The November music news round-up at Local Spins focuses on area concert venues: an old one on the auction block, a new one firing up and a fresh local music series.
CALVIN COLLEGE PUTTING LADIES LITERARY CLUB UP FOR SALE
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After owning and operating it as a concert venue for seven years, Calvin College is putting the Ladies Literary Club building in downtown Grand Rapids up for sale.
The college’s Board of Trustees last month decided to sell the 127-year-old structure at 61 Sheldon Blvd. SE because the historic venue consistently has lost money since Calvin acquired the property as a donation from the club in 2007.
According to a story in the Calvin student publication Chimes, president Michael Le Roy said it cost $75,000 to keep the building open last year and the college took in only $7,000 in revenue.
The 415-seat venue – which Calvin renovated and improved after acquiring it – has hosted many intimate concerts by touring national acts which are booked by Kenneth Heffner, Calvin’s student activities director.
“We will keep on booking shows until it is sold,” Heffner told Local Spins. “I am making offers (to book more concerts) even now.”
Most recently, the Ladies Literary Club hosted a talk Monday by Found Magazine founder Davy Rothbart and a concert last Saturday by David Bazan + Passenger String Quartet.
Having the small downtown venue available as another concert option for Calvin – which also books shows at the larger Covenant Fine Arts Center and Hoogenboom Center – could limit the sorts of acts booked by the college, Heffner conceded.
“It is a wonderful building,” he said. “Not having it could hamper our ability to book smaller rising artists. We shall see.”
Lily and Madeleine, Okkervil River, Diego Garcia, Wild Belle and Bill Mallonee are among the many national artists Calvin has booked to play Ladies Literary Club in recent years.
GARAGE BAR & GRILL REPLACES TEAZER’S, HOSTS DELILAH DEWYLDE & THE LOST BOYS
The recently opened Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill in renovated space formerly occupied by longtime neighborhood bar, Teazer’s Bar & Grille, plans to host live music once or twice a month, says the new owner.
The Garage at 819 Ottawa Ave. NW opened Oct. 20 after 58 days of intense remodeling work, according to owner Kevin Farhat. Teazers closed in August.
“We are really having some fun here at the Garage Bar since opening a few weeks back,” Farhat told Local Spins. “We currently have DJs on the weekends, there is no cover charge and we plan on having one or two live acts a month.”
That live band entertainment kicks off Friday night with an appearance by West Michigan rockabilly favorites Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys, who take the stage around 10 p.m. after a 9 p.m. “record hop” of old rock ’n’ roll music to kick off the evening.
DeWylde said she was approached by Farhat to be the first band to play in the new bar on Ottawa just north of downtown Grand Rapids.
“This is the first live musical act we’ve had here. I couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off than with her (DeWylde),” Farhat said, noting he believes the bar’s “allotted space” will work well for live music that the Garage eventually hopes to book regularly. “We look forward to booking more acts in the future.”
LOCAL SPINS WEDNESDAYS AT SPEAKEZ KICKS OFF WITH CRANE WIVES TRIO
Wednesday nights might never be the same again.
With a mission to “spotlight emerging talent that’s testing fresh approaches in fresh venues,” Local Spins is partnering with SpeakEZ Lounge in downtown Grand Rapids to host Wednesday night performances by up-and-coming bands and singer-songwriters.
The mid-week sessions kick off at 8:30 tonight (Wednesday) with a special acoustic trio version of folk-rock’s The Crane Wives, featuring drummer Dan Rickabus and singer-guitarists Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury, performing in a different set-up than the usual five-piece band. That set will be followed by a performance by the Max Lockwood Trio (with Rickabus on drums/percussion). Admission is free.
Next Wednesday, jazz trumpet player Brad Fritcher and keyboardist Dutcher Snedeker of Brad Fritcher + trois take the stage, bringing a refreshing jazz-infused milieu to the intimate venue. Brad Fritcher + trois just released a brand new album, “The Year of the Architects.”
Generally, Rickabus and Fritcher each will host monthly sessions of rotating musicians as part of Local Spins Wednesdays at SpeakEZ, with other emerging artists performing the other Wednesday nights (except for holidays). Singer-songwriter Gabrial James plays SpeakEZ on Dec. 3.
Part of the hope behind the Wednesday night series is to spark unusual collaborations between West Michigan musicians, as well as focus attention on acts which deserve a broader audience.
Also, tune into Local Spins Live on News Talk 1340 AM (WJRW) at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday) when Rickabus and Pillsbury will offer up a sneak peak into the show at SpeakEZ Lounge.
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