LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Eclipse & Project 906), Another New Local Band, Speak Easy Battle Updates, And More!!

Keeping the news and updates coming on this Sunday morning, we have more updates to one of our past battle of the bands profiles, the latest on one of next month's battles of the bands, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT linked to a new local band, so here's what you should know!

We (thankfully) have a new Sault Michigan hard rock band to add to our links, and they are Project 906, so what should you know on them? Obviously taking their name in part from the E.U.P. area code, they're the new band from guitarist Joe Jenkins & drummer Will Storey, who have recently played together in Ten Kings, The Bottom Line, and the second version of Full Throttle. Their lineup is rounded out by singer Billy Bernier and bassist Dustin Paras, neither of whom I'm familiar with from other local bands. Describing themselves as playing a mixture of blues, classic, and modern rock, Project 906 look to be playing a similar range of songs to what Ten Kings did (if their videos are any indication), and fans will get their first taste of Project 906 when they rock Pickles Bar & Grill in nearby Brimley on Thursday, March 17th for their St. Patrick's Day party! Pickles is largely an unfamiliar venue for our coverage, but you may remember that ex-Half A Man frontman Erik Rintamaki used to host open mic nights there.

The show itself takes place at Pickles (at 11204 West Lakeshore Drive in Brimley) at 10:00 PM on March 17th, with no announced cover charge and a 21+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Joe & Will back in a band again, and hopefully they can enjoy a greater longevity here than their other recent bands have had, but how do Project 906 sound? We can find out via four videos posted to their Facebook page, including videos of Billy & Joe alone covering Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Long As I Can See The Light" & Alice In Chains' "Rooster" (albeit only 26 seconds worth), while the other two are of the full band, and include renditions of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and as embedded below, both Van Halen's "Panama" & ZZ Top's "Tush". The guys sound good so far, with Billy showcasing a good melodic voice (even if you can't see him in the full band videos), and Joe & Will's chemistry maintains from their older groups! Check out more from Project 906 above and below, and stay tuned for updates!



Next up, we can now 100% confirm the first band for next month's second Speak Easy Battle of the Bands on March 10th, as local modern hard rock quartet Eclipse will be taking part! Frontman Curtis McKenzie confirmed their involvement on the Facebook event page yesterday, with the venue's Facebook page liking the post afterward. Eclipse had previously signed up for the battle's original November date before it was postponed (and before they'd even played live), but it remains to be seen if The Din, Jesse Merineau, and Pillory are all still on from the original November announcements. While this will be Eclipse's first battle appearance, 3/4ths of the band have played in prior battles with bands like Haggith, Project 421, and The Din, including with the latter two at last year's Speak Easy Battle, but will Eclipse improve on last year's results? (And will they be at the VM Radio Battle too?) At last word, promoters have three band spots still open for next month's battle, so if you want in, message meghan.rix@algomau.ca A.S.A.P.!

As before, this year's Speak Easy Battle has a $5 cover charge, 10:00 PM start time, and 19+ age limit for all but Algoma University students with valid student ID. For competitors, this is again a fan voted battle with 15 minute set times and 5 minutes setup each, with $400, $200, and $100 again awaiting the top 3 bands. This should be another exciting battle, especially coming just a day after night #2 of the VM Radio Battle, so stay tuned for updates on both events, and sign up for both while spots are available!

Finally for today, here's some more updates to one of our past Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, namely of our profile of 2013's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands! Therein, we restored all photos, and updated references to the competitors' statuses after the battles, namely The Suicide Kings, Haggith, and The Northern Tragedy falling inactive, and Late & Loud's 2014 reunion gigs. In the section on performers' later bands, we updated it by replacing Caveman Morrison, Changing Lanes, Chronic Demonic, Frightlight, The Hydra's Teeth, and Punch with the more recently active Eclipse, Heavy Head, Infinity Grinder, Jon & His Friends (Late & Loud's Jon Tiberi's current Hamilton band), Mourning Wood, and The Pixo Control, while also referencing The Din's name change & Giwakwa drummer Chris Thompson's addition to Project 421. In the trivia section, we also noted the name changes of competitors The Suicide Kings & The Pesto Shirts (now Beaumont Avenue & The Wild Iris.)

Also new to the trivia section, we have references to this battle's spiritual successor (last year's VM Radio Battle of the Bands), while also noting how The Bear Hunters, Haggith, and their members' then-side projects did in both that battle and last year's Speak Easy Battle.  Finally, we fixed the link to the Giwakwa video that was listed there, and added a "sources/more info section" to include this battle's event page and SooToday coverage. Hopefully that covers everything, so stay tuned for our final updates regarding Viva La Battle soon, and stay tuned for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Heavy Head), A New Local Band, VM Radio Battle Updates, And More!!

Let's keep the news rolling along on the SMS for this cold Saturday morning! Ahead, we have some more updates to one of our past battle of the bands profiles, some assorted recent notes, and big updates on one of next month's battles of the bands, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT linked with a new local band that you should know about!

We have a new local hard rock quartet to add to our links, and they are Heavy Head, who feature many familiar faces in their lineup! Though not listed on their Facebook page yet, personal Facebook postings indicate that their lineup features ex-Suicide Kings frontman Mike Gaetano alongside Jack Spades bandmates Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger on guitar & drums, and Project 421 bassist Daniel Horton, which is definitely a talented collection of local favourites! Along with an Easter Island/Maoi statue motif, the band admittedly indicates that their sound is "a sweet mix of rock and pop", with the only covered bands listed to be The White Stripes and Maroon 5, but with these four guys, they're bound to lean towards heavier songs unless this is a huge departure from their norms (and, remember that The Suicide Kings covered "Seven Nation Army" in their cover medley.) As for their live debut, Heavy Head will take the stage for the first time at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, February 26th with pop punk quartet Stereo North as openers!

This should be a good concert, especially to see how Heavy Head sound in their debut outing, so keep it in mind in two weeks' time! There is a $5 cover charge for this 19+ concert, which Stereo North will kick off at 10:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I'm also curious to see how frequently Heavy Head play live, as Mike aside, the guys are all in at least two other active bands each (along with the above, Jesse's in The Elements & Winkstinger, Johnny's a Bear Hunter, and Daniel's in Eclipse), but no matter how often they play, this definitely is a local supergroup! Stay tuned for more from Heavy Head!

Next up, here's the latest on next month's second annual VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, as two more bands have been confirmed to join Stereo North on the lineup, so who else is in? As per promoter J.D. Pearce on the official Facebook event page, one new band is local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, who will be making their third battle of the bands appearance next month, and are the second confirmed returning band from last year! In last year's VM Radio Battle, (Mike Haggith &) The Din competed in the third semifinal, with Curtis McKenzie then on guitar, but they did not advance to the finals. Can their new lineup make a bigger statement and move onto the finals the second time around? The other confirmed band is local acoustic rock quartet K.I.C.K. (short for Keep It Cool Kids), marking their first appearance at a local battle of the bands. Their lineup features singer/guitarist Simon Shearsby (ex-Starlit Sins), guitarist Tyson Letang, new bassist Kevin D'Orazio (ex-State of Misery), and drummer Aaron Dunn (ex-Cowboys & Indians)

K.I.C.K. don't play live all that often, and their members aren't recent battle veterans from other bands, but will they leave a big impression on judges with their unplugged attack next month? There are limited spots available for this year's battle, and if you or your band is interested in applying, remember that registration packages are available starting today at The Rad Zone and Case's Music, and while they are $100, you'll make that money back and more by selling your ticket bundles that come with it! Huge prizes and exposure await, so check the above links for all current details, and stay tuned for continued updates as they are announced!

