From Root Doctor to Kari Lynch to Brian VanderArk to The Crane Wives: Strong lineups enhance free outdoor concerts in Rockford, Holland, Grand Haven, East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and elsewhere for 2014. Save the schedules here.
Doin’ the Summer Dance: Rockford’s Huntington Bank Rogue River Blues Series kicks off in June. (Photo/Local Spins)
To borrow – and amend – a phrase from the inimitable singer Mungo Jerry:
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“In the summertime, when the weather is high, you can stretch right up and touch the sky; when the weather’s fine, you got music, you got music on your mind.”
The summer concert train continues to steam ahead with announcements of a bevy of outdoor shows in communities across West Michigan, from Kalamazoo to the lakeshore to Lowell. Even the Felt Estate, in a unique spot at the edge of Saugatuck Dunes State Park near Lake Michigan, hosts a free monthly concert series.
Organizers certainly have live music on their minds and on their dockets again this summer, boasting evening outdoor concerts with a wealth of diverse talent from across the state. And the operative word here is: free. Most of these shows are all-ages affairs that draw family-friendly crowds and don’t charge admission.
“The best part of our series is it brings out Rockford community together for a free fun night at a beautiful venue and it features some of our best local artists,” says Steve Jazwiec, who organizes the annual Huntington Bank Rogue River Blues Series (and post-blues series) that takes place on Tuesday nights in Garden Park in downtown Rockford.
“Last year, I believe we set a record for the most kayakers at a concert on the Rogue (which flows past the outdoor stage).”
Like other community concert series across West Michigan, the Rockford summer lineup started small – with just four bands back in 2003 – and has grown to become a popular summer-long tradition that draws impressive weeknight crowds of picnicking, lawn chair-toting music devotees cheering everything from Lansing’s Root Doctor (which kicks off the 2014 series with a blues set on June 10) to Grand Rapids’ The Crane Wives (the folk-rockers who close out the After the Blues portion of the series on Aug. 12). In case of rain, the shows move indoors to Rockford Brewing Co.
Other area cities tout similarly eclectic lineups with familiar names for 2014: Holland’s Huntington Bank Summer Concert Series at Kollen Park along Lake Macatawa brings in 10 acts – country to rock to jazz – from June 13 to Aug. 22 for family-oriented Friday night shows.
Wyoming’s Tuesday night series at Lamar Park starts June 3 and runs through Aug. 5, with Michigan musical stars such as The Verve Pipe’s Brian VanderArk, rock’s The Outer Vibe and rockabilly’s Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys in this year’s lineup.
Tuesday nights are also big concert nights in other West Michigan communities: East Grand Rapids’ United Bank Summer Concert Series, Grand Haven’s Concerts in the Park, Fennville’s Tuesdays in the Park, Kalamazoo’s Concerts in the Park, and series.
The Celadon 2014 Schedule
Meanwhile, the Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts series takes place on Thursday nights throughout the summer. See that schedule online here.)
And the Celadon Summer Concert Series returns for monthly Thursday night shows at its intimate outdoor amphitheater off Celadon Drive NE in Grand Rapids.
View the schedules here at Local Spins and save the images on your smartphone so you can take them with you to check throughout the summer.
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music
Lowell’s concerts begin June 12.
On the Black River.
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Central Park hosts the Tuesday shows.
This series kicks off June 10.
Kalamazoo hosts free Sunday concerts.
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In the dunes.
