Staff and fans offered a long list of summer 2025’s most impressive shows, including Billy Strings, Blissfest, The Revivalists, Alison Krauss, Wheatland, The Accidentals and more. View their picks; add your own.
Special Night: The Revivalists wowed fans and a Local Spins reviewer. (Photo/Jamie Geysbeek)
Now that September is behind us and summer is in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to recap the best concerts and festivals of the season.
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Local Spins asked readers and some of its writers and photographers to list their favorite shows and festival experience of summer 2025. Feel free to add your picks in the comments below.
TEAM LOCAL SPINS’ PICKS
TRICIA BOOT WOOLFENDEN – While Rilo Kiley, The War and Treaty and Gary Clark Jr. (along with many others) all impressed as part of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s summer concert season, there was something special about The Revivalists’ sold-out June 18 show. A late afternoon, swift-but-intense storm system nearly washed out the whole affair, sending many fans packing before the delayed opening of the gates. Those who stuck around were rewarded with perfect temps, an exuberant performance and extra room to dance.
Review/Photos: The Revivalists romp, narrowly avoid getting washed out for sold-out Meijer Gardens show
ROSS BOISSONEAU – Joe Taylor Quartet at The Homestead resort in Glen Arbor on Aug. 21. The intimate setting at the top of the resort’s ski hill, the sunset reflecting off the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan, and Joe and his crack band of NYC jazz vets made it a special evening. Honorable mention to Traverse City groove band East Bay Drive with Miriam Pioco at the same venue. The weather wasn’t as nice with occasional sprinkles, but the rainbow was way cool.
STEVE BARAN – Favorite show or festival would be seeing The Head & The Heart at Meijer Gardens and Interlochen Center for the Arts this summer with my family. They’re one of the family’s favorite bands and to share those moments at two beautiful venues together was a highlight of the summer for me. And it helps when they let me photograph the whole show. A close second or 1A would have to be seeing Billy Strings at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival from the rail.
Review/Photos: The Head and The Heart provides ‘perfect soundtrack’ to Meijer Gardens opening night
Review/Photos: Billy Strings comes home to create back-porch, bluegrass buzz at cozy Charlotte festival
CHELSEA WHITAKER – The Band Camino’s pop-up show at El Club in Detroit on Aug. 6. The Band Camino announced pop-up shows at intimate venues with only days’ notice. They start their fall NeverAlways Tour in October and dubbed these small shows The Tour Before the Tour. It was stripped down, no production, just the music. They expressed their gratitude for “the real ones” that made it out to the show. In the middle of a room of strangers, for a while we didn’t feel like strangers. I am stoked to see their full production at GLC Live in November.
HOLLY HOLTZCLAW – The Accidentals and friends at Meijer Gardens for the Tuesday Evening Music Club on Aug. 19. The Accidentals’ Michigan homecoming show was so much fun from start to finish, and every act was incredible. I got to see some favorite acts I haven’t been able to see in awhile and also added some amazing new artists to my playlist. It was heartwarming to see so many people show up to support this show, and the sing-along to “Michigan and Again” brought me to tears at the end of the night.
Review/Photos: The Accidentals lead unprecedented 3½-hour, female-driven spectacle in Tuesday romp
JOHN SINKEVICS – Impossible to pick one show over all the others, but not surprisingly, I’m a sucker for talented Michiganders who I’ve followed since their humble beginnings — which puts summer 2025 performances by Billy Strings, The Crane Wives, The War and Treaty and The Accidentals at the top of my list. And every festival I attended boasted memorable moments, including Buttermilk Jamboree, Electric Forest, Upheaval Festival, Walk the Beat, Sounds of the Zoo and Smiling Acres. Oh, and seeing The Black Crowes outside Lambeau Field prior to the Detroit Lions’ season opener was special — and certainly the best thing about a lousy weekend in Green Bay (where I will never return).
