Big List Concert Guide: The Bridge, Bootstrap Boys, GR Symphony, Joe Hertler, RockShow

The post-Labor Day week is chock full of live music options as outdoor and drive-in shows continue to rev up across West Michigan. See a full roster of shows at Local Spins.

 

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For many, summer is over. For others, it’s just winding down.

For West Michigan’s music scene, things seem to be just getting started after a COVID-impaired season that scuttled most outdoor festivals and concerts.

The post-Labor Day week is a good example of that:

• Grand Rapids’ month-long “The Bridge” celebration continues in earnest this week with swing and line dancing instruction at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Rosa Parks Circle; Heartside artists pop-up performances at Ah-Nab-Awen Park on Thursday afternoon, followed that evening by an East Hills Council of Neighbors’ live concert at Cherry Park; Friday evening’s “Dance Party” at Rosa Parks Circle with DJ AB getting the free bash started at 7 p.m. (you must obtain free-admission tickets online in advance here); Saturday’s all-day Fiesta Mexicana on Calder Plaza and the Glimpse of Africa Festival at Rosa Parks Circle; and the “Blue Bridge Lights with DJ Ace” on the Blue Bridge over the Grand River to close things out from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

• The Grand Rapids Symphony (well, 11 members of the Symphony) play Listening Room’s “Listening Lawn” series outside Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets must be purchased in pairs for $100. Get details at listeningroomgr.com.

• Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, north of Kalamazoo, will stage its second drive-in concert of the year on Friday, with The RockShow: The Ultimate Tribute to Journey. Tickets are $35 per car or $50 for VIP entry; advance ticket sales only. (A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Barry Township Fire Department.) Gates open for VIP ticketholders at 5 p.m., general admission gates at 6 p.m, with the concert starting at 8 p.m. Get details here.

• The Bootstrap Boys wrap up the “Bands at Blandford” series at Grand Rapids’ Blandford Nature Center with a sold-out show on Friday.

• Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers play three sold-out shows in a row (Friday-Sunday) at The Deck on the Beach in Muskegon. Details below.

• The big live-stream of the week? Wheatland Worldwide offers up three straight days of performances — new as well as classic sets from previous Wheatland Music Festivals — starting Friday. Get the lowdown on this virtual festival here.

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THE BIG LIST CONCERT GUIDE (Sept. 8-13)

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.

TUESDAY

• Blue Jay Bridge 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
• Mike Furbush playing the patio at Marine Tap Room, 1983 Lakeshore Dr. in Muskegon, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• Swing and Line Dancing Instruction and Dance at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, 7 p.m. Tuesday (masks, social-distancing required, 100-person maximum)
• POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER Fremont John playing at Ludington Area Center for the Arts, 107 South Harrison St. in Ludington, will now take place on Sept. 16, $5, details here.
• Josh Garvelink playing the “Driveway Concert Series” in Grand Rapids Township, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Get details, directions and register online here. Rain date is Thursday, Sept. 10.)

WEDNESDAY

• Out of Favor Boys 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
• Evening Jam Session at Ludington Area Center for the Arts, 107 South Harrison St. in Ludington, 6 p.m. Wednesday
• Vincent Hayes at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday

THURSDAY

• Desmond Jones playing Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids for “Relax at Rosa,” noon Thursday
• Heartside Artists Pop-Up Performances at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids, 4:30 p.m. Thursday
• Cherry Hills Live at Cherry Park, 725 Cherry St. SE in Grand Rapids, with local music, beverages and “family-friendly fun”
• Norman Light playing “Music in the Vineyards” at Fenn Valley Vineyards, 6130 122nd Ave. in Fennville, 5:30 p.m. Thursday (reservations required, details here)
• Trilogy outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Thursday
• My Thin Place playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 6:30 p.m. Thursday
• Grand Rapids Symphony (brass quintet and string section) playing Listening Room’s ‘Listening Lawn’ series outside Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, $100 for a pair of tickets online here.

FRIDAY

• Outlaw Express performing for the “Pocket Park Music Series” in downtown Big Rapids, noon Friday
• The New Standard playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 5 p.m. Friday
• Pleasure Towne outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Friday
• Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers and Brother Elsey playing The Deck on the Beach at 1601 Beach St. in Muskegon, SOLD OUT
• The Bootstrap Boys playing the “Bands at Blandford” series at Blandford Nature Center, 3145 Milo St. NW, 7 p.m. Friday, SOLD OUT
• The Dance Party with DJ AB at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, 7 p.m. Friday, free-admission tickets available online here (capacity limited to 100)
• Hannah Rose Graves playing the Music in the Garten series at Third Nature Brewing Co., 7733 Childsdale Ave. NE in Rockford, 7 p.m. Friday
• Funkle Jesse playing Wicks Park Bar & Grille, 449 Water St. in Saugatuck, 7 p.m. Friday
• “Pickin’ with Peers & Beers’ on the patio at Pincrest Bar & Lanes, 6571 Airline Road in Fruitport, 7 p.m. Friday
• The RockShow: The Ultimate Tribute to Journey playing a drive-in show at the Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road in Hickory Corners, 8 p.m. Friday, $35 per car or $50 for VIP entry; advance ticket sales only. Tickets available here.
• Carl Webb and Tom Hull at Smash Wine Bar & Bistro, 415 W. Western Ave. in Muskegon, 8 p.m. Friday

SATURDAY

• Fiesta Mexicana on Calder Plaza off Ottawa Avenue NW in downtown Grand Rapids, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday
• A Glimpse of Africa Festival at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday (capacity limited to 100 people at a time)
• Steve Michaels playing “Music in the Vineyards” at Fenn Valley Vineyards, 6130 122nd Ave. in Fennville, 2 p.m. Saturday (reservations required, details here)
• Coty Bouchard playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 4 p.m. Saturday
• Decades at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 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)
• Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers and Kaitlin Rose playing The Deck on the Beach at 1601 Beach St. in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Saturday, SOLD OUT
• Post Fontaine at Smash Wine Bar & Bistro, 415 W. Western Ave. in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Saturday
• DJ Ace hosting “Blue Bridge Lights” on the blue pedestrian bridge over the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids, 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday (get more details here)
• Brandon Ward playing Itty Bitty Bar, 1136 Ottawa Beach Road in Holland, 9 p.m. Saturday

SUNDAY

• The Carl Webb Band at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, noon Sunday
• Gabrial James on the patio at Pincrest Bar & Lanes, 6571 Airline Road in Fruitport, 4 p.m. Sunday
• Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers and Memory Color (feat. Micah Bracken) playing The Deck on the Beach, 1601 Beach St. in Muskegon, 5 p.m. Sunday, SOLD OUT
• Livin’ the Dream outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Sunday

Have a show to add to The Big List? Email john@localspins.com.

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