As we roll into mid-August, outdoor shows continue to be the only way to go when it comes to experiencing live music. Browse this week’s listings and check out our ticket giveaway.
‘Rare Opportunity’: Olivia Dear plays downtown Grand Rapids on Thursday. (Courtesy Photo)
TICKET GIVEAWAY: Congratulations to reader Deb Kay. She was the first person to email john@localspins.com with “Listening Lawn” in the message field and won FOUR TICKETS to Thursday night’s “Listening Lawn” show at the Studio Park piazza starring Olivia Dear and special guest Josh Rose.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
As Detroit-area artist Olivia Dear put it on Facebook, she’s “excited to be given the rare opportunity to play live music safely.”
Indeed, while all performing musicians have had their best-laid plans foiled by COVID-19 in 2020, it’s been a particularly up-and-down year for the Rochester Hills native.
The pandemic hit shortly after the singer-songwriter announced a re-branding of her professional moniker — from Olivia Millerschin to Olivia Dear — and soon after she released the first of three singles, “Better,” financed by a grant she received from the Jay Z-owned streaming service, TIDAL. (The track has racked up more than 550,000 streams thus far.)
Set to Play Rosa Parks Circle: The Go Rounds (Photo/Anna Sink)
The past winner of two John Lennon Songwriting Awards and a quarter-finalist on “America’s Got Talent” had also planned to embark on a West Coast tour in April, but of course, that didn’t materialize and the pandemic has affected other projects, too.
But this week, Olivia Dear gets a chance to bring her award-winning stylings to an outdoor stage in Grand Rapids, as headliner for the fourth “Listening Lawn” concert hosted by Listening Room on the Studio Park piazza. Grand Rapids-area singer-songwriter Josh Rose will open the 8 p.m. Thursday show.
It’s part of another mixed bag of concert offerings across West Michigan this week as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the music scene.
While some restaurants and bars continue to host deck and patio performances, a few communities hosting outdoor concerts have backpedaled: Paw Paw this week canceled the rest of its summer concert series and Kalamazoo’s “Concerts in the Park” has gone virtual, starting with the 4 p.m. Sunday performance by the Knific Quartet, featuring Rhea Olivacce. This show — and the rest of Kalamazoo’s Sunday concerts in August — will be live-streamed from the Joliffe Theatre.
But downtown Grand Rapids’ Relax at Rosa — which skipped last week’s lunchtime show — is back at noon Thursday at Rosa Parks Circle with an impressive booking: Kalamazoo indie-rock band The Go Rounds. And East Grand Rapids launches the week with a Monday night performance by West Michigan’s Full Cord Bluegrass.
Browse this week’s concert guide below, and find listings of some live-stream performances at Local Spins online here. (The “WYCE at Wealthy” live-stream series gets the week started with Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps performing online here starting at 6 p.m. Monday.)
Those attending in-person concerts are encouraged to wear masks, social-distance, wash their hands and follow guidelines as recommended by health officials. If your business or your band has a live, in-person performance to add to this concert listing, email the information to john@localspins.com.
THE BIG LIST CONCERT GUIDE (Aug. 10-16)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to changing conditions and unexpected closures, check with the restaurants or venues on this list before you make plans to attend a show to make sure they’re still open.
MONDAY
• Faux Five outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Monday
• Full Cord Bluegrass playing “Concerts in the Park” at John Collins Park in East Grand Rapids, 7 p.m. Monday
TUESDAY
• Jake & Jimmy Band playing Cheers Restaurant, 3944 Plainfield Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• JGJ Band outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• The New Standard jazz jam at Dee Lite, 24 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• Jason Wheeler & Friends at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• The 6 Pak playing “Concerts in the Park” at the Allendale Community Park Bandshell, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Chris Bursley playing the “Driveway Concert Series” in Grand Rapids Township, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Get details, directions and register online here.)
