard rock covers go over just as well at this central bar this weekend! Like usual for his Harp shows, there's no announced cover charge, a 10:00 PM start time, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Tym live at the former Smack Daddy's a couple years back!



Finally for known hard rock concerts this weekend, we'll come full circle back at The Rockstar Bar, as local party/hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will kick off 2015 with their first show of the year THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! A one night only show, this will be Greg, Mike, and Jon's first publically announced show together in 3 months, and will continue their recent run of regular appearances at this venue. These veterans are definitely among the more fun cover bands in Sault Ontario, so don't miss out on their hard hitting and entertaining sets on SATURDAY! Similarly to tomorrow's Thrill Junkies show, there's a 19+ age limit in effect, a likely 10:00 PM start time, and while some recent Rockstar Bar weekends have had no cover, bring some cash just in case. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Stiffler's Mom live at The Essar Centre!



That;s all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, and we'll touch on any late notice shows when we hear about them! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Lucky 13 & The Thrill Junkies), Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

With a surprisingly busy weekend of heavier concerts on the horizon (especially given that it's not quite the holidays for most people), we'll be breaking up this weekend's previews into two posts, with Sault Ontario shows (including some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS) kicking things off today, and Sault Michigan-area shows headlining tomorrow's post, but we have a new YouTube performance to fill today's post out! Now, here's what you should know for the weekend's concert previews!

Local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to the solo stage TOMORROW NIGHT with a one night only show at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced by The Rockstar Bar's Martin Fiser on their Facebook group on Tuesday. A one night engagement due to the short notice show we have after this write-up, this will continue the band's steady run upstairs at The Algonquin Hotel (they haven't played an announced solo show outside of The Rockstar Bar since February), and fresh off their third straight Toystock set, the guys should be in great spirits for another night of varied and often heavy covers! Note however that Lucky 13 have not plugged any of their concerts on their Facebook page since October, but they're definitely alive & well. This 19+ concert has a likely 10:00 PM start time TOMORROW, and while a cover charge hasn't been announced, bring $5 just in case.

For more details, check the above links! Lucky 13 have proven themselves as a live favourite over the past two years, and hopefully they deliver the same good vibes at The Rockstar Bar once again TOMORROW NIGHT! For a preview, here's the guys at Toystock last month!



With Lucky 13 playing tomorrow, who's playing at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY? The Thrill Junkies, that's who! Apologies again for the short notice, we heard about this show at the same time on Tuesday in the same Facebook group posting. This will be the Turner Up successor quintet's first ever appearance at The Rockstar Bar, their first show since last month's Rock For Dimes, and their first solo headlining show in almost 11 months, so if you're up for a full night's worth of classic and hard rock covers, you know where to be on Saturday night! Like above, this is a 19+ event, a 10:00 PM start time is in effect, and bring $5 just in case there's a cover charge this weekend. For more details, visit the above links and the official Facebook event page! After lying dormant for much of 2014, it's great to see The Thrill Junkies back in action with a more typical solo gig THIS SATURDAY, so keep it in mind as well! For a preview, here they are Rocking for Dimes last month!



Lastly for known Sault Ontario concerts this weekend, local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison is scheduled to return to The Harp Bar & Grill for his usual weekly solo gigs TOMORROW NIGHT & SATURDAY NIGHT! Officially confirmed on Facebook via this Facebook event page after not having one for last weekend's show, his own website's calendar also confirms that he did not play at The Harp last Saturday for unannounced reasons (we'd have reported it had we heard it, our apologies!), while he will not be playing at The Harp over the Boxing Day weekend at all, though it's not yet clear whether that's due to a holiday break or for external bookings. We'll let you know if we hear anything! Tym's successful year long run at the former Madison's Pub shows no visible signs of slowing down though, so feel free to take in his acoustic covers at tomorrow's open mic night and his usual Saturday night solo show this weekend if you're up for a good night of music!

There's no announced cover charge for either night at The Harp this weekend, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are likely. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Tym's extensive cover sets this weekend, and here he is at the Big Cheese a few years back!



Finally for today, here's a solo performance video that will be of high interest to old As It Stands fans! On Tuesday, longtime A.I.S. drummer John Mignacca uploaded this video to his/the band's YouTube channel of him playing through As It Stands' original song "Oh Herm, Herm Delish" on his normal drum kit (rather than the electric kit of his past solo uploads.) For fans who have missed As It Stands since their quiet breakup earlier this year (and last show in 2012), this is a pleasant surprise that shows John back in a familiar element, and despite the odd title, this was one of their better late-period originals! I wouldn't read into this as a sign of life for As It Sands unless stated otherwise, but give this solid video a look below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan weekend concert previews TOMORROW, and some more big news to come! Thanks everyone!

Sault Band-O-Rama & Tym Morrison Concert Previews!!

I hope everyone's managing the snow alright today, and we'll let you guys know if the weather throws a wrench into any of this weekend's covered shows! Due to the size and nature of one concert in particular this weekend, we're breaking up our hard rock concert previews into two posts, so we'll be looking at the Banned shows in Sault Michigan, Saturday night's Tiffany Maj benefit, and any late notice announcements in our next post. Look for them then, and now, let's kick off our previews!

12 different acts will descend upon The Primavera Banquet Hall at 256 Wellington Street West TOMORROW for the first(?) ever Sault Band-O-Rama all-day concert event! Promoted by Mourning Wood bandmates Terry Eaton & Steven Flint, this event is designed to bring together numerous local music acts of varying genres together to play sets & gain exposure, similarly to variants of this event in other cities.  Though open to any artists, there's a fair amount of heavier bands lined up, including familiar faces from Rock For Dimes & Toystock, so here's the full lineup in descending order! Headlining at 1:15 AM is local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control in their first non-house party show in two months, and their first since frontman Michael Mikus' health scare that knocked them out of Rock For Dimes, so hopefully the guys are back in good form to end Band-O-Rama! Fellow grunge/hard rockers Haggith will co-headline at 12:20 AM, and if their Facebook page's lineup is correct, this set will mark the return of original bassist Caleb Cachagee, six months after his last set with the band, which (if true) would indicate that Steven Flint's bassist role at Rock For Dimes was as a fill-in.

