Over the past eight years, Local Spins has published some spectacular concert photography. And some of the best photos have been taken by Tony Norkus, who today shares some of his favorites, along with stories about each image — from ebullient Bassnectar fans to singer Charles Bradley’s passionate Grand Rapids debut.
It’s actually the perfect talent show contest for a coronavirus pandemic: Hundreds of bands from across the country are submitting videos from their own homes in NPR’s annual competition, with a big Great Lakes State contingent. View more than 30 video entries from Michigan bands and solo artists at Local Spins.
Features · Top 10 Lists · Videos
Due to the current crisis, musicians have a lot of time on their hands. And that means some of them have come up with hilarious takes on our response to the unprecedented situation and witty ways to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. And face it: We all need a chuckle right now.
Summer Festivals · Top 10 Lists
A record number of readers responded to our annual poll, with Wheatland Music Festival coming out on top for 2020, followed closely by Buttermilk Jamboree and Nor-East’r. See what else made the Top 10 and our list of honorable mentions, along with festivalgoer comments, festival website links and details about each featured festival.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A coronavirus-shortened week of live shows still gave some West Michigan fans a mix of magical music: blues, metalcore, neo-psychedelia, Celtic music, contemporary Christian pop, country and South African vocal glory. View all of the images at Local Spins.
This edition of our concert week-in-review spotlights some W. Michigan tour stops by fan favorites — from metalcore to indie-folk to bluegrass to a funky jam band. Browse all of the images at Local Spins.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
This early March roundup of new local and regional releases at Local Spins focuses on a GR keyboard icon, new projects from some notable West Michigan musicians and a Detroit-area indie-folk artist. Check out the reviews and listen to tracks from all of the featured artists at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
March roars in like a lion music-wise with Gaelic Storm, Cowboy Junkies, Shiba San, Scotty McCreery, Will Sexton, The Accidentals, Distant Stars and more on the docket. Plus, Local Spins’ Big List has ticket giveaways for three different concerts this week.
This February roundup of new releases is a potpourri party, not only covering the mainstream but pushing the experimental envelope with releases by bands and artists from mid-Michigan to Muskegon. Check out the reviews; listen to the music.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
February closes out with We Were Promised Jetpacks, Symphony With Soul, Winter Delights Fest, Dave Bruzza, Excision, The Go Rounds, a much-buzzed-about Rush tribute and much more. Browse our Under-the-Radar Picks and check out the “Big List Spotlight” on a new concert series kicking off on Grand Rapids’ North Side.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan concerts by regional stars That Beatles Thing, Moto, Cousin Avery, Delilah DeWylde, Isaac Ryder and more were also part of the mix spotlighted in photos at Local Spins. Ogle all of the galleries from shows in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
From Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids to northern Michigan, this round-up of new releases by Michigan artists delves into pop, jazz, folk, hard rock and even classical music. Soak up the reviews along with tracks from all of the featured artists.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A week spotlighted by the Jammie Awards also boasted a varied set of tour stops: country, metal, pop, hip hop, Americana, singer-songwriter and more. Browse The images at Local Spins, including SupeDre’s Sunday launch party for Fourtifeye that features a host of special performances.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Thousands filled The Intersection on Friday to celebrate the best regional music of the year with impressive performances on three stages. Browse highlights from the big night in words, photos and a star-studded video.
