Commentary · Festivals · Photos
The 16th Earthwork Harvest Gathering unfurled last weekend outside Lake City with what many call a “magical celebration” of Michigan’s collaborative music scene. Musician/singer Megan Dooley describes why it was so special in this Local Spins column, with images by Anna Sink.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The first volley of the three-day festival was an impressive one, with more than two dozen performances and an unparalleled musical spirit. Check out the story, video highlights and photo gallery. Check out the recap, video highlights and photo gallery from the opening salvo of this beloved northern Michigan music festival.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
The granddaddy of Michigan music festivals unfurled outside Remus over the weekend, dodged a little rain and fired up fans with help from The Go Rounds, Molly Bouswma Schultz, Mike + Ruthy, drum circles and more. Check out the Local Spins recap and photo gallery.
The next-to-last concert of Meijer Gardens’ summer series started early and ended somewhat abruptly, but not before DeGraw squeezed in some songs following sets by Grammer and Marc Sciblia. Peruse the photo gallery and recap of Wednesday night’s show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The Maryland rock band brought its 20th anniversary tour to Meijer Gardens on Thursday, earning a rousing welcome from the capacity crowd of fans. Check out the Local Spins photos by Anthony Norkus.
The California pop-punk icons’ Van Andel Arena show wasn’t about vocal perfection but about raucously re-living songs that served as anthems for a generation of fans. Read the review and browse the photo gallery from Wednesday’s rousing concert.
The Grammy-winning guitarist and singer wowed a capacity crowd in her return to Grand Rapids, with another legendary guitarist, Richard Thompson, adding to the star-studded, gorgeous night. Peruse the review and the photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts · Videos
Ralston Bowles orchestrated a rousing Grand Rapids variety show of talent for the summer-ending show, including Maurice Townsend, Channing & Quinn, Eric Engblade and more. Peruse the recap and photo gallery from Tuesday night’s show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
More than five dozen regional acts played over three days at this mid-Michigan festival held on an organic vegetable farm. Check out images from last weekend’s Holler Fest 10.
The English singer had one exuberant fan “over-excited” from the get-go at Meijer Gardens on Friday, with the entire sold-out crowd embracing his engaging set. Grand Rapids’ Karisa Wilson opened the show. Peruse the review and photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The crush-worthy Boston band’s return to Meijer Gardens was nothing short of an energetic, crowd-pleasing spectacle — amid perfect weather after the threat of storms in a packed amphitheater. Read the review, peruse the photo gallery from another sold-out show.
Michigan’s most famous island offers more than fudge, horses and a rich history. Summertime and early fall boast a hotbed of live music with a unique milieu, some of it after-hours. Local Spins takes a gander at Mackinac music in words, pictures and video.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Last weekend’s Hoxeyville festival drew thousands to the northern Michigan woods near Wellston for sets by dozens of artists, including Greensky Bluegrass, Seth Bernard, Billy Strings, Ralston Bowles and more. Check out the recap of this memorable musical soiree.
The Girls Rock! GR summer camp aimed at empowering girls through music culminated Sunday with sets by eight enthusiastic young bands making their stage debut, rocking the theater for impressed fans. Peruse the story about these fledgling musicians’ remarkable week and browse the photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Despite early afternoon rain that wiped out some performances, dozens of regional acts played dozens of Grand Haven venues as fans strolled the streets and voted for their favorites. And a raffle raised upwards of $40,000 to support musical ventures for those in need. Check out the story, photo gallery and video highlights.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
The opening day of this weekend festival kicked out the jams impressively amid the Manistee National Forest with some big names still to come. Check out the recap, photo gallery and video.
The first tribute show to ever play the outdoor amphitheater eventually got plenty of “Dancing Queens” on their feet and ready to “Take a Chance” on cheering this impersonation of the Swedish superstar band. Read the recap and browse the photo gallery from Wednesday’s show.
