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Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
The concert week brought national tour stops and local heroes to area stages, including El Ten Eleven, Sophia McIntosh, Basic and Witch. Plus, the Handmade Music Festival returned to Chesaning. The photos at Local Spins.
The Otsego singer-songwriter who spent time in Nashville before returning to Michigan has formed an all-star band with a new album on the way. Writer Michael J. Breazeale digs in to his long and arduous journey.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
This week’s radio show podcast delivers fresh tracks by Protomartyr, Tee Grizzley, The Blue Pines, Space Bar, Morgan Haner, Louie Lee, Michelle Held, The Reverend Jesse Ray and more from across the state.
Breaking music news · Features
The app created by Geno Hinton allows listeners to isolate and ‘interact’ with individual instrument tracks within a song, and ‘just be astonished’ at hearing a solo or vocal take. The full story at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
The concert week brought national tour stops and local heroes to area stages, including El Ten Eleven, Sophia McIntosh, Basic and Witch. Plus, the Handmade Music Festival returned to Chesaning. The photos at Local Spins.
The Otsego singer-songwriter who spent time in Nashville before returning to Michigan has formed an all-star band with a new album on the way. Writer Michael J. Breazeale digs in to his long and arduous journey.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
This week’s radio show podcast delivers fresh tracks by Protomartyr, Tee Grizzley, The Blue Pines, Space Bar, Morgan Haner, Louie Lee, Michelle Held, The Reverend Jesse Ray and more from across the state.
The New York emo, post-hardcore and pop-punk band brought its fall tour to GLC Live at 20 Monroe on Wednesday. The recap and photos at Local Spins.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
In the same month — just two weeks apart — Michigan bluegrass stars Billy Strings and Lindsay Lou released albums that already stand as modern milestones of the genre. The Local Spins review of both albums, with Lindsay Lou kicking off a Michigan tour later this week.
Albums that Changed the World · Artist Spotlights · Playlists
The acclaimed Michigan multi-instrumentalist, producer and co-founder of The Verve Pipe reveals the albums and artists that inspired him. Learn more about Brown, listen to the music.
The seven-day Kalamazoo music festival closed Sunday with four fan-pleasing sets after a week featuring more than 40 Michigan bands and solo artists. The recap and photo gallery at Local Spins.
The final full week of September was full of live music frolics, including festivals such as Sounds of the Zoo, Park Fest and Cooper’s Glen, GWAR, the next-to-last blast at[…]
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows
The longest jam session ever commences Monday in Lansing, with more than four dozen Michigan musicians aiming to set a new world record for continuous playing. Get the back story, see how you can participate or watch.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
Local Spins spotlights the West Michigan singer-keyboardist who kicks off SpeakEZ Lounge’s fall series next Wednesday. Plus, we debut tracks from 10 other Michigan artists. Learn more about Sophia McIntosh and listen to this week’s radio show podcast.
Festivals · Photos · Upcoming shows
As September winds down, a few festivals are winding things up to celebrate the season. Get the schedules, and browse a photo gallery from last weekend’s Michigan Irish Music Festival.
The popular British folk-rock band packed Acrisure Amphitheater on Tuesday night, with Marcus King Band opening. The review and photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Kalamazoo · Photos · Videos
The opening night of Kalamazoo’s seven-day Sounds of the Zoo festival featured tunesmiths trading songs and a performance by Matt Gross & Friends at The Clover Room. Get the highlights in photos and video.
Mavis Staples, Tommy Emmanuel, Vienna Teng, The Rebel Eves, DuPont Phillips, Tray Wellington and emcee Jeff Daniels will round out the 2027 Ann Arbor festival. Get the details, full lineup and ticket links at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Features · Technology
The Kent District Library wants to add more local music to its online service that already boasts music by 137 regional artists. Learn more about KDL Vibes and how to apply.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Our Sunday concert recap boasts coverage of weekend concerts at multiple area venues, including B-52s, Devo, Black Label Society, Bowling for Soup, EPCYA, Saxsquatch, the Eastown Streetfair, Michigan Irish Music Festival, Fake Baseball and more, captured in robust photo galleries (and a video).
