There’s plenty to be thankful for as the live music scene explodes around the holidays with special shows, national and local, starting with a Monday jazz concert. And check this week’s ticket giveaway.
THE BIG LIST: Nov. 20-26
For an expanded list of upcoming shows at West Michigan venues, check out The REALLY Big List at Local Spins. Have concert listings or holiday shows you think deserve to be spotlighted? Email date, time, ticket prices, location and details to liz@localspins.com.
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PATTY GAYLE & CO.
When: 6:30 p.m. Monday
Admission: $5 for West Michigan Jazz Society members; $10 for non-members
Where: New Holland Brewing’s The Knickerbocker, Grand Rapids
The West Michigan Jazz Society’s monthly Jazz Gumbo, now settled into its new location, is a great appetizer to launch the musical groaning board of Thanksgiving week. Grand Rapidian Patty Gayle is a veteran performer on local theater stages and with the USO. Gayle will be singing jazz, blues and American standards, accompanied by local musicians Robert Thomson on drums, Bob Van Stee on piano and Lew Russ on guitar. Another $5 gets you a bowl of gumbo, or you can order from The Knickerbocker’s tasty and interesting menu. (Three cheers for that roasted cauliflower.)
Check in with the WMJS for its Dec. 11 Holiday Party at Noto’s featuring Mary Rademacher Reed with The Mid-Town Horns and Rhythm Section Band, along with a cash bar and dinner. Reservations are available online. And come back for more Jazz Gumbo at The Knickerbocker in 2018: Jan. 15, Walt Gutowski and the Bridge Street Band; Feb. 19, Mardi Gras with The Creole Kitchen; March 19, Fred Knapp Trio; and April 16, JMM Jazz.
A PERFECT CIRCLE
THE BETA MACHINE
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Tickets: $45-$65 ($225-$325 VIP package), parking $8
Where: DeltaPlex Arena, Walker
One-time West Michigander Maynard James Keenan comes home, so to speak, with this tour stop by alt-rock/prog-metal supergroup A Perfect Circle, which hasn’t released a new album since 2004 but recently unfurled the single “The Doomed,” which is slated to appear on an upcoming new studio album and has racked up more than 2.1 million views on YouTube.
L.A.’s The Beta Machine, a progressive outfit with electronic hues, opens the show. Get tickets and more information online here. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
LOCAL SPINS WEDNESDAY:
HANNAH ROSE & THE GRAVESTONES
OLIVIA MAINVILLE
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Admission: Free
Where: SpeakEZ Lounge, Grand Rapids
The biggest bar night of the year deserves one of the biggest Local Spins Wednesdays shows of the year. Yes, singer Hannah Rose Graves brings her new lineup to SpeakEZ Lounge for a pre-EP-release party (for the new “Awake In A Dream” recording) that will showcase her genre-spanning, bluesy and soulful approach. Hannah Rose & The GravesTones’ day-before-Thanksgiving bash has become a tradition at SpeakEZ, and this time around, they’ll also feature a special guest as an opener: singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Olivia Mainville, who’s a star in her own right.
Get there early to start your holiday weekend on the right musical foot and be among the first to snag one of those new Local Spins 2018 Calendars featuring concert photos of 24 Michigan bands and listings of 2018 Michigan festival dates. Everybody who purchases a calendar at SpeakEZ will receive a free “Local Spins Live at River City Studios” CD, not to mention will avoid those pesky shipping charges. (Of course, you can get them online here if you prefer.) Also, there will be Michigan beer specials on tap and free parking in the Monroe Avenue NW lot kitty-corner from SpeakEZ. Local Spins Wednesdays are hosted by Local Spins, SpeakEZ Lounge and WYCE-FM (88.1).
BUSIEST BAR NIGHT OF THE YEAR?
