Madison Rising, American WiFi, Heartless Bastards, Jim Shaneberger, Anti-Flag, Water Festival: Weekend Photo Gallery

No shortage of live music options across West Michigan now that summer is in full swing, captured here in images, from return of West Michigan Freedom Cruise and Celadon to Time & Luck in Spring Lake.

 

Lots to cover this weekend, so no time to dilly-dally:

• Revered Ohio garage-rock/indie-rock band Heartless Bastards launched the week in fine and inspired fashion at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre on Monday as part of WYCE-FM’s Live at Wealthy series, with singer Erika Wennerstrom leading the band through a set that included plenty of songs from its brand new album, “Restless Ones.” Craig Finn, of The Hold Steady, opened the evening show.

• Bluesman Wayne Baker Brooks headlined the second 97LAV Summertime Blues concert in the parking lot of Walker’s DeltaPlex arena, an event that also served as the official start of the second West Michigan Freedom Cruise. “We refuse to forget our veterans,” proclaimed Thomas Antor. More than 500 attended the kickoff of the five-day Freedom Cruise that raises money for the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, an even better turnout than last week’s rain-tinged Summertime Blues show. Brooks even took his blues-rock into the audience during a prolonged guitar solo and could be found shredding in some lucky person’s lawn chair.

On Saturday, the Freedom Cruise — which also involved various motorcycle rides through the week — settled at the Home for Veterans with East Coast patriotic rock band Madison Rising belting it out for fans, bikers and veterans alike (with attendance far surpassing the group’s appearance at the DeltaPlex during last year’s Freedom Cruise). “Are there any patriots out there?,” shouted Dave Bray, frontman for Madison Rising, with the near 250 in attendance roaring back before the band launched into the Internet-famous rendition of the national anthem. “America’s Most Patriotic Rock Band” played a variety of hard-rock originals and covers including “God Bless America” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” With it’s boundless patriotic energy, Madison Rising delivered what the audience wanted while aiding the cause. — Jordan McNaughton

• A small but intensely interested group of fans cheered Rustbell’s debut at SpeakEZ Lounge on Wwednesday night, with guitarist Alex Atkin and drummer Dan Rickabus uncorking truly singular blues-based originals as well as digging deep for some obscure covers.

• American WiFi continued its path toward a broader audience with an animated hometown show at The Pyramid Scheme on Thursday as it prepares to takes its pop/rock approach to the next level.

• Speaking of returns, the annual Celadon Summer Concert Series in the intimate confines of the outdoor amphitheater at the Celadon development off Knapp Street NE fired up for the season with a healthy assist from Kalamazoo’s Fly Paper and Grand Rapids’ own scintillating bluesman Jim Shaneberger and band.

• In his 1990 book, “Hocus Pocus,” Kurt Vonnegut wrote that “the two prime movers in the universe are time and Luck.” That point was well-executed during the Seven Steps Up Pin Drop Concert Series on Thursday night in Spring Lake. The Michigan-bred band Time & Luck — Joshua & Lindsay Rilko (members of Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys) with Max Lockwood (bass & guitar) and John Driscoll (percussion) — began the two-set, two-hour performance with a peppy minstrel-sounding opener with the ukulele taking the lead, transitioning easily to a bluesy cover of Hank William’s “Window Shopping” and the sultry slow burn of “Smooth and Groovy.” The latter song sometimes elevated to something you might be tempted to call acoustic funk. The musicias moved seamlessly from guitar to bass to mandolin all the while engaging the audience with little nuggets about the writing of a song or the life of a touring musician. Seven Steps Up is a gorgeously redone 122-seat venue with impeccable acoustics, a setting most conducive to this type music. The group wrapped up its second set with a rousing gospel-tinged sing-along that kept toes tapping and gave rise to a standing ovation, with fans yearning for more. — Steve Weideman

• Grand Rapids electronic pop band AOK played a thrilling set on Friday as part of its music video release party for the song, “The Life.” The band showed off its musical talents, dazzling the crowd with AOK’s experimental side as well as a brilliantly unique cover of “Wildfire” by SBTRKT, making for an absorbing and lively night at the cozy Mexicains Sans Frontieres. — Ethan Dombrowski

• Pittsburgh punk band Anti-Flag revved things up with politically fueled power at The Intersection on Friday, touring behind its ninth and most recent album, “American Spring.”

• On Sunday, gorgeous weather and a stellar lineup of Michigan acts helped attract 3,000 people over the course of the day to the Grand River Water Festival at Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park. A host of acts — Dede & The Dreamers, Fauxgrass, Hawks & Owls, Peter “Madcat” Ruth and Drew Howard (with Seth Bernard) and more — entertained a crowd that stuck around deep into the evening. “It just rocked all day,” said an ebullient Bruce Ling of Hawks & Owls, who organized the one-day event.

(Gary Clark Jr. wowed a capacity crowd Wednesday at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Check out the full Local Spins review and photo gallery. And, of course, Electric Forest continuest to rage in the woods of Rothbury; check out coverage and photo galleries at Local Spins.)

WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY (June 28, 2015)

Heartless Bastards photos by Anna Sink
Wayne Baker Brooks/Summertime Blues photos by Jordan McNaughton
Madison Rising, Fly Paper, Jim Shaneberger Band photos by Tori Thomas
Rustbell, American WiFi photos by Taylor Mansen
Time & Luck photos by Steve Weideman
AOK photo by Ethan Dombrowski
Anti-Flag photos by Dwayne Hoover
Grand River Water Festival photos by Tori Thomas, John Sinkevics

Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC