Initial Lineup Details For This Year's Northern Vibe Festival!!

The lineup for the band-centric Forest Stage at the eleventh annual Northern Vibe Festival was announced via their Facebook page yesterday, so what should you know there? While not announced in official promotion, this year will mark a change for Forest Stage promotion, as former Jack Spades/Frightlight frontman J.D. Pearce has stepped down as the curator of the lineup, after handling things there since the Ophir-based festival returned from their pandemic hiatus in 2021. As you may recall, last year's Forest Stage lineups were severely impaired by a Friday night rainstorm, which ultimately caused heavy damage to the stage overnight that left it unusable on the Saturday, with six band withdrawals. That alone isn't an ideal foot to leave off on, especially if this ends up being J.D.'s last turn as a local concert promoter, but kudos to him for booking and curating at Northern Vibe for the past five years despite his move to the GTA! Hopefully we hear more from him soon!

For 2026, Golden Scoundrels/ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno has taken over curation duties on the Forest Stage, and this isn't an isolated happening, as he booked the Dopethrone concert at Jay's Piston Broke Pub last month. The Northern Vibe Festival will return to the former Hempfest stomping grounds on Poplardale Road in Ophir from Friday, August 28th-Sunday, August 30th (rebuilt Forest Stage in tow), and 15 acts are currently listed on the above promotional poster. If that holds steady, it will be the biggest Forest Stage lineup since the pandemic, and likely ever given how infrequently lineup details were published in the 2010s. However, it remains to be seen what days everyone is playing on, which lines up with the J.D. era, as a full daily schedule was generally only made public the week of the festival, if at all. I do get that this encourages people to buy full weekend passes, but still.

If scheduled similarly to past years, no bands will be playing on the Sunday. Four of the acts this year are out-of-town touring artists, with the nominal headliners being Flint, Michigan-based ska punk band The Write-Ups (the first American band ever booked for Northern Vibe), who headlined at The Speak Easy early last month. Good to see them back in our area so soon, and they're a fun band for ska fans! Two touring bands will be making their local debuts here in August, and both are relatively new acts, including Sudbury hard rock quartet Pressure Event and Timmins all-female pop punk quartet Saving Bambi, whose own advertising indicates that they'll be playing on Saturday the 29th (though Northern Vibe isn't technically in Leeburn). As well, Sudbury rapper Ronin705 will return to Ophir that weekend, five years after serving as a late replacement performer at Northern Vibe in 2021.

Of the eleven local acts, only three are returnees from Northern Vibes past, and they include the aforementioned folk/bluegrass quartet The Golden Scoundrels (who played the last two years), local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith for a fourth straight year (presumably with The Big Finish Band in tow again), and local rap supergroup Soundsxvad (members of Sound Syndrome + Fvcksxvad) in an encore from their Ophir debut in 2025. This year has more ties with recent Rotaryfest lineups, with debutantes including funk rock cover quartet The Rhythm Junction, blues rockers Sunday & The Broken Hearts, former Way Backs frontman Jeffrey Wright in a solo country set, and blues musician Josh "The Preacher" McNally and his Jackleg Band, fresh off of their Stage 2 set next month. Other acts at Northern Vibe XI include new local alternative hard rock quintet Riverside Stasis ...

...ska punk quartet A.S.D.P., local/Peterborough folk/country musician Michelle Moran, and curator/Scoundrels frontman Josh Penno in a solo set curiously branded as "Pen Pen Happy Fun Time". Is "Quarter Scoundies" too obvious? Meanwhile, the EDM/DJ-centric Roost River Stage lineup has also been revealed, so click here to see who will be spinning tunes there. As usual at Northern Vibe, you can expect vendors and on-site camping all weekend long to cap off the summer with, though detailed specifics are to be announced on what to expect. In 2025, the daily schedules were expected to run from 6:00 PM-11:00 PM on the Friday and 12:00 PM-11:00 PM on the Saturday, the storm and this year's larger lineup acknowledged. This is a 19+ event, and tickets are currently on sale at this link in the "early bird" tier 1 phase, going for $125 for the full weekend.

No word on if the price will go up once "early bird" sales end, but if you're holding out for single day passes or other tiers, stay tuned to Northern Vibe social media accounts for updates. Definitely a more varied lineup for musical styles, leaning more into blues and country while still harbouring alternative and rap from past years, which is a testament to Josh's aims as a curator, and hopefully things go smoothly with much better weather in a couple of months! Visit the above links for more on this year's Northern Vibe Festival, but we'll let you know when daily schedules and timeslots are announced, and look for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

Northern Vibe Festival Fallout, Realignment Project Updates, And A New Silent 9 Video!!