Also, here's three assorted shorter notes from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• While we await new updates from local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back's camp, drummer Nathan Sauve uploaded two new recordings to his Soundcloud page last March that we only just discovered (out apologies for the nearly year-long wait!) One is an "unreleased banger" that he wasn't sure of the title of, while the other features a slowed down abstract take on Aerosmith covers. Both are interesting listens from the jam room, with the "banger" capturing them in their true element, so check them out at the above links (and A.S.A.P. too, given the rumours of Soundcloud shutting down!)
• We have moved Strongs/Eckerman, Michigan hard rock quintet Moss to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band hasn't posted an online update since unveiling a new song during label Werehold Records' Friday the 13th music event one year ago today, though in all fairness, they rarely posted updates that didn't relate to the Friday the 13th events, which didn't occur in November due to "downtime" for many label acts, so they may re-emerge if Werehold revives the event on Friday, May 13th. They're a solid band, so hopefully they do come back, and best of luck to David, Jason, Nicholas, Terry, and Robert in the future!
• Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night have posted a new song named "Metal Mozart Concerto 11" to their Reverbnation page! Basically a metal version of the title work by the acclaimed composer, it's well performed and up to Craig and company's usual standards, so give it (and more) a listen above!

Finally for today, here's some more updates to one of our past Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, namely our profile of 2012's Battle For The Blood! There, we restored all photos, and updated notes on the bands' current whereabouts, namely winners Winkstinger's reunion last fall and the demise of The Valentine's Day Massacre's successor band Saints & Serpents. In the section on performers' later bands, we added Infinity Grinder and London's Rattlesnake Hotel (featuring The V.D.M.'s Andrew Angelic), and noted that Winkstinger guitarist Jesse Cook is a member of both The Elements & Heavy Head. The trivia section now has notes on host venue The Roosevelt Hotel's transition into Reggie's West, the demise of non-competitive performers T-Rex Manning, Changing Waves bassist Terrence Gomes run in last year's Speak Easy Battle with his current band Infinity Grinder, and Winkstinger guitarist Jesse Cook's run in last year's Rock N' Roar Battle in Spanish with his current band The Elements.

Lastly, we added a "Sources/More Info" section at the end to list the battle's Facebook event page, it's only substantial surviving online page outside of the SMS. Hopefully that's updated now, so stay tuned for more battle profiles soon, and for more news and notes in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned & Tym Morrison), More Weekend Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

As promised, let's touch on the rest of the known local hard rock concert previews for this weekend in today's post, but we also have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (including a SHORT NOTICE one for TONIGHT), and some new videos from each side of the border! Here's what you should know!

Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TONIGHT for a one-night only concert! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced the show via it's official Facebook event page yesterday, and it's not listed on his website's calendar. Joining his usual weekly matinees at Gliss Steak & Seafood (which continue tonight & tomorrow), TONIGHT'S Road House gig will bring Tym back to more traditional confines (not to mention, a more typical timeslot) as he rocks a venue that he also used to play a weekly arrangement at, so if you've missed his nighttime bar shows, this might be up your alley! This will also be Tym's first Road House show in just over a month, no word yet though on if he's playing there monthly now or not. This show has a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit, so for more details, visit the above links, and don't miss Tym's acoustic hard rock hits there or at Gliss TONIGHT! Here's Tym live a few years back!



Moving to previously announced concerts (and taking a trip to the Eastern U.P.), let's first look at Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned, who will return to The Runway Bar in Hessel TONIGHT, but also have a pair of new concerts to touch on in future weeks! As announced on their Facebook page yesterday, this talented local band will make their "debut" at Three One Three on Ashmun on Friday, February 26th, making them the first hard rock band to play at the former Back Door since it's re-opening and renaming (though they played there under the old regime), so definitely keep that show in mind to check out what's new at 313 Ashmun Street! Note that this is a one-nighter due to Banned's previously announced trip to Manistique that Saturday. Banned will also return to their hometown of Kinross on Saturday, May 21st when they rock The Oriole's Club inside the Kinross Township Hall at 4916 West Curtis Avenue, marking their first show there in three months, and while this is a largely unfamiliar venue, I can't confirm if this is tied to an outside event.