Caleb was an underrated presence with Haggith, so if the current lineup is accurate, it's great to see him back in the fold! Haggith guitarist Daniel Horton's other band Project 421 (replacing The Elements) will rock the stage at 11:25 PM for a set of classic metal covers, while local musician Justin Langlois' two active bands, classic/hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies and punk trio Redundant, will precede them at 10:30 & 9:35 PM, and both should have momentum on their side! Former As It Stands drummer John Mignacca's Dillinger solo project will bring a techno & electronica blast to the stage at 8:40 PM, while local acoustic hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will play a set at 7:55 PM, preceding his usual Harp concert tomorrow night that we'll preview in a minute. A mystery project named Infamous is scheduled for the 7:00 PM slot, and we still honestly know nothing on him/her/them, so let us know A.S.A.P. if you can help us out, and we'll let you know if we hear something!

Local singer/guitarist Jacob Quarrell's new acoustic solo project Shit Creek Survivor is scheduled for 6:25 PM, while students from Stiffler's Mom guitarist Michael Davies' Bocturoc Academy of Music will play a set at 5:50 PM, who actually switched sets with Jacob recently for unannounced reasons. Sault Band-O-Rama will begin with two Blood Shed Productions-affiliated bands, including local goregrind duo Rotopsy at 4:55 PM and local experimental metal trio The Strange Coyotes (replacing The Revolution) opening the show at 4:00 PM in their first non-house party gig since formally announcing their reunion, and if all goes well, the guys announced on their Facebook page that they'll try and record a live album tomorrow comprised of their set, so don't be late for that! Also note that while the aforementioned Elements were briefly re-added to this show at an early 3:00 PM set time, they later dropped out again, so the show will begin at 4:00 PM as originally planned.

This ALL AGES show has a $5 cover charge, promoters Steven Flint & Terry Eaton's new sound company Twin City Sound will handle that aspect of the show, and for reference sake (as The Primavera Hall is not familiar from our coverage), the venue is just down the road from RJ's Market. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This is definitely an ambitious event, especially given the spread of talent and the show's length, but hopefully there's a solid turnout so Steve & Terry give this another whirl! I'm unsure yet if I'll be able to go, but don't miss the first Sault Band-O-Rama TOMORROW, please let us know if you know anything on Infamous, and here's The Pixo Control live this spring!



We'll close this first preview post with the aforementioned Tym Morrison's usual solo acoustic gigs at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After a one night only engagement last weekend due to The Harp's broadcast of UFC 180, the calendar on his website confirms that he'll host and play at the former Madison's Pub's jam night tomorrow before headlining a regular acoustic show on Saturday, though I'll give the caveat that Tym hasn't posted a Facebook event page yet for this weekend. The Caveman Morrison frontman's ongoing weekly concert arrangement at The Harp is fast approaching it's one year anniversary, which is a great sign for it's success and his talent, so keep his regular shows in mind for some unplugged hard rock covers this weekend, whether or not you'll be seeing him at Band-O-Rama first! Both shows likely have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges, so check the above links for more details, and here's Tym covering Metallica!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Northwest & Banned previews (and more) either tonight or tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Hard Rock Band, Sault Band-O-Rama Updates, And Much More!!

Today's post relates to bands and projects with clear ties to a few local artists in particular, but that's just how things came together on this snowy Monday, and it all fits together nicely! Along with some assorted recent notes, we have a recent concert video, lineup changes for an upcoming concert event, and first, here's the newest addition to our Sault Ontario band links!

It's about time that we rolled them in, so we're officially welcoming Mourning Wood to our full coverage at the SMS! We had previously been referencing them as country/rock, but given their setlist at Rock For Dimes (which included Metallica, AC/DC, and Billy Idol songs), that's a good sampling and indicator of how their longer shows would go. Debuting in August at The Rednecks Saloon, their lineup features Asylum Country guitarist Terry Eaton & drummer T.J. Case (both veterans of older metal bands) alongside T.J.'s Urawk bandmate Steven Flint (also of Beaumont Avenue & Haggith), and while Terry sings most lead vocals, Steven & T.J. take turns for certain songs also. Mourning Wood have been playing fairly frequently since debuting, splitting their solo gigs at The Rednecks Saloon, The New American Pub, and (in the first shows we've heard that fit on the site) Reggie's West, a.k.a. the former Roosevelt Hotel. The band is next scheduled to take part in this year's Toystock at The Canadian on November 29th.

Also, note that T.J. has had conflicts where Mourning Wood and his other hard rock band Havadder have played on the same weekends, but we've tended to see him play with Mourning Wood in these cases. Mourning Wood have a solid sound that has a lot of quality hard rock action and reliable covers, and while the guys could be livelier on stage, fans who see them live won't have a lot to worry about! Don't miss them at Toystock, and stay tuned for updates on their next headlining shows!

Next up, here's a new video from the aforementioned Rock For Dimes at The Delta Waterfront Hotel, and it's of fellow local classic/hard rock cover band The Thrill Junkies' set! Filmed by bassist Justin Langlois' father Michel and uploaded to his YouTube channel on Saturday, this is of their opening cover of Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy", as preceded by MC Lou Turco's introduction and some pre-set tuning and preparation. The video is of nice quality and shot close to the stage's right, and it captures this solidly done rendition well! Give it a look below, and we'll let you know if Michel has any Redundant footage!

Also today, here's some updates concerning the lineup of the Sault Band-O-Rama all day concert event at The Primavera Hall on Friday (as promoted by 2/3rds of Mourning Wood), including two band changes. One reflects the re-addition of local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements to the lineup as the opening band at 3:00 PM, as they've pulled out of the show again for unannounced reasons, as per co-promoter Terry Eaton on the Facebook event page on Saturday. Disappointing, but we'll be sure to see them again soon! The show will open at 4:00 PM again now, but with a new band kicking things off, as local experimental metal trio The Strange Coyotes will now open the show in their first non-house party gig since reuniting! As per co-promoter Steven Flint yesterday, they're replacing local doom/punk band The Revolution due to the recent departure of bassist Rainey Vincent (despite a guarantee that they'd play this show with or without a replacement), but hopefully things get sorted out, and the Coyotes should set the tone well on Friday!