That’s what they say about the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and there certainly are plenty of parties boasting live music across West Michigan to consider: Local Spins’ “Really Big List of Expanded Concert Listings” includes more than 40 Wednesday night shows from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to the Lakeshore. Check them out online here, including the American Heartbreakers tribute to Tom Petty at Eastern Avenue Hall; Speakerboxx Dance Party at 20 Monroe Live; Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish and The Hacky Turtles at Long Road Distillers’ Rickhouse; a DJ blitz at Rocky’s Bar & Grill; All American Funk Parade at Old Dog Tavern in Kalamazoo, and more.
BILLY STRINGS, MARK LAVENGOOD
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $10 first 50; $15 in advance; $20 day of show
Where: The Intersection, Grand Rapids
THIS WEEK’S LOCAL SPINS TICKET GIVEAWAY: The first three people to email john@localspins.com with ”BILLY STRINGS” in the message field will win a pair of tickets to Friday night’s show. Check The Big List every week for your chance to win concert tickets.
To say that Michigan-bred Billy Strings is a rising star on the national bluegrass scene is probably an understatement. He’s been hailed by media outlets such as Rolling Stone magazine as a country artist to watch and his eye-popping acoustic guitar work creates fans everywhere he plays – and it all started right here in West Michigan, where the Ionia native and one-time Traverse City resident first fired up adoring audiences.
He’s touring behind a new studio album, “Turmoil & Tinfoil,” which you can read more about here. And another bluegrass whiz, Mark Lavengood, opens the show. Tune in for a preview at 11 a.m. Friday when Billy Strings will be the special in-studio guest for Local Spins on WYCE at 88.1 FM (he’ll be on after noon for a special extended segment of the show). Get tickets and details about Friday’s concert online at sectionlive.com, where you can also find info about The Stache show the same night, which features Ekali, part of the “Babylon Tour,” $17 advance, $20 day of show.
THE TWISTIN’ TARANTULAS
DELILAH DEWYLDE
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $10
Where: Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, 760 Butterworth St. SW
The ol’ Tip Top will be literally hopping Friday night with rockabilly in the air start to finish. The Twistin’ Tarantulas leave the leftovers behind in Detroit to rev up Grand Rapids’ Southwest Side. The Tarantulas include Pete Midtgard, bass/lead vocals, Carl Bradychok, guitar/backup vocals, and Nick Marocco on drums. With 24 years, countless tour dates and three CDs to their credit, these Motown residents play a “hybrid of jump-blues and rockabilly with a modern punk edge.”
Meanwhile, opener and Jammie-winner Delilah DeWylde is in high demand around West Michigan, especially during the live music-rich holiday season. Delilah and her musical partner, Lee Harvey, deliver “a potent moonshine known as rockabilly” in both originals and covers of artists such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Wanda Jackson. Buy advance tickets for this energetic night online here.
This is just one show in Tip Top’s loaded Thanksgiving week that is stuffed like a delectable roasted turkey: a rare public sighting of The Law, 8 p.m. Wednesday, $5; Vinyl Fetish dance night, 9 p.m. Thanksgiving night; Jedidiah Sunflower plus Sweetbread, 9 p.m. Saturday, $5; Elroy Meltzer, Chuck Whiting and Jared Sjoblom, 3 p.m. Sunday, $5. More information on advance tickets is available here or simply click on the black “Tickets” buttons on the Tip Top’s ad right here at LocalSpins.com.
COLD MOUNTAIN CHILD
FIONA DICKINSON
VISHAPS
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $8
Where: Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo
Pity the poor fools who left town for Thanksgiving weekend, for they have missed out on Folksgiving 3. This third annual local folk event at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe offers some don’t-miss performers: Kalamazoo-based Cold Mountain Child (psych folk band with Tyler Bradley, David Spalvieri-Kruse, John Krieder and Shane Carlson); Grand Rapids’ dark folk singer-songwriter Fiona Dickinson; and Vishaps, described as “soulful country rock with lyrical depth and lush harmonies.”
