Top Stories of the Year Countdown · Venue Spotlight
With construction of the Grand Rapids’ riverfront amphitheater well under way, Local Spins last summer asked a key player in the project about bands he’d like to see on stage when it opens in 2026. He also revealed other aspects of the new venue as part of an interview broadcast as part of Local Spins on WYCE. It was No. 4 in our top-stories-of-the-year countdown.
Top Stories of the Year Countdown · Venue Spotlight
Citing building lease issues, Starlight Room owner Daniel Beckett suspended operations of the concert venue on June 1. Our coverage of the shutdown was one of Local Spins’ most-read stories of the year.
Contests · Features · Festivals · Venue Spotlight
On Thanksgiving week, readers and music lovers were most thankful for more than a dozen Michigan music festivals and 30-plus concert venues. Check out their responses. SCROLL DOWN FOR[…]
Commentary · Festivals · Venue Spotlight
As the holiday season approaches amid another turbulent year, Local Spins ask its readers and music lovers about the Michigan environments they love that keep the music scene spinning.
Playlists · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The new owner of the historic building that long hosted listening room-style shows will roll out a series of upcoming live music events boasting a variety of regional acts, starting with The Legal Immigrants and Kyle Brown & The Human Condition. Get more information about Temple Lounge and the upcoming show schedule.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
The historic 97-year-old venue hosts its final show on Nov. 23 as it works to identify ‘the right people and group’ to take over operations. The story at Local Spins.
Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The Fremont venue boasts upcoming shows by Myron Elkins, The Mad Angler & The Mad Cellist, Braunschweiger Blues Band and more. The Local Spins venue spotlight and concert schedule.
Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
With everything from The Verve Pipe, Larry McCray and Afroman on the bill to Myron Elkins and other local heroes, the Allegan County site will host more than five dozen acts on Friday and Saturday nights, starting May 24. Get the full schedule and details at Local Spins.
Saugatuck Brewing’s recently revamped pub in downtown Kalamazoo boasts live music in a prime summertime location. Get the back story and photos at Local Spins.
Summer Concerts · Venue Spotlight
The Paw Paw vineyard’s sixth-year concert series kicks off in early May and boasts more than 45 concerts. Get details at Local Spins.
Kalamazoo · Photos · Venue Spotlight
Launched in 2021, the intimate Milwood Neighborhood concert space has hosted wide-ranging shows by local bands and touring acts. The back story at Local Spins.
Despite financial struggles and relocations over the years, the music venue, art gallery and DIY project incubator continues to shine as a space for artistic expression. The back story at Local Spins.
Top Stories of the Year Countdown · Venue Spotlight
In June, Chicago blues legend Duke Tumatoe kicked off a summer of music at the brand-new Allegan County venue, which followed up with a day-long Blues Fest. Revisit one of the Top 20 stories of the year.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
Chicago blues legend Duke Tumatoe will kick off a summer of music at the Allegan County venue, with a day-long Blues Fest planned for July. Learn more about this new concert space and view photos at Local Spins.
The mid-sized, riverfront concert space has impressed musicians and fans alike during its spring ‘preview mode,’ with more to come. Get the back story, plus photos and a video.
Photos · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
With a capacity of 100 to 205, the new listening room – with unique offerings for concertgoers and bands – officially opens on May 19. Learn more about The Starlight Room’s approach and take a photo tour.
Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The “communal” hangout on Bridge Street NW kicks off its new live music series with Selkie on Jan. 8. Get details and the full schedule at Local Spins, along with information about a new Latin jazz series in Kalamazoo.
Concert announcements · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
After a pandemic-driven hiatus of nearly three years, the popular Fennville restaurant returns with Kate Pillsbury, Kyle Rasche and Kait Rose playing Sunday. Get details with the full concert schedule at Local Spins.
Announcements · Breaking music news · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
To avoid confusion with other ‘Listening Rooms’ across the country, the rebranded venue instead reflects the name of the first Loeks theater in downtown Grand Rapids and ‘more spaciousness’ in entertainment offerings. Get details at Local Spins.
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.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
The highly regarded Spring Lake concert venue which opened 11 years ago has hosted hundreds of concerts by iconic artists and will stage its final show in December. The back story at Local Spins.
The Destination Live Music video crew and Local Spins spotlight the beloved West Side GR venue with a special mini-documentary as Tip Top hosts The Hi-Jivers and Hank Mowery for its birthday on Saturday.
Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
Grand Rapids’ newest live music venue offers an intimate space and striking stage for emerging and established acts, with a ‘Battle of the Bands’ on tap. Learn more about this S. Division Avenue business and view a schedule of upcoming shows.
Features · Venue Spotlight · Weekend Photo Gallery
After finally reopening in a new Grand Rapids location this fall, The DAAC staged a New Year’s Eve show that was an all-ages celebration of community and the arts. Get the back story, plus photos of the new space, Kalamazoo’s New Year’s Fest and Motion City Soundtrack at The Intersection.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
Despite its pending sale, current owner Greg Gilmore tells Local Spins that Live Nation will keep operating the concert hall as it has since early 2017. Learn more in today’s update.
The “Comeback Road” series partnership between the Destination Live Music video team and Local Spins continues with a fresh look at the reopening of Skelletones, featuring interviews with the owners, young patrons and bands.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
There’s an app for that: Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Café in Kalamazoo is one of the first West Michigan venues to adopt and mandate a smartphone “health pass.” But more venues say they’re likely to follow suit with similar mobile apps as COVID surges.
The delta variant has created uncertainty for venues again, but concerts such as the recent Domestic Problems show in Grand Rapids have left folks uplifted. The “Destination: Live Music” video.
Features · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The charming and unique ‘right-on-the-water’ club in Douglas bids farewell at the end of the season after hosting regional bands and national touring acts for more than two decades. Discover the back story and browse a photo gallery at Local Spins.
Features · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
After barely surviving the pandemic, the ever-groovy and intimate Tip Top Deluxe celebrates a major milestone this weekend. The back story and Saturday’s schedule at Local Spins.
Photos · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The Alpine Township farm hosts regular shows, including band performances on a stage built to deliver a unique concert experience for musicians and fans. The back story about this unusual concert venue, with photos.
Photos · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
One of Grand Rapids’ newest music venues emerges from the pandemic with four nights of shows each week, including open-mics hosted by Melophobix and Raven Griffin. The venue spotlight at Local Spins, with a photo gallery and listing of upcoming shows.
Breaking music news · In-Depth Report · Venue Spotlight
”Sick of the stress.” Concert venues still have no financial help a year after shutdown. And while state aid is imminent, federal funding remains in question — and that could jeopardize some clubs. The update at Local Spins.
Features · Venue Spotlight · Videos
Better than “sitting in my bedroom with an iPhone.” Local Spins today presents two interview and performance videos probing the unique advantages of live-stream concerts broadcast from a bona fide stage as gauged by musicians Ralston Bowles and Michael Crittenden, and St. Cecilia’s Cathy Holbrook. “It’s an actual venue,” Crittenden said of playing St. Cecilia even without an in-person audience.
Concert reviews · Features · Venue Spotlight
Open for just two weeks at restricted capacity, the city’s latest entry in the bar and venue scene has turned heads with its atmosphere and its regular live jazz offerings in spite of COVID. Learn more about the ‘amazing’ vibe of this new hot spot at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The legendary Division Avenue hot spot for teens which staged its last show in 2009 is under renovation by former operator Mark Leech. Learn more about this plan to fill a regional void in all-ages venues and watch some historical show footage at Local Spins.
Local Spins Rewind · Photos · Venue Spotlight
Amid a pandemic that upended the Hudsonville event center, owner Bill Worst debuted a new venture in September with drinks, food and music. The story and photos caught the attention of Local Spins readers.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
With both Congress and Michigan’s Legislature this week passing relief packages containing funds for shuttered venues, the future for these businesses looks a tad brighter. Get details at Local Spins.
Video No. 5 in the series focused on the plight of Michigan’s closed concert venues showcases Gary and Michelle Hanks’ labor of musical love in Spring Lake. Get the back story and watch the latest ‘Comeback Road’ video at Local Spins.
The fourth West Michigan venue showcased in the “Comeback Road” video series has survived for 137 years. But it’s never experienced a year quite like 2020. Watch the latest video and learn more about the plight — and illustrious history — of St. Cecilia Music Center.
Announcements · Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
The statewide MIVPA organization will lobby for $10 million in state funding to assist concert venues and promoters devastated by the 2020 pandemic. Details at Local Spins.
The third spotlighted venue in the “Comeback Road” video series focuses on the daunting challenges faced by one of Grand Rapids’ most revered music hot spots. Watch the video, see how The Intersection hopes fans can help.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
Amid the 2020 pandemic, two of downtown’s most popular live music hot spots are now seeking buyers. See what the asking price is and get more details at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Commentary · Venue Spotlight
Michigan’s new ban on indoor bar/restaurant service is only part of a gloomy, complicated outlook for live music that extends into 2021. And that leaves Local Spins “in search of a Big List.” See what experts are saying about when — and if — concerts will return to area stages.
The second installation in the ‘Comeback Road’ video series spotlights the plight of Grand Rapids’ Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, which essentially has been closed by the pandemic since March. Watch the video to learn more about this beloved concert venue and the uphill struggle it faces.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
The national Live Music Society awarded grants to 20 clubs across the country, the same day that the Michigan Music Alliance announced a ‘relaunch’ of a fundraising campaign to aid musicians hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about both developments at Local Spins.
Today, Local Spins partners with a local filmmaking team to launch a new video series examining the plight of several West Michigan concert venues shut down by COVID-19. Watch the video showcasing The Pyramid Scheme exclusively at Local Spins.
Features · Venue Spotlight · Videos
A West Michigan filmmaker is linking up with Local Spins to draw attention to the plight of some beloved live music hot spots amid a pandemic that’s upended the industry. Learn more about the project and watch the video trailer for the new series.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
The governor’s decision today to allow indoor venues and theaters to partially reopen on Oct. 9 doesn’t mean live music will be back anytime soon. Local Spins explains why.
Playlists · Venue Spotlight · Videos
In honor of this week’s #SaveMIStages campaign, Local Spins offers up tracks from the best past performances at 15 West Michigan concert venues which have been silenced due to COVID-19. See which artists were chosen, watch the videos and listen to the songs at Local Spins — then email lawmakers to show your support for these businesses.