As for TONIGHT'S Runway Bar show in Hessel, it'll be Banned's first there of 2016, and should be a fun time for Alex, Don, and Wayne's varied and often heavy setlist, so don't miss out if you're in the area! Tonight's concert has a 9:00 PM start time, while their Three One Three show is at 9:30 PM, and the Kinross show is an earlier 7:00 PM event. All shows are presumably 21+, and none have an announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, don't miss Banned in Hessel tonight, and here they are live in 2014!



Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend (barring anything on even shorter notice), Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen in our area just under a month ago at the same venue (though they played in Christmas in the interim), it'll be good to see the Switzers, Chris, and Ron back on stage as they continue their 2016 schedule of playing at the Soo and St. Ignace Kewadins at least one weekend a month, so be sure to consider checking them out this weekend for lots of familiar and hard hitting favourites! It should be noted, however, that Highway 63 haven't plugged these shows on their Facebook page yet this month, but unless something is announced to the contrary, I wouldn't worry about any changes. Expect 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges for tonight & tomorrow night's shows, as usual for their Kewadin dates.

For a preview, here's a new video of Highway 63 that was shared on their Facebook page last month that we only just found today! Filmed by fan Annie Root at their Rapids Lounge weekend at Sault Michigan's Kewadin branch last month, it's a short 40 second clip of Highway 63 covering Warrant's "Heaven", and while it's obviously incomplete, it's a strong performance from what we can hear of this hair metal ballad, and kudos to Annie for filming it! Give it a look below, and don't miss Highway 63 this weekend in St. Ignace!



Finally for today, here's the latest videos from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din (who we'll have much more on shortly regarding their return to the battlefield next month), so what can you now see from them? As uploaded to their Facebook page in recent days, one video is a promotional clip for TOMORROW NIGHT'S Rockstar Bar show, featuring guitarist Tammy Hill plugging the show, and referencing bandmates Mike Haggith & Brandan Glew being a bit too into the Valentine's Day theme. There's a twist that I won't spoil here (it'd be a "sacrifice" to do that), but be sure to give it a look, as it's amusing and good promotion for the show! Also, note that the video doesn't plug Shit Creek Survivor as opening, but Jacob is definitely still playing tomorrow. The other video's actually been up since January 11th (apologies for the delay), and it features a drum battle between Brandan (The Din's regular drummer) and Mike (who drummed for Haggith & The Strange Coyotes, and also drums on his solo CDs.)

It's a strong clip to see the two drummers' performing in their element, and with Mike & Brandan drumming simultaneously, it is more of a battle than it would be if they went separately! Yes, a winner is declared, but I won't spoil the end result here. Give these new Din videos a look above and below, and don't miss them alongside Eclipse, Stereo North, and Shit Creek Survivor at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Pixo Control, Mourning Wood, And Eclipse), And Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews!!

With the Valentine's Day weekend upon us, we have a solid weekend for live hard rock & punk music in the Twin Saults ahead, so we're reserving this weekend's Banned & Highway 63 previews for tomorrow's post, perhaps with more late notice announcements to come, so watch for them then! Now, let's get into Sault Ontario concerts today, starting with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS with another new show coming later in the month!

The long teased Valentine's Day-themed concert at The Rockstar Bar goes down THIS SATURDAY NIGHT with four local acts taking the stage! Apologies for the short notice, we were waiting for finite details on the show's lineup and date, and we only found enough earlier this week. Postponed from it's original Friday night date for unannounced reasons (The Pixo Control show tomorrow is definitely a separate event), SATURDAY'S show will basically be an expanded sequel of the Rockstar Bar show from January 9th, with all three bands from that show back this weekend, including new local hard rock quartet Eclipse, alternative hard rock trio The Din, and pop punk quartet Stereo North, who should all deliver fun sets once again for the Valentine's Day weekend! Unlike on January 9th however, there will be a fourth opening band, that being local musician Jacob Quarrell's acoustic solo project Shit Creek Survivor (who you may recall from 2014's Sault Band-O-Rama.)

