As December rushes toward the holidays, West Michigan venues heated up with crowd-pleasing shows from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to Spring Lake. The photos and recaps at Local Spins.
PerShayla, Michigander, Taylor: Part of this week’s Nashville invastion. (Photo/Eric Stoike/John Sinkevics)
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West Michigan's music scene
Call it a Nashville invasion.
Notable artists from Music City — including several Michigan transplants — heated up venues across West Michigan over the past week, and Local Spins was there to capture the action.
Beyond that, Michigan’s own Whitey Morgan returned to The Intersection for stirring tour stop.
In Kalamazoo, meanwhile, Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe hosted a troika of celebrations, from its annual Eccentric Day to an album-release/farewell show for Saxsquatch & Bridge Band to the return of the Kalamazoo Academy of Rock.
Scroll down for recaps and photo galleries.
MICHIGANDER’S ‘HOLIDAY SPECIALS’
As Jason Singer of Michigander told Local Spins: “We just love Grand Rapids and we just love West Michigan. It feels like home every time.”
Making the Rounds: Michigander at DeVos Chilrden’s Hospital.
Indeed, Singer and his band have so much affection for Grand Rapids, they performed in the city twice this weekend — revving up their “holiday specials” filled with anthemic pop and indie-rock at the intimate Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill on Friday and the more specious Elevation inside The Intersection on Saturday.
Fans were on their feet and singing along from the get-go as the weekend celebration kicked off at the Tip Top, with the Nashville-based band pumping out familiar, infectious tracks from past years as well as a live take on the brand new single, “Peace of Mind,” officially released on Friday and set to appear on Michigander’s full-length debut album come Feb. 7.
With his voice acquiring a rasp after numerous media interviews over the past week, Singer’s homecoming shows in the state where his career began was about more than just engaging live performances. The concerts raised funds for Kids’ Food Basket and D.A. Blodgett – St. John’s, and Singer even made an appearance Thursday at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, regaling young patients as part of his Yuletide visit to Grand Rapids.
VIDEO: Michigander at Tip Top Deluxe
PHOTO GALLERY: Michigander at Elevation (The Intersection)
Photos by Eric Stoike
DEL MCCOURY BAND’S IMPRESSIVE BLUEGRASS JAMS
It was a full house at Grand Rapids’ St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday as the Del McCoury Band took the stage for a bluegrass celebration, earning a standing ovation before playing a single note.
An epic storyteller and entertainer, the 86-year-old Del had the entire crowd smiling from start to finish. The band opened with a song and then highlighted each member individually before taking audience requests. Del’s son, mandolinist Ronnie McCoury, went first with one of his early originals, his fingers flying across the strings with ease — a calm smile a testament to his musical roots.
Next, Ronnie’s brother, Rob McCoury, took the spotlight on banjo, playing a track from his latest solo album, the energy level ramping ramped up with a bluegrass rendition of “Nashville Cats,” originally released by The Lovin’ Spoonful in the 1960s.
The Legend: McCoury also gave a shout-out to Michigan’s Billy Strings. (Photo/Jeffrey Wilkinson)
Grammy-winning fiddler Jason Carter followed, delivering fiery solos throughout the night, while
bassist Alan Bartram played a soulful cover of “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight,” joking it was “a fun song about being in prison and missing your babies at home.”
A surprise addition to the show was Ronnie’s son, Heaven McCoury, on guitar. His impressive
solos on tracks like Del’s “Almost Proud” had the crowd nodding in approval. At first glance, his long hair and smooth style almost made me mistake him for a Billy Strings guest appearance.
With guidance from his father and grandfather, Heaven is undoubtedly a rising talent to watch.
Del did give Billy a shoutout during the show, congratulating him on becoming a new dad this fall. When a fan requested “Midnight on the Stormy Deep,” a song Del and Billy recorded together, Del playfully said he’d save it for the next time they share a stage.
The band performed requested songs such as “High on a Mountain,” “Cold, Rain and Snow” and “In Despair,” followed by crowd-pleasers “She Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye,” “Sweet Appalachia” and “Same Kind of Crazy,” as well as singing “Get Down on Your Knees and Pray” sans microphones.
Del closed the set with a story about a motorcycle, which fans immediately knew was leading
into “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.” The band followed it with “All Aboard,” showcasing another
jaw-dropping mandolin solo by Ronnie.
For the encore, Del capped the evening with the hauntingly beautiful “It’s Just the Night,” leaving the audience buzzing with excitement as they exited the venue. Read more about McCoury at Local Spins here. – By Ryan McCahill
PHOTO GALLERY: Del McCoury Band at St. Cecilia Music Center
Photos by Jeffrey Wilkinson
MARYNN TAYLOR AND DYLAN SCHNEIDER’S COUNTRY ROMP
Country artist Dylan Schneider (“How Does It Sound”) may have been the headliner for Friday’s tour stop at The Stache inside Grand Rapids’ Intersection, but for many, the real attraction was a much-anticipated homecoming show for Rockford native and up-and-coming singer MaRynn Taylor.
Taylor, who recently released a new Christmas EP, “Christmas Is,” after releasing several country-pop singles and an EP earlier in the year, had her hometown fans gathered close to the stage as she regaled them with songs that have racked up millions of listens on streaming services.
And there’s more big things to come for this “artist to watch”: Taylor will open for country star Kelsea Ballerini at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Jan. 21, part of Ballerini’s 36-date tour in 2025.
PHOTO GALLERY: MaRynn Taylor, Dylan Schneider at The Stache
Photos by Benjamin Howell
