In between the yuks of LaughFest, West Michigan’s live music options are sizzling this week, from Bob Seger and UV Hippo returning to Grand Rapids to pre-St. Paddy’s Day revelry and indie-rock gems.
‘All the Roads’ Lead to Grand Rapids: Bob Seger returns to Van Andel Arena on Tuesday. (Photo/Peyton Hoge)
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band,
JD McPherson Band
7:30 p.m. Tuesday
$72.50
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids
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So a hamburger walks into a bar. The bartender yells, “Hey, we don’t serve food in here!”
C, E-flat and G walk into a bar. The bartender yells, “Sorry, but we don’t serve minors.”
Ah, you guessed it: LaughFest kicks off in Grand Rapids on Thursday. And since you probably also figured out that jokes aren’t my forte, I’ll leave humor to the professionals and the lineup of comedians to the LaughFest folks, which you can find online here. Instead, I’ll stick to this week’s musical lineup, which is no laughing matter – pretty impressive stuff all around.
With his new album still in progress, I was a tad surprised that Michigan’s favorite rock son Bob Seger decided to hit the road again with his Silver Bullet Band for this Rock and Roll Never Forgets Tour. But as it turns out, it also represents a stellar opportunity for the 67-year-old singer to shake up his set list, bring in new guitarist Rob McNelley and even introduce a soulful new ballad, “All the Roads.” Seger’s opening night in Toledo last week featured a bunch of tunes he didn’t play on the last tour, including “Like a Rock,” “California Stars” and John Hiatt’s “Detroit Made.”
Although the Grand Rapids concert has technically been sold out, I found some scattered seats still available through Ticketmaster this morning, so “Turn the Page” and get moving if you want tickets. Here’s the Ticketmaster link. By the way, Oklahoma retro-rock artist JD McPherson is the opener.
Celtic Sweetheart: Karan Casey and John Doyle play Fenian’s Irish Pub this week. (Photo/Robert Hakalski)
Karan Casey, John Doyle
8 p.m. Tuesday
$30 (call 616-899-2640)
Fenian’s Irish Pub, Conklin (19683 Main St.)
Straight from Ireland. That’s pretty much always the case with the heritage of artists performing at the terrifically authentic Fenian’s Irish Pub in the small Ottawa County community of Conklin. This time, the pub kicks off its March celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with Irish folk singer Karan Casey and musician-songwriter John Doyle, both formerly of the band Solas. The duo released an album, “Exiles Return,” in 2010.
An ideal spot – a quiet, concert setting within a pub – to hear them perform. Call 616-899-2640 for ticket availability.
Now Well-Known: Unknown Mortal Orchestra plays Holland’s Park Theatre.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen, Wampire
8 p.m. Wednesday
$10 ($5 students)
Park Theatre, Holland
Folks at The Hope College Concert Series tabbed a couple of super-hot bands when they booked this show. Psychedelic, indie-rock’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra recently released its buzzed-about sophomore album, “II,” just came off of a sweet appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” this week released a puppet-filled music video for “Swim and Sleep (Like A Shark),” and was named by Fuse TV as one of the must-see artists at this year’s SXSW in Austin.
California’s experimental rock/pop band Foxygen, meanwhile, is also on that must-see list for SXSW and the duo is near the top of CMJ’s radio chart. Get ticket details online here.
Which One’s Pink: Brit Floyd brings its Pink Floyd tribute spectacle to DeVos Performance Hall this week.
Brit Floyd
8 p.m. Wednesday
$29.50-$44.50
DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids
It’s always tempting to say it’s “the next best thing” about any historic band. But Brit Floyd’s Pink Floyd tribute show seems to ascend to that level, having played in front of more than 250,000 fans in Europe and North America last year with over-the-top lighting, inflatables, “Floydiananimation” and audio-visual effects that have been featured in PBS specials.
The band covers five Floyd albums on its “Pulse” tour: “The Wall,” “The Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Animals” and “The Division Bell.” Get tickets here.
