john@localspins.com

Keeping the spotlight on talented West Michigan bands and the burgeoning regional concert scene: That’s been a mission of John’s since becoming a lead music critic and entertainment writer for The Grand Rapids Press 15 years ago. As publisher of Local Spins, that’s continued with news updates on Grand Rapids-area musical happenings, guest columns, photo galleries, concert reviews and weekly features on different artists who appear on radio on Local Spins Live.

John holds an honors degree in journalism from the University of Michigan and is co-founder of The Honeytones, once described as “the deans of Grand Rapids’ pop-rock scene” and a band that stages an annual Feedback concert to benefit Access of West Michigan’s food pantries for the needy. He’s also a diehard fan of the Detroit Tigers and, especially, the Detroit Lions, proudly wearing a “Rebuilding Since ’57” T-shirt which, sadly, has proven to be the case year in and year out for this underachieving NFL franchise.