From Wealthy Theatre to the Tip Top to SpeakEZ Lounge, Grand Rapids’ Wednesday night was firing musically on all cylinders: The Local Spins roundup and photo gallery.
Trio Time: A pared-down Crane Wives played the first Local Spins Wednesdays show at SpeakEZ. (Photo/Anna Sink)
SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL PHOTO GALLERY
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Call it a mid-week showcase of prodigious, genre-expanding talent.
Dancing Diamond: My Brightest Diamond at Wealthy Theatre on Wednesday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
First, My Brightest Diamond delivered her ultra-inventive rock/pop for a near-capacity crowd at Grand Rapids Wealthy Theatre on Wednesday night, as ardent fans crowded around the front of the stage to listen to Shara Worden with her two-piece band (bassist and drummer) and watch her uncork some sweet dance moves, as captured by Local Spins photographer Tony Norkus. Worden, aka My Brightest Diamond, is touring behind her new album, “This Is My Hand.”
The diverse crowd, ranging from children to grandparents, also was treated to an opening set by Minnesota’s Dosh & Ghostband, aka Martin Dosh and Jon Davis, who provided an EDM/jam band-flavored display with looping samples and more.
At downtown’s SpeakEZ Lounge, meanwhile, the first Local Spins Wednesdays show offered up a smile-inducing evening of local super-groups, packing the cozy venue for sets by The Crane Wives acoustic trio (Emilee Petersmark, Kate Pillsbury and Dan Rickabus) and the Max Lockwood quintet/sextet (or maybe it was actually Big Dudee Roo-ckabus).
RICKABUS AND PILLSBURY ON LOCAL SPINS LIVE AS A DUO
Earlier in the day, Rickabus and Pillsbury had regaled a radio audience with a sneak preview of this pared-down version of The Crane Wives as part of Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW). Rickabus said it’s “a pretty special time for The Crane Wives” as they “explore different environments for the music to exist in,” including stripped-down shows in intimate environments where “people can really listen” to the music.
Pillsbury, who first started performing as a duo with Petersmark pre-Crane Wives, said members of the band are “going back to our roots” with different sorts of shows the next few months as the five-member group prepares to head back into the recording studio for another album next year.
Listen to a podcast of the show here, then check out an exclusive video of the duo’s performance of a brand new song, “Allies or Enemies,” and highlights from Wednesday night’s SpeakEZ show below.
Chuck Prophet at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill. (Photo/Jamie Geysbeeek)
At SpeakEZ, fans clearly enjoyed this intimate version of the Crane Wives (who even performed an unusual cover of Outkast), while Lockwood’s crew of top-notch musicians launched its set with a tribute of sorts to birthday boy Neil Young by playing “Harvest Moon,” followed by a Steve Earle cover and a passel of songs from Lockwood’s new solo album. Next week for Local Spins Wednesdays: Brad Fritcher and Dutcher Snedeker fire up the contemporary jazz machine.
(The Wednesday night show at SpeakEZ followed another Local Spins debut: The first Local Spins Live at River City Studios podcast featuring Ghost Heart. Read more about that at Local Spins on Friday.)
And finally, engaging singer-songwriter and guitarist Chuck Prophet and The Mission Express pumped up a full house – and generated sing-alongs from fans – at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill.
Not bad for a Wednesday night … with a storm of weekend live music still ahead (not to mention a winter storm, too, unfortunately).
THE LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY: Nov. 12, 2014
The Crane Wives duo/trio, Max Lockwood & Friends photos by Anna Sink
My Brightest Diamond photos by Anthony Norkus
Chuck Prophet photos by Jamies Geysbeek
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music LLC
