The buzz over ArtPrize’s finale week couldn’t overshadow stellar shows by Laura Rain & The Caesars, OK Go, Brothers Osborne and plenty more, captured in images at Local Spins.
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For cave-dwellers — or those simply trying to ignore the hoopla and traffic sparked by ArtPrize 2014 in Grand Rapids — the international art competition wrapped up with “Intersection” winning big, and five bands or solo artists winning $2,000 each as part of the St. Cecilia Music Center’s ArtPrize-related song contest. (Check out those winners in this Local Spins story.)
The final week also featured three nights of performances as part the WOOD TV8/Talsma Concert Series on Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, with the Kari Lynch Band, Matt Giraud, The Mainstays, Troll for Trout and Domestic Problems heating up the plaza stage. Just like last year, Domestic Problems drew the biggest crowd — many of them diehard DP-ites singing along to favorite songs — for its lively, dance-happy sets that straddled the announcement of ArtPrize winners on Friday night.
On Thursday, Big Gigantic drew a feverish, near-capacity throng at The Intersection for its sax-and-drums-driven EDM strains, with country music’s Brothers Osborne entertaining folks attending an Eric Church after-party in the front lounge, aka The Stache.
Elsewhere:
Larry & His Flask brought their punk-bluegrass revelry to The Pyramid Scheme, with Grand Rapids’ own Watching for Foxes also on the bill.
Detroit blues/soul band Laura Rain & The Caesars made their Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill debut in riveting fashion, with searing vocals and ultra-impressive guitar leads. It was a small crowd, but rest assured, this quartet is a force that will be heard from down the road. The next time they play Grand Rapids, don’t miss it.
On the cusp of releasing a new album, OK Go delivered another one of its legendary, confetti-blasting live performances — this time inside the Calvin College Covenant Fine Arts Center. Read the full review and see the entire photo gallery, in this Local Spins posting.
THE LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: Oct. 8-12
(Click on photo to enlarge gallery; disable pop-up blocker if images won’t load)
Matt Giraud photos by Anna Sink
Big Gigantic photos by Anthony Norkus, Eric Stoike and Chris Johannes
Larry & His Flask, Watching for Foxes photos by Katy Batdorff
Laura Rain & The Caesars photos by Anthony Norkus
OK Go photos by Anna Sink
Copyright 2014 by Spins on Music LLC