Blessed with summer-like weather, Kalamazoo’s seven-day Sounds of the Zoo festival closed out the weekend with a refreshing salvo of diverse music. The recap and photo galleries at Local Spins.
The ambitious week-long showcase of Michigan bands unfurls at eight different venues, plus some busking stations. Get the background, schedule and a playlist at Local Spins.
The Kent District Library’s two-day festival this weekend at the Cascade Township branch will feature performances by 15 regional acts on two stages. Get details and the schedule at Local Spins.
Festivals · Playlists · Upcoming shows
Aiming to educate and entertain, the two-day festival at Grand Rapids’ Rosa Parks Circle will feature a keynote address by acclaimed music industry expert Ari Herstand, plus live music, a robotics expo, gaming competition and much more. Get details, the full schedule and a playlist at Local Spins.
Temps in the 20s, snow flurries and stiff breezes didn’t thwart thousands of attendees from packing the return of downtown’s Irish on Ionia, which also boasted chilly, jig-inciting sets by Celtic bands and DJs. View the photo gallery and video.
After a COVID hiatus, Michigan’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day street party roars back with Celtic bands and DJs. Get details and the performance schedule at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos · Videos
Saturday’s free event at Kalamazoo Valley Museum drew hundreds of fans, luthiers and musicians, including guitar virtuosos Fareed Haque & Goran Ivanovic. The recap, photo gallery and video at Local Spins.
It’s been three years since the Kalamazoo Valley Museum has hosted the festival as an in-person event. Get the lowdown and the performance schedule at Local Spins.
Festivals · Traverse City · Upcoming shows
Interrupted for two years by COVID, the unique indoor event will boast more than 40 performances by folk-hued artists on several stages later this month. The lowdown and schedule at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Festivals · Upcoming shows
West Michigan music fans have a couple of fresh events to embrace this winter: Stovepipe hosts the first singer-songwriter show next week at The Pyramid Scheme and Kalamazoo Valley Museum returns with its Fretboard Fest in early March. Details at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Michigan’s wintry weekend delivered more than snow: Bands heated up stages from Grand Rapids to Comstock Park to Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor. The photo galleries and recaps at Local Spins, including coverage of The Floozies, Buku, Hail Your Highness, Lucius Fox and much more.
Festivals · Playlists · Upcoming shows
After the 2022 event was canceled, the outdoor mini-fest and 5K run aims to rock Comstock Park again while raising funds for Kids’ Food Basket. The lowdown, set times and an Ice Jam playslit at Local Spins.
Festivals · Playlists · Upcoming shows
Songwriter, banjoist and Michigan native Rachael Davis joins Valerie June at The Ark ahead of Saturday’s folk fest with Ani DiFranco, Patty Griffin, St. Paul & the Broken Bones & more. The preview and a festival playlist at Local Spins.
Festivals · Playlists · Upcoming shows
Eleven diverse bands will play two stages at The Intersection in the first Winter Wheat fest since early 2020. The back story, the schedule and a playlist at Local Spins.
Features · Festivals · Summer Festivals
Happy New Year! Mitten State festivals new and old, large and small aim to continue the momentum from their post-pandemic return last year. What festivalgoers can look forward to this year, plus Local Spins’ exclusive 2023 Music Festival Guide.
Concert announcements · Festivals
Ani DiFranco, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Patty Griffin lead a one-day Saturday event with a cozy ‘BanjoFest’ at The Ark on Friday. And Hoxeyville 2023 will feature Wood Brothers, Keller Williams and more. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos · Videos
Our weekend concert recap focuses on Saturday’s inaugural downtown street fest that also boasted sets by Kari Lynch, Melophobix and more. Plus, view photos from Joe Satriani’s tour stop Friday at State Theatre in Kalamazoo.
Festivals · Playlists · Upcoming shows
The all-day festival in downtown Grand Rapids will also feature Blue Jay Bridge, Vinylicious and DJ Jay Vee, performing under a mammoth tent. View the full schedule.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
From Spanish-infused rock to soul to folk to hip hop, the inaugural music festival reveled in good weather and an upbeat vibe. The recap and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Friday’s Van Andel Arena show was a tribute to The Judds, part of a West Michigan weekend that included Sounds of the Zoo, Horizen Fest, the third-to-last show at Seven Steps Up, Lower Leisure Class, Opiuo, Larry Fleet and more. The photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
The first-year festival pumped up three different Kalamazoo venues Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — and Local Spins was there to capture the action in words and photos.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
The Mainstays, DC, DJ Boogie and The Incantations made it a manic Monday at Bell’s Brewery, kicking off the inaugural Sounds of the Zoo with an eclectic blast. View the photo galleries at Local Spins.
The brainchild of Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, the week-long affair at several venues in downtown Kalamazoo will boast vastly diverse performances and a collaborative vibe. Learn more about this first-year event, view the full schedule and listen to a playlist of performers.
Breaking music news · Festivals · Summer Festivals
While COVID concerns remain, more than 50 Michigan festivals plan to resume later this year, including the uber-popular, the traditional and some new events, too. View the comprehensive list at Local Spins.
Festivals · Top 12 Stories Countdown
Songwriting legend John Prine’s robust legacy pushed this January story about Ann Arbor Folk Festival’s virtual tribute with May Erlewine, Joshua Davis and more to the Top 5. Revisit the story and Local Spins’ festival coverage from January of this year.
Features · Festivals · Upcoming shows
Saturday’s first-year event boasts a day of workshops, exhibits, performances and a keynote address by Djangophonique’s Andrew Brown. Get the details, ticket links and background at Local Spins.
Grand Rapids’ Desmond Jones, celebrating a new album, closes out the party that will also boast a headlining set by The Hacky Turtles, plus appearances by Flexadecibel, Melophobix, Nathan Walton & The Remedy and the Polyphonic Element. Get the full schedule for this event that was forced to take a one-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Live-Stream Concerts · Photos
The second-year, five-day virtual festival hosted by Michigan Music Alliance drew thousands of viewers and $10,00-plus in donations to aid Michigan musicians. Peruse festival highlights and ogle photos at Local Spins.
Festivals · Live-Stream Concerts · Upcoming shows
The virtual festival hosted by Michigan Music Alliance raises funds for musicians in need, providing a lifeline for the state’s music scene. Watch a video about the event, browse the full entertainment schedule and find links to donate at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Festivals
For the second year, the late March online festival raising money for the Michigan Artist Relief Fund will feature performances from across the Great Lakes State. This year’s event will feature more than 200 artists. Get details and see who else is in the initial lineup.
Concert announcements · Festivals · Live-Stream Concerts · Upcoming shows
Jam-packed with acclaimed international artists, the festival kicks off in virtual, live-stream fashion Friday. The third night will pay homage to the late Prine, propelled by May Erlewine, Joshua Davis, Erin Zindle, Seth Bernard and more. Learn more about the festival lineup with links to streaming passes at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Festivals · Summer Festivals
After a year in which nearly every Michigan music festival was canceled, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast doubt on 2021 events — even though more than 40 festivals currently are scheduled to take place. Get an update on what some festivals are planning, along with a link to Local Spins’ Michigan Music Festivals Guide for 2021.
Concert announcements · Festivals · Live-Stream Concerts
The beloved festival will still take place in late January, but performances by artists will be live-streamed for ticket buyers, with The RFD Boys and Accidentals playing their sets on The Ark stage. Get details and the full performance lineup at Local Spins.
Festivals · Local Spins Rewind · Videos
Hosted by Michigan Music Alliance, the star-studded live-streamed festival in March raised $11,500 in donations for the Michigan Artist Relief Fund to assist musicians hurt by the COVID-19 crisis. Revisit the story in words and videos at Local Spins.