There's still 12 varied local acts to take in on Friday (including the mystery project Infamous), and remember that this ALL AGES show has just a $5 admission, so keep it in mind for this Friday! Stay tuned for updates and our preview of it later this week!

Finally for today, here's three assorted stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or series name:

• We've moved local hard rock quartet Punch to our inactive band links. While the guys posted on their Facebook page as recently as July, the band (who replaced Haggith during their brief breakup) have slim future prospects given that most of their members are now playing with the reunited Haggith, who have also taken on Punch's originals as their own tracks, even including the song named "Punch". Follow Haggith to keep tabs on where Punch would have went, and best of luck to Curtis, Daniel, Steven, and Ben!
• Following up on their mention of it at Rock For Dimes on Friday, Redundant frontman Justin Langlois has posted on numerous Facebook pages (including the Musicians Wanted group) this weekend to confirm that the local punk trio is working on finishing their long hinted debut album, and a CD release party for it is in the works. To that effect, the band is looking for at least one local opening band, so if you're interested in opening, or have a suggestion, message Justin at this link or above, and stay tuned for more on their CD plans!
• Don't cry for the end of Urawk (Beaumont Avenue & T.J. Case's live band karaoke series) just yet, as the grand finale at The Rednecks Saloon was just for their run there. A cover photo on the new Urawk Facebook page reveals that the series is moving from the former Nicolet Tavern to The Rockstar Bar in the coming weeks, though a reason for the move in venue hasn't been announced. Keep tabs on Urawk if you want to sing karaoke with a live band when they return!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and this month's new poll TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

Rock For Dimes 2014 Concert Review!!

Hey guys, before we get to our review of Friday night's Rock For Dimes, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert on the site, as local alternative rock cover quartet Lucky 13 played at The Rockstar Bar last night, but the band never plugged it online, and the venue only did on their Facebook group an hour before showtime. We mentioned it on our Facebook page last night to at least address it for fans, but I sincerely apologize for not getting it on the site, and we'd have plugged it in our weekend previews had we heard about it! For what it's worth, the gig wasn't a replacement for the cancelled Whiskey Shits show, as that was going to be downstairs.

Now, to the concert review, as Friday night saw the second annual local installment of Rock For Dimes, the March of Dimes fundraising concert event, which took place at The Delta Waterfront Hotel rather than The Grand Gardens for the first time. I haven't been to this building for a concert since it was the Holiday Inn, back in the last years of the Bon Soo Battle of the Bands, but over the years and since the new owners moved in, things looked very different. The show itself took place at the hotel's Algoma East Ballroom, and in terms of non-musical aspects, there was a 50/50 draw, a door prize draw, a live auction for a guitar from Case's Music, and a number of silent auction prizes. The ballroom was nicely laid out with professional staging, an ongoing slideshow of bands and sponsors, a pleasant ambiance, and pizza, nachos, and drinks on hand for attendees to partake in, which was all a nice touch! Ward 4 councillor and local radio personality Lou Turco was on hand to MC the event, and while he was friendly and seemed happy to be there, you could tell that the bands generally weren't his thing.

The opening band was supposed to be The Damon King Band (the last remaining holdover from the cancelled youth battle of the bands), but they dropped out of the show for unannounced reasons on Thursday. Hopefully all's well with the guys, but it is a shame that every aspect of the youth battle completely eroded away. In their place, local alternative/hard rock quartet Late Shift (accidentally announced as "Last Shift") filled in on short notice, and it was nice to see them jump in, especially with how good their set was! Covering everyone from Led Zeppelin to The Offspring during their 6 song set (including an original song that I think was called "Freight"), the guys showed some good chemistry and talent, with John Barber's impressive vocals shining brightly, and Clint Wilson providing some dependably good bass! Though their shows are sporadic (and they lack an online page), Late Shift impressed, and don't miss them at Coch's Corner this weekend!

Also, as an aside, John was excellent in interacting with some of the younger kids in attendance during and after their set, he was a natural! Yes, this was an all ages event, remember that the battle of the bands would have featured high school-aged acts.

Though The Elements were advertised as the next band, they traded places with local grunge/hard rock quartet Haggith on the lineup for unannounced reasons, but Haggith had a surprise in store, as they've apparently added Beaumont Avenue guitarist Steven Flint (also of Mourning Wood) to their lineup as their new bassist, replacing James White. While a reason hasn't been stated, James told me it was related to his personal schedule, and I'll leave it at that unless the band elaborates. It's not clear yet whether Steven is officially in Haggith now or just filling in, but given that he played with Curtis & Daniel in the similar & dormant band Punch, he fits in just fine! In fact, half of Haggith's six song set was comprised of songs that Punch played live (i.e. "Metal Cage"), which was nice and convenient! The bassist change aside, the guys were tight and energetic, and put in a solid effort as usual, so fans had nothing to worry about!

Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements were on next after the band trade, and though their set shared surface similarities with Late Shift's (both bands covered Sublime, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Led Zeppelin), they upped the funk rock quota with an entertaining set of their own! If there was any lingering feelings from bassist James White's exit from Haggith, it didn't show in his solid output, while Jesse Cook was predictably very good on guitar, and Rob Speers jumped genres well and made the most of his range! It was nice to see The Elements again, but compared to their surrounding bands, why'd they only play 4 songs? They could have slotted one or two more in, but beggars can't be choosers, and their set was still entertaining and delivered the goods for fans! Keep an eye out for The Elements at more upcoming shows in the coming months!

