Despite this being Easter weekend, there's still lots of live hard rock and punk action to take in over the coming days, if mostly of the unplugged variety! Yes, this includes Good Friday, surprisingly busier for bands we actively cover than Saturday will be. Due to the amount of content in this post, I have opted to hold our preview of Friday & Saturday night's Soundcheck concerts for our next post, but don't worry, they are coming! Now, let's begin this post with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly on SHORT NOTICE!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns have a busy holiday weekend ahead with their apparent debuts at two downtown venues, namely at LopLops Lounge TONIGHT and at The Whiskey Barrel at 113 Gore Street TOMORROW, with a return to the latter pub also taking place on Tuesday, April 30th! Apologies for the short notice on the prior two shows, they were only announced via the band's Facebook page on Monday. While we have seen The Elements at LopLops in the past, TOMORROW'S show is the first on record for The Wyld Stallyns' unplugged cover-centric live attack, though they're not the sole attraction, as they're playing during the return of LopLops' "Bad Idea Thursday" and it's related pint & a pizza deal. Keep that in mind if you're up for some supper and craft beer with your music! As for TOMORROW'S show, this is the first hard rock-leaning concert we've ever covered at The Whiskey Barrel, so what should you know about it?
Opening last November in the old Konoba Tapas & Vino location, The Whiskey Barrel is a Scottish-themed restaurant and nightclub that has sporadically hosted concerts and open mic nights in recent months, and they're definitely serious about the Scottish theme, as the Tuesday, April 30th gig is during "Kilt Night", where attendees wearing kilts will get drink and food discounts! Both of The Wyld Stallyns' shows there this month are part of a larger array of live musicians this month, all playing matinee sets unless they're on Saturday nights. It's great to see a new concert venue open on Gore Street, and with an intriguing theme that should appeal to Saulties with Scottish heritage, so visit the above links for more on The Whiskey Barrel! TONIGHT's LopLops show is at 7:00 PM, TOMORROW'S and April 30th's Wyld Stallyns shows are at 6:00 PM, and none have advertised start times, but remember, these are dinner-time/evening concerts, and the atmosphere for these nights & events should reflect that.
The Wyld Stallyns and their easily-adaptable live set can fit well at many familiar and unfamiliar venues, and they should deliver solid sets at LopLops TONIGHT and The Whiskey Barrel TOMORROW, and at month's end, so see above for more details, and here they are live!
Moving to previously announced concerts, here's another Thursday nighter TOMORROW NIGHT, as Hamilton outsider folk/punk solo musician B.A. Johnston will return to Sault Ste. Marie as the headline act at The New American Pub! Making his second live appearance here following a Cafe Natura show in 2015 (apologies for missing that), you may have seen James Hopkin's interview with B.A. on SooToday from last week, an given it's wildly varying and self-deprecating tone, you know you're in for a unique night tomorrow! B.A.'s irreverent, comedic, and unpredictable acoustic originals are hard enough to describe, but give him a listen and see what you think! Sault Michigan folk musician Magnet Moslov (from the Downtown Street Party in September) will open this concert, as per the official Facebook event page yesterday, and he should attract some fans in his own right at The New A! This concert is a presentation of Girl Friday Productions.
A $10 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ show, which is slated to begin at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's a long overdue look at the episode of the defunct SooToday webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper that spotlighted B.A.'s last local show! Featuring live clips from Cafe Natura, you'll see Donna interviewing B.A. about his stand-up comedy prospects, his creativity, what take-aways he wants fans to get from his shows, and his then-new album, among other topics. This is an amusing yet detailed cross section of what you might expect tomorrow, but who knows what will happen? Be there to find out!
Finally for today's concert previews, let's round things out with one more acoustic performer, namely local hard rock singer guitarist Tym Morrison, who is slated to return to Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street for two more matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, while he will also have a traditional nighttime concert at Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT sandwiched in between them! Fans of Tym's unplugged hard and classic rock hits should have a very good Friday tomorrow with two shows at two popular downtown venues, with Saturday patrons sure to get more of the same, so don't miss the former Caveman Morrison frontman's extensive live sets at any of these three gigs! Both of his Gliss shows have 6:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and no age limits (but mind the locale), while tomorrow's Room 21 show is at 10:00 PM and is 19+. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live in concert at Room 21!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Soundcheck preview and more tomorrow, plus last month's poll results also! Thanks everyone!
May is here, so let's kick things off with a busy news post, largely to clear out a lot of shorter recent stories that we couldn't get to over the weekend! However, we're leading off with some new videos, one of a new local band, the other of a recent concert event, so here's what you need to know!
After previously featuring winner M.D. Dunn in an episode two weeks ago, SooToday's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper returned with a new episode on Friday featuring more of a look at last month's NLFB Meltdown audition/battle of the bands at LopLops Lounge in full! The episode features Donna's interview with Northern Lights Festival Boreal director Max Merrifield (who MCed and helped judge the event), as they talked about the annual Sudbury music festival, why they're trying to make more of a Northern Ontario outreach to other communities like the Soo, future plans for the festival and Meltdown auditions, and the calibre of local talent on display. Good interview that definitely leaves the door open for a return Meltdown audition in 2018, and hopefully next year's is even bigger and has more advance lineup notice! Performance clips are scattered within the video of M.D. Dunn, The Din, Id Iota, Jackson Reed, and Mike Mikus, though oddly enough, there's no sign of The Autumn Roots. They had a good set, I wonder why they didn't make the cut?
It's great to see a new Tuned episode so soon after the previous (we had been waiting two months for a new one prior to M.D. Dunn's), and it helps sum up and promote the battle and the festival pretty well, so give it a look below, and best of luck to M.D. in Sudbury in July!
Next up, here's the first posted video on new local alternative/punk trio Handsome Sandwich's Facebook page, though sadly, it is not of a full band performance. It's actually of singer/drummer Johnny Belanger wrapping a custom label around a Bic lighter, then writing a somewhat obvious message on it afterwards, while Jesse Cook (I presume) plays backing guitar. There are numerous lighters on the table, so if I had to guess, are they giving out or selling lighters at their shows as sort of a band trademark? If that's the case, it's unique! Check out this new Handsome Sandwich video below, and don't miss them TONIGHT opening for The Gutter Demons at The New American Pub, perhaps with lighters in tow?
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, or venue name:
Tickets for the April Wine/Lita Ford show outside of the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace will go on sale this Friday for $18 or $28, and they'll be available at all of the usual Kewadin outlets, plus the gift shop at the St. Ignace branch. Our source is the show's official press release (as seen on SooToday), which also confirms that there will be two more outdoor shows to be announced in this concert series, and the stage will be along Horseshoe Bay on Lake Huron, which makes sense geographically. Sounds good overall, and get your tickets starting on Friday!
