Earthwork Music stars ‘spread the joy’ in winter tour, with stops in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City and Ann Arbor

More than a dozen roots acts from the collective will share songs and back each other on stage, including Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, who move to Nashville later this month. They play Founders Saturday.

 

In terms of Michigan roots music artists, it’s a star-studded lineup of musicians who individually could draw big crowds for their concerts.

But the Earthwork Music Collective winter tour which stops at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids on Saturday (with shows in Kalamazoo Thursday, Traverse City Friday and Ann Arbor Sunday) is really more about a bunch of musical pals joining forces on the road and on the stage because they simply love trading songs with each other.

“We all love to get together and share the stage, cross-pollinate, collaborate and connect with communities as a collective – to lift up some songs to lift up some spirits in the cold months,” says singer-songwriter Seth Bernard, who lives outside Traverse City and who spearheaded creation of the Earthwork Music Collective more than a decade ago.

“We all enjoy being a part of an artistic community rooted in mutual respect and support and it’s really fun to go out on the road together. Our love of Michigan and its influence on our music is part of what has connected us as friends and musicians.”

That collective now represents dozens of highly respected bands and solo artists, with a dozen or more acts – from folk-rock to bluegrass – appearing on every stop on the four-date tour.

AN ALL-STAR ASSEMBLAGE AS THE FLATBELLYS PREPARE MOVE TO NASHVILLE

They’ll perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at Kalamazoo First Congregational United Church of Christ, 345 West Michigan Ave. in Kalamazoo ($10), 8 p.m. Friday at Traverse City’s InsideOut Gallery ($20 advance, $25 day of show), 9 p.m. Saturday at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids ($5), and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at The Ark in Ann Arbor ($20).

The Founders show will feature Dede and The Dreamers, Gifts or Creatures, Joe Reilly, Joshua Davis, Laurel Premo, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, Mark Lavengood, Max Lockwood, Micah Ling, Ralston Bowles, Michael Beauchamp, New Roots Exchange, Red Tail Ring, Samantha Cooper, Time & Luck, and Bernard. Each act plays some of its songs backed by various members of the collective.

For the Flatbellys, it’s one of the quartet’s last West Michigan shows before the band moves to Nashville on Jan. 20. Their final show before the move takes place Jan. 18 at Fennville’s Salt of the Earth.

“It seems like this is a good time. The main reason for the move is to immerse ourselves into the bluegrass/country/swing/roots scene that exists in East Nashville,” says mandolinist Joshua Rilko, who called it a “musical quest.”

“There is a huge concentration of young pickers and old pickers alike and tons to learn — lots of opportunities for diverse impromptu jams when off the road.”

“It’s one big city hub with the (musical) concentration of 12 major cities,” adds Lavengood, the band’s Dobro-meister, noting there are so many talented musicians there “to teach and show you.”

Band members stressed that they love the Great Lakes State and will be back to perform in Michigan regularly, with a CD-release show for their new album, “Ionia,” on Feb. 14 at Founders.

“You’ll see us just about the exact same amount,” insists singer Lindsay Lou Rilko, noting band bassist PJ George already lives amidst “the incredible picking scene” in Nashville. “In fact, less than a month after we move we’ll be back for a week of shows, including our CD release at Founders.”

A TRADITION OF TOURING THE STATE ‘LIKE AN OLD TIME REVUE’

As for the Earthwork Music weekend, various artists have participated in annual Earthwork tours of schools, libraries and other venues around Earth Day for the past decade, with Lavengood and Dede Alder starting up the winter swings through the Lower Peninsula a couple of years ago.

“It keeps us inspired and connected to go on tour together and take turns, almost like an old-time revue or variety show with big ensemble numbers as bookends,” Bernard said of the winter shows. “When you’re each only playing three songs, and you’re playing for your friends whose music you admire, each one counts.”

As singer-songwriter and tour participant Max Lockwood of Grand Rapids puts it: “Besides the fact that there are so many great artists from the collective on the same bill, the biggest attraction of this tour is seeing all of these artists back each other on each other’s tunes. It’s a litany of exciting and unique collaborations.” He calls it a “very rare” assemblage of artists.

On Wednesday, Lockwood and Lavengood – who’s also doing double-duty by performing with Fauxgrass at the Winter Wheat celebration Saturday at The Intersection – made a special appearance on Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW) to talk about Saturday’s show and play as a duo for the first time on the air.

They delivered a stellar rendition of Lockwood’s “The River Runs Inside” and a cover of John Prine’s “Paradise.” Listen to the full podcast here and watch a video below. (The pair made it to the show despite a harrowing ride to the radio station that included a glancing blow to Lockwood’s car from a passing train.)

The Earthwork tour also spotlights “some wonderful environmental and social justice organizations” in each city it visits, Bernard said, with information tables and guest speakers at each show.

More than anything, said Lockwood, who released his first Earthwork Music album, “Outrider,” last year, the tour is about “spreading the joy of building community through music and doing good work together. And through all that, making the places we live, specifically in The Mitten, more inclusive, welcoming, compassionate and resilient.”

Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC