The seventh annual street party will boast performances on Saturday by Charles Bradley, Lettuce and six other bands on two stages, with more 6,000 people expected. (See full band schedule.)
By David Specht
LocalSpins.com
With Michigan’s summer festival season in full swing, Saturday could be the perfect time to sneak downtown for a weekend of locally crafted brews and some local – and not-so-local – jams.
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Boasting an impressive lineup of East Coast artists as well as Midwest and West Michigan favorites, Founders Brewing Co. also is preparing to crack open a few taproom one-offs for its annual Founders Fest in Grand Rapids.
So what’s generating the biggest buzz heading into this year’s Founders Fest, which looks to pack in an estimated 6,500 people based on advance ticket sales with entertainment on two main stages?
Mark Dorich, Founders Fest director and vice president of retail operations, believes it comes down to one soulful singer.
“I’d say that here around the brewery, it’s been Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires,” Dorich said of the veteran soul singer and his band, one of this year’s headliners.
“Since his last performance in Grand Rapids this past winter (at The Pyramid Scheme), there’s been a lot of talk about how great of a showman he is, and we all feel he’s going to deliver.”
Of course, after dancing in the summer sun to an afternoon of music leading up to the Extraordinaires, festival-goers may need sustenance that doesn’t come from a tap handle (although that will include everything from All Day IPA and Founders Fest Wheat to firkins and some rarities).
Feeding a group this big is no simple feat, which is why Georgio’s Pizza and Grillmasters BBQ will join the five returning food vendors: Cottage Bar, Pita House, Rockford Corner Bar, Tacos El Cunado and the What The Truck? food truck.
According to Dorich, the food aspect of the festival isn’t all that Founders has enhanced.
FURTHERING THE FESTIVAL
“Last year’s Fest layout was changed to accommodate both the growth of the event, as well as the construction of our expansion that was completed last fall,” Dorich explained.
“The changes and expansion of the event layout worked out well, so we decided to pretty much replicate it this year. We’ve added a few more artists to our Artist Row vendor area. Finally, we have upgraded the second stage (Rapids Stage) and therefore will be featuring two main stages this year, with alternating sets.”
Jason Wheeler, mandolin player and vocalist for West Michigan bluegrass band Fauxgrass, said he’s pumped about sharing the bill with Bradley and the funk outfit, Lettuce.
“We’ve played the East Coast quite a bit and developed some strong East Coast connections through our touring, but it has always been through folk, bluegrass and Americana venues,” Wheeler said. “So this is a cool experience for us because we get to work with these new bands and the funk artists.
“We get to play for people who are going there to see Lettuce, happen to catch us and get turned on to the folk thing.”
It’s also an especially “cool experience” for fans of Fauxgrass, who get to see the band play for the first time as a five-piece band, with fiddler Jeffrey Niemeier and Dobro player Mark Lavengood joining Wheeler, bassist Tim McKay and guitarist Adam Balcer.
A TASTE OF THE TALENT
Here’s what Founders Fest-goers can expect from this year’s music lineup:
LETTUCE – Brooklyn-based funk powerhouse Lettuce unleashes sounds that span their 20-year history, which started at Boston’s Berklee School of Music. With three studio albums plus two live albums recorded in Tokyo, Lettuce’s high-energy performances draw on funk styles from the 1960s through the early 1980s, integrating contemporary hip-hop along the way.
CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES – Nothing short of a soul sensation. While making a living as a James Brown cover act, then-62-year-old Bradley was noticed by soul revival record label Daptone, who helped the singer songwriter to release his first album, “No Time for Dreaming.” Since his first release, Bradley has toured extensively with his seven-piece band, always performing with unmatched sentiment, and always sporting sparkling suits straight out of the original disco days.
BREAK SCIENCE – Since 2009, Break Science – an EDM duo signed to Pretty Lights Music – has been producing its own brand of electro-bass. Break Science is best known for its sampling of golden era hip-hop, and even a bit of trapstep influence. In the midst of a nationwide tour, including appearances at major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Wakarusa, this pair of New Yorkers should have no problem keeping the comparatively moderate sized crowd at Founders Fest on their feet.
THE BUDOS BAND – Also signed to soul resurgence label Daptone, Staten Island’s The Budos Band is a sure-fire way to get things hot and heavy – and that’s no exaggeration. Comprising a crew that ranges from 10 to 13 members (depending on when you catch them), this afro-beat outfit packs deep funk rhythms and tight instrumentals influenced by jazz and soul, designed to keep the audience grooving.
THE GIVING TREE BAND – Having produced albums using 100 percent solar energy and instruments crafted from naturally-fallen trees, it’s no wonder that Illinois Americana/bluegrass group The Giving Tree Band is said to be on par with Radiohead and Kings of Leon as an ecofriendly band. With such dedication in the environmental realm, it makes sense that the group would be equally as dedicated and passionate when it came to their work in the studio, which is evident in their truly unique folk sound.
FAUXGRASS – West Michigan’s own progressive bluegrass band Fauxgrass offers a fresh five-piece lineup for its Founders Fest appearance. And with a new album on the way, the band is planning the Grand Rapids debut of a handful of those new tracks at the fest.
VALENTIGER – Another homegrown act with a new album in the works is indie rock trio Valentiger, which will bring its pop-infused folk sound to Founders Fest for the first time.
FBC ALL-STARS – And of course, what would Founders Fest be without its very own FBC All-Stars? Returning this year is the nine-person crew made up of Founders Brewing Co. employees, who play everything from 1980s pop to classic rock.
Get more information online at the Founders website, with tickets available at eventbrite.com.
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music