We have changed the link on the SMS for Sault Ontario music promotion/photography company For The Music Inside from their website (which is currently down) to their Facebook page. F.T.M.I. are still active, but most (if not all) of their recent activity has related to concerts in Southern Ontario, where founders Joseph Kargiannakis and Sean Matthews appear to have lived in recent years. Give For The Music Inside a look though to see what they've been up to musically of late!
Local progressive metal project Kraken Mara (featuring Late & Loud's Brendan Christie) unveiled the cover artwork for their upcoming debut EP on their Facebook page on March 31st, and it's a re-working of their prior photo of clouds over a highway with ominous red triangles. That same day, their website noted that their debut single would be released "very soon", and a Facebook post implied that their posted songs have had "recent edits", but no updates followed in April. Everything sounds promising and djent-laden, so stay tuned for more from Kraken Mara!
New local private concert venue Mellow D's Underground is taking a hiatus while they move to a new location due to "a plethora of offers and a snowballing reputation", and once everyone knows about the cool spot, "it's just not cool anymore." Our source is power pop quintet The Noochin Lanterns' Facebook page (whose members run the venue) on Friday. The new location is presumably still private, but in the interim, The Lanterns did tease appearances at Harmony Beach and Bellevue Park, and a return of The Apocalyspe Afterparty, though whether these will be public or not isn't known. Stay tuned for more related news when it rolls in!
After lengthy delays for the lineup reveal, CSA International broke their silence on Friday regarding June 18th's planned Rock The Border Music Fest at The Machine Shop, saying that they were "waiting on approval on various pieces of art work", as per the Facebook event page on Friday. The lineup (expanded to five bands) will now apparently be announced this Friday, with early bird tickets going for $45, general admission for $55-$60, and VIP packages also available. There's been a lot of pessimism in the past two weeks, and I admittedly don't know why artwork approval would delay the lineup, but fingers crossed things work out for Friday!
Kelowna, British Columbia southern hard rock quartet The Wild have been added as co-headliners for the CKY concert at The Canadian Nightclub on June 8th, as per promoter J.D. Pearce on the Facebook event page on Friday, with The Wild also now joining CKY for their entire Canadian tour tun next month. Reminding me a bit of bands like Jackyl, The Wild should deliver a fun set of hard rocking originals next month on this now five band-concert, so don't miss out, and limited tickets are still available!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!
After a relatively quiet weekend on the site, here's a new news post for your Monday morning! Today, we have some recent videos relating to a music festival last month and some new covers from a familiar veteran, with some assorted notes to cap things off, so here's what you should know!
We'll start with some new videos referencing last month's all-original Stage 2 at Rotaryfest, with a pair of sources spotlighting the Second Stage and it's importance to the music community! One is the newest episode of SooToday's music webseries Tuned With Donna Hopper, which was posted online yesterday, so what should you know from it? In the episode, Donna interviewed Stage 2 manager Chelsie Parayko at the festival about what to expect at the stage, what it does to help original artists, and future ambitions for the Clergue Park stage, with performance footage from The Din and The Wild Iris' opening sets bookending the interview. In terms of scoops, Chelsie did note that Stage 2 is currently a one day event due to funding concerns, but she hopes to expand it to a longer timeframe in the future, and perhaps to two days (like it was in 2006 & from 2009-2013.) It's not a terribly long episode, but it's good to see more positive press from Stage 2, complete with a nice look at the stage and Tidal Records' merchandise table!
As SooToday's video host doesn't allow external embedding, we can't feature it here, but we can embed this, Rotaryfest's "Talkin' With..." video featuring the aforementioned Din, as posted to the festival's Facebook page just over a month ago! Apologies for the obvious delay, this and The Wild Iris' similar video passed us by until the past week. Joining the earlier "Talkin' With..." videos from Nilah Moss' Vimeo channel (no word on why these 4 clips were never together on the same page), it features the alternative/hard rock trio jamming in studio, describing their live sound and stage show, and noting the perks and benefits of playing on the Second Stage (presumably in part to help the stage's crowdfunding campaign), while also plugging THIS FRIDAY'S CD release show and showcasing their recording setup. It's a shame that Nilah couldn't interview Liam Seymour, Machines Dream, and Id Iota from Stage 2 in a similar fashion, but these videos all gave Stage 2 some positive press, and likewise for the bands that played!
The Din's video is entertaining, and has a bit of the humour you often see in their Facebook videos (more on them this week), with a nice look at how they get their recordings and music down before it makes it's way to our players! Give these new videos a look above and below, and stay tuned for much more from The Din as the week progresses!
Also today, here's some updates from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock musician and Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer, who happens to have a YouTube channel! Though the Monkey's Uncle/Mama's Boys alum doesn't post live band videos there, he has shared a number of solo covers in the past year that he recorded (though most do include images from Highway 63, these are advertised as solo recordings.) His videos include covers of songs by Foreigner, Steve Perry, Styx, and Journey, plus his entry into The Stone Temple Pilots' vocalist search (him doing "Vasoline"), but embedded below is his cover of Heart's "Alone", which appears to be dedicated to his wife. Not a bad rendition, if a little bit of an adjustment to hear given that most notable versions are sung by women, but you can sense the emotion and intent for the cover! Give it a listen below, see more from Henry's channel above, and don't miss Highway 63 at The Rapids Lounge THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or promoter name:
Recently dormant concert promoters Allstar Promotions revealed on their Facebook page this weekend that they "should have a show to announce in the near future", which would be their first since last July's Theory of a Deadman concert at The Dreammaker's Theater. It's been way too quiet lately for major non-tribute bands at Kewadin Casino, so hopefully we get more word soon! Note that this capped off a status where they addressed some confusion about whether they were the promoters of Saturday's cancelled FireHouse show (they weren't), but we won't go into detail otherwise out of respect to all parties.
If you saw brief mentions on Facebook last week about Sault Ontario funk/hard rock quartet The Elements dropping out of the Big Brother show
at The New American Pub on August 20th due to a member's work conflict, then not
to worry, as they were quietly re-added to the lineup! It's not clear if
the work conflict was a mistake on one end, addressed in some form, or
will result in a guest performer, but we'll let you know if anything is
stated publically!
With local post-punk quartet Gnaeus' successful release of their debut CD "Meditations" on Friday, the album can now be purchased digitally via iTunes and the Google Play Store, so you can get it for $8.91 (or 99¢ a song) on both services! Keep both in mind, but if you want a hard copy, head to your favourite local music stores, M&M Meats(!), and/or The Tech on Friday!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week! Thanks everyone!
August is already upon us, so let's keep things rolling with a new news post on this Monday morning! Today, we have some assorted recent notes, new video features from a talented rising band, and lineup shifts for an upcoming show, but first, here's some late major updates for what could be the biggest Sault Michigan-area show of 2016!
