“You had to be there.” That was the theme across West Michigan, with special shows by Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, Fauxgrass, Rooney, Penny & Sparrow, Conrad Shock & The Noise and more.
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It was one of those “you had to be there” evenings.
The first-ever “Cool Beats” concert staged upstairs at The Corner Bar in Rockford on Saturday night was a wall-to-wall, packed-in-like-sardines affair, thanks in great part to Traverse City’s The Accidentals, who proved their mettle not only as a popular draw but as the sort of rambunctious, high-energy musicians who ooze that “It” factor that captivates audiences.
Savannah Buist, Katie Larson and Michael Dause — with special guest, Rick Chyme (who happens to be a graduate of Rockford High School just down the road) — regaled the sold-out crowd with songs spanning their brief-but-active career, as well as covers of everything from Rush to The Beatles, including a completely acoustic and poignant rendition of “Across the Universe” performed in the middle of the audience jammed into the second-floor banquet room.
The show hosted by series organizer Dennis Moline clearly was a success in terms of attendance, boding well for future concerts in the series featuring The Ragbirds on Jan. 28, The Crane Wives on March 4 and Brian Vander Ark with Channing & Quinn on April 22. Get more details about the series online here.
And look for issues related to acoustics/sound at the back of the room (and the clash of folks chatting at tables versus those intent on listening) to get tweaked as the series progresses.
The Saturday night debut followed another rousing, sold-out show by The Accidentals the previous evening at the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven. That “Music at the Museum” show hosted by Red House Concerts also featured Chicago’s The Way Down Wanderers. Get more information about that series online here.
Local Spins writer Matt Marn provided this recap of the Grand Haven show: A young guitar player, Nik Carman – who just this week celebrated his eleventh birthday – opened the show, leaving the shocked crowd cheering with his powerful lyrics and blazing guitar riffs. As the show progressed, The Way Down Wanderers, crowd favorites from the series’ Season One, left everyone jumping up and down in the venue, cheering with their high-energy music and spirited lyrics. By the time The Accidentals took the stage, the crowd was clearly having a blast, and it only got better as the trio worked their trademark high-energy magic.
VIDEO: The Accidentals at The Corner Bar, “The Sound a Watch Makes When Enveloped In Cotton”
PHOTO GALLERY: The Accidentals photos by Anna Sink, John Sinkevics
While on the subject of special, unique shows, there were a boatload of them this week across West Michigan, captured in images at Local Spins:
• Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish’s CD-release show at Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge for Local Spins Wednesday drew a capacity crowd for an animated, fan-pleasing night of raw, rockabilly-flavored rock ‘n’ roll courtesy of Jesse Ray and drummer Dingo Hopp as they promoted songs from their new album, “Angry.” (Check out a review of that album online here.)
• Calvin College hosted Austin duo Penny and Sparrow at the Ladies Literary Club on Thursday, with Grand Rapids’ own Watching for Foxes opening the concert (in what that band called “a dream” show that would long be remembered).
• The same night, the Mark Lavengood Bluegrass Bonanza jammed away on stage at Founders Brewing Co. for an energized crowd.
WEEK-IN-REVIEW PHOTO GALLERY
Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish photos by Anna Sink
Penny & Sparrow, Watching for Foxes photos by Kendra Kamp
Mark Lavengood Bluegrass Bonanza, Rooney
Fauxgrass, Conrad Shock & The Noise photos by Anna Sink
• At Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, singer-songwriter May Erlewine on Thursday launched her “Winter Dance Party” tour behind her new EP, “The Little Things,” backed by an all-star cast of Michigan musicians. Local Spins photographer Derek Ketchum described the show as “incredible. Between her beautiful voice, songwriting talent and having a backing band that includes some of the most talented musicians in West Michigan and you have a night that you won’t soon forget.”
• On Friday, country singer Chris Lane frolicked for a zesty crowd at The Intersection in a show hosted by radio station B93 (with special guests Morgan Wallen and DJ Jay Vee).
PHOTO GALLERY: Chris Lane photos by Eric Stoike