Advance tickets available online here.
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS
MAY ERLEWINE
When: 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday
Tickets: SOLD OUT
Where: State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo
The hometown heroes in Greensky Bluegrass are fond of giving their Michigan fans a double-dose of their progressive bluegrass prowess, so Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to show love for the band’s adoring Camp Greensky hordes. Not only is GSBG playing two straight sold-out shows at the State Theatre (capacity 1,500), but the guys have brought along Earthwork Music star May Erlewine for the double-header. Erlewine just released an acclaimed new album, “Mother Lion,” and GSBG is touring behind its latest Steve Berlin-produced project, “Shouted, Written Down & Quoted.”
And for those who missed out on tickets for this run, how about checking out Greensky Bluegrass’ three-night Chicago residency at the Riviera Theatre leading up to New Year’s Eve with Billy Strings as a special guest? Get details about that online here; a great way to usher in 2018 in the Windy City.
DACIA BRIDGES PROJECT
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Admission: Free
Where: Harmony Hall, 601 Stocking Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
Singer and songwriter Dacia Bridges has an impressive resume. She’s spent the past two decades in the music business in Germany (touring and collaborating with the likes of Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Mousse T, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed and her own bands) and topped international dance charts with the song, “I Begin to Wonder,” from her “That’s the Sound” album. She’s now based in West Michigan and has teamed up with Cori Somers of Red Sea Pedestrians, Carolyn Koebel of An Dro and Sarah Fuerst (Corn Fed Girls, Thunderbolt & Lightfoot) for a new “dance music project.”
The female quartet makes its Grand Rapids debut in this Harmony Hall show. Get more information online here.
DREW NELSON & HWY 2
with PETER MADCAT RUTH
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $25-$35
Where: Seven Steps Up, 116 S. Jackson St., Spring Lake
Americana singer-songwriter Drew Nelson has long been a West Michigan favorite due to his insightful blue-collar approach to his music, and when he’s surrounded by talented Great Lakes State musicians such as Drew Howard, Mark Schrock, Brian Morrill and Peter Madcat Ruth, it creates a night to remember – especially in the intimate setting of Seven Steps Up.
Get tickets and more details online at pindropconcerts.com.
BRO SAFARI
ELECTRIC MANTIS
When: 9 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $25 advance, $28 day of show
Where: The Intersection, Grand Rapids
Bro Safari lit up Grand Rapids earlier this year when the Georgia moombahton/trap/dubstep artist (aka, Nicholas Weiller) played the inaugural Breakaway Music Festival in August at Grand Rapids’ Belknap Park. Now, the DJ/producer brings his bass-heavy “Collisions” tour to the confines of The Intersection, with sets by Electric Mantis, B/S and Pause.
Info/tickets online at sectionlive.com.
STRING FLING:
THE MUSIC OF STEVE TALAGA
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Admission: $10 adults, $8 students/seniors, $6 6-17
Where: Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids
As part of the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s “Sunday Classical Series,” Grand Rapids pianist and composer Steve Talaga will be showcasing music he wrote for strings in this special concert at the museum. Talaga will be accompanied by a string quartet comprising members of the Grand Rapids Symphony and will feature the world premiere of his new quintet for piano and strings titled “From Darkness Into Light.”
The group will also perform Talaga’s “String Quartet,” written in the early 1990s. This promises to be an outstanding afternoon of original music. More details online here.
ELROY MELTZER
CHUCK WHITING
JARED SJOBLOM
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $5
Where: Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, Grand Rapids
This Sunday matinee is special in more ways than one. Principally, it’s the final show, the last soiree, the sunset ride for band member Jason Roy in the indie-folk/rock group Elroy Meltzer, which has been entertaining folks in quirky ways for several years. Take it from Steven Meltzer (who will continue as Elstray Meltzer with a show at The Pyramid Scheme Dec. 21): This is a show to send off Roy, “wish him well in this new path in life” and “show your appreciation for this man of great magnitude.”