It's nice to see Jacob back on stage, and hopefully his folksy unplugged originals find a good audience THIS SATURDAY! Promoted by Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton (though The Din are responsible for the official Facebook event page), there is a $5 cover charge for this 19+ concert, which starts on Saturday at 10:00 PM. This should be an entertaining and familiar concert for local hard rock and punk fans, so definitely consider checking it out on Saturday, and check the above links for more details! With no Eclipse videos online yet, here's The Din's current lineup!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will reportedly be back at The Rednecks Saloon for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! Apologies again for the short notice, we only heard about this show via the venue's Facebook page yesterday, in a rare promotion from their end of a concert there (note that while the band hasn't confirmed the show yet themselves, they're no strangers to late notice plugs of their concerts.) This weekend's show is a one-nighter due to the return of frontman Terry Eaton's country band Asylum Country to the live stage at the same venue tomorrow night, so if you're a country fan and have missed seeing them lately (or miss seeing Terry back together with ex-Mourning Wood drummer T.J. Case), keep tomorrow's show in mind as well! THIS SATURDAY'S concert will also be Mourning Wood's first at the former Nicolet in two weeks, and follow their Esquire Club return this past weekend.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S concert has no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a likely 10:00 PM start time, and should be a good time for fans of the band's often heavy covers and wide song selection! Check the above links for more details, and here's Mourning Wood live last year!



Moving to previously announced concerts (though in this case, with a new confirmation for later in the month), we'll head back to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, where local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control and Nick Luck's local indie/alternative band Aldous will join forces, two weeks before the same two bands rock LopLops Lounge on Friday, February 26th! These alums of last year's Rotaryfest Second Stage are definitely well acquainted, and they should compliment each other well for this month's two shows, so if you can't make tomorrow's concert, you can see them at a different downtown venue two weeks later! Of note, this will be The Pixo Control's first Rockstar Bar show of the year, and their first gig since their removal from Tuesday's Sheepdogs concert, while this is the first advertised show from Aldous of 2016 that I've found. You can take in The Pixo Control and Aldous' "strange electric taste" at 10:00 PM tomorrow, and at 9:00 PM at LopLops on the 26th.

Both of these Pixo/Aldous shows are 19+ affairs, and they each have a $5 admission fee. For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here! It's great to see The Pixo Control staying busy in the new year, and Aldous' blues-influenced sound should be a nice contrast to open both gigs, so keep both in mind for tomorrow and in two weeks' time, and here's The Pixo Control live last year!



Finally for this preview post, we'll look at ex-Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's long-running weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood, which marches on with solo acoustic matinee shows TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY NIGHT! Though not announced on Facebook as of this writing, the shows are listed on SooToday's entertainment page and on Tym's website. Fans of Tym's prolific and skilled blend of hard rock and more general covers should enjoy this weekend's solo shows once again, especially if you're familiar with his recent matinee run at Gliss, so if you're up for some evening rock hits, be at The Quality Inn's restaurant over the next three days! As usual for Tym's Gliss run, there's 6:00 PM start times in effect for tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday, and while these shows all have no admission fees or age limits, remember that Gliss is a sit-down restaurant. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan previews and more next! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Lion Ride

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, as we continue our monthly feature series spotlighting a defunct or inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk band, so current readers can learn more about them and check out their material! As usual, this month's band was randomly selected, but what a random selection we have this month, as they're among the highest profile bands that we've looked at in this series, and they've definitely been missed in recent years, so read on below for what you should know!
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Lion Ride