Newer local cover rock band Mourning Wood came on next, and they're one of three that I'd never seen live before, so how'd they do? Their 5 song set featured covers of Joe Walsh, Billy Idol, AC/DC, Metallica, and Black Crowes songs, with guitarist Terry Eaton generally singing lead on them, aside from bassist Steven Flint handling "Rebel Yell" and drummer T.J. Case singing "Highway To Hell", though across the board, the guys sang each track well! Honestly, Mourning Wood were heavier than I thought they'd be, and while there wasn't a lot of visible energy and movement, these are three very talented musicians who know a number of genres, and it showed well! Terry handled singing and guitar work very well, and while some songs sounded a bit empty without a second guitar, they have a good thing going so far! Stay tuned for more on Mourning Wood on the site this week!

Fifth on Friday was the local progressive/jazz rock quartet Mannapool, who were somewhat of an unknown commodity to many despite being together since 2012. They left a good impression though with a skilled sound that I don't think many people were expecting to see at Rock For Dimes! Playing four originals (I think), the songs went from slower and darker to more upbeat and lively, but all had a technical progressive vibe with good talent all around and solid effect usage. Locally, I'd compare them to Machines Dream, but is it wrong to say that they reminded me of a mix of The Black Keys and Anathema? Though I wasn't familiar with any of the members before hearing of their Toystock involvement, they all showed clear talent, with Josh Ingram's melodic vocals flowing very well, and bassist Michael Dempster kept up solid energy with his playing! Though not a "heavy" band, Mannapool were impressive, and I hope to see them again at Toystock!

Co-headlining this year's Rock For Dimes was local classic/hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies, making their first live concert appearance since January, so 5 songs or not, this was a long time coming! The Turner Up successors covered Lit, The Foo Fighters, and Radiohead before tackling two Weezer songs, and while there was some minor stage rust, these local veterans were in their element, and it showed well! Travis Sharpe's versatile singing was on full display (nice to see him fronting a band again), and both Robert Brown and Jason Nisbet showed their guitar talents throughout their set! This was also the band's first show since Redundant's Rick White replaced Scott McLurg on drums, and he fit in pretty good with The Thrill Junkies, though we'll get more of a sense of the new lineup when they're back playing at bars. Solid comeback for The Thrill Junkies, and don't miss them at Sault Band-O-Rama!

Headlining in their second straight Rock For Dimes set was local punk trio Redundant, who capped the night with a 7 song set of covers and originals that definitely kept the remaining fans going! Encouraging everyone to join them on the floor (the only band to do that), their set featured cameo appearances by two of frontman Justin Langlois' sons, who ran around, talked into extra mics, and added a cute family element to their set! Redundant covered songs from the likes of Rise Against, Operation Ivy, and Weezer with the ease that you'd expect from them, and aside from a brief stoppage to announce silent auction winners, they had good momentum and definitely seemed to be having fun! It should also be noted that bassist James White indicated on stage that their debut album is planned to come out by February, which is the first I've heard of them making one in many months, so we'll have to see if that comes to fruition. If you left early, you missed a solid punk set, but you'll see Redundant again soon!

Though a "jam session" was teased to close the event after Redundant wrapped up, it didn't take place for unannounced reasons. Even without that, I'd call this year's Rock For Dimes a success based on what did occur on Friday, and it was nice to see a variety of local bands join forces to help support The March of Dimes and the United Way! It's just a shame that the youth battle of the bands didn't take place, but if they try it again next year, hopefully they advertise and promote it more locally (or maybe open invitations to adult bands?) SooToday's Donna Hopper was on hand too for coverage of the event, so we definitely await her quality photos and more! Of course, we got lots of photos of each band that you can check out at this link or at our Facebook page, though I apologize for the quality on most, as I didn't want to impose on other fans by getting on the floor to get closer when no one else was.

As for our videos, here's Late Shift covering Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and Sublime's "STP", Haggith playing their song (formerly a Punch original) "Road Rash", The Elements covering The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Hump De Bump", Mourning Wood covering Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell", Mannapool playing an original song whose title wasn't announced (let us know if you know it), The Thrill Junkies covering The Foo Fighters' "My Hero", and Redundant covering Green Day's "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?"!

Late Shift & Haggith

The Elements & Mourning Wood

Mannapool & The Thrill Junkies

Redundant - Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week! Thanks everyone!

Rock For Dimes Concert Preview, Inclufing The Battle Of The Bands' Cancellation!!

With a surprisingly busy weekend for concerts on the horizon (unusually so for November), we've broken this weekend's concert previews into three posts: One for Sault Ontario, one for Sault Michigan and potential late notice confirmations, and this first post all about a notable charity concert taking place at a somewhat unfamiliar venue tomorrow night! However, one of two planned shows for the same cause was cancelled yesterday, so read on below for that and all of the details regarding this show!

A special charity concert will take place TOMORROW as part of the second annual Rock For Dimes charity event in Sault Ste. Marie! Moving from The Grand Gardens in March of last year to The Delta Waterfront Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn) at at 208 St Mary's River Drive, this is the local branch of the national Rock For Dimes concert events to raise money for the March of Dimes' charitable work in improving the health of (expecting) mothers and their children, which is a very worthwhile cause! Now, the event was supposed to feature two linked concerts tomorrow, including a headlining lineup of adult bands and a youth battle of the bands at 5:00 PM, but the battle was confirmed to be cancelled via promoter Dennis Ullman on the Facebook event page. The news follows scheduled performers The Pixo Control's exit due to frontman Michael Mikus having a health scare (source here) and a slow public search to find a full lineup of four competing youth bands, as there was only two ever confirmed publically.

This would have been the first local battle of the bands since last year's Viva La Battle, and likely the only Sault Ontario battle of 2014, but at least the later adult bands are still on! Michael will be just fine after what happened, so look for The Pixo Control at Sault Band-O-Rama next week! As a result, the only remaining youth band will open tomorrow's show, which now starts at 7:30 PM, while there will also be presentations, draws, and auctions bookending and in between the bands during both halves of the day. With the changes, there will be 7 bands (up from just two last year) lined up to play tomorrow night, with the existing non-battle acts including local punk trio Redundant (who played at last year's Rock For Dimes), returning local classic/hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies (who last took the stage 10 months ago), newer alternative/jazz rock quartet Mannapool, local country/rock cover trio Mourning Wood, local grunge quartet Haggith, and local funk/alternative rock favourites The Elements, and that's a solid lineup on it's own, even if each band has only half hour long sets!