The Moxie Strings
The Moxie Strings
8 p.m. Thursday
Free
One Trick Pony, Grand Rapids
A fiddler, an electric cellist and a percussionist. And lively as all get out.
The Moxie Strings, based in Ann Arbor, have a unique approach, with Diana Ladio (fiddle), Alison Lynn (cello) and Fritz McGirr (percussion) performing a fusion of Celtic and Americana music that puts a real twist on all that pre-St. Patrick’s Day hoopla. Formerly known as String Cheese, this group will get One Trick rocking.
Above Water: Drowning Pool and Flyleaf bring their co-headling tour to The Intersection.
Flyleaf, Drowning Pool
7 p.m. Friday
$20
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
Texas alt-metal/post-grunge/Christian metal band Flyleaf is on a co-headlining tour with fellow Texas metal-ites Drowning Pool, which is set to release a brand new studio album, “Resilience,” next month – its fifth studio album and the first with new singer Jasen Moreno.
Flyleaf, meanwhile, continues to tour behind its most recent album, 2012’s “New Horizons.” Get ticket information online here.
Romance for Ransom
Romance for Ransom
10 p.m. Friday
Free
New Holland Brewing, 66 E. Eighth St.
Led by singer-songwriter Melissa Dylan, Grand Rapids’ Romance for Ransom may get compared to alt-rock/pop-punk bands such as Paramore, but their original rock music has its own distinct and fashionable vibe. The band recently released its first EP, “Five Ways to Keep a Secret.”
Eileen Ivers
Grand Rapids Symphony Presents Celtic Fiddle with Eileen Ivers
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
$18-$90 (Ticketmaster)
DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids
Having won the All-Ireland Fiddle Championship nine times, Eileen Ivers is the perfect performer to get all that St. Patrick’s Day revelry started early.
The virtuoso musician once again joins the Grand Rapids Symphony for a Celtic-styled musical celebration. Get ticket information online at the Grand Rapids Symphony website.
Sowing Folk Seeds: The Appleseed Collective drops into Founders this weekend.
The Appleseed Collective, Strawberry Heritage, Whistle Pigs
9:30 p.m. Saturday
$5
Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids
Ann Arbor’s The Appleseed Collective plays a jazz- and Western swing-infused style of folk and Americana music that’s soulful, upbeat and sure to please. Saturday night’s lineup at Foundes also features Grand Rapids’ own folky Strawberry Heritage, along with Illinois “hillbilly bluegrass” outfit Whistle Pigs, making this a rootsy romp of an evening.
Also, tune into Local Spins Live at 10 a.m. Wednesday on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW) when John Hanson of Strawberry Heritage will be my in-studio guest. (By the way, Founders features the world music- and Afrobeat-inspired Afro Zuma, plus SP3, in a free show on Thursday night. More details online here.)
Living Room Tour: Ben Kyle plays the intimate Stone House Recording as part of his U.S. house concert tour.
Ben Kyle
(Halfway House Session)
7 p.m. Saturday
$15
Stone House Recording, Grand Rapids
(731 Front Ave. NW)
Belfast native and Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Ben Kyle may be best known for his work as frontman for the harmony-drenched, Americana/folk-pop band Romantica. But Kyle also has a brand new, self-titled solo album that’s drawn widespread praise from a bevy of media outlets, including Huffington Post, The Associated Press, Blurt, American Songwriter and others.
He’s played with a host of high-profile artists over the years (including an acclaimed duets release with Carrie Rodriguez) and recently played three dates with alt-country star Lucinda Williams.
His current “Living Room Theater” tour – a series of intimate house concerts – takes him from the Midwest to the East Coast, with a Grand Rapids stop at cozy Stone House Recording in Grand Rapids. (The show is preceded by a 7 p.m. potluck, so bring a dish to pass.) Get the lowdown at the Facebook event page, and get tickets online here.