Today's post covers some recent ground from a major summer festival, a band whose album was just reviewed on here, and another summer festival performance, so here's what you should know!

Starting on Saturday afternoon, a slow trickle of updates starting coming in from attendees of the Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir that pointed to major changes to the Forest Stage schedule this past weekend, so what exactly happened? Organizers have not posted an official public statement on their Facebook page, so some of this comes from personal accounts, but props to Spun Out frontman Dean Duguay and Big Finish Band bassist Matt Fronzi for what they shared on social media. As you may recall, this was a rainy weekend, particularly late Friday night and into Saturday morning (granted, a lot of the doom & gloom forecasts on Sunday didn't pan out as badly as projected), but points east of the Soo got hit particularly hard. While the Roost River Stage for EDM performers survived the onslaught from what I am aware, the band-centric Forest Stage was reportedly decimated in that night's rainstorm and was unusable for the Saturday program.

The intense storm hit late in the Friday program and particularly impaired Sudbury-based Tool tribute band Avessel's headlining set, with the band referencing that the night had "an unfortunate end due to the extreme weather" but praised the venue, artists, and vendors. You can see in the video embedded below (of them covering Tool's "Sober" from their Instagram page) that stage equipment was covered in garbage bags, but kudos to them for powering through and still pulling off the Tool sound so well! Hopefully they get an encore in the Soo soon (or at Northern Vibe next year!). With the damage to the stage and sound equipment, folk/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels salvaged the Forest Stage by using their own gear and an impromptu plywood floor "stage" to perform for attendees, and they were joined by three other local acts scheduled on Saturday, including drummer Johnny Belanger's alt-hard rock band Handsome Sandwich, maintaining their five year streak.

Rob Speers' new "party band" The Barbarians (featuring half of Handsome Sandwich) and Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band reportedly filled out the heavily curtailed bill, with the touring bands, Dark Side Of The Soo, Spun Out, the two rap groups, and Benny's Acoustic Thing all dropping out. Not ideal, especially for Crank Sound Distribution's gear, but thankfully no one was hurt, and props to the Golden Scoundrels for salvaging what they could for fans expecting to hear live bands on Saturday! Fingers crossed that organizers come back stronger than ever for Northern Vibe XI next year, but check out Avessel's Friday night video below, and see above for more on what went down on Poplardale Road this past weekend, good and bad!

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Next up, here's the latest from local industrial metal solo act The Realignment Project, who we haven't had talked about much in recent months beyond our "Frustration Sessions" EP review on Saturday, so what has Matt been up to since that came out in April? Unlike with their debut "Afterthought", every song from the new EP has finally gotten the lyric video treatment for the project's YouTube channel, with the last holdout ("Medicated (A Spade Is A Spade)") being embedded below. Matt was already writing new material as of May 17th, and after posting two promotional "Reels" for their first two EPs in the following days, he revealed on their Facebook page on June 2nd that their next EP will be called "War Songs". You can see him tracking some material on a computer from the sessions in this "Reel" posted two days later. On June 16th, Matt indicated that he was trying to write lyrics that day, and a June 18th "Reel" featured a song-in-progress named "Bones And Dust", but I'll hold comment until the full song is released.

Matt was tracking vocals for this EP on July 1st, and he revealed the track listing in the above image on July 7th. Mixing was underway as of July 10th (the day that he wrote the first song for T.R.P.'s fourth EP), and tracking 100% wrapped up on July 13th, but we await further details on the EP. Given the quick turnaround between EP releases (though we've been waiting longer for "War Times" than we had to for "The Frustration Sessions"), this could drop on major streaming services at any point, though due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period, we won't be reviewing the new EP until February 2026 at the earliest. Stay tuned for updates from The Realignment Project, and here's the "Medicated" lyric video!

Finally, here's an overdue highlight video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's set at Rotaryfest Stage 1 on the Friday last month! Uploaded to their Facebook page, this video combines footage shot from multiple filmers (not all vertical but shoved into the vertical dimensions regardless) during their set, and you can see them covering clips of No Doubt's "Spiderwebs", Michael Jackson's "Beat It", Van Halen's "Panama", and Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk". We don't see substantial footage of any one song here (especially not "Panama"), but Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve put in a lively and energetic performance in their Rotaryfest return, so check everything out below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

The 2025 Northern Vibe Festival Preview!!

