The Grand Rapids bluegrass musician’s latest solo album soared to WYCE’s top spot, with the Jim Shaneberger Band appearing on the chart for the third month in a row. Listen to music from all five artists.
Bluegrass Chart-Topper: Mark Lavengood’s “We’ve Come Along” has earned lots of attention. (Photo/Anna Sink)
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With all of his various musical projects, gregarious Grand Rapids bluegrass maestro Mark “Huggy Bear” Lavengood says he just wants “to get back to the music,” something he insists “connects the human species and unites us in a way unlike any other form of expression.”
May’s electic Top 5 covered bluegrass, rock, soul and blues.
Clearly, Lavengood and his Bluegrass Bonanza have connected with lots of fans and radio programmers because his latest studio album, “We’ve Come Along,” topped all other local and regional artists in terms of total spins at WYCE (88.1 FM) in May, topping the “Hot Top 5” chart at Local Spins.
The upbeat resonator guitar whiz’s new album, officially released in mid-May, sparked a series of CD-release shows with Lavengood’s Bluegrass Bonanza.
But Lavengood is also a member of the popular bluegrass outfit Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, which plays the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado on Friday, followed by a series of dates across the country this summer (with an appearance July 18 as part of the Gratiot & Derby house concert series in Grand Rapids, July 20 at the Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts and July 21 at Holland’s Park Theatre).
Lavengood also plays a solo show June 21 with Max Lockwood and Hayes Griffin at Virtue Cider in Fennville and June 28 at the Gratiot & Derby series (with Appleseed Collective).
Hollywood Makeout, “Speedo Spider”
Perhaps even more impressive than Lavengood’s chart-topping feat: The Jim Shaneberger Band has appeared in the Hot Top 5 three months in a row, coming in at No. 3 in May, just behind Hollywood Makeout, which made its first appearance on the chart with its brand new studio project, “Speedo Spider.” Top-flight Grand Rapids guitarist-singer Jim Shaneberger plays solo at Blue Water Grill in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, Big Lake Brewing in Holland on Thursday and Pigeon Hill Brewing in Muskegon on Friday.
Also appearing in the Hot Top 5 for the first time in May: Kalamazoo soul singer Yolonda Lavender and Grand Rapids indie-rock band The Cringes.
WYCE also added a host of new albums by local and regional artists to its playlist in May, representing a broad spectrum of genres, from folk to R&B to rock. Check out the list below.
NEW LOCAL MUSIC ADDITIONS TO WYCE: MAY 2017
Barbarossa Brothers, “Holy Water”
B-Side Growlers, “Home Brewed”
Beaver Xing, “Beaver Xing”
Don Middlebrook, “Guitar Island”
Fresh Cakes, “Looking For The Corner in a Circle”
Joel Mabus, “Different Hymnals”
LVNMUZIQ, “Butterflies”
Mark Lavengood, “We’ve Come Along”
Shamar Star & The Praise Nation Band, “The Power of Love”
Brian Oberlin & Evan Marshall, “Twin Mandolin Slingers”
Toby Bresnahan, “Americay”
Mid-Life Crisis, “It’s About Time”
WMCAT/Various Artists, “Life Itself”
Various Artists, “Local Spins Live at River City Studios”
VIDEO: Mark Lavengood, “Three Day Blow”
VIDEO: Hollywood Makeout, “Wheelhouse”
LISTEN: Jim Shaneberger Band, “Indifference”
LISTEN: Yolonda Lavender, “Happy”
LISTEN: The Cringes, “Don’t Go”
Read more about Mark Lavengood: Blazing bluegrass, buckets of healing songs, a new album and lots of hugs
Read more about Hollywood Makeout: Band makes splash with new recording, album-release show on riverboat
See charts from prior months: The Hot Top 5 at Local Spins
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