Breaking music news · Concert reviews · Videos
West Michigan’s biggest night of music packed The Intersection with performers and fans on Friday night, with awards presented to the best releases of 2019. View the full winners’ list at Local Spins along with a photo gallery from the big event.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Sweet Water Warblers, John Doe/Kristin Hersh/Grant-Lee Phillips, Mike Doughty, American Authors, Whitney and more fill out a busy concert week. And check out this week’s ticket giveaways and the tantalizing Under-the-Radar Picks.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
National tour stops by Trippie Redd, the Allman Betts Band, Dirty Honey, Grace Potter and others were complemented by bracing local shows starring Darcy Wilkin, Trifocal and a Crooked Tree Creative Showcase in Grand Haven. The images at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Tributes to David Bowie and Tom Petty also are on tap, along with concerts by Domestic Problems, The Autumnatic, Darcy Wilkin, Coffin Problem, Jack Droppers, Roosevelt Diggs, Roger MacNaughton and a Crooked Tree Creative showcase. And check out this week’s ticket giveaway.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From a national tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of a classic hip hop album to a Listening Room debut by a local ensemble celebrating release of a new EP, the week covered a lot of bases, including country, electronic music and folk. Browse all of the images at Local Spins
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The week leading up to the Super Bowl kicks off with Jordan Hamilton, followed by Mungion, Mitchell Tenpenny, Bailen, Brother Adams, Joshua Davis, Bass Country and much more. And check out this week’s ticket giveaway to Delilah DeWylde’s Winter Dance Party as well as our Under-the-Radar concert picks.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
In a bid to drive away the winter blahs, West Michigan audiences embraced a dynamic mix of touring and local artists. And once again, Local Spins captured it in photo and video form.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Boosie Badazz, Heaters, The Marsupials, Harper & Midwest Kind, GR Soul Club, Drinking Mercury, Chirp, Michigan’s 183rd Birthday Party and much more are also on tap across West Michigan this week. And check out the Under-the-Radar Picks, plus this week’s ticket giveaway for Fruition.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This week’s concert photo gallery and video roundup also features Stone Soup & The Broken Teeth’s album-release, Toth, Leland Blue and Paradise Outlaw. Browse the images at Local Spins.
The producer of the popular Michigan music festival took to Reddit this week to address everything from the 2020 lineup of performers to long lines. Here are some of his responses from that online exchange.
January’s second batch of albums reviews at Local Spins spotlights the latest releases by several artists from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Check out the reviews, listen to the music, find out where some of these artists are performing.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
DJ Faren Strnad kicks off a week that also features Small Glories, Garcia Peoples, Toth, Cousin Avery, Paradise Outlaw, Pink Sky, How to Live Together, Leland Blue, Henhouse Prowlers, Lady Ace Boogie’s birthday bash and much more. And check out this week’s ticket giveaways.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A wintry weekend blast of ice and snow didn’t keep country, hip hop, blues or rock stars from their appointed concert rounds in West Michigan. The images from several concerts and showcases at Local Spins.
The first batch of regional releases reviewed at Local Spins in 2020 boasts a wild mix of music from an eclectic bunch of Michigan artists. Read the reviews, listen to the music, learn more about the featured acts.
Announcements · Summer Festivals
The Local Spins Readers’ Poll is back for 2020. Pick your favorite Michigan music festivals and tell us why they rock your world, and we’ll enter your name in a drawing for a fabulous Local Spins gift package that includes two tickets to a Michigan festival.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Fretboard Festival Play-In Contest and shows by Tomas Esparza Blues Band, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, The Fast Hands Band album-release and more are also on tap. And check out this week’s ticket giveaways for shows at Listening Room.
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Beyond the lavish parties ushering in the New Year, there were some intimate shows starring beloved regional artists to get the first weekend of 2020 started on the right foot. Browse the photos and videos at Local Spins.
West Michigan ushered in 2020 with the bluegrass brilliance of Billy Strings, an outdoor Pop Evil party, Manic Focus, 20 Monroe Live’s Resolution Ball, Kalamazoo’s New Year’s Fest and more captured in photos and videos at Local Spins, with a full review of Billy Strings’ homecoming show.
Features · Local Spins Rewind · Summer Festivals
With interest in Michigan music festivals at an all-time high, the Local Spins 2019 Readers’ Poll put Blissfest at No. 1 — and at the top of our list of most-read stories of the year. Revisit the poll, with a link to Local Spins’ exclusive listing of 2020 Michigan music festival dates.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The final weekend of 2019 boasted radiant, jubilant concerts with regional stars playing venues from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo — captured in images and video at Local Spins. Revisit the musical action.
