West Michigan poured out another full-bodied flask of live music to get August rolling and Local Spins was there to capture some of the action in photos.
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West Michigan's music scene
Of course, much of the musical excitement taking place in West Michigan during the summer unfurls in the great outdoors and there were plenty of examples of that this past week:
• The John Proulx Trio kicked things off Monday at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids for the West Michigan Jazz Society’s Jazz in the Park series.
• Styx returned to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for a sold-out show Wednesday, with Local Spins writer Lorilee Craker providing a little recap below.
PHOTO GALLERY: Styx at Meijer Gardens (Wednesday)
Photos by Veronica Leigh Anderson
Fresh off its summer tour with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Tesla, Styx rocked the enamored crowd at Meijer Gardens for two hours of pure rock precision. Led by Styx founders James “JY” Young and Tommy Shaw, the group nary wavered from a spotless sound, with precise, synchronized attacks. Considering the group formed in 1972 (with some shakeups in between, including the departure of former lead singer Dennis DeYoung), Styx remain astonishingly in the pocket, playing songs old and new. Joining Young and Shaw were lead singer Lawrence Gowan (a strikingly talented vocalist and keyboard player), Ricky Phillips on bass (with a special appearance by original bass player Chuck Panozzo), and “Modern Drummer” magazine’s repeat drummer of the year Todd Sucherman. Such an established and loved band might play it safe, but Styx kept it fresh by mixing vintage nuggets from the vault—“Lorelei” and “The Grand Illusion”—with minty cuts off their 2017 album, “The Mission.” – Lorilee Craker
• Organissimo brought its jazz-organ prowess to the terrace of the Grand Rapids Art Museum on Thursday for GRAM on the Green, with Local Spins writer Katlin Merby noting: Michigan’s Organissimo brought some timeless music to the outdoor courtyard — the fourth night of performances in the 10th annual GRAM on the Green concert series presented by the museum and WYCE 88.1 FM. Attendees not only enjoyed the music, but strolled the museum for free and sampled selections from the Founders Brewing beer tent and two food trucks.
• Kalamazoo’s Ribfest cooked up all manner of tasty music over the weekend, including sets by Survivor, DC90, Pillar to Post, Lexi Adams, Jake Simmons & The Little Ghosts and more.
• The Kent District Library’s SuperPartyWonderDay at Walker’s Millennium Park on Sunday closed out the weekend with music by The Moxie Strings and Mark Lavengood, not to mention a bunch of family-friendly activities.
• Ben Folds also joined the Grand Rapids Symphony on Friday for the final Picnic Pops show of the summer. Full review, photo gallery here: Ben Folds rocks Cannonsburg symphonically for picture-perfect Picnic Pops finale
There were indoor shows worth noting, too, including Joywave and Grandson at The Pyramid Scheme on Tuesday, followed by the Melvins and Jon Spencer on Thursday. Check out all the photo galleries.
PHOTO GALLERY: John Proulx Trio at Jazz in the Park (Monday)
Photos by Veronica Leigh Anderson
PHOTO GALLERY: Joywave, Grandson at The Pyramid Scheme (Tuesday)
Photos by Katy Batdorff