The remote, cozy festival in northern Lake Michigan will feature a host of Michigan stars this weekend, including The Gasoline Gypsies, Hacky Turtles, Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps, The Founding and more.
More Fun in ’21: Beaver Island Music Festival returns this week. (Photo/Anna Sink)
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS OF SOME OF THE FEATURED BANDS
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When fast-rising West Michigan rock band Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps make the ferry trip to Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan for the first time this week, they’ll be more than ready for some overdue festival exploits.
After all, the Grand Rapids-based outfit was supposed to make its debut at Beaver Island Music Festival last year until the COVID-19 pandemic washed out that event and most other Michigan music festivals.
“We’re really excited,” PerShayla said of unleashing songs from the band’s new album, “Cheap Diction,” on the Beaver Island stage.
Beaver Island Bound: The Gasoline Gypsies (Photo/Eric Stoike)
“None of us have been to the island before. We were scheduled to play there in 2020, and that was one of the saddest cancellations.”
None of that sadness surrounds this year’s Beaver Island Music Festival which takes place Thursday through Saturday (July 15-17) with sets by a host of Michigan stars, including The Gasoline Gypsies, The Founding, Benzing Graves Collective, The Hacky Turtles, Brother Crowe, Drew Hale Band, Snacks & Five, Christopher “Wink” Winkleman, Kristi Davis, Dave Boutette, Roma Ransom and more.
Lead festival organizer Carol Burton conceded that planning the 2021 event after a one-year hiatus was “a very stressful time due to not knowing what to expect” with pandemic capacity restrictions and other concerns. The state lifted all of those gathering limitations starting in July.
“We really took a gamble and held out as long as we could, and it paid off. Now, it is a process of catching up and bringing everyone back together,” she said. “We are absolutely stoked to be able to bring this festival to fruition.”
‘100 PERCENT READY TO GO’ FOR FUN IN ’21
The festival gave all bands initially booked for 2020 the opportunity to play this year’s event, and most were “patient and willing to wait” for 2021.
View the schedule here. Performances begin on the ‘town stage’ at noon Thursday and at the campground stage at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, running through 1 a.m. Sunday. (Brother Crowe also plays the town stage at 9 p.m. Wednesday as a kick-off event.)
This Guy’s Definitely Ready: Some of the fans in 2019. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Burton said officials had decided that “as long as the limits raised to 1,000 (people), we could and would continue in some fashion. With the limits removed, we are 100 percent ready to go. … We are definitely going to have more fun in ’21.”
Three-day adult passes including an airways ticket are $270; the cost is $225 for a ferry package. A two-day adult ticket is $110. Find more ticket options and information online at bimf.net/tickets.
Founded in 2003, the festival has grown over the years, drawing hundreds upon hundreds of concertgoers making the 32-mile trip from Charlevoix by ferry or by plane.
Burton noted the festival for 2021 also has added new sinks, bathroom sanitizing equipment, sanitizer stations and self-temperature checks in response to the pandemic.
View Local Spins coverage of previous Beaver Island Music Festivals here.
VIDEO: The Gasoline Gypsies
VIDEO: The Founding
VIDEO: Drew Hale
VIDEO: Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps
VIDEO: Brother Crowe
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