March goes out with a bang in West Michigan as national tours sweep into the region, not to mention shows by Michigan stars Deadwood Stone, Mustard Plug, The Fuzzrites, The Veloras, Dave Collee and more.
TAKE THE LIST WITH YOU: Scroll down to the bottom of the concert guide for the Spins on Music Weekend Bucket List of local live music offerings, save the image on your smartphone or mobile device and plan your evenings on the run.
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Seth Bernard and May Erlewine,
The Fauxgrass Quartet
7:30 p.m. Thursday
$15 ($10 students)
St. Cecilia Music Center, Grand Rapids
March 2013 boasts five Fridays, five Saturdays and five Sundays, so weekends dominate the landscape. Granted, it’s probably an urban legend that this only happens once every eight centuries, but it’s still pretty awesome, especially if you get paid on Fridays and you’re seeking live music. The final weekend boasts plenty of that based on the Big List, with a bonus if you start early.
The final installation of the Local Spins Live “Fresh Folk” Series at St. Cecilia Music Center is a real doozy, starring the reigning king and queen of Michigan’s folk/Americana scene: Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, unleashing their gorgeous harmonies and insightful original songs for the first time as a duo inside the legendary, acoustically pristine Royce Auditorium. Opening the show will be Grand Rapids’ ever-evolving progressive bluegrass band The Fauxgrass Quartet, with some delicious acoustic jamming in the offing.
If you missed the first two concerts in the St. Cecilia series – January’s singer-songwriter round-robin and The Crane Wives with Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys – you missed a couple of truly special evenings, unlike any other shows these artists have presented due primarily to the setting that’s normally reserved for classical ensembles and national touring jazz acts. Check out photos and video from the first show here, and from The Crane Wives/Lost Boys concert here.
Plans already are under way to continue the series – presented by St. Cecilia, Mackinaw Harvest Music and Spins on Music – late next fall, so stay tuned for more about that in coming months. Also tune into News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW) at 10 a.m. Wednesday, when Bernard will be my guest on Local Spins Live, with a chance to win a pair of tickets to Thursday night’s show.
(By the way, the Local Spins Live portion of the concert series continues in a more intimate setting on April 4 at One Trick Pony with The Koh Kohs and singer-songwriter Josh Rose.)
The Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying
For Today, The Chariot
7 p.m. Thursday
$20 advance, $24 day of show
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
Ohio’s The Devil Wears Prada gets touted as a “melodic metalcore” band, with plans for releasing its fifth studio album in the fall, following up on 2011’s “Dead Throne.” The band is touring with Christian metalcore’s As I Lay Dying, which released “Awakened” last September, peaking in the Billboard 200’s Top 20. Get ticket information here.
And speaking of heavy, hardcore band Pierce the Veil makes a Grand Rapids stop at The Intersection at 7 p.m. Friday, with special guests Memphis May Fire, LetLive and Issues. The San Diego band has been selling out venues on its Street Youth Rising Tour after its latest album “Collide With The Sky,” topped 100,000 in album sales and debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200.
Dirty Bourbon River Show
9:30 p.m. Thursday
Free
Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids
The tagline for this band? “New Orleans Gypsy Brass Circus Rock Music.” How about that for a mental image? Absorbing the eclectic musical styles that New Orleans brews up, this high-energy quintet dubbed the Dirty Bourbon River Show has released five albums and tours the country year-round with a mix of horns, piano jams and multi-instrumental magic.
By the way, on Saturday, Founders gets busy all day (11 a.m.-2 a.m.) with its KBS Draft release party. Music begins at 6 p.m. with Nate Holley, followed by Healing Power and Signal Path. Details online here.
Gringo Star, The Boss Mustangs,
Hollywood Makeout, Bonehawk
9:30 p.m. Friday
$8
The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids
The last time I saw Gringo Star in Grand Rapids, the indie-rockers from Atlanta, Ga., churned out an absolutely delicious blend of edgy garage rock that pays tribute to British invasion bands while giving that approach its own unique twist. Grand Rapids’ loud, proud and punky The Boss Mustangs are also on the bill. Get ticket information online here.
The Veloras, The Fuzzrites
9:30 p.m. Friday
$5
Billy’s Lounge, Grand Rapids (Eastown)
Does rock get any more fun than this? It’s garage-rock galore with The Fuzzrites and the all-girl Veloras, which should get things really hopping at this Eastown watering hole. Get the full Billy’s Lounge lineup (including the Westside Soul Surfers on Saturday) online here.
Deadwood Stone CD-Release Show with Uncommon Road, Bled Life, Society Kills,
Gunship Radio
7 p.m. Saturday
$5 advance, $7 day of show
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
In the upcoming April REVUE Magazine, I describe hard-rocking Grand Rapids band Deadwood Stone’s brand new album, “Ashes,” as featuring “blistering guitars, a full-throated lead singer and a thunderous rhythm section,” not to mention some pretty impressive hooks.
Suffice to say, this lineup of West Michigan bands will pin the needle on the decibel meter come Saturday night. Get more information online here.
