Artist Spotlights · Summer Festivals · Videos
Six dynamic, female-oriented bands will rev up Local Spins Fest in May. Today, we begin our series spotlighting each act, asking them to answer seven key questions. Their answers were enlightening, especially when it comes to Lokella, which may be playing its final show with its current lineup.
Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
A hot summer indeed. Big stars and regional favorites will fire up outdoor stages throughout the state this summer. Today, Local Spins launches the first round of its annual “Outdoor Summer Concerts at Michigan Venues” listing, with more to come as show announcements filter in. Check out rosters at Pine Knob, The Deck in Muskegon and many more.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Various musical milestones marked concerts at several West Michigan venues over the weekend, recapped in photos at Local Spins. Check out images of Granger Smith, Tunde Olaniran, The Bootstrap Boys, The Arcadian Wild, Rittz, Prof and more.
Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
Today, Local Spins starts rolling out regular announcements of lineups for free summer concerts taking place in more than 100 communities across the state in the summer of 2023. The family- and kid-friendly events have become a tradition in many cities.
The Grammy-winning outfit gave fans at State Theatre a visually enhanced dose of boundary-pushing charm, plus check out our photo recaps of weekend shows ranging from heavy metal to EDM to post-punk and more. The Snarky Puppy review and concert photo galleries at Local Spins.
Album Releases · Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
New recordings by Y-Not, Rob Jordan, Pink Sky and John Lamb also pump up this late March round-up of reviews of fresh music by Michigan bands and solo artists. Listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Weird weather during the first full weekend of spring didn’t hamper turnout at sold-out tour stops in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Plus, recaps of Hawthorne Heights, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Dirt Monkey, Starkbierfest, Ingrid Andress and more. View all of the images at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Photos · Videos
The band formed by Grand Rapids Community College music students outpolled West Michigan’s Cordero and Pocket Watch during Saturday’s finals to take home the crown. The recap, photo gallery and some video highlights at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Videos
In the Valley Below, Lokella, Sarena Rae, Kari Lynch, Grace Theisen, Kate Hinote, Loren Johnson and more will fire up “Local Spins Week” in mid-May. Get the lineup, details, a ticket link and more at Local Spins.
Features · Local Spins at SXSW
For many Michigan bands, 2023’s South By Southwest festival was their first-ever Austin experience. They reveled in that experience — except for Nathan Walton & The Remedy’s broken-down van. Check out their takes and highlights in this special SXSW report.
After a questionable denial of county funding, the revered wordsmith and leader of The Diatribe challenges Grand Rapids to step up to support the city’s artistic community, specifically The Emory Arts and Culture Hub.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Local Spins crisscrossed the state for this recap of national touring artists, regional stars, two fundraisers and a competition featuring emerging acts. The images from ten different shows at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From singer-songwriter charm to bass music to rock ‘n’ roll to rising-star country to metalcore, West Michigan’s music week pumped up fans of all stripes. It also produced an on-stage butt tattoo for one of the touring artists. Really. Get the lowdown and view all the photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Our recap of this week’s live music blizzard — indoors and out — travels from Comstock Park to GR to Hudsonville to Kalamazoo, and from touring stars to local band favorites. Browse all of the images and check out the show recaps at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
West Michigan music lovers gathered in huge numbers at The Intersection on Friday night for the 23rd edition of the Jammie Awards, with 19 acts firing up three stages. Photos, video highlights and more at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Concert reviews · Photos
West Michigan’s ‘biggest night of music’ packed The Intersection with performances by 19 acts on three stages, with the year’s best releases, artists and industry leaders honored by WYCE, Local Spins and Michigan Music Alliance. View a list of all the winners, get a recap of the evening’s festivities and browse a photo gallery at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Despite the blustery storm of ice and snow outside Wednesday night, the Kalamazoo-bred bluegrass powerhouse packed The Intersection for a long evening of entrancing jams. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights at Local Spins.
As WYCE (88.1 FM) celebrates Friday’s return to The Intersection of the Jammie Awards honoring Michigan artists, an event co-founder and former station manager reminisces about the inaugural event. Plus, check out Friday’s stage schedule and a playlist of performers.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Jam-packed concerts rolled out as the primary theme across West Michigan this week at venues in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. View the photos and videos; revel in the reviews at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Local Spins rounds up jam-packed shows from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, including Weird Al’s crowd-pleasing tour stop at State Theatre. Browse the photo galleries.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Michigan’s wintry weekend delivered more than snow: Bands heated up stages from Grand Rapids to Comstock Park to Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor. The photo galleries and recaps at Local Spins, including coverage of The Floozies, Buku, Hail Your Highness, Lucius Fox and much more.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
Another January round-up of fresh releases by artists from across the Great Lakes State also includes our takes on new offerings from Flint’s Heat Above and Detroit’s Superego. Check out our takes on these releases and listen to tracks from all of the recordings.
Breaking music news · In Memoriam · Summer Festivals
The death of the Crosby, Stills & Nash co-founder — who addressed his mortality in a recent interview — has sparked memorial tributes across the globe. Plus, a northern Michigan festival has announced its roster of regional performers
Our second January roundup of new albums and EPs by Michigan artists ranges from hip hop to jazzy indie-folk to rock, including Kings of Strings, Nathan K. and Big B & The Actual Proof. Listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
A pair of new global music concert series kicked off on Sunday in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, with a healthy helping of blues to boot in both cities. The photos and more at Local Spins.