Janis Ian
Janis Ian
8 p.m. Saturday
$35 advance, $37 day of show
Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St., Saugatuck
Much of singer-songwriter Janis Ian’s remarkable career is defined by her 1975 smash hit, “At Seventeen,” but she’s distinguished herself in many other ways: She just won a Grammy Award for best spoken word album for her autobiography, “Society’s Child.”
She’s released dozens of albums over the years and this intimate concert setting is ideal for her tales and tunes. Get ticket information about this “Intimate Evening with Janis Ian” at the center’s website here.
Humongous Musical Mammal: UV Hippo returns to Grand Rapids this weekend. (Photo/Kyle McCarthy)
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Dopapod
8 p.m. Saturday
$10 advance, $12 day of show
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
Welcome home, boys.
After an extensive winter a tour that had this incredibly talented Grand Rapids band wheeling west, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus returns to West Michigan for what’s liable to be a triumphant homecoming with Brooklyn experimental rock-funk act Dopapod opening the evening. Oh, and bring your boogie shoes.
Also, after kicking back at home for a few days, UV Hippo lumbers back out onto the road for an East Coast tour, so catch ’em now while you can.
Organissimo
Organissimo
7 p.m. Sunday
Free
SpeakEZ Lounge, Grand Rapids
Organissimo returns to play Randissimo’s Sunday Night Jazz jam at SpeakEZ Lounge, 600 Monroe Ave. NW, fresh from success with the trio’s latest album, “Dedicated,” which has been getting radio airplay locally and nationally for good reason. A fine place to kick back and embrace jazz.
Get details online here.
UNDER-THE-RADAR PICKS
The Outer Vibe
Seth Bernard making his Rockford Brewing Co. debut at 8 p.m. Thursday, free – Folk/rock/roots/country musician Seth Bernard of mid-Michigan is a special guy, delivering the kind of captivating songs and music that spans genres and generations. His first appearance upstairs at Rockford Brewing, 12 E. Bridge St., promises to be a special one.
Funktion at 9:30 p.m. Friday and The Outer Vibe at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, playing Billy’s Lounge in Eastown in Grand Rapids, $5 – Let’s just say that for two nights in a row, Billy’s hosts two of the most energetic, crowd-pumping bands in West Michigan: the funky, R&B-powered Funktion from Kalamazoo and the arena-styled rock/pop extravaganza of Grand Rapids’ The Outer Vibe. My suggestion: Get there early. (Devin and the Dead Frets are also on the bill with The Outer Vibe.)
Opening reception for “Ancestral Art: Indigenous Voices,” featuring the music of Black Cat Bone, Invisible Mansion, Cangue League Orchestra and Josh Villaire, 6 p.m. Friday, Ice Cream Gallery and Toys, 117 S. Division Ave. – This art exhibit that features the work of Jose Noe Castro, Picardo, Ted Jauw, Tex, Joel Howell, and Ian Swanson & Friends (presented by The Caribbean Coalition for the Arts & Culture West Michigan, Holland Friends of Art and West Michigan Center for Peacebuilding) runs through April 7. It opens with a bang, with some fine local bands. Get details at the Facebook event page.
Peat in the Creel playing Schuler Books and Music on 28th Street, 7 p.m. Friday, free – Keep that Celtic milieu rolling by checking out this free show by the Greenville-based Peat in the Creel in this intimate studio at the bookstore.
Ruth Bloomquist
Ruth and Max Bloomquist with Dan Seabolt and John King playing Zellie’s Opry House in Howard City, 7 p.m. Saturday, $8 – Muskegon’s Ruth and Max Bloomquist are legendary when it comes to Michigan’s folk scene and if you’ve never caught a show at this remarkable venue north of Grand Rapids, well, it’s high time you did. A fabulous place to catch folk and bluegrass stars. Get details online here.
Root Doctor playing Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, 8 p.m. Saturday, $6 — The Tip Top gets bluesy on Saturday night with Fredding Cunningham and Lansing’s Root Doctor.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