We have lots of big updates concerning THIS SATURDAY'S FireHouse-headlined outdoor concert in Sault Michigan, so what's new to report on it? In terms of location, the show has indeed been moved from behind Moloney's Alley to a proper street party locale on Ashmun Street, specifically the stretch between Harmony Health Foods and Zim's between West Portage Avenue and Maple/Ridge Street. Both listed establishments will act as sponsors and contributors for the show as well, with Zim's providing refreshments during the festivities, and hosting an autograph signing & afterparty inside their bar on Saturday at 10:00 PM. No word of if live hard rock bands will return to Zim's in the process, but it's great to see them going all out for the occasion! As for the lineup, Rochester post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris have quietly dropped out for unannounced reasons (for what it's worth, the band hasn't posted on Facebook since May), but the teased battle of the bands is on for this Saturday!
To take place at 3:00 PM as the opening sets for this ALL AGES show, promoters Superior Entertainment have yet to confirm the performing lineup or prizes at all, but might we see past local battle winners Tantrym Tyme back for it, especially given drummer Ethan Twardy's ties to Harmony Health Foods? If/when we hear anything on the battle lineup, we'll let you know, but visit the official Facebook event page for full details on this intriguing show! Updates have been slow to come for this event, but everything seems to be falling into place for the returns of FireHouse and Redburn, so get your tickets for $25 (less for children) at this link A.S.A.P.!
Next up, and staying in the realm of concert lineup updates, the full lineup for the Ripcordz-headlined all ages show on Saturday, August 13th at The Canadian Nightclub is now out, as Sault Ontario classic metal band Project 421 & their sister hard rock group Eclipse will return to the site of their most recent battles of the bands next weekend! Though neither skew to the hardcore punk stylings of The Ripcordz, both bands are very talented, and should set the tone well before Jack Spades and the headliners rock the stage! It should be noted that Project 421 (who were added to the lineup first) are a replacement for local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet, who have quietly withdrew from this concert for unannounced reasons, though note that they haven't played live since (ironically) The Ripcordz' local show last October, due to varying personal matters. Hopefully we see the guys back at it soon, but see above for more on next week's ALL AGES Ripcordz show!
Also today, here's some new features on local alternative hard rock trio The Din from two prominent local news video sources! One is the newest episode of SooToday's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, as posted online yesterday, so what should you know on it? Filmed at Rotaryfest's Stage 2 last month (where The Din opened the day's lineup), Donna interviewed all three band members about their formation, musical evolution, upcoming debut CD and release concert, their songwriting process, and frontman Mike Haggith's extensive solo discography, with clips from their set interspersed within as usual. In terms of scoops, the Tuned episode does give some extra info on Pretoria Hill Productions (where their CD was largely recorded), while drummer Brandan Glew did note that they hope to work with Dustin Jones at Mission Control Studios again on future projects. Solid episode that covers a lot of ground, so give it a look at the above links!
As SooToday's video host doesn't allow external embedding, we can't feature it here, but this one is embedded below, courtesy of Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie's YouTube channel on Friday! Filmed at a jam session with interview segments in their van (Id Iota's Christian Lemay conducted it but isn't heard on camera), it treads some of the same ground as the Tuned episode, but it features extra insights on why they dropped "Mike Haggith &" from their name, the band's fast rise, The Din's efforts to involve the crowd in their sets, and their social media presence. Another solid feature that touches on their personalities well, so give it a look below too, especially if you missed it on channel 10 last month!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the
last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
In case you haven't noticed lately, Facebook has unveiled a new streamlined look and design for pages (including ours), which includes easier tab access and more of a vertical layout. It takes some adjusting, but it seems to address some problems with the earlier layout, so just a heads up on the update, which you can get more info on at this link! It wasn't my call, other Facebook pages should look the same on your computer!
Local post-punk quartet Gnaeus were spotlighted in this SooToday article from Donna Hopper on Saturday, where they discussed how they began working on their debut CD "Meditations" (out THIS FRIDAY) and their songwriting process, while also noting the spots where you can buy it, including one surprise spot: M&M Food Market, as bassist Matt Fronzi's parents own the frozen food shop chain's local branches, so if you buy groceries there, add "Meditations" to your shopping list! Solid read, so check it out above, along with 7 black & white photos from their LopLops show on July 22nd! Sadly, none of Long Shot's set are included.
This is probably late to the party, but I thought I'd acknowledge it. Local musician Kyle Derasp is looking for people to jam with at his place, which has a full set-up with drums. He has "beers & beats" every weekend, and requests those interested to not ask him to bring his drum kit to you. If you're interested in jamming with Kyle, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last month!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!
The last few days have been relatively quiet on the SMS, but I have an unwritten rule to try and ensure that we don't go three days on the site without a new post, so let's keep that up before I tackle my 27th birthday celebrations! Today's post is devoted to recent video postings from and featuring local artists, so here's what you should know!
We'll start with a pair of (sadly unembeddable) videos from local news website SooToday with metal & punk relevance, starting with the newest episode of Tuned with Donna Hopper, as posted online on Sunday! The second straight episode taken from last month's Motherfuckers-headlined show at The Oddfellows Hall, this one focuses on the Calgary hardcore punk headliners, with Donna interviewing frontman Dan Izzo and bassist Sean Hunter outside of the venue about Calgary's punk scene, their influence on Canadian punk music, their newest material, and what they know about Sault Ste. Marie, as interspersed with performance clips from their set. Not a bad interview, and the guys keep things light before their ferocious set, so give it a look above! The other new SMS-relevant SooToday video covers Darren Emond's Iron Maiden comic book launch at The Rad Zone earlier this month, so what should you know on it?
Darren is interviewed by an uncredited & unheard SooToday reporter about how he got on board with the Iron Maiden comic, his background and artistic endeavours, the reception of the comic so far, and his positive experiences in working with a band he loves, doing what he loves. Featuring some shots of his artwork in between, this gives Darren some nice press, so give it a look above, and pick up your copy of the Iron Maiden comic book A.S.A.P.!
Next up, here's some updates from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din's Facebook page, including reveals that they now have buttons for sale (check out their next concerts to see if they're available), they're now on Snapchat, and yes, that they have new Facebook videos to check out! One video
was uploaded on May 17th (apologies for the two week delay) where The
Din noted that they, at the time, were close to hitting 300 likes on
Facebook. In it, they try and hit 300 likes on their own with a real
foot race between band members, and without spoiling who won, they came
to the conclusion that they needed our help to hit the milestone.
The campaign worked, as they surpassed 300 just 12 hours later, and
currently sit at 320! Another video followed last week where guitarist Tammy Hill jokingly came up with an idea for the band's merchandising plans that involves bobbleheads. I'll let you watch it to see what it entails!
Embedded below though is The Din's newest Facebook video, this time just previewing the studio version of "This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device" from their forthcoming debut studio album "Give In To The Din", with Tammy manning the controls at the computer. This should serve as a nice teaser as the album sessions slowly march along, so give it a look below, and see much more from The Din above!
Also, here's a video from Boot Hill Crooners/ex-Inner City Surfers guitarist Dave Bahun as part of a big contest that he's entered! A cover of Randy Bachman's new song "Heavy Blues", this comes from a Vintage Guitar Magazine contest where guitarists are challenged to supply guitar tracks in place of Peter Frampton's on the song in a YouTube video. Randy himself will choose the winner on Friday, who will receive a $4,000+ D’Angelico guitar & Supro amplifier, a pre-video endorsement from Randy, and a trip to rock out with him in New York City. If you know Dave's talents, you'll know he handles this blues rocker well, so be sure to check it out below, and best of luck!
Finally for today, dormant local metal quartet Garden of Bedlam are the source of background audio in this new skateboarding demonstration video from local music/skate shop The Rad Zone! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Sunday, the video showcases three young local skateboarders (among them, Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner's son Dylan), as set to their studio track "New Rain". Solid footage of the kids delivering some quality tricks, and while this doesn't directly indicate new activity from Garden of Bedlam, it's nice to see them featured here! Give it a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more updates and this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post this week! Thanks everyone!
Before we dive into our last weekend concert previews of the month, here's a new news post for your Wednesday, including some assorted recent notes, a new concert video, and some recent coverage of a popular local band, but first, here's a first for the SMS: A comic book review!
As you may remember, local artist Darren Emond launched the Iron Maiden comic book that he did the pencil artwork for at The Rad Zone on Saturday, and I absolutely came to get an autographed copy (this is a scan of mine), so I thought it was fitting to give it a review on here! One of a series of recent comic books from the Rock & Roll Biographies series from Acme Ink, the comic book is basically the Cliffs Notes version of Iron Maiden's band history, from the late 1970s through to the modern day, as nicely illustrated by Darren to a story by Paul Birch that covers most ground from their history. As well, the comic also explores a side-storyline on the band's mascot Eddie The Head and his efforts to protect the band and the titular Iron Maiden herself from evil forces out of the real world. The comic is solely in black & white, but the art pops, especially in the Eddie panels, and while some eras of the band are glossed over a bit in the story (the 1990s, in particular), the comic book is a fun way to explore Iron Maiden's history!
Note as well that Darren's last name is given as "Emmonds" in the credits, but everything else is well done and nicely laid out, with a tribute to late Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister even included. Overall, the Iron Maiden comic book is worth buying for $5 at The Rad Zone (if you can find it in the States, it's $3.50 there), so if you love Iron Maiden and/or comic books, pick up a copy A.S.A.P., and kudos to Darren on a job well done!
Next up, here's the latest from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, starting with an overdue note from their SooToday article from May 2nd, which bypassed us in our original write-up on it (my apologies), as Josh, Mike, and Matt will be performing in a Live at Six, Two, Oh. episode on Sunday! This occurs as Shit Liver return east from this latest Canadian tour, but unless there's a late notice show announcement, I don't believe they'll have a local concert this weekend. This should be a fun episode of the local recording studio's video series, so look for it on Sunday or later! Also from Shit Liver, their long awaited episode of Tuned with Donna Hopper went up on SooToday on Saturday, so what should you know on it? Filmed during the Motherfuckers-headlined concert last month, the episode features Donna interviewing all three guys about their move to St. Catharine's, what keeps them going, their work in the bluegrass band Dirtfight, and how they marry their bands' two genres, as set to video footage from both bands' tour dates last month.
Though the episode treads some of the same ground as the original article, it's a solid episode with some brutal clips from the Oddfellows Hall show, but the interview portion is badly drowned out when clips from Dirtfight's Gore Street Cafe show are featured (also, "Shitliver" is spelled without a space in the opening bug.) Still, this is some solid press for Shit Liver, so give the full Tuned episode a look above, and note that SooToday's video host still doesn't permit external video embedding.
Also today, here's some new concert footage from local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore, as per the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel yesterday! A 12 minute video with clips from C.T.W.'s set at the Metal Massacre 2 house party show on May 7th, the video captures some ferocious jamming from Tyler, with a receptive audience, but the video is compromised by being letterboxed when it doesn't have to be (it was already widescreen, why not upload it as such?) Give it a look below!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:
After brief turns as Waterfront Legend & The River Cookhouse, the former Docks Riverfront Grill has again changed names & formats to the HD Sports Grill, as per this SooToday article plugging a recent job fair to hire new employees. Imee Yeun still owns the restaurant and former local concert venue, and it's unclear when the Foster Drive location re-opens, but part of the grill will include a golf simulator. Hopefully this theme and name takes for the long term at the former Docks, and we'll let you know if live bands return with it!
Local musician Mario Gionet is looking for a singer for his new metal band that he's launched, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week. No word on what he's playing in the band (I'm unfamiliar with him), but message Mario at this link or above for more details!
In this SooToday article from Donna Hopper last week, downtown concert venue The Machine Shop is spotlighted to reflect on it's recent full launch as a public events site, it's upcoming restaurant, and the hiring of LopLops Lounge owner Stephen Alexander as the venue's events promoter (don't worry, he's still bringing bands to LopLops!) The article also serves to avoid confusion with St. Mary's Paper site locations from their development, as the Mill Square owners sold it in January, and it's not The Yard or The Tech either. Informative article, so get more above, and The Machine Shop's new website is now linked in our venue listings!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!
With a lot of backlogged news items in our queue, I thought we should keep things rolling with a second news post today, before we dive into weekend concert previews, but check out some new show announcements and concert video below! We'll start this post with local alternative/hard rock trio The Din's fourth installment of their Cover of the Month series, as posted to their YouTube channel yesterday, as they covered The Killers' "While We Were Young"! Described as "a more production heavy tune", the video features two camera angles from the main performance, as well as insert footage of guitarist Tammy Hill playing guitar and keyboard in studio, and tracking material on a computer, plus segments with Mike singing layered background vocals. This is a well done cover that had a lot of work put into it, and Mike's singing is dramatic and deep, so give The Din's newest cover a look below!
Next up, here's some more videos from last week's Sky's the Limit mental health benefit concert at The Tech, courtesy of performers Electric Church, the new blues/classic rock outfit featuring young local guitarist Spencer Pine! Given the apparent 15 minute set times, their entire set was seemingly uploaded to Spencer's YouTube channel earlier this week, and within, the band covered Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble's "Pride & Joy", Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", and as embedded below, Hendrix's version of the blues standard "Rock Me Baby". The video descriptions confirm that Spencer is joined by Elijah Nielsen on bass, and Beau "The Beast" Whitfield on drums (though I'm not 100% on if I have Beau's last name right.) I've only seen Electric Church cover Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, and I have yet to find an online page for this band, but they have a good sound & clear talent, and Spencer's vocals fit the material and are suitably melodic! Give Electric Chuch's videos a look!
