Rousing performances in familiar and not-so-familiar locales from Holland to GR were the rule, including sets by Hank Mowery, Eric Engblade, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Roosevelt Diggs and more.
Mitten Music: Valentiger revved up fans at Grand Rapids’ Mitten Brewing on Friday night. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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It was a musical week well worth documenting:
Feel Good Music: Lady Ace Boogie celebrated release of hew new album at The Pyramid Scheme on Saturday. (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
WEDNESDAY – Multi-instrumentalist Eric Engblade of The Northern Skies and Bigfoot Buffalo fame brought in a host of talented musical guests (including his wife) for the Local Spins Wednesdays at SpeakEZ Lounge series to create a truly singular and inspiring evening of compelling, rootsy music — including a finale with his dad on harmonica and Hannah Rose Graves on vocals.
THURSDAY – Singer Hannah Rose Graves did much the same (see above), leaning on Engblade, guitarist Justin Wierenga and much more for her return to Founders Brewing Co., with the U.P.’s The Sleeping Gypsies and Grand Rapids’ Bamfomania also on the bill.
The same night, country singer Kris Hitchcock & Small Town Son celebrated the now-Nashville-ite’s return to West Michigan with a concert before a small audience at Byron Center’s Van Singel Fine Art Center with northern Michigan’s Old Mission Collective (which also had a homecoming of sorts with one of its band members a Byron Center High School grad). And give Small Town Son guitarist credit for playing one-handed after breaking a bone in his right hand.
And 20 invited guests got a rare opportunity to see the bluegrass wizardry of Traverse City’s Billy Strings & Don Julin (along with bassist Kevin Gills) up close and personal on Thursday as part of the Local Spins Live at River City Studios series. Keep an eye on Local Spins for the stellar video, podcast and story from that event later this month.
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FRIDAY – Valentiger, Steven Leaf and Secret Animals regaled a capacity, standing-room-only crowd upstairs at Mitten Brewing Co. on Grand Rapids’ Northwest Side, as the brewpub starts to delve occasionally into showcasing live music by top-notch regional artists.
Roosevelt Diggs at Park Theatre in Holland. (Photo/Bleu Van Dyke)
At Billy’s Lounge in Eastown, Hank Mowery & the Hawktones unleashed a night of razor-tight, delectable blues, propelled by Mowery’s tasty blues harp solos and Troy Amaro’s scintillating guitar work, filling the dance floor with twirling blues mavens.
Detroit’s Jamaican Queens delivered its unique strains for an approving bunch at The Pyramid Scheme.
In Holland, Roosevelt Diggs wasted no time getting back down to business at the Park Theatre in Holland, uncorking a high-energy folk-rock show that featured the harmonious vocal combo of the Duddles brothers (Levi and Logan), Jon Shears on double bass and Jared Behl on drums (with two songs on washboard). Each member brought a unique contribution to the band’s signature sound, from Jared’s brushwork and Jon’s furious bass slappage, to understated lead guitar licks and raspy vocals.
Early in the day, Thirsty Perch Blues Band made an in-studio appearance for Local Spins on WYCE, performing songs from the band’s brand new album, “Live For Today.”
Convotronics were part of the Lady Ace Boogie/Hot Capicola lineup. (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
SATURDAY – To say it was a big night for Grand Rapids hip hop artist Lady Ace Boogie and the Hot Capicola Records label would be an understatement. Saturday’s show at The Pyramid Scheme was not only the official launch for Hot Capicola, but the celebration of Lady Ace Boogie’s “Feel Good Music” album on that label. And with Convotronics, Ghost Heart, Mavericks & Monarchs and DJ Dean Martian also on the bill, it was a deservedly festive atmosphere with plenty of special guests, including Rick Chyme and Molly Bouwsma-Schultz.
Earlier in the evening, Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Jonny Carroll delivered his farewell performance at Story Cafe in Grand Rapids, a few days before he boards a plane for the United Kingdom where he’ll spend the next two months busking on the streets. Read the full story here.
— John Sinkevics and Bleu Van Dyke
LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: Jan. 14-17
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Eric Engblade photos by John Sinkevics
Kris Hitchcock, Old Mission Collective photos by Eric Stoike
Billy Strings & Don Julin photos by Anthony Norkus
Hannah Rose Graves, The Sleeping Gypsies, Bamfomania photos by Tori Thomas, Melissa Hurley
Valentiger, Steven Leaf, Secret Animals photos by Anthony Norkus
Roosevelt Diggs photos by Bleu Van Dyke
Jamaican Queens photos by Katy Batdorff
Hank Mowery & The Hawktones photos by John Sinkevics
Lady Ace Boogie, Ghost Heart, Convotronics photos by Katy Batdorff
Jonny Carroll photo by Ralston Bowles
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music