It’s also a special afternoon because singer-songwriters Chuck Whiting and Jared Sjoblom are also on the bill. Get more info online here.
UNDER-THE-RADAR PICKS
American Heartbreakers tribute to Tom Petty at Eastern Avenue Hall in Grand Rapids, 8 p.m. Wednesday, $10 — Local Spins can assure you that no Tom Petty tribute will sound more like Tom Petty than this one led by singer-guitarist Jack Leaver. We’re just sayin.’ Not only that, but That Beatles Thing opens the show. Details online here.
Acoustic Oasis playing a fund-raiser at 7 p.m. Friday at Seven Steps Up, Spring Lake, $22 — Phil Peterson and Glen Miller of Acoustic Oasis host “The Hoot,” a hootenanny event “about music, friendship and hurricane relief.” Proceeds go to Spring Lake-based charity International Aid, which focuses on bringing health-related supplies to disaster areas and locations in need. Seven Steps Up is a sponsor, along with Grand Haven’s Righteous Cuisine and Holland store Home & Company.
Skinjacket and Inner Itch playing Mulligan’s Pub in Grand Rapids, 10 p.m. Friday, free – Here’s a metal and hard rock show to get the volume cranked on your weekend. Grand Rapids metal band Skinjacket and “blues-infused hard rock” act Inner Itch take the stage on Friday night at Mulligan’s.
Harbourtown and Isaac Smith, playing at Zellie’s Opry House in Howard City at 2 p.m. Saturday, $10 — Berlin Heights, Ohio-based bluegrass band Harbourtown has been afloat since the 1970s. The current line-up includes Jeremie Cole, Lynn Fox, Kurt Hickman and John Coffey. The South East Michigan Bluegrass Music Association reported in 2015 that Harbourtown is “as traditional a bluegrass group as you’ll find,” with mandolin, guitar, banjo and bass, and “they sing with all their heart and soul.” This group will be joined by fiddler and hometown favorite Isaac Smith.
Together We Rock Benefit with Tipsy & The Kickstands, Foolish Plezyer, Vagrant, The Swineharts, The Next, Pete Dunning & Co., Stellar, Lil Big Pimp, The Pice Project playing 36th Street Lounge in Wyoming, 2 p.m. Saturday, donations – This cadre of Grand Rapids bands has joined forces in support of “our brother Kirk Nagle as he fights to kick cancer’s ass,” with money raised through silent auctions, a 50-50 raffle and much more. Get details about this “Benefit for a True Brutha” online here.
Canadian Brass Christmas playing at 8 p.m. Saturday at Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, $20-$40 — This Toronto, Ontario-based group is one of the world’s best known brass ensembles. First formed four decades ago, today’s line-up includes Chris Coletti and Caleb Hudson on trumpet, Bernhard Scully on horn, Achilles Liarmakopoulos, trombone and Chuck Daellenbach manning the tuba. Over the years, this group has sold 2 million recordings (not YouTube views) and has appeared many times on TV. Devoted musicians and delightful as entertainers, their Artisan Bach and Conn horns are 24K gold-plated.
Jake Kershaw playing Rockford Brewing in Rockford, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, free – Local Spins is proud to say that it introduced Rockford Brewing to the considerable talents of blues-rock guitarist Jake Kershaw back in May for Local Spins’ 5th anniversary bash. That was an amazing night of music from this young phenom who has since released his debut album, and Saturday’s show promises another stellar evening of jaw-dropping blues.
The Soul Syndicate playing Billy’s Lounge in Grand Rapids, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, $5 – With its engaging and vintage R&B vibe, The Soul Syndicate has become one of Billy’s Lounge most popular returning acts, filling the dance floor during its monthly performances. (Another popular act plays Billy’s on Friday: Bluesman James Reeser & The Backseat Drivers, $5.)