The tenth annual Northern Vibe Festival kicks off TOMORROW NIGHT with another stacked lineup of local and touring musicians descending upon the old Hempfest grounds on Poplardale Road in Ophir, so here's our extended preview! This annual camping & concert festival once again sees vendors, activities, food & drinks, and more along with the live music, so be sure to visit the official website for this weekend's complete non-musical details! Once again, there are two distinct stages for Northern Vibe, with DJs and EDM artists performing on the Roost River Stage (click here for its schedule), while bands and solo musicians will set up shop on the Forest Stage once again, as curated by Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce for a fifth straight year in his annual return to local concert promotion. 15 acts (up from 10 last year) will grace the Forest Stage between tomorrow and Saturday, so who all can you expect to see an hour east of the Soo this weekend?

Just to preface things: the official schedule (released unusually early on August 11th) was considered "tentative" at that point, but there has been no contradictory announcements to go against what was stated then. Five bands will perform tomorrow during the shorter opening day program, which will be headlined by the local debut of Sudbury-based Tool/A Perfect Circle tribute band Avessel at 10:00 PM. They have the chops, so welcome them to the Algoma District in style tomorrow night! New (and maybe one-off) jazz/standards group The Josh Norling Quartet will co-headline at 9:00 PM, while hard rock quintet HeadF1rst will be the only band from this year's Rotaryfest to pull the summer festival double at 8:00 PM. The Friday bill kicks off with an extended rap block, including the merged Fvcksxvad/Sound Syndrome supergroup SoundSxvad at 7:00 PM & The CSWS Crew at 6:00 PM.

Nice diverse array of music to check out tomorrow, including heavier stretches from Avessel and HeadF1rst to keep things rocking, so keep everything in mind if you'll be in Ophir for night #1 of Northern Vibe X! 9&10 News is calling for cloudy skies with temperature going from 26° down to 18° as the night progresses. Note that they are forecasting rain in the 11:00 PM hour, which may affect Avessel's set, but the forecast isn't projecting more than a 20% chance prior. Visit the above links for more on the Friday Forest Stage lineup, and here's Avessel live! 

The longer program on SATURDAY will feature ten bands, and your headliners this year are local Pink Floyd tribute band Dark Side Of The Soo, as the Bourbon Blue side project will build on their recent Beck's gig by closing Northern Vibe in prog rock style at 10:00 PM! Niagara Falls prog/improv rock band The Road Waves will return to Northern Vibe as the 9:00 PM co-headliners in their fourth Ophir appearance, while local alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich will become the only band to play all five years of this festival since the post-pandemic relaunch at 8:00 PM. This year's other two touring bands (both from Cornwall) take the stage prior, including hard rock quartet Don't Tell Sarah in their second straight year at Northern Vibe at 7:00 PM, and speed metal band Hellrager (featuring ex-Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin) at 6:00 PM, returning for their own second year after dropping out last year.

Folk/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels (featuring fellow Spades alum and Handsome Sandwich drummer Johnny Belanger) will return for their second Forest Stage set at 5:00 PM, preceded by the first of two shows this weekend from local/Barrie alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band at 4:00 PM, one year removed from their set that had professional cameras rolling. Will things get filmed thusly again? As revealed on Wednesday the 13th, the 3:00 PM band named The Barbarians are actually the new band fronted by ex-Elements/Wyld Stallyns singer/guitarist Rob Speers (replacing his originally announced solo set), and he will be joined by Handsome Sandwich bandmates Taylor Emlaw and Rafael Medina as well as Boat Dads drummer Kevin Harrison. They're described as a "party band", but what specifically do they play, especially compared to Rob's old bands?

Note that these three musicians have backed up Rob at some solo dates this year, but is this the start of a formal new band, or are The Barbarians a one-off? The 2:00 PM block is listed as "bingo break" on the schedule, and based on promotion since then, it appears to literally be a break in the schedule with no band. I haven't seen direct reference to bingo being played or scheduled elsewhere, but get your dabbers ready just in case! We'll let you know if something else is afoot then. The 1:00 PM set belongs to debuting local punk/hard rock quartet Spun Out (featuring Caveman Morrison and Half Past alumni), who were themselves late additions to the Forest Stage lineup, so come out to Ophir to hear how they sound! The Saturday bill will be lead off by "Benny's Acoustic Thing", which has yet to be elaborated on in official social media promotion. I believe I know who Benny is, but just in case, I won't make an assumption in case I'm incorrect.

Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a high of 22° dipping to the mid teens on Saturday night, and there is a chance of showers in the afternoon, though they're not expected for most of the day (skies are projected to be mostly cloudy early and partly cloudy late). Note that 2023 Forest Stage performer and local magician Ryan McFarling will be back this weekend as a general performer on the festival grounds and does not have a formal timeslot, so keep an eye out for him! Even with no A Dire Setback this year, this year's Northern Vibe lineup is stacked, and after it briefly looked like last year's festival would be the final one, it's great to see everything back and in full swing for the tenth installment! This 19+ festival goes on rain or shine, and if you haven't bought your tickets yet, online sales closed yesterday, so you'll need to buy yours at the gate. The in-person rate isn't given online, but it will be higher than the advance fee was.

For reference, advance tickets cost $125 in advance (for the full weekend) and $80 (Saturday only; there were no Friday-only passes), and while Sunday is part of the schedule, that's strictly for campers to pack up and wrap up, there's no bands that day. There's a lot to take in off the grid once again this weekend, so visit the above links for full details on Northern Vibe in 2025, and for a Saturday preview, here's Don't Tell Sarah live! 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Northern Vibe Festival 2025!!)

In a major change in approach from past years, The Northern Vibe Festival's (tentative) Forest Stage schedule was publically revealed yesterday via their Facebook page, meaning that we can formally give the Ophir-based outdoor concert festival's 2025 lineup the LOCAL CONCERT ALERT treatment with advance notice to spare! Since the J.D. Pearce-curated era began for the Forest Stage in 2021, the band schedule has never been publicized any sooner than the week of the festival (and not at all in 2021 or 2022 by festival organizers), but this has slowly been improving, and I'm glad to cover things nice and early! Even if the intent was to ensure that you have to be there for the whole thing, I'd still wanna know who's playing on what day and when.  So, who all will grace the stage at the former Hempfest grounds on Poplardale Road this year? As of yesterday, all acts from April's tentative lineup (possibly sans one) are still scheduled, plus late additions Spun Out, so who's on & when?

The shorter Friday lineup on August 22nd will be headlined at 10:00 PM by Sudbury-based Tool/A Perfect Circle tribute band Avessel in their local concert debut, which isn't a bad spot for them to make a first impression on Algoma District fans! Avessel are Friday's only touring band, and with the fire lighting ceremony (remember the impressive bonfire?) coming in between, the Friday co-headliners are new local jazz/standards group The Josh Norling Quartet at 9:00 PM. Hard rock quintet HeadF1rst will make their Ophir debut at 8:00 PM, and the day's program begins with hip hop performers, including Fvcksxvad/Sound Syndrome supergroup SoundSxvad at 7:00 PM and online page-less collective The CSWS Crew at 6:00 PM. Very eclectic musical lineup for night #1, but there's a lot of talent to be had whether you're into rock, rap, or jazz, so don't miss out next Friday as the tenth annual Northern Vibe begins in style!

As for the longer Saturday, August 23rd program, organizers have similarly given the 10:00 PM closing duties to this year's other tribute band, namely local Pink Floyd tribute (and Bourbon Blue side project) Dark Side Of The Soo, while the highest slotted touring band at 9:00 PM are Niagara Falls prog/improv rock band The Road Waves in their fourth appearance at Northern Vibe and first in three years. Local alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich will become the only band to play on the Forest Stage in all five years of the J.D. era at 8:00 PM, while touring bands from Cornwall will return in the preceding two timeslots. Hard rock band Don't Tell Sarah (who played last year) are up at 7:00 PM, while speed metal veterans Hellrager (featuring ex-Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin) will return at 6:00 PM, following their 2023 set in Ophir and their quiet withdrawal from last year's event.

Fellow (Jack) Spades alum Johnny Belanger will play his first of two sets that day at 5:00 PM with folk/country band The Golden Scoundrels, who also played here last year, while the 4:00 PM timeslot belongs to local/Barrie alternative/hard rock standout Mike Haggith & his Big Finish Band in their third straight year on the Forest Stage. Questions arise with that afternoon's band slots, starting with "Barbarians" at 3:00 PM. I am not 100% certain on who this band is, but one possibility is the Vancouver speed metal quartet of that name. Note that former Elements/Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers is the only absent name from the April lineup posting on this schedule, so could The Barbarians be a new band of his? Regardless, we'll let you know when more is publically confirmed! The 2:00 PM slot is listed as "Bingo Break", and barring this being a Rob Speers-led project, could that legitimately mean that bingo is being played for an hour?

