KC & The Sunshine Band, The Crane Wives, Lydia Loveless, Michael Buble, Kris Hitchcock: Weekend Photo Gallery (July 27)

In the wake of the “Meijer Gardens Meltdown” courtesy of Ray LaMontagne, there were compelling, less-controversial concerts and tour stops to behold this weekend, captured in images at Local Spins.

 

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Does anything diffuse a tense situation better than unbridled dancing, courtesy of the fun-loving disco and funk of an outfit like KC & The Sunshine Band?

Probably not, because KC rolled into a sold-out amphitheater at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park the night after singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne caused a stir with his f-word eruption and stage walk-off and promptly turned everything, well, sunny, in a funk-styled way. Check out the round-up of the show courtesy of Local Spins writer David Specht below.

But there were even more compelling West Michigan concerts to behold:

Alt-country’s Lydia Loveless and her band revved up a jam-packed Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill on the West Side on Friday with a rollicking, firebrand display in a show that started with Ryan Dillaha and the Miracle Men.

The same night, much-beloved jazz-pop singer Michael Buble regaled a big crowd at Van Andel Arena with his hits and some interesting covers, too. (See a full Local Spins photo gallery here.)

Grand Rapids’ own folk-rock faves The Crane Wives kicked off their first major tour outside of Michigan with a real bang at Founders Brewing on Saturday night, unleashing familiar faves and a pair of new songs to an elbow-to-elbow crowd (I’ve never seen as many people standing in front of the stage, extending deep into the brew pub) after Traverse City’s young phenoms The Accidentals wowed the audience with their versatile musicianship and entertaining covers in their Founders debut.

Just down the street at The Intersection, meanwhile, country’s Kris Hitchcock & Small Town Son celebrated Hitchcock’s recent move to Nashville with a headlining show at one of his favorite West Michigan venues.

KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND LIGHT UP MEIJER GARDENS, July 24 (By David Specht)

While the summer breeze at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park quickly cooled from the 70s down to the 60s, temperature-wise, KC & The Sunshine Band took fans in the sold-out amphitheater from the ’60s to the ’70s and right into the ’80s, funk-wise.

In the midst of a globe-spanning tour, the 15-piece party ensemble made a West Michigan tour stop with a cache of exalted R&B and funk hits aimed at an audience comprised largely of baby boomers.

With two triple-platinum albums under their belts, KC and crew boasted a stacked set list, a full horn section and a quintet of dancers to bring those hits to life. And by opening with “(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty” and “Get Down Tonight,” the band ensured that the audience did both (shake booties and get down).

“Look at you – all grown up,” said an absolutely sweat-drenched KC, aka Harry Wayne Casey, taking a much-needed breath between songs. “You know I’m 63 years old now? What the hell happened?”

Of course, it’s no secret that Casey isn’t in his physical prime. But this didn’t seem to bother him a bit, humorously touching on his struggles with quitting smoking as well as his weight issues.

“There are probably some kids out there asking their parents, ‘Who the hell is this man?’ ” Casey said, singling out various youngsters scattered throughout the crowd. “I’m your mother’s ’N Sync. Take a good look. This is what Justin Timberlake will look like in 20 years.”

Official Sponsor of The Local Spins Weekend Photo GalleryDJ Wingman also jumped on the chance to share something new – a House remix of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” while also taking requests from the crowd.

WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: JULY 27
(Click on photo to enlarge gallery; if photos won’t load, deactivate pop-up blocker)

The Crane Wives photos by Anna Sink
Lydia Loveless, Michael Buble photos by Anthony Norkus
KC & The Sunshine Band photos by Tori Thomas
Kris Hitchcock & Small Town Son photos by Jamie Geysbeek

Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music