With the cancellation of the battle of the bands, the opening set at 7:30 PM (originally planned to be the first place encore set) goes to The Damon King Band, so I guess they're the de facto battle winners? I don't know a whole lot on them, but they're definitely a high school aged band, and they may be one and the same as the band Damon and Anthony Boudreau were looking for band members for on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group in September. We'll find out more tomorrow! Note that you could also see this as a preview of next Friday's Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Hall, as all of these bands (save for Mannapool and The Damon King Band) are either playing or have members promoting that event, so keep that angle in mind! Public timeslots have mostly not been posted for the adult concert, but each band was slotted at having 25 minutes (thanks to Redundant drummer Rick White for the info), and a jam session is slated for 11:30 PM to close the show.

Admission tomorrow will be $15 for adults and $5 and a non-perishable food donation for "youth" attendees, while tickets bought for the cancelled battle of the bands will indeed be honoured at the door. If you don't want to buy at the door, you can order tickets online as well at this link, and this show is definitely ALL AGES. For more details, visit the above links and the Facebook event page! Though it is disappointing that we lost the battle of the bands, this is still an intriguing event, and greatly expanded from last year! It'll also be neat to have a concert with hard rock and punk bands at the former Holiday Inn again, which some of you may remember as the host of Bon Soo's old battles of the bands. I definitely plan to come out for Rock For Dimes, as it's got a lot of entertaining bands for a great cause, and for a preview, here's Redundant live at last year's Rock For Dimes!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more Sault Ontario weekend concert previews later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rock For Dimes & Battle Of The Bands) And More!!

Before we get to the meat of this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed show on here, as local classic/hard rock quartet RPM returned to the stage to make their Rednecks Saloon debut on October 24th, as per the venue's Facebook page. That completely slipped us by last month, but with RPM lacking an online page that I know of (and already playing only here and there), there were less ways to hear about it. Still, our sincere apologies to the band and their fans, hopefully we hear about their next gigs! Now, here's a stacked new post featuring LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for two linked concerts on the same day that should definitely be followed, plus some more updates!

For the first time since last year's Viva La Battle, Sault Ontario will get a battle of the bands as part of this year's second annual Rock For Dimes fundraiser event this coming Friday! Actually, you'll get TWO concerts on Friday if you wait it out, so here's what you should know! Completely expanded from the first regional Rock For Dimes in March 2013 (where the only bands were Redundant and the sporadically seen RPM), the event moves from The Grand Gardens to The Delta Waterfront Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn) at 208 St Mary's River Drive this year, but like before, this event is a major fundraiser for the March of Dimes and their ongoing work in improving the health of pregnant women, mothers, and babies, which is a great cause! If last year is any indication, there will also be presentations, draws, and an auction between and bookending the bands to help the effort, and you can visit the above links for more public information on the event in general!

The battle of the bands itself will be at 5:00 PM on Friday, and is geared towards high school and youth bands, with only one band publically confirmed for it at present, that being local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control. They've been on a solid rise so far since their launch, and here's hoping they put on a good show at the battle on Friday! The other competing bands have not been announced, though a second slot is reportedly going to a band led by a young local musician named Damon King (thanks to Rick White from the later lineup for the info!) I don't have much else on Damon's band yet, but they could be the same metal band that he and former Social Suicide member Anthony Boudreau were looking for musicians for on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group in September. If we hear anything, we'll keep you posted! At last word, promoters are still looking for one more youth band to play the battle, so contact promoters at the Facebook event page for details!

Prizes for winning or placing bands haven't been announced other than to say that the winning band will play an encore set at around 7:30 PM on Friday (thanks again, Rick!), which will lead right into the showcase concert for non-youth bands, of which there are 6. They include local punk trio Redundant (the only returning band from last year's Rock For Dimes), local classic/hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies (in their first live concert set in 10 months), newer alternative/jazz rock quartet Mannapool, local country/rock cover trio Mourning Wood, local grunge/hard rock quartet Haggith, and local funk/alternative rock favourites The Elements, so that's a diverse lineup with some familiar faces! Also, kudos to bassist James White, who will be playing with all three of his current bands (Redundant, The Elements, and Haggith) on Friday! Each band will play a short set on Friday, with battle competitors getting 20 minute sets, and older bands getting 25 minutes each.

A jam session of some type will close this year's Rock For Dimes, and admission for each of the two halves of the night will be $5 for the battle, and $15 for the later bands, and you can buy tickets online "from" individual bands at this link, or presumably at the door. Advertising also notes that a youth ticket plus a toy or food donation will get you entry for the later adult bands, so keep that deal in mind as well, though it may only apply to "youth" attendees. For all current public details, visit the above links! Everything sounds bigger and better for the second local Rock For Dimes event, and it's nice to see so many bands joining together for the cause! The double concert format is a little odd, especially when seeing the adult bands in a battle would be cool, but I get the focus on high school acts for their own battle, and a win would be a nice feather in the cap for their development!

Also, it'll be nice to have a battle of the bands at the former Holiday Inn for the first time since Bon Soo's old battles, so if you miss that annual event, be at The Delta Waterfront Suites THIS FRIDAY! Stay tuned for more public updates as they roll in!

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

• I've switched The Canadian Nightclub's link in our active concert venue listings from their older inactive Facebook group to their more active current Facebook group. Not a huge change, but it helps to have the most accurate updated links on the site!
• Local hardcore punk favourites Destroilet have been forced to drop out of their opening set at The Bear Hunters' CD release concert at The Canadian on November 29th due to "unforseen work circumstances" for an unidentified band member, as per Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie on the Facebook event page on Tuesday. Disappointing, but we'll see the guys again soon, and if you or your band want to open for this big show at month's end, message The Bear Hunters at the above links!
• Local classic metal quartet Project 421 have been announced to fill in for the aforementioned Elements at Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Hall due to bassist James White's work commitments, as per the Facebook event page and a Musicians Wanted Facebook group thread, though this surprisingly won't affect Redundant & Haggith's sets. Disappointing, but don't miss The Elements on Friday at Rock For Dimes, and it's nice to see James' Haggith bandmate Daniel Horton fill in for him with Project 421!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more big news and notes in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sault Band-O-Rama & Stiffler's Mom) And More!!

