Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
The opening salvo of the two-day festival at Grand Rapids’ Belknap Park reveled Friday in exemplary weather, mesmerizing electronic music and elated throngs of fans. The highlights and two photo galleries at Local Spins.
The return of The Decemberists ignited a sold-out crowd at the Grand Rapids amphitheater with the indie/alt-rock band unleashing songs old and new on Wednesday. Local Spins asked a member of The Crane Wives — who were inspired, in part, by The Decemberists — to offer her take on the show. The review, photos and set list.
The shows leading up to another weekend of musical merriment in West Michigan boasted soulful pop, bluegrass, ska and vocally impressive songwriting powerhouses, lighting up venues from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. Browse the photos and show recaps at Local Spins.
Amid weather that could only be described as “perfect,” three outdoor shows and one indoor spectacle lit up Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo on a summer Tuesday. The recaps and photo galleries from a busy night at Local Spins.
For your viewing pleasure, Local Spins has assembled some of the most captivating new music videos by Michigan-bred artists covering everything from hip hop to indie-rock to pop and more. Plus, see where some of these artists will be performing in coming weeks.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Fans couldn’t have asked for a better weekend to soak in live music in the great outdoors, especially at cozy festivals in Morley and Allegan. Plus, Blackberry Smoke sizzled in its Kalamazoo tour stop. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
The live music parade started on Monday with a farewell concert by mewithoutyou in Kalamazoo and continued through a resplendent week of weather with outdoor shows in Rockford and at Meijer Gardens, Studio Park and Bell’s Beer Garden. The photo recaps exclusively at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Michigan’s music weekend ramped up with 40,000-plus country revelers at Faster Horses in Brooklyn, a capacity crowd at Bell’s Beer Garden, the debut of White Lake’s Walk the Beat, an outdoor Elton and Buble tribute in GR and the debut of the unique ‘Whatzit Hour’ in Kalamazoo. View the action-packed photo galleries at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Concert reviews · Photos
The world music trio topped Nathan Walton, Elijah Russ and Melophobix in the “friendly competition” that raised $3.700-plus for ShelterBox on a gorgeous, sun-splashed Saturday in Rockford. Get the recap and photos at Local Spins.
After a long hiatus, Blissfest returned to northern Michigan last weekend with a bevy of roots and folk stars. Revisit the musical fun via these highlights in words and photos.
Concert reviews · Summer Festivals · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Smiling Acres Music Festival wrapped up three days of live music over the Fourth of July weekend, but there were also crowd-pleasing concerts in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. View the photos at Local Spins.
Saturday’s long-awaited gala paying tribute to Michigan’s music scene boasted more than 20 performances on several stages, along with an outdoor pre-party. The recap in words and photos at Local Spins
The Destination Live Music video crew and Local Spins spotlight the beloved West Side GR venue with a special mini-documentary as Tip Top hosts The Hi-Jivers and Hank Mowery for its birthday on Saturday.
Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Saturday’s brilliant weather offered an ideal backdrop for three diverse festivals: country’s B93 Bash at LMCU Ballpark, GR Pride Festival downtown and the second day of music at Circle Pines Center. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
West Michigan’s weekend kicked off with a musical bang, thanks to a much-anticipated Chvrches tour stop, not to mention Trixy Tang, Desmond Jones, Bronk Bros. & Roosevelt Diggs revving up Rockford and a Listening Lawn tribute to Tom Petty.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
The first weekend of June unleashed a musical torrent from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, with a rainbow of colors and diverse genres. Get the recaps and browse the photos at Local Spins.
Announcements · Special Offers
Local Spins today introduces more than a half-dozen dazzling new items to our online gift shop. It comes just in time for you to show off your support for Local Spins and Michigan’s music scene as festival season ramps up.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Fan fervor took many forms over the past week at concerts across West Michigan, from fist-pumping glee to pin-drop-quiet intensity. Revisit the concerts in vibrant images at Local Spins.
Local Spins closes out April with another round-up of new releases by Michigan artists — ranging folk to hip hop to soul to robust rock. Listen to tracks from all of the albums and see where some of these artists will be performing in coming weeks.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
A dozen shows from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo are recapped today in Local Spins photo galleries, including Megadeth, Elijah Russ, Echoes of Pink Floyd, Tambourina, Fake Baseball, Grace Theisen & a tribute to Motown. Browse all of the photos — and video highlights of Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish’s return to the stage — at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This week’s concert photo roundup covers the gamut from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo: Haley Heynderickx, Low, Tre Burt, Carly Pearce, Electric Six, Full Cord, Dizzybird Records’ anniversary, Nathan Kalish & a benefit for Ukraine. Browse all of the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
To close out Women’s History Month, Local Spins recaps a special night in Grand Rapids: The “Music That Raised Us” concert at Listening Room starring some of West Michigan’s most dynamic female artists performing enduring, influential songs. Photos, video.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan’s concert week also heated up with Fit for a King, Rip VanRipper, SubDocta, Jesse James Dupree, Pretoria, Lipstick Jodi and more, all captured in Local Spins images. Browse the recaps and photo galleries.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Frankenmuth’s favorite sons in Greta Van Fleet continued their Michigan homecoming assault at DeltaPlex on Saturday, plus browse photos from a diverse set of shows in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, including Lady Ace Boogie, Jordan Hamilton, Cabildo, Djangophonique, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Between the Buried and Me.
