WYCE’s annual celebration of regional music not only toasted the best releases of the year but showcased diverse talent on three stages amid a packed house of robust fans at Intersection. Highlights, photos, video.
Passion for Michigan Music and The Jammies: The crowd on Friday. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS, VIDEO HIGHLIHTS AND JAMMIE WINNERS’ LIST
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Friday night’s bustling, buzz-generating, 19-band spectacle known as the 2024 Jammie Awards had many in the packed crowd of 1,400-plus at The Intersection in Grand Rapids shaking their heads in wonderment.
With every Michigan act on three different stages setting a high bar with top-notch sets that covered the gamut when it comes to musical diversity, fans also were shaking their backsides in rhythmic glee throughout the five-hour celebration of regional music hosted by WYCE (88.1 FM).
“I think it’s absolutely beautiful the way this community celebrates its independent artists and creators and makers,” said Grand Haven musician and songwriter Jessica Wolfbird.
The Jammies Big Winners: The Bootstrap Boys (Photo/Eric Stoike)
“So many of us work for years on these albums, and having a celebration like the Jammies to look forward to each year, especially on a year you’ve released something, is kinda like when you’re a kid and your parents take you out for ice cream after band concerts and piano recitals. I love it. There’s a fun, frenetic energy to it that I think most people can enjoy.”
That frenetic energy flowed throughout the sprawling nightclub, from opening sets by emerging jazz outfit Pocket Watch, electronic music artist Pablo Eskobear and world music phenom Samuel Nalangira to the final flurry of performances by raw rock ‘n’ blues duo Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, indie-surf/alt-rock outfit Pretoria and artist of the year honorees The Bootstrap Boys. In between sets, awards were presented in 18 categories. Scroll down for the full list of winners and check out more show night coverage here.
“I am truly amazed at what we were able to pull off,” said Scott Winters, operations and traffic manager for WYCE, in addressing volunteers and radio programmers.
“We had 19 phenomenal bands, rooms full of people, everyone was having a great time. I don’t think we could have had a better Jammies ’24. The vibe was great. We had probably the most diverse crowd I have ever seen at an event like this.”
Jack Droppers (Photo/Anna Sink)
Singer Molly Bouwsma Schultz and her husband, Scott, echoed that sentiment, while attending Friday’s event as fans. “It was incredible,” Molly said, referring to the Spanish-language ensemble Banda El Bajio that filled the main showroom stage for their set. “I love the representation. It’s a beautiful thing to see a band like that representing their community.”
For Grand Rapids fan Karen Couvelaire, it was all about supporting local artists. “We really love local music and we especially love The Bootstrap Boys,” she said. “We came down here to enjoy the venue, the location and see some great local bands.”
AN EVENING CHOCK FULL OF PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
The highlights were many and covered a host of musical styles:
Pocket Watch (Main Stage) – The six-piece instrumental jazz-fusion band Pocket Watch proved that jazz can be fun and exciting despite the reputation it can get for being “background music.” Despite having released only one single, Pocket Watch has already established a strong musical identity and carved out a space in the West Michigan music scene. Infusing their jazz sound with classic funk elements gave their set an upbeat twist with surprises around every corner. Complex solos from each instrumentalist and tempo changes kept the audience invested.
Jack Droppers & The Best Intentions (Main Stage) – Droppers and his crew filled the main showroom with positive energy the minute they stepped on stage. Droppers’ animated stage presence drew in the audience and added to the authenticity of his lyrics. The Grand Rapids band played several tracks off its latest release, “Scooter,” which also took home the Jammie for Best Alternative album. The summery, feel-good tracks were almost enough to make one want to drive home with the windows down despite Michigan’s freezing temperatures.
Short Panic (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
Short Panic (Elevation Stage) – Judging by the robust, rowdy and exhilarating reaction of the capacity crowd, this talented young band has quickly earned its standing as a West Michigan star in the making. It’s not every day that you see a saxophone take the place of a lead vocalist, but when Grand Rapids funk-rock band Short Panic forgoes a lead vocalist and slips into an instrumental jam session, that’s exactly what happens. The band packed the dance floor in Elevation, and when joined by vocalist Megan Meadows, the group slipped into a haunting milieu that nicely broke up the constant energy of the rest of the set.
Pretoria (Elevation Stage) – Grand Rapids indie-rock band Pretoria closed out the night with a set that showcased the full range of its musical evolution. From upbeat, danceable songs off of their 2023, Jammie-nominated album, “Where Will the Night Take Us?” to the slightly heavier energy of their early releases, the group had the audience engaged the entire time. Lead singer and guitarist Rob Gullett is as charismatic as they come, helping give Pretoria that “it” factor. It was easy to forget that the brief set wasn’t one of Pretoria’s own headlining shows, judging by the number of fans who knew every lyric and spent the set inching their way closer to the stage for a better view.
Banda El Bajio (Main Stage) – This 16-piece band moved around so much it was hard to count just how many musicians were on stage, but suffice to say they blew up the main showroom with traditional Mexican big-band music. The two lead singers shared the load while the massive horn section behind them kept the house jumping. The band was nothing but fun. Singing, dancing, playing, laughing all at the same time, Banda El Bajio took over the room and forced the audience to move.
Peter Madcat Ruth (Photo/Anna Sink)
C.A.R. Ma. Quartet (Stache Stage) – Pure blues. This Ann Arbor quartet kept it simple but sweet. Harmonica, drums and blues guitars. Flashes of Muddy Waters, The Doors, and The Allman brothers filled the Stache Stage and the people loved it. At first they kept it slow with a light bass behind the pace of the harmonica. But then the beat got faster, louder and harder. Attendees Justin and Pam Turlowicz of Grand Rapids were impressed by the “great energy. They just kept you and pulled you in. All their stuff just melded together and there seemed to be something for everybody.” Frontman and harmonica whiz Peter Madcat Ruth said the crowd reaction was “wonderful to see since we’ve never played on this side of the state at all. It’s the first time we’ve been east of Lansing.”
LVRS (Elevation Stage) – The three-piece mid-Michigan band led by lead guitarist and singer Olivia DeJonghe brought the Elevation Stage crowd back to the late ’80s and early ’90s with their Pixies’ sound and Deal sisters’ vocals. Their young energy was palpable with DeJonghe dropping to her knees during solos or bassist Jedidiah Thompson smiling impishly as he played while drummer Nicholas Chard smacked the drums in triple time. The band had great chemistry and the crowd responded with a roar after each song.
Jesse Ray (Photo/Anna Sink)
Full Cord (Stache Stage) – Although the band was missing a couple of musicians for their performance, the three piece bluegrass band lead by Brian Oberlin still packed a punch for the crowd. Heads were bouncing and people were moving as the band plucked their strings and huddled together. After the performance, Oberlin was excited to be a part of the Jammies. “It’s nice to see a good Grand Rapids contingent come out and see us because we don’t do a lot of Grand Rapids shows. It was a great crowd and they seemed to like us.
Jesse Ray and The Carolina Catfish (Stache Stage) – Only two guys are making all the music? Was I the only one thinking that? The band’s rock ’n’ blues sound finished the night in the Stache for a delighted crowd. The band could have been mistaken for the house band from the movie “Black Snake Moan.” Their Deep South blues rock sound with hard drums and feedback guitar was a hit with the audience.
Laura Rain (Photo/Anna Sink)
Laura Rain & The Caesars (Main Stage) – The Detroit soul band’s first Jammies appearance had the crowd hooting and gyrating from the get-go. With a funky blues and soul vibe, Rain led the way with a powerful voice and Tina Turner energy, enhanced by Jim Alfredson’s top-shelf organ flourishes and guitarist George Friend’s sizzle. “Super happy to be here,” Rain said. “We love you guys. Let’s get funky. Let’s dance.” And they did.
Loren Johnson (Stache Stage) – What Johnson initially planned as a trio performance eventually grew to a nine-piece, all-star band that took up every inch of the cozy stage while romping through selections from the singer-songwriter’s 2023 album, “How to Change,” including the beautiful and eerie “Patterns.” “You are absolutely wonderful for being here,” Johnson said. “I see so many familiar faces in the crowd. This is my first time performing at the Jammies. Thrilled to be here.”
Samuel Nalangira (Stache Stage) – Uganda native and Kalamazoo-based world music artist Samuel Nalangira boasted a mesmerizing mix of reggae and African sounds, utilizing his unique string instruments. The crowd was locked in as he and his band ran through the set, closing with a song that featured his African harp.
Holly Holtzclaw, Matt Marn, Bill Lee and John Sinkevics contributed to this report.
PHOTO GALLERY 1: Jammie Awards at The Intersection
Photos by Eric Stoike
Photos by Anna Sink
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
