Ben Rector gets funny; Matt & Kim, Beats Antique get wild, plus Morris Day, Bully & more: Photos

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This Local Spins week-in-review set of photo galleries features one of our photographers’ favorite bands to shoot ever, and tons of other rocking concerts across West Michigan.

A Spectacle: Matt & Kim delivered a high-energy, photographer-impressing show in Grand Rapids. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)

On Tuesday, Matt & Kim fired up their usual, high-flying antics in a tour stop at 20 Monroe Live, a show that even including a “bull-riding” sort of pool float that had fans surfing above the crowd.

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Beats Antique (Photo/Eric Stoike)

Local Spins photographer Tony Norkus put it this way: “Still gets my vote for best live band to shoot ever! It was totally insane.”

Speaking of wild, California’s uber-experimental Beats Antique unleashed brightly colored and striped umbrellas, fans, horned dancers, pheasant feathers and the usual avant garde musical instrumentation at The Intersection on Saturday night.

On Friday, Ben Rector delivered a unique and wildly entertaining show for a sold-out 20 Monroe Crowd, according to Local Spins writer Ricky Olmos.

“The Nashville-based songwriter and his talented band unfurled a genre-spanning repertoire, incorporated a giant projected movie screen and engaged intentionally (and hilariously) with the crowd,” he noted.

“Highlights included a funk-inspired rendition of ‘Loving You is Easy,’ acoustic versions of ‘When a Heart Breaks’ and ‘White Dress,’ and fan-favorite ‘Forever Like That,’ during which Rector wandered through the balcony crowd singing with fans. The set also included songs from Rector’s new album “Magic,” including ‘Duo’ and ‘Old Friends.’

The week had plenty more musical magic, from Morris Day & The Time to Flint Eastwood & Tunde Olaniran to Bully & Reggie and beyond. Check out all of the images below.