Wildly eclectic lineup sparks triumphant Fresh Folk finale at St. Cecilia Music Center (Review, photos)

Billy Strings & Don Julin, Jill Jack, Rick Chyme, Ralston and The Northern Skies turned Thursday’s Grand Rapids show into an uplifting and emotional showcase of Michigan’s diverse music.

 

A hip hop duet featuring Rick Chyme and, yes, folk singer Ralston Bowles.

A highly decorated Detroit singer-songwriter making a rare Grand Rapids appearance, with a much-admired guitarist at her side.

Michigan’s hottest bluegrass duo tearing it up on guitar and mandolin as if their hands were on fire.

The official swan-song performance – with a kazoo solo to boot – by a lively West Michigan band hailed for its “folk rock with teeth.”

Without a doubt, Thursday evening’s wildly eclectic Fresh Folk/Local Spins Live concert series finale was unlike anything audiences at St. Cecilia Music Center’s staid Royce Auditorium had ever seen before … and a rare alignment of musical stars they’ll likely never see again.

ASSEMBLING STARS FROM ACROSS THE STATE

Credit Bowles – long known for assembling who’s-who casts of musicians for his “Ralston and Friends” concerts during summertime’s Tuesday Evening Music Club at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Garden – for creating this one-of-a-kind vibe in a historic concert hall normally reserved for jazz and classical music.

With a cozy living room aura that had musicians gathered on couches and chairs on stage (and previous Fresh Folk sound issues resolved), the all-star collection started with a powerful and emotional farewell set by The Northern Skies and ended with a stage full of the night’s performers singing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” with help from an enthusiastic audience of about 250.

Earlier in the day, Bowles had said the state’s musical talent pool is so deep, he feels an obligation to showcase other folks’ music as much as his own.

That was certainly the case during his set, as a diverse group of musicians from across Michigan – Detroit’s Jill Jack, Traverse City’s Billy Strings and Don Julin, Mason’s Drew Howard and Grand Rapids’ Rick Chyme and The Northern Skies – joined him on stage to play his songs as well as theirs:

• The Northern Skies’ official final concert in a venue the band had never played before put an exclamation point on the energetic group’s five-year career, with frontman Eric Engblade’s well-crafted songs expertly shepherded by Engblade, violinist Jeffrey Niemeier, bassist Eric Raby and drummer Jake Castillo. As a result, the band earned a rousing, standing ovation. “I got choked up,” Engblade conceded later.

• Jill Jack’s St.Cecilia debut showed off the award-winning Detroit artist’s brilliant voice and songwriting, with Drew “Captain Midnight” Howard adding mournful slide-guitar touches on tunes such as “The Love Hotel.”

• As probably the first rapper to ever take the Royce Auditorium stage, and certainly the first one to ever jam with bluegrass musicians, Rick Chyme gave a refreshing twist to a duet with Bowles, then uncorked his own a cappella rap sans microphone to the delight of the crowd. “I shouldn’t throw down with someone who can talk faster than me,” Bowles joked.

• Traverse City guitarist Billy Strings and mandolinist Don Julin provided the evening’s eye-popping, jaw-dropping moments with their lightning-fast bluegrass romps, trading solos that spotlighted why they’ve quickly become such in-demand players.

Thursday night’s rare assemblage of vibrant Michigan acts not only gave new meaning to the term “folk,” but as one attendee put it, ensured that the Fresh Folk/Local Spins Live series “really went out with a bang this season.”

Check out the photo gallery by Anthony Norkus here, with more photos at the Local Spins Facebook page.

Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music