The After Effect, Lakeland,
Red Legs, Krimson Saint
7 p.m. Saturday
$5
Lemonjello’s, 61 E. Ninth St.
Ah, cranking it up to 11 in the coffeehouse. Hard-rocking Muskegon bands The After Effect, Lakeland and Krimson Saint team up with Grand Rapids’ Red Legs to stir up more than coffee at Lemonjello’s.
Manhattan Transfer
8 p.m. Saturday
$55
Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St., Saugatuck
“Java Jive,” indeed.
Manhattan Transfer, a legendary, Grammy-winning vocal group, takes jazz to wondrous places musically and geographically, touring the globe with its tight harmonies and releasing a host of acclaimed albums since the early 1970s. Based in New York, the quartet — Tim Hauser, Alan Paul, Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne — continues to cultivate a strong following. Call (269) 857-2399 for tickets and information, or go online to sc4a.org.
Mustard Plug, Mixtapes,
Cain Marko, The Sailor Kicks
8 p.m. Saturday
$8
The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids
Expect a rollicking good time when the longtime reigning champions of Michigan’s ska scene, Mustard Plug, takes The Pyramid Scheme by storm with a hefty assist from alternative/indie band Mixtapes, punk’s Cain Marko and ska/Americana’s The Sailor Kicks. Ticket info here.
Bill Staines
8 p.m. Saturday
$12 adults (discounts for kids, seniors)
Wealthy Theatre Annex, Grand Rapids (1110 Wealthy St. SE)
The word “legend” gets tossed about a bit too freely for the most part. But in the folk scene, Bill Staines really is just that, considered one of the country’s leading troubadors who’s been performing for 45 years.
He’s touring behind a new studio album, “Beneath Some Lucky Star,” and his annual return to this series in Grand Rapids is always welcomed warmly. Get details online here, with more information at Staines’ official website.
Lincoln County Process
7 p.m. Sunday
$12 reserved
Salt of the Earth, 114 E. Main St., Fennville
This relatively new “super-group” of Lansing-area folk/roots musicians features Jen Sygit, Sam Corbin, Geoff Lewis and Joe VanAcker, playing bluesy Americana strains wrapped in sweet harmonies. Check out details and directions at the Salt of the Earth website.
UNDER-THE-RADAR PICKS
Awolnation with special guests Blondfire and Mother Mother playing The Intersection at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, $20 — This California electronic rock band brings its national spring tour to Grand Rapids as it continues to work on the follow-up to 2011’s “Megalithic Symphony” album. Some tickets were released on Monday afternoon for this previously sold-out show.
Detroit rapper Danny Brown playing The Pyramid Scheme at 9 p.m. Wednesday, sold out – That’s why this is on the under-the-radar list. The up-and-coming, much-acclaimed hip-hop artist’s return to Grand Rapids clearly is much anticipated.
Jazz band My Thin Place wrapping up the Winter Music Scene series at Fricano’s Pizza on Alpine Avenue NW at 6 p.m. Thursday, free – As Fricano’s puts it: My Thin Place is “back by popular demand,” closing out what’s been a dandy and eclectic winter music series at the pizzeria/restaurant with some bracing jazz. Details online here.
Ginny Dusseau with the Dave Collee Quartet at 9 p.m. Friday and Randissimo’s Sunday Jazz at 7 p.m. Sunday at SpeakEZ Lounge, free — SpeakEZ Lounge may well boast the most eclectic, wide-ranging agenda of live music of any venue in Grand Rapids and the surrounding area. Its Classical Revolution this past weekend packed the house with a dandy classical ensemble, and other featured artists have delivered everything from pop and rockabilly to show tunes and blues. This week, check out two nights of jazz: acclaimed singer Ginny Dusseau with the veteran Dave Collee Quartet on Friday and drummer Randy Marsh returning with Mark Kahny and Carlos Melendez for his jazz jam on Sunday night. All worth embracing. More about SpeakEZ here.
Detroit’s The Alligators on Friday and Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys on Saturday at the Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids, $5 Friday, $6 Saturday – What a romp of a weekend at the Tip Top. I saw The Alligators last summer and got to chat with these talented, veteran players who always put on a great show. And the rockabillying Lost Boys will be joined on Saturday’s bill by the JetBeats and Rodney & The Regulars.
RESCHEDULED TO MAY 24: Simply Queen tribute playing The Orbit Room — This show by Canada’s Simply Queen originally was slated for Friday night. It’s now been rescheduled to May 24. But The Orbit Room’s Sunday show is still a go: A Day to Remember actually flies well above the radar, but so much so that the concert – also featuring Of Mice & Men – already is sold out.
BARE at Stone House Recording, 7 p.m. Saturday, sold out – Another sellout puts this under-the-radar, even though it’s an incredibly cool event: an evening of a cappella performances featuring Antrim Dells, Bennett, Chain of Lakes, Erin Lenau of Tokyo Morose, The Lollipops, Lucas Wilson, Mat Churchill, Molly Bouwsma, Josh Rose, Ribbons of Song, Strawberry Heritage, Valentiger and The Wallace Collective.
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