Some of the Grand Rapids area’s live music offerings fly under the radar this weekend. Here are a few worthy events – and particularly worthy female stars such as Rosie Flores, Callaghan and Claudia Schmidt – you might have overlooked.
Brandon Muske and The Wallace Collective help inaugurate this weekend’s Lamp Light Music Festival.
Lamp Light Music Festival
Friday-Sunday
$25 weekend pass; $15 day pass
Four homes in Eastown, Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids musician and photographer John Hanson just wanted to know, “What would a music festival look like if I did a music festival?”
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Well, as it turns out, it looks exactly like this weekend’s inaugural Lamp Light Music Festival: sets by 34 bands and solo artists performing in living rooms in four homes in the Eastown neighborhood.
With help from a bevy of committed musicians, artists and community activists (including Rick Beerhorst, Brandon Muske, Matt Jarrells and others), the Lamp Light festival is a celebration of house concerts – an increasingly popular, intimate way of sharing live music.
As Hanson, a member of the indie-folk band Strawberry Heritage, puts it, the living room performances offer fans a “warm, glowing, casual encounter with the artist.”
Lucas Wilson
While a few rock bands are on the bill, the mostly acoustic acts play “music that fits better in a listening room rather than a talkative, alcohol-ridden commercial environment.”
Lining up mostly local and regional acts through West Michigan’s vibrant musicians’ network (with a few national touring bands that happen to be passing through town, such as the North Carolina duo Mandolin Orange), the festival kicks off at the “Winterfell” house at 1431 Dunham St. SE with a set by Grand Rapids’ Jeremy Verwys, followed by folk-rock’s Wallace Collective.
By the time the unusual festival wraps up early Sunday evening with Still Alive playing the “TurtleDen” house at 1241 Sigsbee St. SE, more than 30 acts will have offered up sets, including Beerhorst’s Wealthy Orphans, A.B!, Brent Shirey of Valentiger, Lucas Wilson, Antrim Dells, The Daredevil Christopher Wright, Fiona Dickinson, Julio Gomez, Karisa Wilson, Chain of Lakes’ Kyle Rasche, Matt Jones and Strawberry Heritage.
In addition, Hanson says the homes will offer local food, “soup on the stove and local artists will be showing their artwork. … It’s not just a little house show thing,” Hanson offers. “It’s a whole neighborhood.”
It certainly shapes up to be an intimate concert experience unlike any other. Tickets at the door are $25 for the weekend or $15 per day.
See ticket details, the entire schedule and lineup – and house locations – online at lamplightfestival.com.
Callaghan (Photo/Kirk Stauffer)
Callaghan, Karisa Wilson
8 p.m. Friday
$20 (reserved sofa and table seating also available)
Seven Steps Up, Spring Lake
UK-born and Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Callaghan may be as charming as it get in the indie-pop/folk scene.
Her debut album, “Life in Full Colour,” was produced by Shawn Mullins, who raves that Callaghan’s voice is “original and pure and she is one of the greatest unsigned talents I’ve ever heard.” That’s awfully high praise, indeed.
Callaghan is actually opening for Mullins at upcoming shows in Valaparaiso, Ind., and Ann Arbor. She’ll unfurl a solo acoustic set on Friday night at Seven Step Up, Spring Lake’s fine listening room. Get ticket information here. Grand Rapids’ own Karisa Wilson opens the show.
Rosie Flores will rockabilly the Tip Top on Sunday.
Rosie Flores, Marti Brom,
Delilah DeWylde & the Lost Boys
6 p.m. Sunday
$12
Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, Grand Rapids
Rosie Flores sings about a “workin’ girl’s guitar.” And this Texas-bred “workin’ girl” is a true rockabilly/country/honky-tonk star with a career spanning more than four decades. Not only is she touring behind her brand new album, “Working Girl’s Guitar,” but she’s bringing along fellow “rockabilly darling” Marti Brom.
Both women also will be paying tribute to rockabilly queen Janis Martin, performing songs off of her farewell album, “The Blanco Sessions.” And the show kicks off with West Michigan’s own rockabilly/honkytonk queen, Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys. Get more details here.
Claudia Schmidt brings her folk/jazz to Fennville this weekend.
Claudia Schmidt, Dean Magraw
7 p.m. Sunday
$12
Salt of the Earth, Fennville
Michigan native Claudia Schmidt is a folk-jazz phenom whose career kicked off in the late ‘70s. Now based in Traverse City, the much-sought-after singer and 12-string guitarist has released 14 studio albums and performed around the world. On Sunday night, she’ll grace the intimate confines of Fennville’s Salt of the Earth restaurant, as part of a tour with guitarist/composer/jazz artist Dean Magraw.
It’s billed as an evening of folk, jazz and poetry. Get more information at the Salt of the Earth website.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