Genre: Metal/Classic Rock/Punk

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie/Toronto, Ontario

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)

"Mikey Lion" Mikey Hawdon (The Fairmounts, The Merves), vocals
"Marco Lion" Marco Pedalino (The Cover-Up, Bondar), guitar
"Marky Lion" Mark Rand (Cross Dog, Detroit, Fuller), guitar
"Cobra Carmander" Carmine Romano (Dragqueen Superstar), bass
"Iron Mike Bison" Mike Indovina (Such Small Creatures), drums

"Lionel Itchy" Nathan Sauve (Bad Back, Fuller), bass
"Diamond Brent Panther" Brenton Ellis (Detroit, Maximum RNR), bass
"The Italian Stallion" Marc Muto (Bondar, The Hangdowns), drums 
 
Audio/Video: Lion Ride released their only EP, entitled "Awesome", in July 2008 with their original lineup, and while it's now out of print, it can be streamed on Bandcamp and Spotify, and bought on iTunes, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already! Outside of this disc, their originals "Lazer Lover" and "My Baby's Bad" exist as studio recordings that didn't make the cut for "Awesome", while a second CD had recording sessions in the early 2010s that were never completed before their breakup, though the four recorded songs can be streamed on YouTube. Numerous live concert videos from Lion Ride's run, including via the official YouTube channels of the band proper, frontman Mikey Hawdon, original bassist Nathan Sauve, The Sault Metal Scene, and others, so be sure to check them out, and here's Lion Ride playing one of their heaviest songs "Slapdance"!



Info/Analysis: Launching in February 2007, Lion Ride debuted their metal & punk hybrid sound at the former Foggy Notions that July, and they soon commenced with numerous concerts both locally and in Southern Ontario, where some members resided during the band's run. Continually maintaining the use of animal-influenced stage names (and sporting a glam-influenced look in their early days), Lion Ride's core lineup remained stable during their run, save for two bassist changes and a 2009 drummer switch. Along with the release of their "Awesome" EP, Lion Ride finished a point out of first at The Kiss Battle of the Bands in December 2009, competed at similar events in Southern Ontario, headlined their own Ontario tour runs, and remained a popular headlining attraction in the Soo until their final concert at The Rockstar Bar in July 2011. The band announced their breakup the following February due to personal commitments, though most members remain active in music.

Lion Ride were always a fun sight at local concerts, with their experienced & familiar lineup delivering a high impact sound and plenty of catchy & often heavy originals that kept fans moving! They had great chemistry, with Mikey's punk-tinged vocals and Marco & Mark's strong complimentary guitar work carrying them through the years, and they easily transferred that enthusiasm to their studio recordings as well, though it's a shame they only released one CD. The guys didn't close the door on a potential farewell show when they disbanded, so hopefully we see Lion Ride back in some form or another when the time is right, and check them out above!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, we'll head to Sault Michigan for the second time in 2016 when we look at defunct local hard rock band Monkey's Uncle (formerly Jager), whose lineup featured future members of Highway 63! I project there being enough to fill out a full profile, so look for that on or around March 10th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Information, Plus More Assorted News & Notes!!

Today's post at the SMS is mostly devoted to some shorter news and notes, but let's kick things off with some big updates concerning another local battle of the bands for next month, so let's get this one started!

The long teased second Speak Easy Battle of the Bands finally has an announced date, and it'll take place at Algoma University's campus bar/concert venue on Thursday, March 10th! Ostensibly an annual event now, this was originally scheduled for November 19th before being postponed due to unspecified "sponsorship issues". As per the new Facebook event page, the ground rules for this battle will be very similar to last year's, with 15 minute sets for each band and 5 minutes for set-up time, a crowd vote to determine winners, and prizes of $400, $200, and $100 for the top 3 bands. Twin City Sound will return to provide sound and base gear for the competitors, and it's now emphasized this year that the winning band will also get an encore set (I can't confirm if that was the case last year.) Promoters aim to have eight bands next month (up from seven last year), and while not currently confirmed, advertising for the battle's original date indicated that The Din, Eclipse, Jesse Merineau, and the returning Pillory were scheduled at the time.

