Oh, and there were other big names such as Pat Benatar, The New Pornographers and Steve Miller, too. All part of this week’s roundup in the Local Spins Weekend Photo Gallery.
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West Michigan's music scene
Officially, we’re about a month into summer and just rolled through West Michigan’s first spate of 90-degree weather.
Bring it on, summer.
Things also heated up this week on the live music front with a couple of classic rockers, a pop punk mainstay, a power pop powerhouse, a double-neck guitar legend and some of the region’s most popular local acts — all captured in images by Local Spins photographers:
• California pop-punk/emo/alt band Say Anything got the party started mid-week for an exuberant, young crowd at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, complete with a string section;
• On the other end of the downtown area, Grand Rapids’ own Jukejoint Handmedowns — dressed to the nines in suits and boutonnières — celebrated release of their intriguingly titled new album, “Jukejoint Handmedowns Sing Songs of Death, Murder & The Afterlife,” for a packed house at SpeakEZ Lounge, part of the Local Spins Wednesdays series;
• The Crane Wives drew an overflow, standing-room only throng outside Grand Rapids Art Museum for their harmony-filled folk-rock as part of the Thursday night GRAM on the Green series, though the large audience and stage orientation — shifted due to concerns about rain — made it difficult for some spectators to fully appreciate the show;
• At Elk Brewing the same night, the trio version of Bigfoot Buffalo delivered its own version of folk-rock, while to the north of Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Symphony headed outdoors for another Picnic Pops season with “Classical Fireworks” on Thursday and Friday;
• Wayland’s hard-rocking and “always on tour” Wayland headlined, yes, Wayland’s Main Street Summer Celebration on Saturday, giving its gleeful hometown fans a night of high-energy favorites after opener the Jim Shaneberger Band’s set was canceled due to the storm that rolled through;
• Texas “guit-steel” double-neck guitar icon Junior Brown, meanwhile, sold out (maybe more than sold out, considering the SRO, packed-to-the-gills crowd) the Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill on Saturday night, delivering his retro-flavored twang, amusing lyrics (“You’re wanted by the police and my wife thinks you’re dead”), eye-popping guitar work and pure-Texas demeanor, accompanied by his wife on rhythm guitar, a drummer and bassist;
• And finally, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park powered up a busy week with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, The Steve Miller Band and The New Pornographers (with Colbie Caillat and Christina Perri set to close things out with a sold-out show on Sunday night).
LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: July 19, 2015
Jukejoint Handmedowns photos by Taylor Mansen
The Crane Wives photos by Anna Sink
Bigfoot Buffalo photos by Tori Thomas
Wayland photos by Eric Stoike
Junior Brown photos by Anna Sink and John Rothwell
Pat Benatar/Neil Giraldo, Steve Miller Band photos by Anthony Norkus
The New Pornographers photo by Anna Sink
Check out full Local Spins photo galleries/reviews of: 1) Pat Benatar, 2) Steve Miller and 3) The New Pornographers.
VIDEO: Junior Brown at Tip Top Deluxe in Grand Rapids (7/18/15)
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC