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The band formed by Grand Rapids Community College music students outpolled West Michigan’s Cordero and Pocket Watch during Saturday’s finals to take home the crown. The recap, photo gallery and some video highlights at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Photos · Videos
The vibrant combination of Michigan songwriters Grace Theisen, Katie Pederson and Jilian Linklater is turning heads with a mission of empowering women in music. The Local Spins Q&A with the up-and-coming trio, a video and photo gallery.
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.
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Recorded at Grand Haven’s Third Coast Recording, the cover of the iconic song features 14 female singers and musicians from across the state. Get the back story, watch the video and browse the photo gallery at Local Spins.
Sunday night’s tour stop at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids featured a host of inspirational artists, including West Michigan’s own George Moss. The Local Spins review, photos and set list.
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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.
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West Michigan music lovers gathered in huge numbers at The Intersection on Friday night for the 23rd edition of the Jammie Awards, with 19 acts firing up three stages. Photos, video highlights and more at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Concert reviews · Photos
West Michigan’s ‘biggest night of music’ packed The Intersection with performances by 19 acts on three stages, with the year’s best releases, artists and industry leaders honored by WYCE, Local Spins and Michigan Music Alliance. View a list of all the winners, get a recap of the evening’s festivities and browse a photo gallery at Local Spins.
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Despite the blustery storm of ice and snow outside Wednesday night, the Kalamazoo-bred bluegrass powerhouse packed The Intersection for a long evening of entrancing jams. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights at Local Spins.
New York’s all-female jazz ensemble delivered a rare, awe-inspiring set Thursday night at St. Cecilia Music Center. The review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Wednesday’s concert at Kalamazoo State Theatre displayed the riveting power of the singer-songwriter’s acclaimed catalog. The review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
The award-winning singer-songwriter performed as part of a trio on Sunday night, with Parker Millsap getting the evening started. The review and photos at Local Spins.
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A pair of new global music concert series kicked off on Sunday in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, with a healthy helping of blues to boot in both cities. The photos and more at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Top 12 Stories Countdown
The first stop on the legendary British rock artist’s U.S. tour got plenty of attention from fans across the globe in August, making it the No. 2 most-read story of the year at Local Spins. Revisit that special opening night, view a photo gallery and browse the set list.
Concert reviews · Local Spins Rewind · Photos · Top 12 Stories Countdown
The No. 3 story of the year at Local Spins was our review of a much-delayed, much-anticipated concert: Journey’s return to Van Andel Arena in early May. Revisit it today.
Local Spins Rewind · Photos · Top 12 Stories Countdown
The countdown of Local Spins’ most-read stories of the year hits No. 9 today with the recap of a busy summer weekend that featured Faster Horses, Drive-By Truckers, Walk the Beat and more. Revisit the late July roundup in words and photos.
Audio · Photos · Top 12 Stories Countdown
The countdown of Local Spins’ most-read stories of 2022 begins today with our coverage of Michigan-bred bluegrass hero Billy Strings at No. 12. Ogle a photo gallery and see what stories came in just behind that in our year-end countdown.
Jakob Dylan and company brought the tour behind their latest album to GLC Live at 20 Monroe on Thursday, with Michigan’s own Brother Elsey getting the night started. The review and photos at Local Spins.
Celebrating a great final ‘adventure’: The Spring Lake listening room hosted its last concert on Saturday, an emotional sold-out affair staged now that the building has been sold. Check out the recap and browse photos at Local Spins.
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After 11 years in Spring Lake, owner Michelle Hanks will close the much-beloved listening room following sold-out shows Friday and Saturday, ending a too-brief era of memorable live music. The back story, videos and photos at Local Spins.
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The band officially released its new studio album Friday night with a performance at Lansing’s UrbanBeat. Get the back story on the quartet, view a music video and browse photos at Local Spins.
Playing a sold-out show Friday at St. Cecilia Music Center, the revered singer-songwriter played 20 of his fan-pleasing songs over 100-plus minutes. The review and photos at Local Spins.
Led by one-time Grand Rapidian Maynard James Keenan, the rock band brought its theatrical schtick to DeVos Performance Hall on Tuesday. The Local Spins review and photo gallery.
Features · Photos · Upcoming shows
COVID ravaged the region’s open-mic scene. While some venues still haven’t joined the fray, many open-mic nights are back and rocking stages. The lowdown at Local Spins, along with a link to a listing of dozens of area open-mic sessions.
Ionia County’s favorite bluegrass son pumped up thousands of fans in Kalamazoo on Thursday, followed by another home-state show in Saginaw tonight. The review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
Jennifer Bartlett of the haunting Grand Rapids rock band Lokella lives and breathes Halloween. So, Local Spins asked her to curate what could be the creepiest Halloween playlist ever. Really. Listen … but leave the lights on.
The live music weekend kicked off early in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, with pop, bluesy-folk, reggae, alt-country and the first rock show at SpeakEZ Lounge in more than five months. Browse all the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Emerging Artists to Watch · Photos · Videos
The Otsego product now based in Nashville has signed with Elektra Records, toured with Kaleo and Lucero, and aims to release a new album in early 2023. Get the back story on Elkins and watch a video of him performing his latest single. He plays Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids on Friday.
West Michigan’s weekend of live music wrapped up with the final salvo in an outdoor concert series in Kalamazoo and some light-festooned jams in Grand Rapids. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Concert reviews · Photos
The seasoned Grand Rapids blues outfit outpolled four other West Michigan bands to take home the top prize in Sunday’s competition hosted by the West Michigan Blues Society at Billy’s Lounge. Learn more and check out photos at Local Spins.
Local Spins presents bonus coverage of recent Grand Rapids concerts — hip hop, country, dubstep — from a mid-October flurry of tour stops.
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.
Beyond a revved-up full house at The Pyramid Scheme, the weekend launched with a Kalamazoo tour stop by Ani DiFranco, a jazz duo at St. Cecilia and a music release by Second Hand Drugs. View the photo galleries at Local Spins.
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 · 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.
Nashville’s Wildermiss and Grand Rapids’ Phabies joined the indie pop-rock band for Tuesday’s concert at Calvin University. The review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
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.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
The kickoff to autumn 2022 had it all: country, folk, symphonic metal, Americana, soulful pop and German party music. Local Spins revisits the action in words and photos.
Breaking music news · Photos · Videos
Hailing from Bath, Mich., the fast-rising country singer made a splash on the NBC show Tuesday and will advance to the next round. The story, video and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The return of last weekend’s Earthwork Harvest Gathering festival outside Lake City after a COVID hiatus was a Michigan-bred, music-filled celebration of love and community. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights, exclusively at Local Spins.
Playing amid mild temperatures and regaling a sold-out crowd, classic rock’s Foreigner delivered the outdoor amphitheater’s final punch of summer. The review, photo gallery and set list at Local Spins.
GR Symphony opened its season with passion, a premiere and one of the final concerts for a beloved percussionist, on the same night that iconic songwriters held court for a new series in Forest Hills. The concert reviews and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Rolling out big hits such as “Iris,” “Slide” and “Black Balloon,” the New York rockers fired up a capacity crowd Thursday in the next-to-last Meijer Gardens concert of 2022. The review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The return of the beloved Wheatland Music Festival for the first time in three years outside Remus last weekend electrified fans and bands alike. Revisit the action in words, photos and video.
Photos · Venue Spotlight · Videos
To commemorate the Grand Rapids nightclub’s half-century milestone, Local Spins Rewind today updates a 2017 Venue Spotlight on a hot spot that showcases ‘every genre of music.’ Get the history, take video tours and browse photo galleries at Local Spins.
Legendary country and Americana singer Emmylou Harris returned to Grand Rapids on Thursday with renowned singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter opening the show. Browse the photo gallery at Local Spins.
The Miami rapper, singer and pop artist Pitbull delivered a dance-happy set on Tuesday night, along with Australian hip-hop artist Iggy Azalea. Browse the action-packed photos at Local Spins.
Last weekend’s cozy music festival in Free Soil left attendees raving about the regional bands and solo artists, as well as the atmosphere of the third-year event. The recap at Local Spins.
The Frontier Ruckus co-founder sat down with Local Spins writer Enrique Olmos to explore his passion for Detroit, and balancing music creation with a financially secure day job. He plays a Detroit festival on Sept. 10.
The South Bend-bred prog-fusion band that got its start playing small West Michigan venues proved its fan-fueled, instrumental mettle in a sold-out show at Meijer Gardens on Wednesday. Revisit the evening via the Local Spins review, photo gallery and set list.