Before our review of last night's Halloween Party at The Algonquin Pub gets up on the site, here's our first news post of November, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT, another new show for later this month, and some more assorted updates, so here's what you need to know!

Local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom will apparently kick off November with a one night only gig at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only just heard about this show yesterday via SooToday's "Soo-To-BOO! List", and while it's also advertised at the venue's marquee board, note that neither the band nor venue's Facebook pages have made mention of it that I've seen. This should be a fun show though for Stiffler's Mom loyalists and anyone looking for a post-Halloween good time, so if you're still up for some live hard rock, you know where to be TONIGHT! Remember, this is a one-nighter due to Thin Ice's show at The Rockstar Bar last night (the Frightlight concert was downstairs.) A $5 cover charge is likely for TONIGHT's show, as is a 10:00 PM start time, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Stiffler's Mom live at Rotaryfest!



Next up, here's a long overdue new concert announcement for later this month, as originally first asked about on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on October 20th, but it's only just making the site now due to the Halloween crush and waiting for extra details.The event is called "Sault Band-O-Rama", and the intent is to be an all-day concert event where bands news and old (of any genre) can just play to a live audience, and I believe this sort of event has been held in other cities. The event is being promoted by Beaumont Avenue guitarist Steven Flint and Asylum Country guitarist Terry Eaton, both of which have been playing together recently in the local country rock cover band Mourning Wood, but none of their bands are playing at Band-O-Rama. Taking place on Friday, November 21st at The Primavera Banquet Hall on 256 Wellington Street West (a venue I've never heard of for local metal or punk shows), 12 acts are signed for 30-45 minute sets each that day, so who all is playing the first ever local Band-O-Rama?

The last act that day will be local alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control at 1:15 AM, with local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith on at 12:20 AM, and local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements rocking out at 11:25 PM. Local classic/hard rock veterans The Thrill Junkies will play their first public concert in 10 months at 10:30 PM that night (which will also mark new drummer Rick White's debut with the band), while Rick and bassist Justin Langlois's punk trio Redundant are on right before them at 9:35 PM. Former As It Stands drummer John Mignacca's techno solo project Dillinger is scheduled for 8:40 PM, preceded by Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison in a rare non-Harp appearance at 7:55 PM.  An act that I've never heard of named Infamous is scheduled for 7:00 PM (anyone have any info on him/them?), while students from Stiffler's Mom guitarist Michael Davies' Bocturoc Academy of Music will play a set at 6:25 PM, and a set at 5:50 PM belongs to Shit Creek Survivor, a new local acoustic solo project from singer/guitarist Jacob Quarrell.

The day will open with two young bands with Brutaly Fatal ties, including local goregind duo Rotopsy at 4:45 PM and local doom/punk trio The Revolution at 4:00 PM. This show goes down at The Primavera Hall on November 21st at 4:00 PM, and admission is ALL AGES and just $5, so for more details, visit the above links! This is an ambitious but intriguing concert to be sure, and it's full of local talent, much of it heavy for you hard rock and punk fans! I'm curious to see how Sault Band-O-Rama does, especially at an unfamiliar venue, but we'll keep you guys posted with updates!

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

• Apologies for this being late, but local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder welcomed former drummer Scott McLurg (also of Turner Up fame) back to the band as a temporary fill-in for T.J. Case at their Studio 10 concert yesterday. T.J.'s missed a few of their recent gigs, so hopefully all's well, but Scott's a quality replacement, and hopefully Havadder had a great show last night! Our source is Scott's personal Facebook page.
• It's official: The Strange Coyotes are back! The members of the experimental hard rock trio got back together on Thursday at The Oddfellows Hall for bassist James Watterworth's solo set, and drummer Mike Haggith confirmed on his solo Facebook page earlier today that they "plan to resume activity". Great news, especially given how things ended in the spring, so stay tuned for updates, and they're back in our active band links!
• Speaking of bands featuring guitarist Chase Wigmore, his grind duo This Is Your Band On Drugs' self-titled demo (which is available for free online) was sold for $1 in physical copies at Thursday's Devil's Night concert, even though they were replaced that day by The North Shore. That does make it eligible for reviewing on the site in a month with no new CDs, so keep that in mind!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of last night's Halloween Party at The Algonquin Pub next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (LemmaFest), A New Local Band, And More!!

For the fifth time in our last six posts, we have a mostly Sault Michigan-centric assortment for you guys on this Friday morning (actually, 100% from across the river today), including a new preview video, a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next weekend, and leading things off, a new local band, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new local hard rock band to add to our links on the site, and they are a Sault Michigan quartet named The Bottom Line! Launched on April 7th, their lineup notably features Highest of Fives bandmates Mitch Goetz on vocals and Jack Slater on bass, alongside guitarist Joe Jenkins and drummer Will Storey, neither of which I'm familiar with from recent area bands. Self described as "high voltage rock", the guys will make their live debut next weekend (more on that in a second), but have also indicated that they'll be playing a gig in Hessel in July that we'll plug in an upcoming post, which I'll confirm is part of an annual festival there. No full videos or setlist hints have been posted yet of The Bottom Line, but their Facebook page does share some videos of Will drumming (one linked here), and he definitely is skilled at this instrument! Check out the other drum video below, and stay tuned for much more from The Bottom Line as we hear it!