Local Spins kicks off the year by spotlighting yet another flurry of new releases by Michigan artists, including projects by Dana Nyson and The Heiden Underground. Read the reviews, listen to the music.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Celebrations leading up to New Year’s Day covered the gamut, from a delayed ‘Christmas at Critter’s’ to a birthday bash, Beatles salute, a ska/punk holiday show anniversary and New Year’s Eve revelry. Videos and photo recaps exclusively at Local Spins.
Local Spins Rewind · Top 12 Stories Countdown · Videos
Local Spins’ countdown of its top stories of the year takes a sad turn today: We revisit the September column by drummer Bill Vits, who shared his life story just weeks before he died of cancer.
Local Spins Rewind · Photos · Top 12 Stories Countdown
The countdown of Local Spins’ most-read stories of the year hits No. 9 today with the recap of a busy summer weekend that featured Faster Horses, Drive-By Truckers, Walk the Beat and more. Revisit the late July roundup in words and photos.
Local Spins Rewind · Summer Festivals · Top 12 Stories Countdown
After a three-year COVID hiatus, the festival resumed in July with Shawn Colvin, Leftover Salmon and dozens of regional favorites. The festival announcement and our coverage of the event were among Local Spins’ top stories of the year.
Audio · Best Music of the Year · Videos
Amid another turbulent and hectic year, recorded and live music made a huge comeback. Today, Local Spins writers reveal their picks for the best of both in 2022. Check out the robust roster of notable releases and concerts and listen to select tracks in this special feature being published today in lieu of our usual Thursday ‘Amplified’ newsletter.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
As we barrel merrily toward the holidays, Michigan artists have ramped up holiday cheer, from May Erlewine & The Motivations’ Winter Dance Party to Grace Theisen’s seasonal soiree and a Michigan metal-propelled show. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
‘Tis the season to be inundated with bah-humbug-worthy duds on radio, television, elevators, grocery stores and beyond. So, we couldn’t resist re-publishing our Top 10 hit list of most hated seasonal tunes. Check out the full list of “cringe-inducing, hokey and stupidly inane” tracks.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
As Christmas approaches, live music continues to rev up audiences from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to the lakeshore. Revisit the action in photos at Local Spins.
This pre-Thanksgiving round-up of new releases by West Michigan artists also features Lisa Can’t Sing and The Good Old Days. Listen to tracks from all of the recordings at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
House and bass music stars, rousing prog-metal bands, country crooners, indie-folksters and more delivered an eclectic week of live music to remember across West Michigan. Browse the photos from eight concerts at Local Spins.
Ionia County’s favorite bluegrass son pumped up thousands of fans in Kalamazoo on Thursday, followed by another home-state show in Saginaw tonight. The review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
The live music weekend kicked off early in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, with pop, bluesy-folk, reggae, alt-country and the first rock show at SpeakEZ Lounge in more than five months. Browse all the photo galleries at Local Spins.
West Michigan’s weekend of live music wrapped up with the final salvo in an outdoor concert series in Kalamazoo and some light-festooned jams in Grand Rapids. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
Beyond a revved-up full house at The Pyramid Scheme, the weekend launched with a Kalamazoo tour stop by Ani DiFranco, a jazz duo at St. Cecilia and a music release by Second Hand Drugs. View the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
When Michigan-bred post-hardcore band I Prevail revved things up at GLC Live at 20 Monroe on Saturday, it capped a week of fan-pleasing music from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. The recaps and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
This early October round-up of releases by Michigan artists features new collections covering rock, pop, hip hop, jazz and Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Cameron Blake’s return to the violin. Check out the reviews and listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
From Spanish-infused rock to soul to folk to hip hop, the inaugural music festival reveled in good weather and an upbeat vibe. The recap and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Friday’s Van Andel Arena show was a tribute to The Judds, part of a West Michigan weekend that included Sounds of the Zoo, Horizen Fest, the third-to-last show at Seven Steps Up, Lower Leisure Class, Opiuo, Larry Fleet and more. The photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
The first-year festival pumped up three different Kalamazoo venues Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — and Local Spins was there to capture the action in words and photos.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
After an insanely busy summer, Local Spins is back with a batch of reviews of 2022 releases by Michigan artists, from dark rock to folk to Gypsy swing to jam-band glory, plus a look at projects by Wild Honey Collective and Jeremy Ensley. Learn more about these diverse recordings and listen to tracks from each release.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Revisit more than a half-dozen live shows in vibrant images at Local Spins, including Joe Hertler, Overdrive Orchestra, DJ Mel V, Lipstick Jodi, Melvins and more. Photo galleries you’ll only find at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
The kickoff to autumn 2022 had it all: country, folk, symphonic metal, Americana, soulful pop and German party music. Local Spins revisits the action in words and photos.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The return of last weekend’s Earthwork Harvest Gathering festival outside Lake City after a COVID hiatus was a Michigan-bred, music-filled celebration of love and community. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights, exclusively at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A spectacular September weekend covered a lot of bases outdoors and in: indie-rock, country, funk, jazz, psych-rock and more. Get the recaps in words and photos at Local Spins.