Festivals · Live-Stream Concerts · Upcoming shows
Friday and Saturday’s online presentation at WOODTV.com will feature 100 videos by various Michigan performers, from orchestras to rock bands to dance groups. Learn more about this new venture by Festival of the Arts and find a link to the full schedule at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Festivals
After Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended state residents avoid large gatherings, street party organizers postponed the event to summer. And concert venues are “feeling uneasy” amid this “uncharted territory.” Read more about the reaction to this pandemic at Local Spins.
Sunday’s festival in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons will boast sets by more than 75 Michigan artists in the corridors of Building 50 and beyond. Get the lowdown about this long-running event and the schedule at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos · Videos
Hundreds of revelers and runners gathered outside the Comstock Park brewery Saturday for sets by The Crane Wives, Hacky Turtles, Melophobix and Crosscut Kings. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Festivals · Upcoming shows · Videos
The emerging Plymouth-based band is one of only two Michigan acts on this year’s impressive Folk Festival bill. Discover more about the quartet in this Local Spins Artist Spotlight, listen to the band’s music and watch videos of Cold Tone Harvest performances.
Festivals · Upcoming shows · Videos
“Let’s boogie!” The Jan. 25 outdoor event that benefits Kids’ Food Basket comes as folk-rock’s The Crane Wives continue to work on a new studio recording. The festival will also feature sets by The Hacky Turtles, Melophobix and Crosscut Kings. Check out the schedule and details at Local Spins.
The Wheatland Music Organization’s 11th annual soiree will pack Grand Rapids’ Intersection this weekend with performances by more than a dozen roots music and folk artists on two stages. Details, schedule at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Festivals
After operating for years as a unique Eastown house-concert fest, Lamp Light – which moved to Wealthy Theatre last year – is on hiatus and the future is uncertain. Learn why the festival won’t be taking place.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Kalamazoo · Photos · Summer Festivals
When all the votes were tallied after Saturday’s semifinal play-in competition, judges and fans at Arcadia Brewing Co. settled on sending Kalamazoo’s Utopian Party on their collective way down the ‘Pathway to the Pasture.’ The foursome netted a close win over Grand Rapids’ Drew Phoria and Bay City’s Barbarossa Brothers and is one step away from earning a slot at this August’s festival in Caledonia.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos · Summer Festivals
Thousands flocked to St. Joe for the 7th Annual BBQ, Blues & Bluegrass Fest as Nora Jane Struthers, Che Apalache, JD McPherson and more delivered an afternoon of music at Whirlpool Centennial Park. Photos and review at Local Spins.
Festivals · Music on Campus · Upcoming shows
Friday’s student-run festival in the Fieldhouse Arena on GVSU’s Allendale campus will feature eight local acts, from established performers such as Brother Elsey to emerging student bands.
Festivals · Kalamazoo · Photos · Videos
Saturday’s day-long event at Kalamazoo Valley Museum unfurled everything from folk to hip hop to blues courtesy of Red Tail Ring, Jordan Hamilton, Chris Canas and more. Read the event wrap-up, check out photos and a video at Local Spins.
Festivals · Kalamazoo · Upcoming shows · Videos
The festival kicks off Friday night with a concert by Shari Kane and Dave Steele at Kalamazoo Valley Museum, followed by Saturday’s day-long affair with 15 acts on three stages, vendors, workshops and “pop-up” shows. Get the lowdown and the full Saturday schedule at Local Spins.
Festivals · Traverse City · Upcoming shows
Taking place in the historic Village at Grand Traverse Commons, more than 100 Michigan musicians will perform in a single afternoon, with some of them considering it a “reunion” of sorts. Get details about this northern Michigan tradition at Local Spins.
To ward off the mid-January chill, Local Spins wants readers to think about Michigan’s sizzling hot music festival scene. Tell us about your favorite Michigan music festival and you could win a sensational Local Spins gift package.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos · Videos
The 10th annual mini-festival in Grand Rapids on Saturday convened veterans and newcomers for a celebration of bluegrass, folk, country and roots music. Relive the day-long event in this Local Spins exclusive, with three photo galleries and video highlights.