Again, when more is confirmed, we will let you know on if Bingo (Break) is literally a band's name-o or if you'll need your dabbers for the occasion! New local alternative/punk quartet Spun Out (featuring Caveman Morrison, Half Past, and Disciples Of Rock alumni) will make their live concert debut on the Forest Stage at 1:00 PM, and the Saturday lineup will be led off at 12:00 PM by "Benny Acoustic Set", previously labelled as "Benny's Acoustic Thing". I have a hunch as to who Benny is, but no concrete proof in writing, so I'll leave it there for now, but he should get things off on the right unplugged foot if I have the right guy! Assuming that organizers continue posting promotional images for individual bands on their Facebook page in the next two weeks, we should eventually know more on The Barbarians, Benny, and (if this is a band) Bingo Break, so follow along there for potential updates!

The concurrent & DJ/EDM-centric Roost River Stage schedule was also released on Friday, so click here to see who's performing there next weekend. Tickets for The Northern Vibe Festival remain on sale for $125 (full weekend) and $80 (Saturday only) at this link, so if you haven't bought yours yet, do so while you still can! The festival takes place rain or shine, it is 19+, and while Sunday the 24th is part of the schedule, that's the camping/pack-up day with no scheduled bands. Click here for full details on expectations, ground rules, and directions to what should be a blast in the bush next weekend, visit the above links for more on this year's Forest Stage lineups, and look for more on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

Bone Yard 225 Concert Previews, Northern Vibe Festival Lineup Updates, And More!!

This weekend's slate of hard rock concert previews is very quiet, possibly a calm after the storm (so to speak) following the Civic Holiday weekend. I had only seen publically advertised hard rock shows from two acts so far, and one has quietly been cancelled, as Tym Morrison is not playing at Beck's Bar tomorrow afternoon despite still advertising the matinee show on his own Facebook event page. Rather, former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver has the honours as he continues his local farewell run before his teased move to Nashville. Keep that in mind for country fans, and while I don't know what happened with Tym's show there, he is scheduled to return to Beck's on September 28th, and he will be live again next week!

As such, here's this weekend's only known hard rock previews, as southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 have a split weekend with two very different shows, starting with their one-night-only return to Reggie's Place TONIGHT! After spending most of July on the road or at festivals, this will be their first show at the venerable Queen Street East nightclub since late June, and hopefully Greg, Alex, and Warren keep the good vibes going with this latest "sermon"! If you want to enjoy their southern fried rock covers (and three originals) indoors this weekend, this is your sole chance, as their concert on SATURDAY NIGHT is very different, namely their role as headliners of Algoma Tree Services' community meet & greet for a second straight year! After replacing Soundcheck as this event's featured act last year, your local 225 are back at the company's Goulais River headquarters on Saturday for this publically attendable event.

This annual event will feature a charity barbecue as well as a bonfire, a meet & greet with Algoma Tree Services staff, and family activities, so there will be a lot to take in! Like last year, classic rock veterans Angry Joe & The Growlers (who have been playing this event longer than Bone Yard) will open the proceedings at 1:30 PM before "the dirty three" headline at 7:00 PM. This is a free event at 1313 Haviland Shores Drive, and 9&10 News is currently calling for weather ranging from 25-29° tomorrow, with mostly cloudy skies. However, be advised that there is a 30% chance of rain during Bone Yard 225's scheduled 7:00-11:30 PM timeslot, so keep tabs on your preferred weather forecast for updates. Tonight's Reggie's show is at 9:30 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit, and if you're curious, country music veteran Leslie Cook will be playing at Reggie's tomorrow night.

Visit the above links for more on both Bone Yard shows this weekend, and for a preview, here's a new video from their Kirkland Lake show to close last month's Stéphane Léveillé Memorial Poker Run there! Live-streamed by attendee Marcy Catherine (so you have until Wednesday to see it unless she converts it to a regular video) and shared to their Facebook page, this features the guys covering Golden Earring's "Radar Love" at their Royal Canadian Legion hall, and true to form for their live renditions, the 9:49 length is apt! Sadly, this video is vertical (let alone a now-time limited livestream), but Greg and crew are in fine rocking form in this rare stop at his hometown, and fans were definitely into it, so check everything out below!

Next up, here's some lineup clarifications for the Northern Vibe Festival's Forest Stage over the August 23rd weekend in nearby Ophir! First, regarding debuting local alternative/punk quartet Spun Out, I can confirm that their guitarist is Joe Skouris, a relative newcomer to local bands. Thanks to bassist Ryan Disano (an alum of Caveman Morrison like frontman Dean Duguay is) for confirming his identity with me earlier this week! As for the drummer, as best as I can tell, it's Disciples Of Rock/Stoned To Deaf alum Jamie Labreche behind the kit. Joe's an unknown yet, but this should be a solidly talented band, so keep them in mind in two weeks! The advertised Josh Norling Psycho Jazz Infusion have been renamed to The Josh Norling Quartet, with this promotional image from the festival's Facebook page confirming that they play jazz and standards, while downplaying the prior psycho branding. With they & SoundSxvad both getting fresh confirmations of their festival involvement this week, who is left?