Beatle-mania descended on Van Andel Arena on Monday, with a sold-out crowd cheering McCartney’s first-ever West Michigan appearance. Read the review, ogle the photo gallery and check out the set list from his Grand Rapids tour stop.
The Grammy Award-winning band had a capacity Meijer Gardens crowd of loyal fans on its feet with an impressive display of hits ranging from “Hold the Line” to “Rosanna” to new material. Read the Local Spins review and browse the photo gallery from Sunday night’s show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Some jaw-dropping, lively sets marked the second day of Cowpie Music Fest, not to mention more comfortable, sunny weather that even had Shagbark Farm’s cows , quite literally, mooing their approval. Check out the photo gallery and recap of the second day of action at this rootsy festival in southern Kent County.
They’ve been doing it for more than 40 years, so the makeup-clad guys in platform heels didn’t unleash anything surprising at Van Andel Arena — just good old-fashioned, goofy, glammy, shock-rocking, pyrotechnic- and flame-enhanced fun. Check out the resplendent photo gallery and review from the band’s fifth appearance at the arena.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Rain and some delays but didn’t faze fans or acts Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, The Turnips, Mark Lavengood and more who turned Shagbark Farm into a rootsy festival destination. Check out the recap of the opening day down on the farm and ogle the photo gallery and video. Day 2 gets rolling at lunchtime Saturday.
Fighting through some technical glitches on a sweltering night, War powered up its ’70s hits, while the sibling trio of Los Lonely Boys delivered “Texican blues” for a smaller-than-usual Meijer Gardens crowd. Check out the Local Spins review and photo gallery.
The legendary Philly vocal group delivered some hot hits on a hot night with some help from the Grand Rapids Symphony. Check out the Local Spins review and photo gallery from Thursday’s show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The singer and multi-instrumentalist’s return to Meijer Gardens not only showcased the pop flavors from her most recent album, but plenty of rollicking, fan-pleasing rock. Local Spins was there to document the tour stop in words and photos.
Tuesday night’s co-headlining tour stop at Van Andel Arena by the classic rock icons uncorked dozens of audience-pleasing hits. Browse the photo gallery by Derek Ketchum and check out the set lists from the show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
On what frontman John Rzeznik called “a perfect summer night,” the happy “bunch of bums” from Buffalo rollicked through a lively 90-minute set on Wednesday that was heavy on the hits. Read the review by Ricky Olmos and browse the photo gallery by Anna Sink.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
The Detroit riverfront festival seemed to hit its stride last weekend despite intense heat and some technical glitches. Check out Local Spins picks for the best and most surprising sets from the weekend, plus a fresh photo gallery by Anna Sink and images by Tony Norkus.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
The Detroit riverfront festival’s second day saw diverse, intense sets by M83, Matt and Kim, Father John Misty, Shakey Graves and The Head and the Heart to close things out in triumphant fashion. Read the review and browse the photo galleries from the most successful Mo Pop yet.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Crowds grew during the day for Saturday sets by Haim, G-Eazy and West Michigan’s own Borns, who helped deliver ‘electric music solid walls of sound’ along the river. Browse the photo galleries from Mo Pop’s Day 1 at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Upcoming shows
Unleashed by a Canadian rock band backed by the symphony and choir, the ‘We Will Rock You’ show entertained more than 3,000 fans at Cannonsburg Ski Area on Thursday, the first of two steamy nights planned for Queen’s music. Check out the photo gallery and review.