I Prevail, We Came as Romans, The Word Alive and Escape the Fate playing The Intersection in Grand Rapids, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, $25 advance, $28 day of show – Michigan’s own metalcore/post-hardcore faves I Prevail will bring its “Rage on the Stage Tour” to Grand Rapids, with We Came as Romans, The Word Alive and Escape The Fate helping rattle the rafters to close out the weekend.
ON THE HORIZON
Monday, Nov. 27
John Shea, Rockwell Republic
Brad Fritcher’s Moods, Jazz & Gin Mondays, Long Road Distillers
Wyatt & Shari Knapp, Rockford Brewing Company, Rockford
Jazz Jam, What Not Inn, Fennville
Mark Sala, Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
Dan Willenberg Trio, The Union Cabaret & Grille, Kalamazoo
Tom Duffield, Old Dog Tavern, Kalamazoo
Tuesday, Nov. 28
Fall Flannel Folk Festival (WGVU Giving Tuesday Concert), SpeakEZ Lounge
Jukejoint Handmedowns, The Old Goat
Grand Valley State University: Saxophone Studio Recital, Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale
Take Three Jazz Ensemble, The Grand, Grand Haven
A Mays & Blue, Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
Wednesday, Nov. 29
Earth Radio + Special Mystery Guest, Local Spins Wednesday @ SpeakEZ Lounge
Will Springsteen, Cedar Springs Brewing Co., Cedar Springs
Tom Hagen Trio Featuring Rick Reuther, Noto’s
River North Jazz, The Old Goat
Bob Van Stee, Flat River Grill, Lowell
Jazz Mix Night, The Union Cabaret & Grille, Kalamazoo
Western Michigan University Bullock Performance Institute, “The Music Of Scott Cowan,” Dalton Center Recital Hall, Kalamazoo
Blue Veins Blues Jam, Shakespeare’s Pub, Kalamazoo
Grand Valley State University, Nick Photinos (cellist), Arts At Noon, Cook-DeWitt Center, Allendale
Tony & Wally, Sandy Point Beach House, West Olive
Marquita & Brandon, Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
Thursday, Nov. 30
New City Kids Christmas Bash, 20 Monroe Live
Steve Hilger Band, Founders Brewing Co.
Brad Mehldau Trio, St. Cecilia Music Center
The Outer Vibe/Lipstick Jodi/Melophobix, The Pyramid Scheme
Brett Young/Carly Pearce, The Intersection
Jukejoint Handmedowns, One Trick Pony
Live Band Karaoke, H.O.M.E. At The B.O.B.
Hannah Rose & the Gravestones, 7 Monks Taproom
Grand Rapids Community College: International Guitar Series, Xavier Jara, Linn Maxwell Keller Recital Hall, Albert P. Smith Music Center
The Insane Theatre, Harmony Hall
Jim Spalink, Rockford Brewing Co., Rockford
“Willy Wonka: The Musical,” Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center (Nov. 30-Dec. 2)
Nate Holley, Itty Bitty Bar, Holland
Olivia Mainville & the Aquatic Troupe, Coppercraft Distillery, Holland
Checkers Morton, Sandy Point Beach House, West Olive
Andy Frisinger & Chris Wiser, Grand Armory Brewing, Grand Haven
Gabrial James, Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