Of the bands from April's tentative lineup, Northern Vibe organizers still have not plugged touring bands Hellrager and Don't Tell Sarah and locals Rob Speers, The CSWS Crew, and "Benny's Acoustic Thing" anew, so if Spun Out have replaced one of the five, we'll likely learn in due course based on who isn't freshly promoted with a new promotional picture or shared link (this is how the festival lineup was officially confirmed last year too, if not the days and timeslots until that week). Stay tuned for more when it rolls in!

Finally, here's a new jam session video from Sault Michigan hard rock/punk trio About:Blank's Facebook page in May! Apologies for the delay in this making the site, especially as it features the guys working on a new original song named "Why". This video isn't the easiest thing to watch for two reasons: non-ideal band member placement (we're staring behind Parker for most of it, who is completely obscuring Kade from view), and the baffling decision to upload this horizontal video into vertical letterboxed dimensions, rendering it tiny. How do so many bands upload videos like that? However, About:Blank sound good here, and Parker lets off some impressive screams late in this 72 second sampler, which kinda sounds grungier than I'm used to them sounding from prior videos. We still have (at least) two live concert videos of theirs to share in upcoming posts, but check out their "Why" jam for yourselves below!

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

Cory Marks Concert Videos & Northern Vibe Festival Lineup Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing a late concert cancellation on here, as classic/hard rock cover trio Dodge This dropped out of their planned Beck's Bar show on Saturday night. A reason for the cancellation wasn't announced, but Beck's Facebook page only confirmed the news at 10:00 PM that night, after the show was to have began. Hopefully all is well in Dodge This' camp, and that we see them again on stage soon!

Today's post otherwise takes us to updates on an upcoming concert festival, but first, here's some long overdue videos from North Bay country/hard rock musician Cory Marks' last two shows here! This first one is actually from his Machine Shop gig in September of last year, and I think this one slipped me by until now because it was uploaded as a "Shorts" video (a.k.a. YouTube "Reels"). While it is brief and vertical, at least you can embed it on external websites and play it in a background tab! This actually comes from the YouTube channel of Ben Bullett Mortlock, who was a session guitarist in Cory's live band, and it features 56 seconds of footage from that night, including arrival at the venue, and black & white soundcheck clips. All of this is set to the studio version of Cory's song "Whiskey For Sale". I say this a lot for highlight videos, but I hope the raw footage of this gets uploaded at some point!

Beyond my usual complaints about vertically framed videos, the quality of the video footage here is great (I couldn't tell you if the audio matches up), with lots of strong angles of the band, venue, and fans, so hopefully someone is sitting on the fuller (and maybe not vertical) raw materials? Kudos to Ben for this "Short" regardless, so give it a watch below!

Next up, let's transition to Cory's third local concert, a special acoustic event at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in June as part of the Hope Air Day charity initiative for improving remote health care access in northern communities. This intimate event (which had free admission) was actually live-streamed by the Hope Air Facebook page, but alas, I wasn't able to cover it here as hoped due to our busy existing summer schedule. Facebook now has a 30 day time limit for hosting and viewing live-streamed videos, unless they're re-uploaded or converted to regular videos prior, which Hope Air did not do for the Cory Marks concert here, so it vanished from Facebook around July 6th. We're not completely stuck in terms of covering it now though, as attendee DJ Chris Mat uploaded two videos from that night to his YouTube channel! One is of local folk musician Matthew James, who replaced The Dust Covers on short notice for unannounced reasons as the opening act.

Cory's 1:41-long video features him covering Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like A Knife", another good sign towards his country/rock crossover appeal if you weren't familiar with his rock radio crossover singles already. I get the sense that Chris zoomed in a lot, but you see what you need to see for Cory's one man performance here, and he sounds good on this domestic rock classic, so give it a look below, and apologies again for not being able to cover the full live-streamed concert in time! Hope Air is a great charity, and I hope the local festivities helped their goals and promotion in the area! 

