Monday, January 5, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril, Scarkazm, Power Slug, Banned, And Highway 63), All From Kewadin Casino!!

Today's post is dedicated to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS at the two regional Kewadin Casinos that actively book bands, as Kewadin's entertainment page now lists 2015 concerts through the May 23rd weekend! Among bands outside of our coverage range like The London Gentlemen, Sault Ontario's Touch of Class, Hawk Junction, Ricochet, The Brooks Band, Crossroads, and Perry Hatch, we have 36 shows over 18 weekends from 5 bands to add to our band links for the next 3 and a half months, though keep in mind that 5 weekends (2 in St. Ignace) have bands to be announced. Visit this link for more details and the full schedule, and now, here's the new Kewadin hard rock shows in rough chronological order!

We'll start with Kinross classic/hard rock notables Banned, who are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT (and later still on May 15th & 16th), with those two weekends bookending returns to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin on February 13th & 14th, and then on April 3rd & 4th! This weekend's shows will be the Traynor family-led group's first shows of the new year (and in St. Ignace since the Halloween weekend), while their February gigs in the Soo will be their first at that location in just over 2 months. It's great to see Banned keeping up their usual busy schedule (though no word on why they're not playing either Kewadin branch in March), so don't miss out THIS WEEKEND or through the coming months! All 8 shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover, and 9:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details on Banned's next Kewadin shows!

Next up, here's 10 new shows (one weekend over each of the night 5 months) for newer local classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63, who will rock The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on January 16th & 17th, March 20th & 21st, and May 22nd & 23rd, alongside Northern Pines Lounge shows in St. Ignace on February 13th & 14th and April 3rd & 4th! Next weekend's Sault dates mark the Sir Charge successors' first stops there in three weeks, while the February shows in St. Ignace will be their first there since late November. I'm not sure yet if the alternating venue each month is an intended pattern, but it's awesome to see Highway 63 taking off and building new successes in the area, and hopefully they'll build on Henry's past work with the likes of Monkey's Uncle! Like with the Banned shows, there are 21+ with no cover and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more info!

Also in early 2015 at these two Kewadin Casino branches, we'll see Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm return to the Eastern Upper Peninsula for three weekends, including returns to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on January 23rd & 24th and on February 27th & 28th, which precede a weekend at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on March 13th & 14th! Nice to see Scarkazm (featuring Peril's Jeff Hudson and Adam Crawford on drums & guitar) back in our neck of the woods some more in early 2015 after their successful 2014 regional shows! Their late January weekend will be Scarkazm's first in St. Ignace since April, but the March shows will be their first in the Soo since a late November weekend that completely slipped us by for site coverage (our sincere apologies, I don't know how they fell through the cracks!) Take in their entertaining originals and covers each night at 9:00 PM, there's no cover, and you must be 21 to attend. See above for more!

One more hard rock band will be rocking an E.U.P. Kewadin Casino this month, that being local hard rock trio Power Slug, who are slated to return to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on January 30th & 31st, and then on April 17th & 18th, which bookend dates at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on March 27th & 28th! Not as many dates as other bands we're touching on today, but remember that frontman Chris Leask has 5 concert weekends through May with Highway 63 as well. The March shows will be Power Slug's first at the Soo Kewadin in a month, but we honestly haven't heard of them playing in St. Ignace since at least 2013 (though unannounced gigs are very possible.) Fans have some solid opportunities to chug their mugs with Power Slug in early 2015, and these are also 21+ shows with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. See above for more details, and note that Power Slug will also return to the Manistique Kewadin Casino for shows next month & in May.

Finally for the known early-2015 hard rock Kewadin concerts, we'll see Traverse City metal trio Peril back in our neck of the woods for at least three upcoming weekends! We'll now credit Peril as being from Traverse City on the site rather than Charlevoix, to better reflect where members currently live. Fresh off of their first shows of the year in St. Ignace last weekend, we'll see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks back at it on February 6th & 7th and on March 6th & 7th at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo, before returning to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on March 28th! No word on when/if we'll see new Audio Circus or Kiss'd dates in the E.U.P., but these new shows add to a busy schedule over the coming months for Jeff & Adam, but their classic metal sounds speak for themselves where Peril are concerned, so keep their upcoming Kewadin dates in mind! Again, these start at 9:00 PM, they are 21+, and there's no cover. For details on all of the above shows, visit the above links!

And for the sake of clarity regarding their absence from Kewadin's calendar, Cheboygan hard rockers Driven have not posted a public update since Tony Rhome's departure last fall, but I'm unsure why locals 415E are not among the new bookings. Hopefully all's well with them! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news from both sides of the border as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

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