Local Spins’ No. 7 story of the year was a “reprint” of a deeply personal essay by the legendary Grand Rapids DJ and radio personality who disclosed the medical issue and surgery that kept him out of the public eye.
Features · Top 10 Lists · Videos
A mind-bending year of music gave Local Spins writers plenty of fodder for “best of” lists, including Lizzo, Bon Iver, The Raconteurs, Orville Peck, Black Pumas, Lana Del Rey, Sleep and more. Peruse the extensive and eclectic picks, listen to some of 2019’s most memorable tracks at Local Spins, and submit your own favorites for a chance to win a Local Spins gift package.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The holiday week keeps the live music rolling with Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, The Bootstrap Boys, Coldville, Steve Talaga, Rachael & Dominic Davis and more on tap. Browse all of this week’s live music picks.
The year-end holidays are upon us, so Local Spins helps you plan your New Year’s Eve celebrations with a Top 10 list of music-driven bashes to behold. View the list, as well as a comprehensive calendar of year-end concerts.
Local Spins presents another December roundup of new releases by Michigan artists — from rock to Americana to blues and more — with audio samples from all of them.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan skated into mid-December with holiday fare, rock ‘n’ roll and more — from Turkuaz to Wayland to Sons of F.U.N.K. to The Bootstrap Boys — captured in images and videos (as usual) at Local Spins. Browse the photo galleries, videos and show recaps.
With December’s holidays fast approaching, here’s a Local Spins roundup of recent Michigan releases that make perfect stocking stuffers — and just plain satisfying listening. Browse the reviews and listen to tracks from each of the featured albums.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Mid-December also heats up with May Erlewine, Dalmatian Stone, Wayland, Mary Gauthier, Brother Elsey, A Winter’s Tune, Tuba Christmas and more. Peruse this week’s featured concerts, check out the Under-the-Radar Picks, and win tickets to shows at The Pyramid Scheme.
West Michigan’s live music week included The Bad Plus, Louis the Child, Blanco Brown, SunSquabi, Laith Al-Saadi, Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys, Sadie Bass, Left Lane Cruiser and more reflected in dazzling photos (and a couple of videos) at Local Spins.
The legendary Grand Rapids DJ and radio personality finally revealed this week the medical issue and surgery that’s kept him out of the public eye in recent months. Today, Local Spins shares his story.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Bill Kirchen’s ‘Honky-Tonk Holiday’ starts a week that also features Laith Al-Saadi, Livingston Taylor, Cousin Curtiss, Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys, The Concussions, The Fukushima Daisies, a West Michigan Blues Society benefit and more. And see how you can win tickets to see The Bad Plus.
As one of the busiest bar nights of the year, Wednesday’s pre-Thanksgiving celebration lit up stages with live music gems from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. The photo roundup at Local Spins, including Tuesday’s wild Ski Mask the Slump God tour stop at 20 Monroe Live.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The first Michigan Mondays show at Listening Room with members of The Accidentals kicks off a party-up holiday week in West Michigan that also features concerts by Henhouse Prowlers, Mike Mains, Luke Winslow-King, Merkules and much more. Browse this week’s featured live music selections and the always-intriguing Under-the-Radar Picks.
Sold-out, jam-packed shows — national and local — filled venues across West Michigan in mid-November, including the International Wine, Beer and Food Festival at DeVos Place. Ogle all of the the action-filled images at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
From jazz to rock to funk to country, it’s a busy week that also features Ganja White Night, Moxie Strings, Unknown Hinson, Freekbass, Mark Lavengood, Peat in the Creel, the Diatribe’s Grand Showcase, Terry Lower Quartet and more. This week’s “Under-the-Radar” picks are special, too.
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
From mid-week shows featuring Blues Traveler, Lettuce, Kittel & Co. and Free Hat to Saturday night reveling by Yelawolf, Donna the Buffalo and Cameron Blake, it was a jam-packed, November blast of music. Browse the images at Local Spins, including The Legal Immigrants’ ‘bon voyage’ show at The Pyramid Scheme and Subtronics’ sold-out dance party at The Intersection.