WEDNESDAY
• Zion Lion performing at Bates Alley for “Beats on Bates” in Kalamazoo, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday
• Oxymorons outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Wednesday
• Coty Bouchard at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
• Borrowed Time playing the Kirby House, 2 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday
THURSDAY
• The Go Rounds playing Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids for “Relax at Rosa,” noon Thursday
• Project 90 outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Thursday
• Kevin Viilo playing the Kirby House, 2 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 6 p.m. Thursday
• Grayson Barton playing Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Kevin Schaffer at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Thursday
• The Soul Syndicate playing the Kentwood Summer Concerts series behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Road SE in Kentwood, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Robert Pace & Nature’s Brew playing the Rotary Performing Arts Pavilion, 100 S. Lake St., Cadillac, 7 p.m. Thursday
• DJ Woody from Silverado Band for “Dancing Into the Sunset” at the Pomona Park Bandshell in Fruitport, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Olivia Dear and special guest Josh Rose playing the “Listening Lawn” series on the piazza at Studio Park outside Listening Room at Oakes Street and Ionia Avenue SW in downtown Grand Rapids, 8 p.m. Thursday, $35. (Get details online here.)
FRIDAY
• Red Cur & The Blues Hounds playing the “Pocket Park Music Series” in downtown Big Rapids, noon Friday
• Randy Johnson playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 5 p.m. Friday
• Everett Domeier playing The B.O.B.’s Beer Garden in downtown Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Friday
• Pleasure Towne outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Friday
• Brad & Jordan playing Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 6 p.m. Friday
• Kari Lynch Band playing the “Riverbank Music Series” at DDA New Amphitheater in Lions Sesquicentennial Park at 91 E. Main St. in Middleville, 6:30 p.m. Friday
• Two Dudes in Flip Flops at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Friday
• Carl Webb & Tom Hull at Smash Wine Bar & Bistro, 415 W. Western Ave. in Muskegon, 8 p.m. Friday
• Nathan Walton & The Revolving Door playing Itty Bitty Bar, 1136 Ottawa Beach Road in Holland, 9 p.m. Friday.
• Klay N’ the Mud playing the Log Cabin Cocktail Lounge, 2401 S. Division Ave. in Grand Rapids, 9:30 p.m. Friday.
SATURDAY
• Alex Mays & Jordan playing Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 1 p.m. Saturday
• Out of Favor Boys playing Middleville Heritage Days in Middleville, 1:30 p.m. Saturday
• Breach the Sun, The Smash, Evershine, Ryan Dunson, Northside and Divided They Fall playing the “All Hands on Deck/Big Fish Block Party” at the municipal parking lot in downtown Kalkaska, 2-10 p.m. Saturday
• In the Blue playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 5 p.m. Saturday
• Astro Jackson outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Saturday
• Bryan & Cory playing Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 6 p.m. Saturday
• Nick DeKoff playing the Coastal Society, 35 Center St. in Douglas, 6 p.m Saturday
• Flatland Grip playing a Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia set at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Saturday
• Kevin McDaniel & Jack Dailey playing “Good Times at the Gazebo” at the gazebo in downtown Allegan, 7 p.m. Saturday
• John Shea Trio playing Noto’s Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th St. SE, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (Call for reservations)
• Patty PerShayla playing Guardian Brewing, 3657 63rd St. in Saugatuck, 7 p.m. Saturday
• DJ Jay Vee playing The B.O.B.’s Beer Garden in downtown Grand Rapids, 7 p.m. Saturday
• Mike Furbush at Smash Wine Bar & Bistro, 415 W. Western Ave. in Muskegon, 8 p.m. Saturday
• Sounds Familiar playing River City Saloon, 1152 Leonard St. NW in Grand Rapids, 9 p.m. Saturday
• Decades playing Itty Bitty Bar, 1136 Ottawa Beach Road in Holland, 9 p.m. Saturday
• Bari Lee Band playing The Rusty Spoke, 2411 Hall Road in Muskegon, 9 p.m. Saturday
• The Hattrick Band playing the Log Cabin Cocktail Lounge, 2401 S. Division Ave. in Grand Rapids, 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
SUNDAY
• Dave Slivinski at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, noon Sunday
• Nick DeKoff playing outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, noon Sunday
• Tommy Foster at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 2 p.m. Sunday
• Matt Gabriel playing “Singer-Songwriter Sundays” at Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 2 p.m. Sunday
• Larry Lowis playing the Kirby House, 2 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 4 p.m. Sunday
• Rhythm Conspiracy outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Sunday
Have a show to add to the Not-So-Big-List? Email john@localspins.com.
Copyright 2020, Spins on Music LLC
