As summer turns to fall, music fans are turning to indoor shows starring Michigan bands and solo artists. Here are schedules for more than a half-dozen fall concert series, with some kicking off on Sunday.
Tip of the Musical Mitt: Major Murphy, Rachael Davis, Schrock Bros are a few of fall’s performers.
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With October fast approaching, summer’s outdoor concert and festival season has finally wound down.
But make no mistake, there’s no decline in West Michigan’s live music options.
Indeed, several venues are firing up fall concert series, most of them spotlighting multi-talented local and regional bands and solo artists.
FENNVILLE
For 16 years, Fennville’s Salt of the Earth has presented live music in an intimate setting, bringing Michigan and national acts to its stage on Sunday nights (as well as a Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving show featuring singer-songwriter Rachael Davis).
It kicks off for 2024-25 at 6 p.m. Sunday with Southeast Michigan bluegrass/folk band Wilson Thicket and continues monthly through May 18, 2025.
Co-owner Mark Schrock said the concerts are “presented in a unique dinner theater atmosphere” with “amazing Americana, blues, folk, world, soul and bluegrass music from Michigan’s finest.” Tickets are $25.
LOWELL
Lowell Arts has long hosted live music in cozy environments and the organization kicks off a new concert series at Lowell’s Sound Check venue starting in late October with West Michigan folk favorites, the Blue Water Ramblers.
The 100-capacity venue provides a “listening-room style” experience, said Lowell Arts executive director Janet Teunis, who noted that musician, producer and engineer Ryne Clark is “heading up the music program” that will present monthly concerts by a wide range of Michigan artists through mid-May.
Concerts start at 7 p.m. at Sound Check, located at United Methodist Church of Lowell at 621 E. Main St. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Get details online here.
Separate from that series, Sound Check also is hosting Friday night concerts, with Nathan Walker Trio on Oct. 11, The Schrock Bros featuring Peter Madcat Ruth on Nov. 8, Nicholaas James Thomasma on Dec. 13, Stanley & Quiggle on Jan. 10, FlyLiteGemini Duo on March 14, The Temperances on April 11 and Four More Shapes on May 9. More info here.
GRAND RAPIDS
The newly formed Acoustic Stew Music Guild — organized by Bear Berends and Banjo Jim Foerch — focuses on acoustic folk and roots artists from the Grand Rapids area, performing on Sunday afternoons inside the Dirk Koning Theatre at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids.
The first concert, featuring folk’s Hawks and Owls, takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20 with more information/details available online at acousticstewmusic.org.
Music in the Heights has been curated by singer-songwriter Cameron Blake for several seasons now, with truly unique concerts spanning several genres and unfurling at Alger Park Church at 2655 Eastern Ave. SE in Grand Rapids.
The first show for fall 2025 will take place on Oct. 6 — a classical music evening featuring the GV Piano Chamber with Sookkyung Cho, Dominique Kim, Andrew Laven and Grace Gim. View the full schedule of upcoming shows here.
For more than 10 years, Local Spins has hosted Michigan bands as part of the Local Spins Wednesdays series at SpeakEZ Lounge in downtown Grand Rapids — a true showcase of emerging as well as established regional talent.
This year’s “Michigan showcase” kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 with indie-rock’s Major Murphy, performing their first Grand Rapids show in a year after releasing their latest studio album, “Fallout,” in June.
Seven shows in this every-other-week series will follow, with everything from northern Michigan Americana revelry (Silver Creek Revival on Oct. 30) to pop-rock (Phabies on Dec. 4) to indie-pop (Kanin Wren on Nov. 13) to alt-rock (Lighting Matches on Dec. 18). A $5 surcharge is added to patrons’ bills to help pay for the bands. The series is sponsored by Modelo Especial, Long Drink, SpeakEZ Lounge and Local Spins.
SpeakEZ at 600 Monroe Ave. NW also has started presenting live music on select Fridays and Sunday. Check out the schedules below.
LIVE MUSIC SUNDAYS AT SPEAKEZ LOUNGE
Shows start at 6 p.m.
Sept. 29 – Wagon Wheel Effect
Oct. 20 – EPCYA
Oct. 27 – Study in Scarlet
Nov. 17 – Common Molly
Nov. 24 – The Honeytones
LANSING
The Ten Pound Fiddle has long been an institution in the Lansing area, having hosted concerts and dances since 1975.
Their fall 2024 series — taking place at varying locations — boasts everything from folk-hued Michigan stars such as May Erlewine, Joel Mabus and Rachael Davis to internationally acclaimed touring artists such as Robin & Linda Williams and Amythyst Kiah.
Tickets range from $5 (students) to $25, with most shows starting at 7:30 p.m. Get the full schedule of concerts and dances online here.
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