From the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival to the Kalamazoo Ribfest to Ottawa County’s Marnia, summer festival season marched on. But there were fun indoor shows last week, too, from Dave Hardin to Desmond Jones to Delilah DeWylde to Cheap Girls.
Saturday’s summer soundtrack in West Michigan took many forms.
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There was the unusual, laid-back, chill vibe of the all-day Marnia, with more than a dozen Grand Rapids-area bands performing on property outside Marne in Ottawa County, boasting everything from psych rock to punk to country. The action was captured in images by Local Spins.
PHOTO GALLERY: Marnia 2016
Photos by Katy Batdorff and Anna Sink
There was Kalamazoo’s Ribfest, which continued at Aracadia Creek Festival Place with long lines of attendees savoring scrumptious ribs, plus performances by En Vogue, Kalamazoo’s own Yolonda Lavender and the Kalamazoo Academy of Rock, following sets earlier in the week by Brian Lorente, BoneHawk, Vince Neil and others.
PHOTO GALLERY: Ribfest 2016
Photos by Derek Ketchum
And, of course, there was Grand Haven’s Coast Guard Festival, which finished with a Four by Four tribute show and a fireworks wallop, following performances earlier in the week by Matt Giraud and others.
Local Spins writer Matt Marn noted that “many fans arrived early to pick out their favorite spots at the Grand Haven Waterfront Stadium to watch Giraud perform on Thursday. A Kalamazoo native who got his big break as a finalist on the hit TV competition ‘American Idol,’ Giraud helped carry on the festivities of the 2016 Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival with style, humor and upbeat music that got much of the crowd on its feet right from the first upbeat classic, “Hard to Handle.”
Leading his band from behind the keyboard, Giraud covered plenty of genres during his nearly two-hour set – from gospel and country to soul and funk — including covers and some of his original works. Giraud even took requests from the crowd from time to time, while keeping up a fun banter with fans. By the finale, Giraud had worked up enough concertgoers that some of them began dancing in front of the stage during his upbeat, soulful rendition of Ray Charles’ ‘What’d I Say.’ ”
Elsewhere, Philly shoegaze band Nothing and Grand Rapids’ own Coffin Problem turned up the amps Tuesday at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, and Dave Hardin and his talented band not only made their SpeakEZ Lounge debut for Local Spins Wednesdays, but the singer-songwriter also was presented with his Local Spin of the Year Award for his 2015 album, “Magnolia.”
In Kalamazoo, Friday brought another Art Hop to the downtown area with numerous performances indoors and out, including Dixon’s Violin at Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Double Strung outside Pop City Popcorn. The same night, Delilah DeWylde brought rockabilly fervor to Bell’s Brewery, followed on Saturday by Cheap Girls, Devil’s Cut, Worn Spirit and Kalamazoo’s own Steel Giant (which was making its Bell’s debut).
WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: Aug. 2-6
Nothing, Coffin Problem photos by Katy Batdorff
Dave Hardin Band photos by Anna Sink
Matt Giraud photos by Loren Johnson
Grand Haven fireworks photo by Steve Damstra
Club Soda Reunion photos by Derek Ketchum
Everyday Junior, Desmond Jones photos by John Sinkevics
Art Hop, Bell’s Brewery photos by Derek Ketchum