Festival mania swept across West Michigan this week, along with the usual outdoor and indoor concerts, making this one of the busiest weeks of the summer — captured in colorful Local Spins images.
Rocking Ribfest: Gunnar Nyblad of Gunnar & The Gizzly Boys, opening for Craig Morgan at Kalamazoo’s Ribfest on Saturday. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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It’s a fact Jack: There’s nothing like music in the summertime in West Michigan and almost no time quite as busy as early August. Let’s get down to it, shall we?
KALAMAZOO RIBFEST 2015
With upwards of 30,000 people invading Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Creek Festival Place this weekend for barbecued ribs and music, things were hopping, especially Friday night with classic rock’s Blue Oyster Cult and local faves such as Bonehawk on stage, followed on Saturday by a mega-country show starring Craig Morgan, Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys, Delilah DeWylde and others.
RIBFEST PHOTO GALLERY: Craig Morgan, Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys photos by Eric Stoike; Blue Oyster Cult, Bonehawk photos by Derek Ketchum
COWPIE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Groovy Farm Vibe: Shagbark Farm hosted two days of stellar regional music for Cowpie. (Photo/Anna Sink(
Cowpie may be Michigan’s most under-rated regional music festival, with a couple thousand devotees annually making the trek to Shagbark Farm in southern Kent County’s Alaska for two days of musical magic. (Read a full story, with video and photo gallery from Day 1, at Local Spins here.) Local Spins writer Ethan Dombrowski was on hand for Saturday’s big day — which finished up with a real bang with stellar evening sets by Grand Rapids’ The Legal Immigrants and Austin’s Bill Kirchen — and filed this report:
Shagbark Farm’s beautiful setting and regional rootsy bluegrass, country and rock bands were all essential ingredients of the event’s intoxicating charm — though the back-stage beer tent certainly contributed to that vibe. Cowpie exudes a palpable down-to-earth and free-spirited nature, with no shortage of tie-dye, smiling faces and swaying arms. The festival oozes an almost-underground feel and some people might even describe it as “mellow.”
Closer: Legendary Bill Kirchen played the Cowpie finale. (Photo/Anna Sink)
But just how mellow was it? In the midst of the evening’s steady rolling acts that echoed throughout the pasture, Cowpie veteran Pete Selli, with his blanket and pillow, caught a little shut-eye. “I was taking a nap next to our tent, it was wonderful,” said Selli, who woke up just in time for the cover band, Viola, to get the crowd dancing with classics like “Don’t Let Me Down,” by The Beatles and Radiohead’s “Creep.”
The bluegrass-reggae band, Rootstand, took the stage shortly after to flaunt its impressive jams. Rootstand incorporated an array of styles into its set, ranging from Irish folk to Bob Marley’s reggae-gone-bluegrass, all while a huge crowd gathered, ready to dance.
Hopes are high that next year’s Cowpie Fest will bring even more attendees. “It’s a local, cheap, good event, and more people should come out for it,” said another Cowpie veteran, Roxann Selli. “We’ve been here since the beginning, and we’ll be here ‘til the end.”
COWPIE DAY 2 PHOTO GALLERY: Photos by Anna Sink
SPARTA CELTIC FESTIVAL
This annual, family-friendly affair spilling over from Sparta’s Rogers Park celebrates the music, dance, arts, crafts and games of the Celtic heritage. Here’s Local Spins photographer and writer Taylor Mansen’s take on the Sparta Celtic Festival:
The festival kicked off Saturday morning, delivering an entire day of music, dancing and celebration as hundreds of people strolled in and out of the park. With a wide array of talented musicians and dancers, including Peat in the Creel and the Motor City Irish Dancers, the activities brought a sense of community with a positive spin on Celtic culture and heritage. Though the rugby tournaments and historical reenactment events were canceled, festival-goers still reveled in music, food, shopping and the highland games tournament nearby: a jam-packed, green-cloaked day of celebration.
SPARTA CELTIC FESTIVAL 2015: Photos by Taylor Mansen