Shane Torres, Shakespeare’s Pub, Kalamazoo
Scott Cowan, The Union Cabaret & Grille, Kalamazoo
Rumpke Mountain Boys, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo
Western Michigan University, Meredith Arwady, contralto, guest artist, Dalton Center Recital Hall, Kalamazoo
Friday, Dec. 1
The Prince Experience, 20 Monroe Live
1997 Tribute Show: Jess Kramer/Naomi Brown/Dan Fisher/Dustin Postuma/Shane Tripp/Ben Weissenborn/Joe Wiltse/Paul Teft/Steve Sullivan/Steff Rosalez/Fiona Dickinson/Kurt Van Wagoner/Lady Ace Boogie/Sam Andrade/Angela Teeple/Lena Trinket, The Pyramid Scheme
Grand Rapids Symphony/Grand Rapids Ballet, The Nutcracker, DeVos Performance Hall (Dec. 1-3 & Dec. 8-10)
“Handel’s Messiah,” Oratorio Society. Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium, Calvin College (Dec. 1-2)
John Shea, JW Marriott
Hip Pocket, H.O.M.E. At The B.O.B
Day Jobs/Bike Tuff/78 RPM/Rick Johnson Rock N Roll Machine, Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill
Borrowed Time, Grand Woods Lounge
Asamu Johnson and Associates Of The Blues, Billy’s Lounge
Heartsick/Laurentian Tides/Greywalker/Cataclysmos, Mulligan’s Pub
In The Red, River City Saloon
The Moonrays, Rockford Brewing Co., Rockford
JGJ, Bostwick Lake Inn, Rockford
Three’s A Crowd, Woody’s Press Box, Wyoming
“Willy Wonka: The Musical,” Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center (Nov. 30-Dec. 2)
Brian Dunne/Caroline Spence, Seven Steps Up, Spring Lake
Jaded, Jack’s Waterfront Bistro + Bar, Spring Lake
Azz Izz, Kirby House, Grand Haven
Delilah DeWylde, Grand Armory Brewing, Grand Haven
Tim Johnson & Co., Portobello, Grand Haven
Steeple Hill, Hennessy’s Pub, Muskegon
Cheap Dates, Itty Bitty Bar, Holland
The Big Boss Band, New Holland Brewing Pub On 8th, Holland
Dave & Connie D, Fireside Brewing, Holland
Withhold The Blood/Kill Tomorrow/Dead Nerves/Dead Weight: Dismembered in December, Airline Bar, Norton Shores
All In, McDuff’s Bar & Grille, Wayland
Alex Mays/The Rock Show, Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
Tommy Emmanuel Christmas Tour, Kalamazoo State Theatre, Kalamazoo
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo
Adam Lebeaux, Arcadia Ales, Kalamazoo
Joe Policastro Trio/Bridge Band/LushH, Shakespeare’s Pub, Kalamazoo
The Widdler/Perkulator, Papa Pete’s, Kalamazoo
Paul Schaedig’s Capstone Project, Louie’s, Kalamazoo
The Lower Leisure Class/BFF/Darcy Wilkin, Old Dog Tavern, Kalamazoo
Freakbass, The Livery, Benton Harbor
Straight No Chaser, Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant
Saturday, Dec. 2
Over The Rhine, Calvin College Student Activities Organization, Calvin Chapel
“Handel’s Messiah,” Oratorio Society. Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium, Calvin College (Dec. 1-2)
May Erlewine, Founders Brewing Co.