Lastly for today, here's some clarifications and updates re: the lineup for the Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir over the August 23rd weekend! Like last year, organizers are posting individual promotional images for the musical performers on their Facebook page on a sporadic basis, and one is a brand new addition to the lineup, namely debuting alt-rock/punk quartet Spun Out! Confirmed for the festival on July 11th, the band features former Caveman Morrison vocalist Dean Duguay and former Half Past/Winkstinger bassist Ryan Disano, alongside a guitarist named Joe and a drummer named Jamie. I am not 100% on their identities, not aided by the lack of an online page, let alone the horror movie effects on their first band photo, but it will be neat to hear how they sound! I don't know who, if anyone, Spun Out are replacing at Northern Vibe, but seven of the Forest Stage bands on the tentative April lineup have yet to get a Facebook promotional image at press time.

Regarding the advertised Tool tribute band, they are not a Parabol reunion, nor are they even local. They are Avessel, a joint Tool/A Perfect Circle tribute band from Sudbury, who will be making their local concert debut off Poplardale Road in three weeks. Avessel don't have a website or social media page beyond Instagram, but what I have heard points to a strong take on songs from Maynard James Keenan-fronted bands, so don't bypass them! Lastly for updates on advertised bands, the rap performance by Soundsxvad isn't a renaming of Fvksxvad, rather a one-night-only merger of MCs from that collective as well as Sound Syndrome. Apologies for any confusion from our initial coverage of this year's lineup, and thanks to members for clarifying on Facebook! Time will tell if there any other lineup adjustments, so stay tuned for more updates on the lineup and who exactly is playing on what day when things come out, and we will keep you posted!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone! 

Early Lineup Information For This Year's Northern Vibe Festival!!

The tentative lineup for this year's Northern Vibe Festival has been announced on the festival's Facebook page! Yes, this annual festival on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir (on the old Hempfest grounds) will indeed return for its tenth annual installment from Friday, August 22nd to Sunday, August 24th, despite hinting last year that 2024 would be its finale, so hopefully there's a strong turnout for year #10! While specifics on Northern Vibe X are to be confirmed, you can get preliminary details at this link, and there will once again be two music stages, including the Roost River Stage for DJs and electronica artists, and the Forest Stage for live bands and musicians of multiple genres (Crank Sound Distribution will return to make everyone on the Forest Stage sound as good as possible). Organizers have emphasized that the lineups for both stages are tentative, but they historically don't mention the daily band schedules right away.

If announced at all, organizers wait until the week of the festival, but remember that bands previously have not played on the Sunday, which was more of a camping/pack-up day. As best as I can tell, Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce is putting on his old concert promotion hat once again to curate the Forest Stage for a fifth straight year, but who is currently scheduled for this end-of-summer bash? After last year's 10 band program, the tentative lineup actually has 15 bands, including three touring acts, all returnees from prior Northern Vibe lineups. One is Cornwall speed metal group Hellrager (featuring former Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin), who came north for the festival in 2023 before quietly dropping out of last year's event. Fellow Cornwall hard rock band Don't Tell Sarah will make their way to Ophir for a second straight year, and Niagara Falls prog/improv rock trio The Road Waves will also return.

The Road Waves previously played at the festival in 2017-2018 and again in 2022, so it will be good to see their soul/funk-influenced tunes back in our neck of the woods, while more recent fans will enjoy Hellrager & Don't Tell Sarah's hard rock attacks! Two tribute bands are currently scheduled for Northern Vibe X, who will be playing Pink Floyd and Tool songs. The former are 100% Dark Side Of The Soo (the Bourbon Blue side project that played at last year's ARCH Run), as per personal Facebook posts, but I don't know if the Tool tribute is a reunion of Parabol, a different local group, or a touring act. We'll let you know when/if we get clarification! In terms of known local acts, five are returnees from 2024, including alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich (in their fifth straight Northern Vibe), local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band in their third appearance, and folk/bluegrass band The Golden Scoundrels for their second year.

The other returning band is the rap collective Soundsxvad, who played last year under the name Fvksxvad, and this year, they'll be joined by a separate hip hop outfit named The CSWS Crew. I admit that I don't follow the local rap scene ardently, but I've never heard of The CSWS Crew, so this will be something else that I'll get back to you guys on when public details on them surface! As well, former(?) Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers will return to Northern Vibe after (from my understanding) going solo there last year despite event advertising always crediting The Wyld Stallyns, who have not issued a public update since May of last year. CSWS Crew & tribute bands aside, this year's debuting bands include hard rock quintet HeadFirst (whose new album "Road Trippin'" comes out next month), the possibly one-off Josh Norling Psycho Jazz Infusion (led by the Bookclub/Wyld Stallyns saxophonist), and an acoustic set by a musician named Benny.