Also today, here's some recent updates related to local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota, who havefinally posted a digital download copy of their debut EP "Maudlin Fair" onto their new Bandcamp page! Prospective fans may be inclined to buy "Maudlin Fair" here rather than in physical
copies given that the price is just $4, down from $5 on CDs. It's great to see the option is now available, and you can stream it free there too, so check it out and consider buying it above! As well, their Bandcamp page revealed the name of guitar/producer Dustin Goodall's home recording studio (which wasn't given in physical copies), as it's called Unsalted Audio, repurposing the name of his short-lived concert promotion agency Unsalted Records. To formally kick off the studio's public launch, Dustin posted a lengthy press release onto the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Monday to note that Unsalted Audio is the product of his "exceptionally high standards" of getting quality music recordings locally without breaking the bank.
As a result, Dustin is aiming to have his full studio operating by the fall, but is offering a special deal for the summer for prospective local musicians: $1,000 flat for a 10 song album with mixing and full production, which he says would cost 4 times that in a bigger city. Dustin's proven to be a very reliable producer (as also seen with AlgomA's split, and via mixing The Pixo Control's CD), and hopefully musicians take him up on Unsalted Audio's summer deal, so click here for full details on the studio's launch, and stay tuned for our "Maudlin Fair" review this month!
Lastly for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
Troubled Mind drummer Mike Vincent has posted another new solo instrumental to his Bandcamp page, entitled "Sacred Sins"! The song has a fast paced metal groove and better audio quality than "Shoah" had, though what the 9/11 picture means towards the song isn't clear. Give Mike's new solo track a listen above!
We have restored defunct Sault Michigan/Japan metal project Mugwort to our band links, after discovering that their thought-deleted MySpace page was still up! The page's URL had been a string of numbers now used by another page, but it always had http://myspace.com/mugwort too, and I only realized that the other day. Be sure to follow Bob Helsten's other bands to see what he's been up to since!
In the newest episode of SooToday's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, local artist, accordion player, and Ye Olde Mold Pickers alum Rihkee Strapp discusses her musical background & influences, upcoming open mic night at The Gore Street Cafe (footage of her opening for Dirtfight there is also included), and she also reiterated her recent desires to start a doom metal band with her singing lead vocals (message her above if you want in!) Solid feature of this multi-talented artist, so give it a look above, but note that Donna is nowhere to be seen, with the episode resembling Shaw TV's music pieces as a result.
That's definitely all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!
With the last full week of April in full swing, let's tackle most of our remaining backlogged stories today, including some assorted recent updates, new videos from the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a house party sequel, so here's what you should know!
After the success of April 14th's Metal Massacre house party show, promoter/Twistory frontman Josh Amendola is bringing it back for an encore on Saturday, May 7th (next weekend, in other words!) Yes, Metal Massacre II will return to the residence at 124 Anna Street three weeks later with an expanded lineup, so who can you expect? Largely the same lineup, but with Rotopsy out and local doom metal trio AlgomA in for their first local set since the Black Tremor/punk rock bingo event, and they should melt many faces next Saturday! The remaining performers include local thrash/death metal trio Pillory, new local death metal duo Twistory (who still lack an online page), and new local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora, so if you liked them 11 days ago, or missed out entirely, keep this house show in mind! Josh also noted on the Facebook event page that more guests and a daytime acoustic set of some kind may also be added to the lineup, but neither has been formally elaborated on since.
As well, Metal Massacre II may be moved a day earlier to Friday, May 6th pending AlgomA's availability, which is definitely a sign of their value as headliners: Why replace them if they can't make the original date when you can change the date instead? If the date is moved, we will let you know. Either way, this is another "pay what you can" show with no announced age limits, and presumably to accommodate the potential acoustic daytime set, a 4:00 PM start time is listed. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more on Metal Massacre 2 at 124 Anna Street!
Next up, here's a new video of the aforementioned Pillory from April 14th's inaugural Metal Massacre show, courtesy of the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel on Friday! Arguably our best and longest look yet at Pillory with any lineup, the video (filmed by Brutally Fatal's Austin McCrae) features Pillory playing their new songs "Angst of Existence" & "Sculptor of Cadavers", a new song whose name wasn't announced, and then songs that appear to be called "The Passing", "Aboard Apprehension", and "Affairs of Eternal Sickness" to seemingly cap their set, though the names may be incorrect. Afterwards, an encore is started where Robert, Jordan, and Bret jam some very familiar sounding instrumentals, so click the above links to go to each song! It's worth noting that Pillory didn't play any songs from their 2013 debut EP "Cringe at the Cross" that night, though whether this is a casualty of their death metal transition, lineup changes & reunion, unhappiness with the disc, or just how the night's set shaped up isn't clear.
In any event, Pillory sound nice and brutal on this video, with Robert Sartini's growling definitely improved with time, and Bret Shuttleworth's drumming is on point, but the post-effects on the video (including colour changes, spinning and wave effects, and captions) don't add anything practical to the video. Still, this is a great look at the new and heavier Pillory lineup, so check out the full set below!
Also today, here's an update video from Blood Shed Productions co-founder/Brutally Fatal frontman Austin McCrae on the aforementioned Blood Shed Weekly channel from April 15th, where he updates fans on events with the local grindcore/rap label, so what should you know? Hyped as "another update" (referencing a video that isn't listed on the channel anymore), Austin starts by referencing the success of the aforementioned Metal Massacre house show and his Pillory & Rotopsy videos from it (complete with explaining why he didn't film the other bands.) He next noted that the label is planning to start using forms and agreements regarding music releases and rights for label departures and commitments to Blood Shed, and among other assorted notes, he referenced looking into buying newspaper advertising, and establishing permanent staff roles for the label. Austin also referenced a couple of planned summer concerts that the label is hosting, but neither has a confirmed venue yet.
The shows in question will be headlined by Winnipeg punk band Grave Party on June 20th and Victoria death metal band Iskra (in their second local show of the year) on August 2nd, and while The New American was teased on the event pages linked above,we'll hold on adding them to our concert listings until everything is finalized. Austin closed by noting a new webseries called "BreakingSh!tWithBloodShed" which is exactly what it says on the tin, and we may note that on the site soon as well. Informative, if geared to Blood Shed's official staff and crew, so check the above links and watch below for more!
