The guys in Grand Rapids rock band 13th Hour might consider this one scary statistic: They have more than 140 years of professional music experience between them. But instead of ruing this sort-of-geezerly image, 13th Hour has turned this attribute into one of its most appealing strengths. Due to the four band members’ impressive musical [...]
Grand Rapids’ Festival of the Arts will raise the curtain on summer entertainment this weekend with dozens of bands, dance groups and solo artists playing several stages over three days. But another Michigan festival – one that will close the summer with 200 performances on 10 stages – is beckoning local bands with the lure [...]
2012 Festival of the Arts Noon Friday-7 p.m. Sunday Free Throughout downtown Grand Rapids I literally ran out of gas on my way back into town on Monday, but there’s certainly no shortage of musical fuel in Grand Rapids this week. Welcome to a special Tuesday, post-Memorial Day edition of Spins on Music’s picks of [...]
Amid all of the new music venues and nightlife concert opportunities that Grand Rapids has spawned in recent years, there’s now some sobering news to report: Jukes Bar on Leonard Street will close its doors on July 28. Owner Dave Eder repeated to me what he recently posted on Facebook for Jukes’ longtime patrons: The [...]
Respected jazz, pop, cabaret and classical pianist Mark Kahny readily concedes he tends to be more comfortable as a “sideman.” He’s certainly played that role to a tee many times the past three decades in the Grand Rapids area, performing with a host of West Michigan’s best musicians and singers. On Wednesday, however, he filled [...]
Billed as the “youngest blues band in America,” the Homemade Jamz Blues Band will launch the 2012 edition of the LAV Budweiser Blues on the Mall series on June 13. The energetic group of Mississippi-based siblings – guitarist-singer Ryan Perry, 19, bassist Kyle Perry, 17, and drummer Taya Perry, 13 – was supposed to return [...]