At press time, I have no idea which Ben/Benjamin/Benny is being referenced in the advertising, and the most recent ones mentioned on the SMS don't seem like obvious fits, but we'll let you know when/if we hear more! As well, magician Ryan McFarling (a Forest Stage performer in 2023) will be back to perform separately on the main grounds. Conspicuous by their (current?) absences are local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (who haven't missed a Northern Vibe yet post-pandemic) and any of J.D. Pearce's bands, though he last fronted a band officially there when Spades GT played in 2022. Stay tuned for any potential lineup additions or removals! Northern Vibe X remains a 19+ event taking place rain or shine over the August 23rd weekend, and you can buy tickets at this link for $125 via the Tier 2 weekend pass (there are no single day options). Tier 1 referred to the early bird passes that went on sale before any of the bands were revealed.

Between the hour's drive, off-the-grid nature, and weather/nature-related concerns, the Northern Vibe Festival won't be the most accessible event to attend for many readers, but if this weekend full of live rock music, DJs, and camping piques your interest, do click here for full ground rules and recommendations. If you make it to Ophir in August, you should have a blast, so visit the above links for more details on this year, and we'll let you know (likely on short notice) who's playing on what day! Thanks everyone!

A New Mike Haggith Full-Set Concert Video, Bullet Train's New Song, And More!!

On this rainy Monday night, let's dive into some new videos from recent months, including a new original song/lyric video, a brief clip from a big touring headliner in the spring, and leading off, a high quality concert video from this summer, so here's what you should know!

The full multi-camera video of local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith's set at this year's Northern Vibe Festival was posted to his YouTube channel yesterday! Like last year when he and The Big Finish Band rocked the Forest Stage on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir, Mike had a single-camera live stream posted after the fact, while enlisting Justine Chalykoff of Chalykoff Studios to professionally film the entire set with multiple high quality cameras. While the final 2023 video wasn't uploaded to YouTube until May, the turnaround to get this year's full multi-cam video was only 2 months, which is great for fans of Mike's! Still no word on if the interview shot with Chalykoff Studios last year will ever be released though. Note that I won't go into a detailed blow-by-blow of the new Northern Vibe video, as I already did that when recapping the single-camera 2024 live stream in this post from September.

Just as a reminder, this was The Big Finish Band's first show with Elly McWatters on guitar for every song (Mike just sang here), and their all-original set only had three songs held over from Northern Vibe 2023. For extra minutia about the set, see the September post linked above, but Mike and crew played the debuting "Brand New Day", "Back Away Slowly", "An Act Of Strength", Mike's newer originals "I Really Hope This Gets To You" and "No Love", "Hot & Cold", "From The 55th Parallel", "Carousel", "The Nature Of The Times", "All The Best", and "Twist Of Fate" this year. Justine used even more cameras to capture Mike, Chris, Elly, Matt, and Brandan rocking out on the outdoor stage than last year, even utilizing a drumcam for the occasion, plus more fade transitions and mirror effects than before, so kudos for the extra work to spruce up the already solid performance footage here!

Your next chance to see Mike & The Big Finish Band will be this Friday when they play a half-time set at this year's The Soo's Got Talent semifinals (preview forthcoming), so whether you want a teaser of what to expect at Soo Blaster on Friday or just want to relive the action at Northern Vibe 2024, give their multi-camera full-set video a watch below!

Next up, local hard rock trio Bullet Train released their fourth original single "Wayside" to their YouTube channel as a lyric video on Wednesday! The song had previously had its exclusive premiere in the rotation of Unity X Radio, a Canadian internet radio station that has been playing Bullet Train's prior singles already. The band's longest song yet, "Wayside" continues with its inspiration on their take of current events, with social justice and recent protests coming under their microscope here. I won't go into specifics on all of that, but fans of Cory's prior local bands won't be thrown off by the hard rock sound here, if more complex and layered throughout, so give Bullet Train's new song a listen below!

Finally for today, here's a video from the Matthew Good concert at The Machine Shop in April that totally slipped us by at the time! This was filmed by Mike Blair for 705Live Sound Co.'s Facebook page, as 705Live were manning the soundboards on that night, and he had quite a neat spot from the balcony at this point of the concert, so you get a nice overhead view of The Machine Shop's interior layout and the sizable crowd (at least until Mike zoomed in!). The video features part of the bridge of the Matthew Good Band staple "Hello Time Bomb", and while there's not much to hear in the 19 seconds-long runtime, it's a neat watch, so check it out below!

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