Bluegrass Romp: Billy Strings and band at Charlotte Bluegrass Festival. (Photo/Anna Sink)
THE READERS’ PICKS
Vanessa Clark – I looooved Elizabeth Landry’s set at Blissfest! It was her best show ever and I love seeing her on stage there, especially since she grew up going to Bliss.
Natalie Hrachovina Sandborn – Billy Strings at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival. The whole festival was absolute fire, but being right on the rail to watch Billy and his dad pick together was out of this world! Getting a set list at the end of the night didn’t suck either.
James Gerard Collins – Bass Case at Fest Of All. Melted my face off. Danceable, grooving, amazing mind-blowing improv. So good… I need more Bass Case in my life.
Chad Michael Wedeven – The Sinatras at Bell’s: wild-eyed sweaty fun from codgers who have never forgotten how to rock. Wish I had seen them back in the day.
Jill Mccormick – Chicago at the Miller Auditorium
Barbara Hass – Two nights of Greensky Bluegrass at Interlochen. Absolute fire in the perfect summer venue. Should be repeated!
Erin Dougherty Kash – Blissfest, String Cheese Incident in Grand Rapids, Lettuce at Warner Vineyards, and Nine Inch Nails
Frank Tobin – My grandson’s band at Walk the Beat in Grand Haven. Love.
David Allen – I’m With Her in Ann Arbor.
Ted Cusack – The Avett Brothers at Summerfest in Milwaukee. It was awesome,
Darren Anderson – Audiofeed Music Festival because of the amazing community and number of Michigan-based acts involved.
Kyle Thompson – Oasis at Soldier Field
Tony Lubenow – Anything not at Frederik Meijer Gardens was pretty neat.
Adam Briggs – There’s a few, but top of my list has to be Kishi Bashi (at The Pyramid Scheme on May 16). That concert made me feel like I was seeing a concert for the first time again. Absolutely extraordinary songwriter and performer and Tall Tall Trees’ use of the banjo as a percussion instrument was so cool. Shout out to the Oshima Brothers who opened that show.
Kishi Bashi at The Pyramid Scheme (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
Karmel Berens – We always enjoy Buses by the Beach’s Bus Benefit (even if we don’t get to be there the whole duration).
Devin Weber – Oasis in Toronto was the best of my summer and maybe life.
Isaac Powrie – Phish, Gov’t Mule, Tedeschi Trucks, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Umphrey’s Mcgee, and Gyedu-Bley Ambolley are my Top 5 of the summer right now.
Brian Haik – The Black Crowes at GLC Live at 20 Monroe gave their best performance since the pandemic, however Gov’t Mule and Tedeschi Trucks at Pine Knob Music Theatre was the best show this year IMO. For the final show of the tour, guitarist Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band reunited on stage for a rare performance of “Desdomona” during the Gov’t Mule set, and a high-energy goose bump worthy version of “Whipping Post” during Tedeschi Trucks’ set. Both of these songs was the only time they were performed during this tour. They closed the show with 15 musicians on stage for “With a Little Help From My Friends.” Those three songs were worth the drive alone, but Tedeschi Trucks Band gave a great performance all around giving each musician of the 12-piece band a chance to shine. A highlight was hearing Mike Mattison, formerly of Derek Trucks Band, sing a few tunes including “Leaving Trunk,” and another highlight was a stripped-down version of the band which featured just Susan on stage for “Angel From Montgomery” into “Sugaree.”
William Johnson – Coldplay in Wembley Stadium. Most amazing concert.
Clint Forester – So tough. A draw between Revivalists and Alison Krauss & Union Station.
Mike Metchikoff – Billy Strings and Alison Krauss & Union Station.
Staci Chase – Wheatland Music Festival is always the best ever, every single year. The feeling of community and acceptance can’t be beat. I rarely know the bands that play going into it and every act ends up being carefully selected and amazing.
Marianne Christensen – Breabach at The Ark. They sang “Happy Birthday” to my brother. They were so kind and amazing.
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