Nothing there indicates that they still have reserved slots like they had in November, but might we still see some or all of them next month? If you're interested in competing, message co-promoter Meghan Rix A.S.A.P. at meghan.rix@algomau.ca for details! For reference, last year's battle was won by Gnaeus, with Long Shot and The Bear Hunters taking second & third, while the other competing acts were Infinity Grinder, Jesse Merineau, (Mike Haggith &) The Din, and Project 421. Also, note that Pillory bassist Jordan Leach is not involved with promoting this year's battle, so if Pillory do compete, there's no conflict of interest! For potential attendees, there's a $5 cover next month, there's a 10:00 PM start time in effect, and while there is a 19+ age limit for most attendees, minors with valid Algoma University student ID can get into the event. And yes, this battle will again be taking place one day after a night of next month's second annual VM Radio Battle of the Bands (in this case, after the March 9th semifinal; last year's was after the first night.)

While it's a little odd that they'd continue the scheduling in such proximity to the bigger VM Radio Battle, at least it's a consistent annual schedule if this maintains, and they don't run on the same day! Last year saw four bands play both battles, but will more pull double duty again next month?  It's great to see the Speak Easy Battle back for a second go, even if the fan vote method isn't optimal, so be sure to message Meghan A.S.A.P. at the above links, click here for more info, and stay tuned for more on both of next month's battles!

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

• Garden of Bedlam frontman Erik "Buzz" Boissineau revealed in a recent personal Facebook posting that he "can't wait until Garden of Bedlam and Changing Lanes perform for you guys again", which indicates that his local bands aren't done yet despite his impending work-related move to Guelph. Changing Lanes played Buzz's farewell concert this past weekend, and while the door remains open for a return when the time is right, we've only seen Garden of Bedlam (outside of a stag & doe) once since 2013, and they haven't updated their Facebook page since the summer. Stay tuned for more (hopefully) on their status and future plans!
• In their first public update since July, local alternative hard rock band Id Iota posted a photo on their Facebook page showing guitarist Dustin Goodall (also now of The Pixo Control) "making some sounds", with the picture showing him playing in front of a laptop with a music mixing program open. Are Id Iota recording new originals? When will we see them live next? Have they found a new bassist? Hopefully we hear more from Id Iota soon!
• In a clarification for Friday night's Pixo Control/Aldous concert, we can now confirm that the show is NOT the Valentine's Day-themed event that Daniel Horton was promoting, as The Rockstar Bar's Facebook group confirmed that the show in question has now been postponed to THIS SATURDAY NIGHT for unannounced reasons. The date did change, as opener Shit Creek Survivor & planned performers Eclipse have both said it was on February 12th in earlier postings. With that said, the involved bands haven't plugged the show on Facebook as still being on the 13th, but we'll let you know more in this weekend's concert previews!
• On their Facebook page last night, local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage revealed the titles and irreverent cover artwork of this year's planned new "albums", and they are titled "Messa-Chords", "Alarm Alarm", "Strange", "Krazy", "Kock Block Rock", and "S.C.O.T.T." Odds are, these will again be free postings on their Reverbnation page, but fans of the crash will want to pay attention for when these go online, so stay tuned for more!
• If you saw a Facebook page in recent weeks for a new local hardcore punk band named The Transjenners (obviously referencing Caitlyn Jenner), you're not alone, but that page was quietly deleted for unannounced reasons. I do not know who was in the band or anything on them beyond the name, but there was a comment on their page from a Facebook user who had saw them jam once. If they re-emerge, or if we hear more about them, we'll let you know!
• Registration packages for next month's second annual VM Radio Battle of the Bands will be available to pick-up at The Rad Zone and Case's Music THIS FRIDAY, as per co-promoter J.D. Pearce on the Facebook event page yesterday! There are limited spots available for next month's four night event at The Canadian Nightclub, so if you haven't gotten your packages yet, get them starting on Friday! Remember, there is a $100 admission fee, but you'll get that money back (and more) if you sell even seven of the 10 ticket bundles that you'll get, so don't let that stop you! See the above links for full current details!

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

Curtis McKenzie Updates, New Videos, And Battle Of The Bands Profle Updates!!

Before we get into this post, I wanted to acknowledge (albeit late, my apologies) that last Wednesday's planned third installment of punk rock bingo at The New American Pub was cancelled due to inclement weather (ironic given the "die, winter, die" theme.) The punk rock bingos have been cursed a bit, given that three installments have now been called off, but hopefully things work out for next time, as it's a fun event! Had they played, Sam Decter's planned band would have been called "Sammy D & The Morlocks", and had teased a post-punk element in their set. Now, we have some new videos, recent updates, and first, the latest from a talented local frontman, so here's what you should know!

Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie has been busy of late in terms of his solo material, so what's he been up to? As per his solo Facebook page last week, he has announced that he plans to finally release a debut solo album in August 2016, with more details to follow. It's not clear what form this release will take, but note that he has hinted at working with local bassist Jason Morbin in the past, and he once advertised musician searches for a planned band that wouldn't play metal or hard rock, though it's unclear if these are linked. Given the latter, we don't even know if this will be a release that fits our coverage, or when recording will begin, but stay tuned for more! Remember, some originals from his old band Haggith began with earlier bands of his, so you never know if some will re-appear as new solo tracks. On a larger scale, Curtis has thrown his hat into the ring for The Stone Temple Pilots' contest to find a new lead singer, so what should you know on that?

While this is arguably a long shot, Curtis registered on the Indaba Music-hosted contest where the platinum selling hard rock band hopes to find their new lead singer through. To that end, Curt posted an audio track of him singing "Plush" along with the backing track, and he sounds good, as fans of his bands should know! Voting hasn't opened yet, but hear Curtis' version of "Plush" at this link, and stay tuned for when voting opens, as imagine how cool it would be to see him do well in this contest to find The Stone Temple Pilots' new frontman!

Next up, here's some new videos that were uploaded to YouTube in the last few days, including this clip of 415E guitarist Chris Hubbard covering Van Halen's "Light Up The Sky", with him handling guitar, bass, and drums! Uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday, this showcases the Sault Michigan standout's multi-instrumental skill nicely, with an accurate tone and strong performances (especially on the guitar, as you'd expect), so give his newest solo video a look below!



Also, here's a new video of Sault Ontario solo musician and Audiofumes podcast host Mike Cliffe covering Black Sabbath's "Into the Void"! Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Saturday, this has the now clean-shaven Mike covering this Sabbath classic nicely, if a little rough around the edges, complete with an extended intro where he talks about the song and how he's playing it. Not badly done at all, so check it out below, and check out Audiofumes for some strong local and out-of-town original material!

Finally for today, here's some more updates to our past Battle of the Bands Rewind profiles! I have restored photos to our profiles of 2008's Skid Row and Case's Music Battles, and 2009's YMCA & Kiss Battles, as the links for those photos went dead after SooToday's design & layout changes from last month, so we've restored them with their new links. In our profile of 2009's Algoma University Battle of the Bands, we added a reference in the trivia to how current local rap/metal band The Apocalypse Afterparty have taken on originals from "songwriter" Paul Stanghetta's older band The Fury, who finished second in that battle. And for our profile of 2012's Sault Humane Society Battle, I added a link to the official poster to give it a "Sources/More Info" section, as it didn't have one at all before, though it's event pages and sites have all been taken down since. That'll cover things for now, but stay tuned for updates of later battles in due course!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!