As for The Bottom Line's first live concert appearance, you can see them on Saturday, June 21st (one week from tomorrow), as they're among the performers at this year's fourth annual LemmaFest, which finally got a formal lineup confirmation from promoters on Wednesday via their Facebook page! 8 individual acts are scheduled for this outdoor festival outside of Dondee Lanes, which is a bit small compared to previous years, and the lack of Scofflaw (who played each of the last 3 years) is surprising, but here's who's advertised! Three LemmaFest veterans are scheduled to return this year, including Munising metal quartet Infathom (featuring Sault-area native Dillion Semasky on vocals), local alternative/grunge trio Plastic (now with Aaron DePalma on drums in place of the departed Paul Burns, source here), and solo country/pop artist Caitlin LeBlanc (who played an unadvertised set in 2012), so all should fit in well this year! The new bands include the aforementioned Bottom Line as well as Division of Sanity, a young local rock band whose online music output is largely acoustic, but have indicated that they play metal songs also, so it will be interesting to see how they sound at LemmaFest!

The other 3 acts are somewhat more mysterious as of right now, and they include a solo artist named Mike Kowalski (genre and instruments unclear) and bands named Nightmare Grin and Mr. Fister, who currently lack online pages and a high amount of concrete info. I do know that Nightmare Grin's drummer is I.S.O.M. alum Bart Rennels (nice to see him in a new band!), and I've heard scattered rumours relating to both bands, but full lineups and genres are hopefully forthcoming in a public form, though as we've seen with bands like Great Bodily Harm and Power Slug, online pages aren't a guarantee. Time slots for this year's LemmaFest have yet to be announced, but the poster above looks realistic to the order, for what that's worth. In memory of the late Mike Lemma and Jon Hackworth (who sadly passed away in January), admission for this ALL AGES event will be $10, with the day's events beginning at 12:00 PM, and there will be prizes & draws, a pig roast, bowling specials, and more, with proceeds going to the Hackworth family.

For more details, visit the above links and the Facebook event page! This should be a great event, and even though the lineup is surprising due to the number of newer projects and lack of some familiar recent bands, they're all rocking out for a great cause, and hopefully Mike & Jon are looking on somewhere and enjoying this year's festival! Stay tuned for updates (particularly on Nightmare Grin & Mr. Fister), and don't miss LemmaFest IV next weekend!

Finally for today, we have one last note with a Bottom Line connection, as Mitch & Jack's other hard rock band The Highest of Fives released a new trailer for the second chapter of their ongoing short film "Bang!" to their YouTube channel yesterday! The first chunk of the trailer features a slow motion chase scene, and it ends with assorted out of context scenes from upcoming installments, plus a very brief audio clip at the end. It doesn't tell us much, but it does give a tease of what we'll see in part 2, so give the trailer a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for That;s all for today, but stay tuned for special features on a recent glut of video posts (also from the Sault Michigan area) in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Power Slug), Weekend Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

For today's post at the SMS, we're mostly focusing on previews of this weekend's local metal/hard rock concerts, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW across the river, but note that we'll be holding our preview of Sunday's Pixo Control show at Cafe Natura for our next post to give it proper emphasis closer to showtime, as it's a little early to preview it yet. We also have some cool new concert videos from a regional acoustic trio rounding things out, so read on for what you need to know! (Updated at 9:05 PM)

Sault Michigan hard rock cover trio Power Slug will return to The Savoy Bar & Nightclub TOMORROW NIGHT for a solo headlining show! Apologies for the short notice, the band (and Uncle Si) just announced the event on their Facebook page yesterday. Though the first live event ever announced on their Facebook page (and first I can 100% confirm in our area in a few months), this might not be too far off their last Savoy show, if the Midnight Oil cover filmed there was any time recently. Either way, there will be drink specials all night for Chris, Bob, and Chris' entertaining set of hard and modern rock covers, so don't miss your chance to chug your mug with Power Slug TOMORROW NIGHT! For reference, Fridays are also The Savoy's ladies night. You must be 21 to attend tomorrow's one night only show, there's no announced cover charge, and I assume Power Slug would be on by 10:00 PM. For more details, check the above links, and here's the band covering Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" at The Bird!

Moving to previously announced shows, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill on Pine Street will enter it's 28th consecutive week when he headlines their weekly jam/open mic night TOMORROW! Note however that like in a few other recent weeks, Tym will likely not be playing a solo show on Saturday night due to The Harp's expected live broadcast of UFC 174, similarly to a few other preemptions from earlier this year. If you're up for some solo acoustic hard rock action (and perhaps open mic performers), be at the former Madison's Pub tomorrow to take in what should be some talented and proficient covers, as Tym has more than impressed this year at this venue! Admission should be free for this 19+ event, and a 10:00 PM start time is likely. Check the above links for more details, don't miss Tym's unplugged cover classics tomorrow night, and here he is at Mill Square last summer!



Also, Sault Ontario classic hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies were scheduled to make their long awaited return to the concert stage (and first set with their new drummer Rick White) this Saturday at Runway Park as part of the second annual Algoma Ride For Autism festivities, but they have been forced to drop out of the event, as per bassist Justin Langlois in a recent Facebook conversation. All I'll confirm is that it's due to a medical emergency related to a band member, and unless the band says something publically, I won't elaborate further on that, but hopefully all turns out OK! In their place, local punk trio Redundant (also featuring Justin and Rick) will make their Runway Park debut in their first live concert in 4 months, and they're a fitting & convenient choice, so keep them in mind for some punk action on Saturday! Though there's no longer a known hard rock band on the lineup, this is still a great family event, featuring a motorcycle rally through town for autism awareness & research, family events and games, a barbeque, and more, so click here for full details for this FREE & ALL AGES event on Saturday at 10:00 AM, and hopefully we see The Thrill Junkies again soon!

Finally for today, remember Train Wreck, the acoustic trio from Brimley, Michigan that memorably covered Hellyeah & White Zombie at a private event last August? Well, as we alluded to on the site, they reemerged this past weekend for Brimley's annual Lupine Festival, but we didn't call it as a concert as I was waiting for more of a bead on their sound and genre. Well, it's official: Despite being acoustic, they have a very heavy side, and if they had an online page, they'd be in our band links now! Frontman Erik Rintamaki (also of Half A Man) posted 10 songs from their Lupine Fest set onto his YouTube channel on Sunday, and they include renditions of Sublime's "What I Got", White Zombie's "Thunder Kiss '65", The Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush", The Black Keys' "Lonely Boy", Everclear's "I Will Buy You A New Life", Slade's "Cum On Feel The Noize", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising", Nirvana's "About A Girl", The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie", and Guns N' Roses "Used To Love Her", so click each link to hear each song!

Note that while Erik and drummer Rafe Rosini both returned for this outdoor set, I believe they have a new guitarist to replace Mitchell Willis, identity yet unclear (in any event, he sings on some of the above songs.) These songs are all effectively turned into acoustic songs, with Erik's raspy vocals nice to hear again, and the other guitarist carries a softer vibe that works well, and it'll be interesting to see if Train Wreck turn up for some more area shows! Check out their Slade cover below, see more at the above links, and hopefully we'll hear more from Train Wreck soon!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Pixo Control preview and more from Sault Michigan in our next post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Ripcordz, Rotaryfest, And The Thrill Junkies), And 415E Concert Previews!!

Apologies for the slow pace of recent posts on the site, things have slowed down a bit lately, but we're back today with lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including the first Rotaryfest band confirmation, a big hardcore punk show for the fall, and an upcoming charity event featuring a notable returning band! Of course, a weekend is upon us, and we do have a pair of shows to preview as well today, but any other hard rock shows this weekend (including possible Tym Morrison dates at The Harp) will likely be short notice confirmations, and we'll address those if/when they're announced. Now, to the new shows in chronological order!

Local hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies will return to the stage one week from tomorrow as part of the musical entertainment at this year's second annual Algoma Ride For Autism event! Last seen on stage in January at the former Roosevelt Hotel, this will also mark their first live concert appearance with their new lineup, as they added Frightlight guitarist Rick White to their lineup as their new drummer in the spring, replacing the already departed Scott McLurg. The Thrill Junkies' Facebook page says that Rick's a great fit and that he's been working hard to get up to speed with their set (playing with Redundant bandmate Justin Langlois can't hurt), so look out for an entertaining set next Saturday from these talented veterans! The Thrill Junkies' set will be as part of the musical entertainment at the Algoma Ride For Autism, which will be held at Runway Park on Airport Road, making this the first verified show there with a hard rock band that we've covered on here since the Bell Border Jam in 2008.

Obviously a fundraiser for autism research, this ALL AGES event will feature a motorcycle rally around town that will end at Runway Park, which will be hosting live music, food, prize draws, family events, and much more, so click here for all details on the event as a whole, and for details on how you bikers can participate in the rally! For the Runway Park events, I have not seen a stated cover charge, but events take place from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and I can't confirm The Thrill Junkies' timeslot yet, nor other musical performers. Much like the blindness rally Ride For Sight, I hope the Ride For Autism is a huge success, so keep an eye out for extra info, including on the musical performers next weekend!

Next up, we have our first concrete confirmation for this year's Rotaryfest performers, as The Stage at Clergue Park will be headlined by Toronto Led Zeppelin tribute band Michael White & The White on Saturday, July 19th! Continuing the usual trend of having an out of town tribute band as the headline act for our local summer festival's main stage, this veteran tribute band has been played thousands of shows since 1979, and have built up an extensive resume and skill level that Zeppelin fans should take to next month, so don't miss out on Michael White & The White this year! The band was confirmed via the banner image at this link, but Rotaryfest has yet to confirm the full main stage lineup. Like past years, I expect it to be all cover bands (any with originals won't be playing them there), with a jazz/blues focus on July 17th and a variety of bands on the 18th and 19th, and while both The Suicide Kings & The Danger Cats had applied to play this year's event, we have no finite local band details yet that are publically sharable.

In any event, this year's stage will have no age limits or cover charges, and Michael White & The White will likely be headlining at 9:00 or 10:00 PM on the 19th. Check the above links for current details, and we'll keep you guys posted on the full main stage lineup as it comes in! (Just in case anyone's curious, I have heard negative reports regarding the return of the Second Stage this year, but I'm waiting for official confirmation before detailing it too much on the site.)

Lastly for new shows, it's official: The Ripcordz are coming back to the Soo this fall! Last month's teased show will take place on Saturday, October 11th when the Montreal hardcore punk legends return to The Algonquin Pub (the site of their local return show last spring), in their first Sault date here since promoter J.D. Pearce's Halloween party last fall! For clarification, I don't expect this to be J.D.'s next Halloween show, it's two weeks too soon. Fans will be sure to welcome The Ripcordz and their well received and intense hardcore punk originals back to our area this fall, as we've done numerous times in the past, so don't miss out on what should be a packed house in October! As it currently stands, the lineup for this show will be almost exactly the same as it was last fall, as local metal/punk quintet Jack Spades and hardcore punk standouts Destroilet are signed to open, and both are fitting choices, so be there early for their sets! Note that the Facebook event page also says "TBA" for the lineup, so another band could be added.

This 19+ show will have a 10:00 PM start time, but ticket prices and availability aren't public yet, possibly as the show is still 4 months away, but we'll let you guys know when something is announced, and check the above links for more details! This should be another awesome show, as anyone who's seen The Ripcordz' 2013 Sault shows should attest to, so keep it in mind for your fall concert plans, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

We'll close today with previews of Sault Michigan hard rock band 415E's next live shows, as the former Hubbard-Menard band will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT! Remember, this weekend's shows replace former Peril concerts, after 415E's originally announced Soo Kewadin gigs next week were bumped up to this weekend. Fresh off shows in St. Ignace last week, this should be another fun weekend of Van Halen-influenced covers and originals from this talented local band, so don't miss out on the action! Note that this new picture again implies that recent gigs have been as a duo without live bass or drums, so keep that in mind for this weekend. Admission should be free, a 9:00 PM start time is likely, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, check the above links, enjoy 415E's hard rock and classic metal sounds, and here's their full lineup's cover of The Stone Temple Pilots as a preview!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more updates and news and such in the coming days! Thanks everyone!