The crowd may have been smaller than usual for a Meijer Gardens show, but the cultural experience was unparalleled as Nigerian ensembles led by Femi Kuti and Bombino dazzled fans in the heat. Read the review and browse the photo gallery from this resplendent show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Last weekend’s 14th annual festival held on an island at the northern tip of Lake Michigan was unforgettable and filled with fellowship. Local Spins was there to document the event populated by Michigan bands. Read the observations from musicians who attended the festival and browse the photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
Led by Alex Ebert, the slightly realigned folk-rock ensemble stopped Sunday at Meijer Gardens on tour behind a new album that seems to put “Edward Sharpe” in the rear-view mirror. It was a show that writer Troy Reimink found fanciful, joyous and a bit ramshackle. Review, photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The bluegrass-powered Virginia band wasted little time on Thursday pumping up the sold-out crowd in its return to Grand Rapids. Check out the review and ogle the photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The engaging singer-guitarist brought his band The Innocent Criminals with him in his return to the Meijer Gardens amphitheater. The sold-out audience embraced them and opener Molly and Scott from Grand Rapids’ Vox Vidorra. Get the scoop in this Local Spins review and photo gallery.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for the first time ever hosted an all-star West Michigan lineup of hip hop artists for the Tuesday night music series, part of La Famiglia frontman Mike G’s mission to show off the diversity of hip hop. Read the story, browse the photo gallery, only at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Guest Column · Photos · Summer Festivals
Local Spins looks back at another invigorating Blissfest in this column by musician and veteran festival attendee Mark Lavengood, with images by photographer Anna Sink. Relive the charm of this longstanding, northern Michigan music festival held every summer near Cross Village.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The Portland band’s first appearance at the Grand Rapids amphitheater came amid 90-degree weather that didn’t slow the Colin Meloy-led bunch down as they churned out sometimes nostalgic, audience-pleasing songs spanning the group’s career. Peruse the review and photo gallery from Monday’s night red-hot concert.
Lansing’s Common Ground Music Festival enjoyed a hectic week of shows, starting with AWOLNATION and continuing for the next six days and concluding Sunday with headliner Jason DeRulo. Check out the Local Spins images by photographer Tori Thomas.
The inventive pianist and singer un-Fold-ed an evening of career-spanning songs — including some Ben Folds Five tunes — with help from New York’s yMusic ensemble in the sold-out amphitheater. Read the review and browse the photo gallery from Sunday night’s show.
The weekly Meijer Gardens series showcasing regional music kicked off on a beautiful summer night with a resplendent “Tracing the Roots” theme. The series continues on Tuesdays through August. (Photos)
Seth Bernard brought “Eggtones for Peace” to Wealthy Theatre Sunday, wrapping up a vacation week for many. Others reveled in live music in the great outdoors. Browse the images from a week of concerts in the Local Spins photo galleries.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
Shifting between a Hammond B3 organ and guitar, the Southern rock legend brought his familiar voice and songs to Meijer Gardens to entertain a sold-out crowd on a picture-perfect Wednesday evening. Peruse the review and flip through the images in the Local Spins photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
On a sumptuous, sunny evening, the rock legend performed songs spanning his five-decade career backed for the first time at the outdoor amphitheater by a six-piece band. Read the review and browse a photo gallery from Monday’s sold-out show.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The Los Angeles band delivered familiar hits and fresh tracks from its brand new album during a Grand Rapids tour stop on Sunday night, demanding to see fans’ “dance skills.” Read the Local Spins review by Adrianna Walker and browse the photo gallery by Anthony Norkus.
Amid high temps and humidity, Kalamazoo’s favorite sons delivered blazing bluegrass jams in the blazing sun — part of a fitting Electric Forest finale that included The String Cheese Incident, GRiZ and more. Read the recap of Day 4 and browse the photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
As this year’s Electric Forest enters its third day in the woods and fields of Rothbury, Local Spins takes a look at the cycle of festival hoopla — from morning yoga and lounging in the sunshine to grooving in Sherwood Forest at midnight. Check out the day-and-night video and photo gallery by Ricky Olmos.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
More than 40,000 festival-goers packed Double JJ Resort in Rothbury for the opening salvo of the hippie-driven, four-day affair. Read the first-day recap, browse the resplendent photo gallery and watch the video.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The engaging singer and guitarist’s return to Grand Rapids with his band had him climbing into the crowd and bringing fans on stage for a memorable evening at the outdoor amphitheater. Check out the Local Spins review and photo gallery.