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 series name:
The aforementioned Kaepora Gaebora have been added as the fifth and final local opening band for THIS SATURDAY'S Motherfuckers-headlined concert at The Oddfellows Hall, as per promoter J.D. Pearce on the official Facebook event page on Saturday, in what will be their second concert and first ever show outside of a house party. They'll be opening at 7:00 PM, so if you're curious in seeing how Joey, Dan, Daeson, Jeph, and Kevin sound, be at The Oddfellows Hall on SATURDAY NIGHT, and stay tuned for updates!
Though it's tough to gauge their active status given their minimal online presence, we've moved local/Toronto indie punk veterans Treble Charger to our inactive band links, as the Juno nominees haven't made a visible public statement since their Mill Square concert last February. With that said, Greig & Bill may very well have new material and shows in the works, so if anything is publically announced through news media or official sites, we'll be sure to let you know!
The newest episode of SooToday's (migrated from the outgoing Local2's) music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper spotlights the recent Record Store Day festivities at The Rad Zone, and within, you'll see interview clips with the likes of Rad Zone owner Paul Muncaster and staffer/Garden of Bedlam bassist Evan Belleau on the day's importance, sales, and finds. Local doom metal trio AlgomA's recent split vinyl EP with Chronobot is given a heavy feature by Evan, heavily praising it for being a new local contribution to Record Store Day. Solid episode with lots of deserving vinyl love, so check out the full episode at the above links!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
Before we get our review of Saturday night's Rednecks Saloon relaunch party goes up on the site, here's a new news post to keep things rolling on that end for this new week! Today, we have lots of assorted recent notes, but first, here's some updates and new videos from bands on each side of the border!
Local hard rock/alternative trio The Din have stayed busy in the past week, so what should you know from them? Well, the band released their first paid CD at the aforementioned Rednecks concert on Saturday, as "The Din Does Laundry" finally went on sale! Though sold in a paper sleeve, it actually has a proper label & cover art insert, so it would actually be eligible for a review on the site (and it all fits just fine in a jewel case!) The 15 song disc was on sale for $3, and by post-show accounts, it was a good seller, so keep it in mind for when The Din play live next! As for a review of it on the SMS, I want to hold off in lieu of The Din's previously hinted official studio debut CD, which has been teased a fair amount in the past few days. On Friday, the band shared a teaser video where frontman Mike Haggith teased plans to release the cover art and title, while riding an exercise bike, on their Facebook page, but in a video four hours later, Mike & guitarist Tammy Hill revealed that this was an April Fools joke of sorts.
The cover art, title, and first single are apparently coming later this month, but the reveal (fittingly in front of laundry machines) was actually for "The Din Does Laundry", despite it already being revealed in older photos. Hey, they technically weren't lying! No word on if it'll be available online in some form, but check out the teasers above and below, stay tuned for The Din's next Cover of the Month video in short order, and stay tuned for our review of their Rednecks set in our next post!
Next up, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, as uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, and it's of a new instrumental track named "Fraxical Dream" that guitarist Steve Giles composed using effects programs on his iPad (which he has made good use of for many prior tracks.) Complete with many psychedelic images, the song has a dark, ethereal essence, albeit not heavy, but fans should check it out below, and hopefully we hear more from Theatre of Night in short order!
Finally for this post, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:
In their latest Facebook page update on March 21st, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters revealed that bass recording sessions for their upcoming second CD "The Dead Testament" were ongoing at Mission Control Studios, and that sessions were still on track for a release this year. Sounds like things are on track, so keep posted as more comes in!
Are/were defunct local hard rock band Borderline Divine planning a comeback? The former Stillbroke posted a cryptic status saying "Download is complete. Installation is ready to begin." on their Facebook page in October, their first status there since the band went on hiatus in mid-2012, with frontman Jesse Frigault moving to Alberta later that year (he's no longer a listed band member on their page either.) Given that there hasn't been any follow-up since, we'll have to wait and see if Borderline Divine do indeed re-emerge, but it'd be cool to see Sam, Mitch, and Justin on stage again!
We don't often have news items from Twitter on here, but Redundant frontman Justin Langlois revealed on his Twitter page on Thursday that the local punk trio has "a couple of out of town gigs booked." The band hasn't elaborated on this yet, or when they'll return to the local stage, but we'll let you know when we hear more!
According to a Rolling Stone article for the 40th anniversary of their classic album "2112" last week, Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed that the Canadian prog-hard rock legends wrote the riff for their song "Temples of Syrinx" during their June 1975 stop in Sault Ste. Marie when they played at the former Sault Memorial Gardens! SooToday's Kenneth Armstrong followed with their own article about the reveal, with reminiscences from Rad Zone owner Paul Muncaster on Rush's three local shows from 1975-1977, and Rush's impact even at that early stage. Both are well worth the read for Rush fans, so give each a look above!
Local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven have quietly posted four photos on their Facebook page since February which seem to indicate the titles of (at least) four songs for their upcoming debut EP. If I'm reading these right, the tracks will be "Cognitive Dissonance", "Fallen Faith", "Enough", and "Pretend", complete with quotes relating to each title, though it's not established if "Fallen Faith" & "Enough" are re-recordings of their earlier studio tracks or not. Stay tuned for more from Skeyes of Seven!
The Tuned with Donna Hopper episode on last month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands finally went online on Local2 yesterday, where Donna interviewed winners K.I.C.K. on their victory last month, how new bassist Kevin D'Orazio has fit in, and their songwriting process & recording plans. Sadly, there's no footage of the other finalists (or from any of the semifinals), but it's a solid (if brief) interview, and there's some live footage from their set during the credits! Give it a look at the above links!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of Saturday night's Rednecks Saloon relaunch party next! Thanks everyone!
With a pair of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to come to our attention for TONIGHT, let's lead off this post with them, but we also have a show for next week and a popular webseries' latest episode to round things out! Here's what you should know!
TONIGHT'S previously announced Tidal Records skate team year-end party at The Rockstar Bar will indeed have SMS-covered acts on the lineup, so let's plug it now! Apologies for the short notice, we only received official confirmation of the full lineup yesterday via this poster on Tidal Records' Facebook page. A celebration of Tidal Records' skateboarding team's first year together, this event will feature a screening of a video featuring their skate team's members in action (including Id Iota's Christian Lemay) before the concert proper, which will be headlined by alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control in their second show with new bassist Dustin Goodall, and it'll be nice to see the guys in a rare Rockstar Bar appearance! Their good friends Gnaeus will bring their post-punk attack back to the stage as openers, and despite the late confirmation of their involvement, it's nice to see both bands joining forces for the holidays! The previously announced joint set by DJ Seith and rapper Conika will open the musical section, so come early TONIGHT for the skate team video and their hip hop jams!