The award-winning British rocker delivered a career-spanning set at Frauenthal Theatre to wrap up his U.S. theater tour on Friday. And the same night, Shakey Graves closed out Meijer Gardens’ summer series in Grand Rapids. The recaps and photos at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Emerging Artists to Watch · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Local Spins spotlights the GR rock/Americana band releasing its debut full-length recording, and airs tracks by a half-dozen other Michigan artists, including Kennedy Perez, On the Lash, Normal Mode and Johnny Renick. Learn more about J.H. Patton and his band, and listen to this week’s radio show podcast.
The fifth annual, week-long festival at eight different Kalamazoo venues kicks off on Monday as a ‘thoughtfully curated music experience.’ The preview, schedule and more.
The California alt-rockers on Wednesday revved up a capacity crowd in a heartfelt display at Meijer Gardens. The same night, Bilmuri turned up the volume at GLC Live at 20 Monroe and Pokey LaFarge brought his tour to Bell’s in Kalamazoo. Recaps, photos from all three shows at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows
Writer Dave Gil de Rubio checks in with The B-52’s Fred Schneider as the band’s tour with Devo gets set for a Saturday tour stop at Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater.
Artist Spotlights · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
The 84-year-old Celtic folk singer Andy Irvine will play the Muskegon festival for the first time in a decade, joining dozens of other top-shelf acts this weekend. The story, festival schedule, videos and more.
The storied, Grammy Award-winning folk-rock duo kept much of the audience on its feet for the duration of the packed Meijer Gardens’ late-season headlining show. The review and photos at Local Spins, along with a bonus gallery of images from Sunday performances at Wheatland Music Festival in Remus.
Artist Spotlights · Photos · Upcoming shows · Videos
You could say he’s just a boy doing boyish things. But versatile Grand Rapids drummer Zach Dubay is now making a splash with pop/countrycore’s Bilmuri, which plays GLC Live at 20 Monroe on Wednesday. The back story at Local Spins.
Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The granddaddy of Michigan roots/folk festivals — Wheatland — reveled in gorgeous weather and riveting performances on Friday and Saturday outside Remus. The recap in words and images at Local Spins.
Punk-fueled rocker Billy Idol brought his rollicking 2026 tour to Grand Rapids on Friday, with opener Susanna Hoffs. Check out the Local Spins review and photo gallery.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows
The acclaimed indie-folk duo plays two Michigan shows this coming week, including a sold-out stop at Meijer Gardens. Writer Dave Gil de Rubio interviews The Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers about her challenges, her lifelong passion and much more.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
This week’s Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase radio show podcast debuts fresh tracks by a dozen Mitten State artists, from Tayva to Kylee Phillips to Theo Katzman. Plus, revisit a poignant remembrance of 9/11 and browse performance schedules for Eastown Streetfair, Wheatland Music Festival and the Grand Rapids African-American Art & Music Festival. Listen to the show, learn more about the featured artists.
The Florida rapper, singer and reggaeton star pumped up Acrisure Amphitheater on Thursday night as part of his “I’m Back” tour. Browse the photos of Pitbull and Lil Jon at Local Spins.
The Grammy Award-winning folk/bluegrass string quintet Punch Brothers charmed with an evening of superlative musicianship, humor and sophisticated spontaneity. The review and photos, exclusively at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Local Spins Live · Upcoming shows
The autumn concert series at SpeakEZ Lounge kicks off at the end of the month and features up-and-coming acts, established stars and acclaimed tribute acts. View the schedule, get the details.
Artist Spotlights · Emerging Artists to Watch · Upcoming shows · Videos
The northern Michigan singer-songwriter is nominated for three Josie Music Awards being presented Sept. 20 in Nashville, including ‘Vocalist of the Year.’ Local Spins spotlights the ‘country-Americana’ artist.
As the death knell for print newspapers and journalism rings across Michigan and the nation on Labor Day, Local Spins and other outlets covering local and regional music are battling for survival. See how you can help keep Local Spins spinning.
Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Labor Day weekend kicked off with the 17th annual Kalamashoegazer festival and The Incantations in Kalamazoo, along with a tour stop by Minus the Bear in Grand Rapids. Browse the photos exclusively at Local Spins.
Photos · Top 10 Lists · Upcoming shows · Videos
September’s big shows roll out mostly as the final flurry of outdoor events gracing Michigan’s musical landscape. Our Top 10 list, plus a photo recap of TLC and Salt-N-Pepa. […]
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Summer Festivals · Videos
Local Spins interviews the northern Michigan singer-songwriter as well as bluegrass powerhouse Billy Strings for this week’s radio show podcast, while also debuting new music from regional artists, including Roosevelt Diggs, Odd Space, Sweet Dee & The Wild Honeys, Stanley & Quiggle and Conway.
Local Spins’ Looking for the Perfect Beat columnist gives electronic music lovers a preview of the Chicago spectacle, which requires just a short drive for many Michiganders.
Just a couple of days removed from his impressive Ionia Freak Fair spectacle, Michigan-bred guitar powerhouse Billy Strings opens up about his mom, donating festival profits to Ionia causes and a new recording with a bluegrass legend.
Artist Spotlights · Looking for the Perfect Beat · Upcoming shows · Videos
The much-hyped Australian electronic dance trio might be Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater’s most daring and impressive booking in its inaugural year. Local Spins columnist Todd Ernst digs into the Rüfüs Du Sol phenomenon.
Concert Recaps · Photos · Summer Concerts
On the final day of August, Local Spins features not only photo recaps of two Sunday shows, but galleries from a summer of free community concerts across the state. It was a live music summer unlike any other.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
One of the busiest live music weeks of 2026 rolled out across West Michigan to close out August — and Local Spins was there to recap the action in words and photos, from Ke$ha to Billy Strings.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The opening salvo of the Michigan bluegrass guitarist’s inaugural festival at the Ionia County Fairgrounds was a spectacle unlike anything this small town — and Billy’s fans — had ever seen. Get the recap, browse photos and watch some video highlights at Local Spins.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Summer Festivals
With August’s final blast of Michigan music festivals heating up the state this weekend, Local Spins showcases Mitten State performers at some of these celebrations, from the Ionia Freak Fair to the Forest Trail Music Festival and beyond. The radio show podcast and see how Ionia is preparing for the onslaught of more than 27,000 festivalgoers.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
Sunday’s concert at the outdoor venue rolls out as a “fascinating” collaboration with the Grand Rapids Symphony, according to singer Josh Groban. The Local Spins interview with the acclaimed artist.
Nine days after drummer and band co-founder Frank Beard passed away, ZZ Top brought its enduring cavalcade of hits to Meijer Gardens on Wednesday. The review and photos at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
With an upcoming tour stop Friday at Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater, Local Spins interviews Toto’s lead singer about the band’s enduring music and life on the road.
The much-admired Southern rock and blues ensemble didn’t disappoint more than 10,000 fans who cheered Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and crew, as well as opener Alabama Shakes. Review, photos.
Artist Spotlights · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
The Canadian death metal band will headline The Pyramid Scheme’s metal tent at Billy Strings’ Ionia Freak Fair after the guitarist reached out to one of his favorite bands in an unusual way. Get the back story, view the festival schedules along with a link to a Freak Fair shuttle, and get a special Freak Fair trucker cap offer at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Although separated by more than 470 miles, these two beloved and cozy Michigan music festivals boast a similar milieu, with lineups of top-shelf acts to close out the month of August. Get the guides, schedules and ticket links at Local Spins.
