Day 1 of Buttermilk Jamboree revels in diversity, community, Michigan flair

The mid-June music festival at Circle Pines Center in Delton basked in sunny weather and kept it churning with upbeat performances on Friday. Get the recap and browse photos at Local Spins.

 

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Many longtime devotees might rightly contend that Michigan’s summer doesn’t officially begin until Buttermilk Jamboree heats things up in mid-June.

There certainly was no shortage of enthusiasm for this season-starting tradition among musicians and festivalgoers alike on Friday, when the 2023 edition of the family-friendly festival officially launched its weekend celebration of regional music at Circle Pines Center in Delton, south of Grand Rapids.

“This is my second year at Buttermilk Jamboree,” said festivalgoer Michelle Leonard of Grand Rapids. “I had so much fun last year that I had to come back, and I hope to come back every year.”

With more than four dozen acts uncorking a dizzying array of genres on several stages over three days, Friday rolled out as a prime example of the lineup’s diversity, from Samuel Nalangira’s unique world music charm to the Django Reinhardt-inspired jazz manouche of Djangophonique to Spanish-language rockers Cabildo to Americana’s Roosevelt Diggs to the singular-sounding, marimba-driven Dede & The Dreamers, who closed out the night at the Beer Tent.

Throughout the sunny afternoon and into the night, children scampered and twirled across the festival grounds, while avid fans danced to the jubilant and rhythmic magic of bands playing the Sugar Bush and Orchard stages.

As another happy, longtime festivalgoer put it: “Keep it churning.”

And that bands did, from a headlining set by New York folk-rock group The Mammals on the Orchard Stage to a trio of Michigan musicians firing up an instrumental Celtic music jam in the darkness on the elevated new and cozy Apple Stage.

Here are some highlights from Day 1 by Local Spins writer Robert Novak:

Great Lakes Brass Band (6 p.m. @ Orchard Stage) – In usual fashion, the Great Lakes Brass Band began their set by marching onto the stage. The sound of their music led a crowd of dancing festivalgoers right behind them. The eight-piece ensemble — tuba, trumpet, trombone, as well as many non-brass instruments including a saxophone, flute, percussion and vocals — created an authentic New Orleans jazz sound. The band’s rendition of quintessential tunes such as “You Are My Sunshine” gave Circle Pines Center a Crescent City milieu.

The Dangling Participles (7 p.m. @ Beer Tent) – With a group consisting mostly of English teachers, the literary inspired band name makes perfect sense. The Dangling Participles took over the Beer Tent and made it their own with a debut performance at Buttermilk Jamboree. The Lansing band played an eclectic set of acoustic, Americana folk music with a guitarist, fretless acoustic bassist, drummer and a singer who frequently picked up a trumpet or ukulele. On theme with the name of the stage, The Dangling Participles ended their set with a bluesy song titled, “The Michigan Beer Song.”

FlyLiteGemini (8 p.m. @ Orchard Stage) – Returning for their second year at Buttermilk Jamboree, FlyLiteGemini created a groovy atmosphere at the Orchard stage that got people of all ages on their feet and dancing. The genre-melding, Grand Rapids’ band performed an alternative folk, psychedelic rock set that lingered long after the music stopped. “It was a really fun set,” said guitarist and singer Joe Chamberlin. “In a lot of ways, this is the tightest the band has ever been and we’re so happy to be back at Buttermilk Jamboree.”

Djangophonique (9 p.m. @ Sugar Bush Stage) – As the day turned to night, folks at the Sugar Bush stage were serenaded with traditional hot club jazz. The four-man gypsy jazz band dressed in matching pastel blue suits performed the cleanest, most genuine manouche jazz that can be heard in Michigan. Hailing from Ann Arbor, the quartet led by guitarist Andrew Brown with support from Nick Martin on rhythm guitar, Tyler Rindo on Clarinet, and Jorian Olk-Szost on upright bass was joined at one point by dynamic singer Katie Smith. Playing lots of material from their most recent album, “Introducing Djangophonique,” the group influenced more than a few couples to swing dance under the beautifully lit gazebo.

The festival continues today (Saturday) and Sunday with the likes of Selwyn Birchwood, Mustard Plug, Last Gasp Collective, The Bootstrap Boys, The Schrock Brothers, Lady Ace Boogie, Airborne or Aquatic, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds and many more. View the schedule below. Tickets — $75 for Saturday or $50 for Sunday — will be available at the gate.

PHOTO GALLERY: Buttermilk Jamboree 2023 – Day 1
Photos by Derek Ketchum

BUTTERMILK JAMBOREE: SATURDAY-SUNDAY SCHEDULE

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