The post-Christmas celebration in the Grand Rapids area boasted musical revelry at The Intersection, Founders, Billy’s Lounge and more, with intimate acoustic shows, too, captured in Local Spins images.
Celebrating the Ska-lidays: Mustard Plug and friends drew a big Intersection crowd on Sunday night. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Either celebrating Christmas late or New Year’s Eve early, music devotees were out in force this weekend:
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Last Hurrah: The Detroit’s Hard Lessons in their final show at The Intersection. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
• The annual Mustard Plug holiday bash at The Intersection drew a hefty Sunday night throng of hyped-up fans for sets by the Grand Rapids ska heroes plus The Koffin Kats, Hard Lessons, The Campanellis and Murder Party. It was Detroit’s Hard Lessons’ final concert ever, with the hyper-energetic band led by Augie and Korin Visocchi noting on Facebook that the performance capped off “an incredible week” of shows to close out “an incredible 12 years”;
• Showgoers packed Founders Brewing Co. to the gills on Saturday night for the return of Genetics, a genre-bending band of native Michiganders now based in Colorado who have a devoted West Michigan fan base;
Hip Hop Party: Mike G and La Famiglia at Billy’s Lounge. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
• Billy’s Lounge packed ’em in for another “superstar lineup” of hip hop artists assembled by Mike G and La Famiglia, as the seven-piece ensemble played two sets, with DJ Omega Supreme in between.
• A near-capacity crowd of 1,350-plus squeezed into The Intersection to cheer The Verve Pipe, Domestic Problems and Desmond Jones for The Verve Pipe’s eighth annual holiday show (with a full review and photo gallery in a separate Local Spins post here);
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Elsewhere, in more subdued performances, Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Steve Damstra (of The Trace) played Flatlander’s and Grand Haven guitarist-singer Jack Leaver entertained folks at Mangiamo’s.
THE WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: Dec. 26-28
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Genetics photos by Anna Sink
The Verve Pipe, Domestic Problems, Desmond Jones photos by Anthony Norkus
La Famiglia photos by Anthony Norkus
Mustard Plug, Koffin Kats, Hard Lessons, Murder Party, Campanellis photos by Anthony Norkus
Steve Damstra photos by Kristine Carpenter
Jack Leaver photo by John Sinkevics
