Arcadia Ales to launch Riversedge Summer Music Series in Kalamazoo

The new outdoor venue will host four one-day outdoor ‘festivals,’ June to September, in Arcadia Ales’ cozy patio space next to the Kalamazoo River. Check out the lineups, with videos below.

 

Here comes summer, and with it a brand new outdoor music venue in Kalamazoo.

As Arcadia Ales gets ready to unveil its new $60,000 outdoor stage — paid for by a grant from former landowner Consumers Energy —the brewpub will get things rocking by the river with its recently announced 2017 Riversedge Summer Music Series.

With headliners such as Grand Rapids indie folk rockers The Crane Wives, Kalamazoo’s own Red Sea Pedestrians, Detroit’s Crime Funk (originally from Kalamazoo) and the homegrown The Go-Rounds, the series will, by design, cast the spotlight on local and regional acts that are making their way in today’s Michigan music scene.

“We are trying to create a culture, one that’s very down home,” Arcadia Ales music coordinator Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert said. “We obviously need to have solid headliners, and I believe we do, but I really want to support Kalamazoo and local music.”

And while the series will do exactly that, it will also showcase a diverse collection of artists. From jazz to Celtic, hip hop to funk, classical to psychedelic, roots to soul to high-energy twang-infused rock and jelly roll, the inaugural series will have a little bit for everyone and a price of admission that won’t break the budget.

Tickets prices are $10 per day, or $30 for a four-day festival season pass. Hudson-Prenkert said the decision to keep prices low was not to deter anyone just looking to spend a Saturday evening in the beer garden, which is expected to have a capacity of 750 for shows.

It’s all part of that down-home culture Arcadia Ales is creating that allows people to enjoy shuffleboard, disc golf, cozy fire pits and more in the interactive, kid- and dog-friendly (until 9 p.m.) garden next to the Kalamazoo River. “Now we are adding another level, which is music,” she said.

A ‘FESTIVAL-TYPE ATMOSPHERE’ SPREAD OVER FOUR MONTHS

The stage, which is getting design assistance from Old Dog Tavern owner Sean Smith, will be constructed with refurbished metals and measure 20-by-30 feet.

Hudson-Prenkert said she is excited about this type of collaboration with other local venues. With a passion for cross-promotion, she doesn’t see Arcadia Ales as competing with other music venues in Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids, but instead adding to the burgeoning scene by working alongside them to make the region even more of a destination for music than it already is.

“We are trying to create a supportive environment in the music world and generate a positive spirit, more of a music experience rather than just another venue,” she said. “With the series, we are creating a festival-type atmosphere, but instead of doing it for one day (or over a weekend), we are spreading it out over four months.”

Each festival date will highlight Arcadia Ales signature foods. At the June event, for instance, patrons will be able to indulge in fresh baked clams while sipping on one of the many brews.

Things will get started mid- to late afternoon each month with either disc jockeys or live music indoors before the main stage gets rocking. The series, sponsored by Satellite Records, Green Light Music, Radio Station WIDR and Local Spins, kicks off June 24. See the detailed schedule online here.

In addition to the four one-day festivals, Arcadia Ales regularly offers live music indoors, including “Soul Filled Sundays,” local music on Wednesday nights, third-Friday music hop acts, and live DJs on the second and fourth Fridays of every month.

 

Video: The Go Rounds, “Shock n Awe”

Video: Red Sea Pedestrians, “Tied to the Wheel”

Video: The Crane Wives, “Empty Page”

Copyright 2017, Spins on Music LLC