A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, which will begin at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an entertaining concert to round out 2015 with, and this will be a solid showcase of Tidal Records' music and skateboarding arms, so be there TONIGHT for all of the action! Here's The Pixo Control live this summer!
Next up, we have one more late notice concert to touch on, as local glam rock/power pop trio Caroline Divine will return to LopLops Lounge TONIGHT as openers for the Monreal power pop outfit Dany Laj & The Looks! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only learned about Caroline Divine's involvement in this show yesterday, though they have been publically confirmed as openers since November 27th via the official Facebook event page. Fresh off of their return sets at The Pixo Control's CD release parties (more on them in a bit), this will be their first appearance at a non-Pixo Control show since July, and this should serve as a good showcase for their fast-rising original material TONIGHT! As for the headliners, Dany Laj & The Looks have a fun, crowd-pleasing rock sound that, while not overly heavy, has catchy hooks, so give them a listen for more of the power-pop side of the evening! Once again, this is a $19 concert at 9:00 PM TONIGHT, with a $5 cover charge. For more details, visit the above links!
If you're not up for the Tidal Records show tonight, this is definitely something to consider attending, especially if you love power pop and/or some harder edged glam material, so keep it in mind as well! For a preview, here's Caroline Divine live this summer!
Also, here's one more new concert to touch on, and in this case, it has advance notice on here, as the bands from last month's Project 421 anniversary concert will return to The Rockstar Bar for a special concert this coming Wednesday, December 23rd! Essentially an encore of the aforementioned concert from December 5th, the classic metal quintet will be joined once again by funk/hard rock quartet The Elements and new local nu-metal band Eclipse (who we can confirm are a side project of Project 421 members, but are still awaiting finite public info on.) It sounds like the original concert from two weeks ago went well to warrant a second go-around, so if you missed out or want another helping, be at The Rockstar Bar this coming Wednesday! Promoted by Project 421 (despite the accidental credit to PaperClip Productions on the Facebook event page), this concert will go down at 10:00 PM on Wednesday, you must be 19 to attend, and bring $5 or so for a potential cover charge.
For more details, check the above links! This should be a solid concert for your holiday plans (it's even called on the event page "We Wish You A Metal Christmas"), so don't miss out before Christmas Eve arrives! And, just for a speculative note, Project 421's Facebook page left this status on December 6th: "It's coming..........April 21st.........." April is the 4th month, making 4:21... Project 421... let the speculation begin!
Finally, here's the latest from the aforementioned Pixo Control's new album "Probably Not" and it's release parties from last week at LopLops Lounge, so what should you know? The all ages afternoon show on December 12th was the focus of the newest episode of Local2's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, where Donna interviewed the band's new lineup on the album's recording process and difficulties therein, what they would have done differently for the sessions had they had the chance, future tour plans, and the impetus behind holding two release concerts for different ages, with footage from the show interspersed within, and bloopers featured during the credits as usual. Light but informative interview, and it's interesting to hear about the struggles during the recording process to get "Probably Not" finished! There's no real scoops within, beyond a rare official reference to their lineup changes this fall, but fans should enjoy this episode!
Give the new Tuned episode a watch at this link, though remember that we can't embed Local2 videos here, as their host doesn't allow external embedding. No word on a possible SooToday article and photo album from the show yet, we'll keep tabs on that! As for availability of "Probably Not", The Pixo Control confirmed on their Facebook page on Monday that copies of the CD are on sale at both The Rad Zone and Case's Music, and you can also buy it via Tidal Records' online store, all for $10, so get your copies A.S.A.P., or at the band's own concerts!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & details on our newest poll later today! Thanks everyone!
For our last post of this month (our slowest month on the SMS in almost three years), we're covering some recent news items, including a local band's long awaited first song, a new Tuned episode, and a trailer for a band's new online tour documentary, but we also have an acknowledgement of a stay of operations for one of our recurring series' at post's end. Now, here's what you should know!
Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver are planning to release a 3 part documentary of their Western Canada tour from part one of their Homeland Debauchery Tour this spring onto their YouTube channel next month, and a trailer from it is was posted there on Friday! Set to the studio version of their song "You're Scared", it features assorted footage from the full videos to come, showcasing concert footage, antics on the road, in cities on tour, and before & after their shows for the first half, before showcasing a brief clip of "a pretty good party", before closing with a 20 second clip from frontman Josh Penno encouraging fans to subscribe to their channel and watch their other videos (somewhat unique to see that from a local band's channel!) This is a very effective teaser, especially by withholding the actual audio so we're not spoiled as to the full content, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for part 1 of the full documentary in the near future!
Next up, the newest episode of Local2's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper went up on Saturday, and it's actually focused around an interview with local concert promoters/recording studio Six, Two, Oh! Filmed at the K'Man & The 45s concert at The New American Pub three weeks ago (click here for the episode revolving around the headliners), this features Donna interviewing Six, Two, Oh heads (and AlgomA bandmates) Boyd Rendell & Jamie Vincent on what they do as Six, Two, Oh, their work producing local albums, thoughts on that night's concert and how they got it booked, and their ideal bands to bring to Sault Ste. Marie, with footage from the show scattered throughout. I'm surprised they didn't mention punk rock bingo at all, but this is a fun (if short) interview that captures the former Oh! Right Arm's local work in a concise, informative way! As we can't embed Local2 videos here, give this newest Tuned episode a look at this link!
Also, do you remember Troubled Mind, the newer metal project from ex-Skull After Betrayl bandmates Adam Brett & Mike Vincent? Well, it took nine months, but they finally have a video of them in action so we can check them out! On Saturday, the band uploaded this jam session video to their Facebook page of Adam & Mike playing an original song with the curious title "Richie, Why Are You Being So Fucking Bitchy?", which Mike noted might not be the best quality, may be weird, and won't sound like all of their future material. Featuring Mike on drums & Adam on vocals and guitar, Mike seemed defiant against potential criticism in the video's description, but it's hard to get a bead on Troubled Mind from the scratchy audio quality & lack of video footage after the first 4 seconds. Adam's vocals sound diverse, but I'd want to hear/see higher quality video before really judging. Still, it's nice to see the guys finally back, so give Troubled Mind's first recording a listen below!
Finally for today, I wanted to acknowledge our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile Series and the lack of our usual November post to update past entries in it. I've made the decision to put the series on hiatus for a while, mainly as I'm running low on known bands from outside of the area that feature Saultites in their lineup, and a break is be ideal to gather links and restock our future reserves. I guarantee that the series will return in 2016, but when it does, it may not be a monthly feature like it was, depending on how many non-profiled bands come to our attention by that point. To keep things spread out, I plan to move our YouTube Channel Profiles to the 26th of each month until the out of town profiles return. As for our annual post that outlines changes and updates to past profiles in this series, that's coming, but it's been delayed for two reasons: it's ever-increasing length, and my own personal commitments relating to family health matters
I will have that the update post up in due course, I promise, so keep an eye out for that, and thanks for your understanding! I always try to be forthcoming and honest on here, and the series will return! That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more in the coming week! Thanks everyone!