Grand Rapids Symphony/Grand Rapids Ballet, The Nutcracker, DeVos Performance Hall (Dec. 1-3 & Dec. 8-10)
Wage War/Oceans Ate Alaska/Gideon/Varials/Loathe, The Stache inside The Intersection
Guttermouth/Koffin Kats/The Atom Age/Gallow Bound, Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill
A.B./Bottom 40/Crafty, The Pyramid Scheme
Electric Tunas, One Trick Pony
Feel Good, H.O.M.E. At The B.O.B
John Shea, Noto’s
Organissimo, Billy’s Lounge
Kari Holmes, Back Forty Saloon
Palomino Blonde, Potter’s Log Cabin Bar
In The Red, River City Saloon
Abandoned War/Zodiac Thriller/Fire! It’s Sirius/Inner Itch, Quinn & Tuite’s Irish Pub
“Willy Wonka: The Musical,” Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center (Nov. 30-Dec. 2)
Madhouse, Reds, Middleville
Silent Bark, Rogue River Tavern, Rockford
Three’s A Crowd, Woody’s Press Box, Wyoming
Grand Valley State University: Early Music Ensemble, Sherman Van Solkema Recital Hall, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale
Kris Delmhorst (CD release)/Jeffrey Foucault, Seven Steps Up, Spring Lake
Jaded, Jack’s Waterfront Bistro + Bar, Spring Lake
Azz Izz, Kirby House, Grand Haven
Marlane Lewis, Grand Armory Brewing, Grand Haven
Catfish & the Man, Hennessy’s Pub, Muskegon
Hoist (Phish tribute)/Drew Phoria, Unruly Brewing Co., Muskegon
Fusion, Itty Bitty Bar, Holland
Fever Haze/Secret Grief, Park Theatre, Holland
Randy Johnson, Sandy Point Beach House, West Olive
Hope College Department of Music, Annual Christmas Vespers, Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Holland (Dec. 2-3, two performances each day)
SweetbeNation, McDuff’s Bar & Grille, Wayland
Bill Ellingboe/Hairmania, Gun Lake Casino, Wayland
Jack & The Bear/Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe/Libby DeCamp/Chris Newman and Phantom 309/Jessica In The Rainbow/Brian Koenigsknecht/Abe Savas/Bob English/Corey Eno Ruffin/Chris Miroslaw/Mike List/Nate Hartmann/Buck Merill (Tom Waits tribute), Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, Kalamazoo
Western Michigan University University Chorale/Cantus Femina/Collegiate Singers, “A Choral Christmas,” First Presbyterian Church, Kalamazoo
Duffield-Caron Project/Midnight Thirst, Old Dog Tavern, Kalamazoo
Ces Cru, Papa Pete’s, Kalamazoo
Trapt Acoustic/Echoed In Eternity, The Music Factory, Battle Creek
Midwestern Lull, The Livery, Benton Harbor
Blue Water Ramblers, Zellie’s Opry House, Howard City
Ted Bounty & the Bounty Hunters, The Mitten Bar, Ludington
Frankie Valli, Four Winds Casino Silver Creek Events Center, New Buffalo
Sunday, Dec. 3
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Van Andel Arena (2 performances)
Grand Rapids Symphony/Grand Rapids Ballet, The Nutcracker, DeVos Performance Hall (Dec. 1-3 & Dec. 8-10)
Crispin Campbell, cello, “South American Sounds,” Classical Concert Series, Grand Rapids Art Museum
Calvin College Women’s Chorale/Campus Choir, “Lessons & Carols,” LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church
Isaac Norris, Creston Brewery
J. Oscar Bittinger/Channing & Quinn: Songteller Series, Creston Brewery
Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra, Founders Brewing Co.
Rittz/Sam Lachow/Eric Biddines, The Intersection
Lady Ace Boogie/AOK/Mike G/Orlando (from Bedrock)/DJ Dean Martian, “Happily Ever After” party, The Pyramid Scheme
Blue Soul Express/Benton St. Blues Band/Asamu Johnson and Associates Of The Blues/International Blues Challenge winner: West Michigan Blues Society fund-raiser, Billy’s Lounge
River Rogues Dixieland Jazz Band, Harmony Hall
The Beggars/Slumlord Radio/Moto/Switch Pit, Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill
Jim Spalink, Cedar Springs Brewing Co., Cedar Springs
The Muteflutes, C3: West Michigan’s Inclusive Spiritual Community, Community Center, Grand Haven
Rich Burkholder, Kirby House, Grand Haven
Hope College Department of Music, Annual Christmas Vespers, Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Holland (Dec. 2-3)
The Muteflutes, Salt Of The Earth, Fennville
Uncle Betty Bluegrass Band, Hilliard’s Corner Lounge, Wayland
Andrew Tyson, Gilmore Keyboard Festival Rising Stars Series, Wellspring Theater, Kalamazoo
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