With the Frankenmuth-bred stars playing five Michigan shows in a single week, the homecoming run began with a pyrotechnic flourish at Wings Event Center Thursday. Concert recap, photos and set list at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From the EDM mania of Virtual Riot to the jazz of Christian McBride to the blues of James Reeser and prog-rock of CBDB, it was a resplendent weekend of live music from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, captured in Local Spins images and show recaps.
Launching a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a few weeks early, Gaelic Storm kicked up its heels Tuesday, followed by jam band Proxima Parada and Kalamazoo’s own Fake Baseball on Wednesday. Get the show recaps and view the photos at Local Spins.
Today, Local Spins takes a deep dive into six recent, varied releases by artists from across West Michigan — Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids to Traverse City to Albion. Listen to tracks from all of the recordings.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Saturday’s concert at Fountain Street Church highlighted a robust weekend of live music and events from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to Hudsonville: Caroline Jones, Beach House, Marc E. Bassy, Mungion, 1964 The Tribute & more in Local Spins photos and recaps.
Several genre-spanning shows — big and small — helped fire up and heat up February in Grand Rapids on Thursday and Friday. The recaps in words and photos at Local Spins.
This February roundup of new Michigan albums also features an in-depth look at releases from Detroit rock band Three Spoke Wheel and Kalamazoo’s Jay Gavan. Plus, sample tracks from all of the albums.
Local Spins Rewind · Photos · Videos
This was to be the weekend when WYCE’s Jammie Awards finally returned to The Intersection. The pandemic, however, has pushed that back to June. So today, Local Spins revisits the jubilant 2020 awards show in words, photos and video highlights.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This week’s roundup of concert photos actually starts last weekend with the return of live music to Founders, plus the first West Michigan shows in quite some time starring some compelling bands. Browse all of the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This weekend’s photo roundup of West Michigan concerts zeroes in on a Grammy-nominated star, an emerging country artist, tributes to ABBA and The Beatles, and three compelling female singer-songwriters. Browse the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
This late January round-up of new releases by Michigan artists ranges from the latest by a national bluegrass powerhouse to the debut of a new Grand Rapids project to a heavy metal fusillade from Detroit. Browse the reviews and listen to tracks from all of the releases at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This weekend’s concert photo roundup has a distinctly jazzy flavor — national and local — plus it features a tour stop by Swedish dubstep star Liquid Stranger and a Kalamazoo showcase with WOOTS and Grace Theisen. Browse the images at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
January has been quieter than usual on the live music front due to continued COVID concerns, but some national and local shows fired up area stages on a chilly weekend. Browse the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Welcome to the first album review roundup of 2022, with a half-dozen new releases by West Michigan artists encompassing rock, country, electronic music, folk, pop and more. Check out the reviews and listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Breaking music news · Festivals · Summer Festivals
While COVID concerns remain, more than 50 Michigan festivals plan to resume later this year, including the uber-popular, the traditional and some new events, too. View the comprehensive list at Local Spins.
Best Music of the Year · Features · Videos
Last week, Local Spins writers piped in with their “best of” lists for 2021. Today, some West Michigan musicians and Local Spins readers reveal their favorite releases and concerts of the year, from Allison Russell, Nigel Hall and Jon Batiste to Billy Strings, Stratos and Michigan Rattlers. Check out all of the picks and listen to the music at Local Spins.
Best Music of the Year · Features · Videos
As always, the annual flood of new music can be overwhelming. But Local Spins writers have sifted through these releases to make their picks for best albums and songs of the year, including Silk Sonic, Kingfish Ingram, Bo Burnham, Deafheaven and more, plus local artists such as Patty PerShayla, Lazy Genius, Seth Bernard and Amoura. Enjoy.
In the midst of the holiday rush, Local Spins today spotlights six new releases by Michigan artists that deliver thought-provoking, compelling and sometimes surprising music. Read the reviews, listen to the music.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Get an eyeful with these photo galleries recapping a weekend of music from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, from touring stars to local favorites such as Hannah Laine, Patty PerShayla, Lokella, Hollow Front, Nathan Walton and The Insiders. Browse the photos from more than a half-dozen area shows.
Hard to envision a more contrasting set of shows unfurling in West Michigan over the weekend: swing revival, folk, a metal-EDM hybrid, Americana, blues, you name it — all showcased in photos at Local Spins.
Hometown heroes Greensky Bluegrass revved up two nights of fun at State Theatre for fans in Kalamazoo, with banjo phenom Bela Fleck lighting up a smaller crowd with an all-star crew at Grand Rapids’ DeVos Performance Hall. The recaps and photos.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A guitar icon (Leo Kottke), a regional pop fave (Matt Giraud) and heavy rock album-release (Tiny Tree) and more were part of West Michigan’s concert mix this past weekend. Browse eight photo galleries at Local Spins.
This early November round-up of new releases by West Michigan artists explores some inventive and mind-expanding creations. Read the reviews, listen to the music.
For diehard fans of two well-known touring bands, it proved to be a far different concert experience this weekend in Grand Rapids. The recaps and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
For this year’s creepy soundtrack, Local Spins asked dark folk/gothic Americana artist and Halloween lover Stovepipe Stover for his eeriest favorites, from Killer Klowns to a witch’s doo-wop ode to a local gem. Listen to the songs and watch the videos at Local Spins, if you dare.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
This mid-October roundup of new Michigan releases covers artists from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids to Traverse City, including instrumental projects and a compelling collection inspired by loss. Browse the reviews and listen to tracks from all of the albums.