Another slow news period has hit as of late, but let's help remedy that now that Thanksgiving has come and passed (on the Canadian side of the border), and I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Today, we have lots of assorted recent notes, updates on a popular webseries, and first, a surprise band reunion, so here's what you should know!
Local extreme metal band Winkstinger are back! After almost two & a half years of public dormancy, they reemerged with a new Bandcamp page with live jam recordings this morning, with their Facebook page confirming that "things are happening", among other typically irreverent hype. Guitarist Jesse Cook (also of Jack Spades & The Elements) and drummer Jonas Gasperas are back from the original run, but singer Alan Wells and bassist Jason Bourcier are not back from their last full incarnation in 2013, and it remains to be seen who will fill out the new lineup. Their Bandcamp page features two new original songs in progress (one being over 7 minutes in length), though both are untitled at this stage, so give them a listen at the above links! Of course, fans will remember Winkstinger well from their original 2010-2013 run which saw them win 2012's Battle for the Blood, play numerous fun & heavy concerts (including at 6 Roosevelt Hotel metal nights), and record material for an unreleased debut EP.
Dare I say it, the new Winkstinger original jams actually sound more technical and progressive-influenced than back in their heyday, and while they did take a self-deprecating bent when describing the quality, I'd be very curious to hear these fleshed out with bass, vocals, and perhaps rhythm guitar! It's great to have Winkstinger back at last, so check out their new material above, and they're back in our active band links!
Next up, here's the latest from Local2's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper! Alongside newer episodes on Al Wood & The Woodsmen and another from Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival, the newest installment went up on Saturday, spotlighting the Soup Kitchen benefit at The Algonquin Pub earlier this month featuring (among others) the aforementioned Elements and The Bear Hunters! The main interview is with Machines Dream frontman and event promoter Craig West about the inspiration to promote the show and add the benefit side to it, why local musicians are more prone to participate in charity shows like this, and the odds that Machines Dream may do a similar event in the future. Short but respectful interview that shows Craig's good nature well, and it looks like the concert was a hit! In terms of concert footage, Machines Dream, Drew Armstrong & friends, and The Elements were filmed, but The Bear Hunters and Nikkfitt were not.
Most of the music is muted behind the interview, particularly Drew and friends (some of which being very familiar faces), but The Elements get some spotlight during the credits, covering what appears to be the ending of Primus' "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver". Another solid, if brief episode of Tuned, so give it a look at the above links!
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items (including two inactive band notes) from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or website name:
Project 421 singer Curtis McKenzie is looking for a bassist and drummer for his "sweet new project" in the making. Presumably this references the band he previously posted about that he hoped wouldn't play metal or hard rock, but just in case it fits our coverage, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
In their newest update on their Facebook page, secretive local black metal duo Dullahan revealed that they plan to record their second "EP" soon, which they hope to be "even rawer" in production than on older recordings. They also reiterated that they'll "never" reveal their full identities, and have "no intention" of playing live (which is odd, they'd attract positive and unique attention with their sound if they did!) Stay tuned for more from Dullahan above!
Rudyard, Michigan hard rock quintet Exiled have quietly deleted their Facebook (and sadly, only online) page, which likely indicates their breakup. Featuring Absolute, Full Throttle, and Division of Sanity alumni, Exiled played numerous regional concerts in the latter half of 2014 before announcing a break in December due to drummer Justin Lawless and his wife's impending arrival of their new baby, though no word on if that's a factor for the apparently demise. Exiled had a strong lineup, so hopefully everyone stays active in music, best of luck to Donny, Joe, Myke, Johnny, and Justin, and don't miss Joe with Ten Kings!
We have moved Sault Michigan hard/alternative rock collective The Highest of Fives to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. Featuring Intrepid, 415E, and Free Refill alumni, the band expanded from a young cover group in 2011 to a more fluid studio project that had ambitious plans to record & release short films, an album, and music videos that were only partially complete before their Twitter page's last update over a year ago. I liked The Highest of Fives high goals and diverse skill set, and hopefully they pick things back up again at some point! Best of luck to Devin, Jack, Marcel, Mike, Mitch, and Travis in the future!
Ex-Late & Loud frontman Jonathan Tiberi is gauging support towards bringing his current Hamilton blues/hard rock quartet Jon & His Friends to the Soo for a concert (for reference, their lineup also features Mike Agostino & Scott Brady, Jon's bandmates in Xanadu from 2013's Apocalypse: The Musical event.) It'd be nice to see Jon and the guys back home, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group on October 7th for more details!
And just as a house cleaning note for the SMS, we've removed the video bars from the sides of the page, which rotated recent videos from YouTube channels that we're subscribed to. For one reason or another, they no longer work, so I deleted the widgets that ran them. If they're ever restored or replaced by the host, I'll add them back, but I just wanted to acknowledge their absence!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more later this week! Thanks everyone!
Opening last November in the old Konoba Tapas & Vino location, The Whiskey Barrel is a Scottish-themed restaurant and nightclub that has sporadically hosted concerts and open mic nights in recent months, and they're definitely serious about the Scottish theme, as the Tuesday, April 30th gig is during "Kilt Night", where attendees wearing kilts will get drink and food discounts! Both of The Wyld Stallyns' shows there this month are part of a larger array of live musicians this month, all playing matinee sets unless they're on Saturday nights. It's great to see a new concert venue open on Gore Street, and with an intriguing theme that should appeal to Saulties with Scottish heritage, so visit the above links for more on The Whiskey Barrel! TONIGHT's LopLops show is at 7:00 PM, TOMORROW'S and April 30th's Wyld Stallyns shows are at 6:00 PM, and none have advertised start times, but remember, these are dinner-time/evening concerts, and the atmosphere for these nights & events should reflect that.
Moving to previously announced concerts, here's another Thursday nighter TOMORROW NIGHT, as Hamilton outsider folk/punk solo musician B.A. Johnston will return to Sault Ste. Marie as the headline act at The New American Pub! Making his second live appearance here following a Cafe Natura show in 2015 (apologies for missing that), you may have seen James Hopkin's interview with B.A. on SooToday from last week, an given it's wildly varying and self-deprecating tone, you know you're in for a unique night tomorrow! B.A.'s irreverent, comedic, and unpredictable acoustic originals are hard enough to describe, but give him a listen and see what you think! Sault Michigan folk musician Magnet Moslov (from the Downtown Street Party in September) will open this concert, as per the official Facebook event page yesterday, and he should attract some fans in his own right at The New A! This concert is a presentation of Girl Friday Productions.
