An all-star cast of Michigan musicians is paying tribute to icon John Prine in a week that also saw high-profile shows by The Mainstays, The Accidentals, Rusted Root, Waldo, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot and more.
Prime Prine Time: Wealthy Theatre hosted an all-star Michigan tribute to John Prine on Friday night. (Photo/Anna Sink)
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For a generation of singer-songwriters and roots musicians, John Prine’s self-titled 1971 debut album stands as one of the most iconic, influential and downright memorable collections ever recorded by an American artist.
“Paradise”: Mark Lavengood led the tribute to John Prine. (Photo/Anna Sink)
So, it’s not surprising that Friday’s Michigan-bred all-star tribute to Prine, dubbed “Prine Time,” kicked off at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre by performing all six songs on Side One of that legendary LP, followed by an entertaining mix of tunes from Prine’s 45-year career.
Of course, Prine-aholics Mark Lavengood, Seth Bernard, Dan Rickabus, Max Lockwood and Michael Beauchamp also regaled the near-capacity crowd with the rest of that 1971 album later in the show, with many fans singing along to Prine’s most recognizable tunes — from “Paradise” to “Angel from Montgomery.”
The evening was part of a Michigan mini-tour that wraps up Sunday night at Salt of the Earth in Fennville at 7 p.m. Admission to that concert is $15; get more information online at saltoftheearthfennville.com.
PHOTO GALLERY: Prine Time at Wealthy Theatre
Photos by Anna Sink
KALAMAZOO: THE MAINSTAYS, RUSTED ROOT, THUNDERBOLT & LIGHTFOOT
In Kalamazoo, it was a weekend that featured a sellout, a much-anticipated CD-release show and a preview of an upcoming album by a Southwest Michigan acoustic duo.
The Mainstays on Saturday night delivered “an incredible, high-energy performance” at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe as the band officially released its new studio album, “Another Way,” reports Local Spins photographer Derek Ketchum. As Ketchum put it, it was “a celebration of six months in the studio that had everyone dancing all night” with lead singer Andrew Schrock bringing his father and brother up on stage to play a couple songs. The bassist from Groovement, which opened the evening, also joined The Mainstays for a jam.
Earlier in the week, longtime Pittsburgh folk/indie-rock/world music group Rusted Root revved up a capacity crowd at Bell’s and the Thunderbolt & Lightfoot acoustic duo previewed some songs from a forthcoming new recording as part of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum’s Art Hop event.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Mainstays, Rusted Root, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot
Photos by Derek Ketchum
MUSIC TO BENEFIT MUSIC: THE ACCIDENTALS, MARK STUART
It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate headlining act for a benefit raising money for music education than Traverse City’s The Accidentals.
After all, these three inventive, uber-talented young multi-instrumentalists – Savannah Buist, 21, Katie Larson, 20, and Michael Dause, 21 — are a product of music education programs in the state of Michigan, and they’ve already translated that into a burgeoning, successful career as one of the country’s fastest-rising indie-folk acrts (performing 230 shows a year).
With Nashville singer-songwriter Mark Stuart opening the musical portion of the evening, The Accidentals engaged the capacity crowd at Hudsonville’s The Pinnacle Center on Saturday night with charming stories, familiar songs, new tunes and an intriguing, fresh cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.”
The evening, which featured a dinner and auctions that boasted an impressive roster of prizes and merchandise, added to the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised over the past several years for the nonprofit Music to Benefit Music. The organization purchases instruments, musical equipment and more to benefit schools in the Grand Rapids area — the longstanding mission of Pinnacle Center co-owner Bill Worst and his wife, Donna.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Accidentals, Mark Stuart
Photos by Taylor Mansen
