Local Spins’ final look back at the year that was, reliving the excitement, controversy, emotions and pageantry that West Michigan’s music scene sparked in 2014.
Halloween 2014: Parties on Ionia, at The B.O.B. and elsewhere produced zany photos and more interest than any other Local Spins photo gallery last year. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Snowbound and hunkered down, this blustery January day is as good as any to take one last, wistful look back at the musical year that was in West Michigan.
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Justified Tantrum? LaMontagne on stage at Meijer Gardens. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Local Spins already has posted its annual ‘best music of the year’ lists, courtesy of writers and local musicians, as well as announcing the winner of the Local Spin of the Year award for the best regional album of 2014: The Soil and The Sun’s “Meridian.”
Now, it’s time to take a quick gander at Local Spins’ top stories, features and columns of 2014 … and there were some real doozies that generated a boatload of reader interest:
TOP LOCAL SPINS CONCERT REVIEW OF 2014: Temper, temper: Ray LaMontagne storms off stage during Meijer Gardens show to cap odd night
What else? When singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne dropped his guitar in the midst of a concert at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park last summer, cursed out some chatty fans and stomped off stage, Local Spins reviewer Tricia Woolfenden was there — mouth likely agape — watching it all transpire. The firestorm that followed, well, created a national hubbub about concert and performer etiquette. Woolfenden followed up with a column about the hoopla, which also generated comments and attention — Concert Etiquette 101: Have fun, don’t be a jerk.
TOP LOCAL SPINS NEWS STORY OF 2014: Musicians mourn passing of beloved West Michigan keyboard player David Raffenaud
David Raffenaud (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Just like the death of longtime Orbit Room owner and promoter Don Dorshimer the year before, the loss of a much-loved and respected West Michigan musical icon touched the hearts of musicians and fans across the region. David Raffenaud, of Fennville, was a top-notch, veteran player and all-around good guy, and he’s still missed. And a close second on the list of last year’s top news stories, interestingly, had an Orbit Room twist: Grand Rapids’ Orbit Room future uncertain as longtime manager Ted Smith departs for Detroit. Third on the list? The story of a local boy making it good in L.A.: Borns finds pop inspiration, collaborative magic and major label love in California
TOP LOCAL SPINS ARTIST SPOTLIGHT FEATURE: Traverse City teen string duo The Accidentals: ‘Rocking it out, turning heads and dropping jaws
The Accidentals (Photo/Anna Sink)
Not surprisingly, the teen multi-instrumentalists Savannah Buist and Katie Larson (later joined by drummer Michael Dause) known as The Accidentals found throngs of new fans in 2014 as the band crisscrossed the Midwest in the energetic group’s busiest year ever. The band even landed a deal with Marshall Crenshaw and a New York producer. No. 2 went to another teen phenom — Northern Michigan’s budding singing star: 14-year-old Lexi Schaub
(Both of them appeared on Local Spins Live — 11 a.m. Wednesdays on News Talk 1340 AM WJRW — and the year also saw the addition of another local music radio show spotlighting regional acts: Local Spins on WYCE at 11 a.m. Friday on 88.1 FM.)
TOP LOCAL SPINS COLUMN FOR 2014: Gettin’ Down with the Clowns: Detroit’s Insane Clown Posse, Faygo and the SchockFest ‘spectacle as resistance’
Insane Clown Posse (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Writer Brian J. Bowe’s amazing inside look at the wild culture of the Insane Clown Posse — accompanied by fabulous photos from Anthony Norkus — made this the must-read column of the year. And his insightful assessment of Jack White’s homecoming tour stop in the Motor City generated plenty of reader attention, too — Getting it all wrong about Jack White in Detroit.
TOP LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY: Halloween on Ionia, Zombie Apocalypse, Stepdad, Alexis, SoMo, Murder Party (Nov. 2, 2014)
Nothing like zombies, witches and goofy get-ups to attract oglers. Add to that ultra-entertaining concerts by the likes of Grand Rapids’ Alexis, Stepdad and more, and this is one riveting photo gallery to be sure. Photographers Anthony Norkus, Anna Sink, Katy Batdorff, Eric Stoike, Tori Thomas and Chris Johannes captured the mayhem and the revelry in stunning fashion. And speaking of goofy get-ups, right behind it at No. 2 is another colorful, photogenically groovy event — Best of Electric Forest 2014 (June 30, 2014)
Electric Vibe: The entrance to Sherwood Forest at Electric Forest. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Flower Power: Electric Forest sold out last year. (Photo/Anna Sink)
More Electric Forest photos online here.
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