The arrival of spring brought unseasonable snow to the region and also featured tour stops by international favorites, local bands battling for finals in two different contests and a beloved Michigan songbird.
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West Michigan's music scene
When it comes to battles of the bands, two separate Grand Rapids-area competitions wrapped up their selections of finalists for showdowns next weekend.
The month-long battle hosted by The Stray in Grand Rapids completed its fourth round on Saturday night with West Michigan’s Quilter — performing as a duo due to some band illnesses — coming out on top. The group will join earlier round winners The Cosmoknights, Squatch and Farewell Come April for the Saturday (March 30) finals and tickets already are sold out.
Meanwhile, Rebel Road — a motorcyle rally taking place in Muskegon July 17-21 — hosted two straight nights of preliminary rounds of its Battle of the Bands on Friday and Saturday at The Intersection’s Elevation.
Stevie Reidz & Co. and Klinical Trial won Night 1, with Future Things and Some People’s Kids coming out on top during the Night 2 event. The band Minus Two will also compete in the finals at The Intersection on Saturday (March 3) after earning the judges’ wild-card spot. The winner of next weekend’s finals will open for Texas Hippie Coalition at Rebel Road in July.
West Michigan’s concert week also featured a Kalamazoo State Theatre tour stop by guitar legend Steve Hackett, who presented his “Genesis Revisited” show for a near-sellout crowd on Saturday, the same night that northern Michigan singer-songwriter May Erlewine played an intimate concert at Grand Rapids’ Midtown with Packy Lundholm.
Also in Kalamazoo, Minor Element — with special guests Aaron Smith & RDAA — uncorked funky jazz at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe on Friday, with The Mainstays and False Atlas entertaining fans at Ruggers Up & Under.
Earlier in the week, Idaho-bred bass music star Kai Wachi lit things up at The Intersection.
Scroll down to browse the photo galleries and check out a separate Local Spins review with photo gallery from Marshall Crenshaw’s Friday night concert at St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids.
PHOTO GALLERY: Rebel Road Battle Rounds at Elevation (Friday-Saturday)
Photos by Eric Stoike
Photos by Derek Ketchum
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker