The weekend started early with a long-awaited Meijer Gardens show, a rap battle and a CD listening party, and kept rolling from Grand Rapids to Traverse City.
Bird’s Eye View: Singer-songwriter Jonny Carroll debuted his new EP at Lantern Coffee Bar on Friday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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Grand Rapids electro/pop duo Alexis has been working intently on its new “Love or Temptation” album for more than 1-1/2 years, which explains why there’s a boatload of excitement and built-up anticipation for its forthcoming release and its potential for national exposure.
Pop Preview: Dan Hurst and Matt Forbush at the listening party. (Photo/John Sinkevics)
On Thursday, a small group of invitees was treated to a sneak peek into the impressive, pop-driven dance feast of a recording at a listening party held at the smartly renovated new River City Studios in Grand Rapids where the album was crafted by Alexis’ Matt Forbush and Dan Hurst, with plenty of help from the River City crew.
The new collection is classic, delicious Alexis on pop steroids and you can get a sneak peek into it yourself on Friday, when Local Spins will premiere the video for “Kiss and Tell” from the new album at the same time that the song gets played for the first time on radio as part of the first “Local Spins on WCYE” show at 11 a.m. Friday on WYCE-FM (88.1).
While on the subject of new local music, the weekend also saw official release of a new EP, “The Willow,” by Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Jonny Carroll, who performed at Grand Rapids’ Lantern Coffee Bar & Lounge.
The early start to the weekend also included The Moody Blues performing a sold-out show at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park to a devoted bunch of baby boomers who snapped up tickets for the concert the first day they went on sale back in April, and the Battle to End Homelessness rap show at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, with a bevy of rappers joining the cause to benefit Well House (including: The Coup, A.B! with a live band, Convotronics, The TruthTones and more, with rap battles that boasted cash awards).
Official Sponsor of the Local Spins Weekend Photo Gallery
And plenty of West Michiganders boarded a bus north for the seventh annual Traverse City Summer Microbrew & Music Festival, where national headliner Brandi Carlile and local faves such as The Accidentals entertained big crowds. By the way, The Accidentals swing back down to Grand Rapids this week when they play the season’s final installation of the Tuesday Evening Music Club series at Meijer Gardens as part of the “Ralston Bowles and Friends” show.
THE LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY (AUG. 21-24)
Traverse City Microwbrew & Music Festival photos by Oden & Janelle Photography
Rap Battle to End Homelessness photos by Unk Funk
The Moody Blues and Jonny Carroll photos by Anthony Norkus
Alexis photos by John Sinkevics
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