Check out the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s diverse lineup for summer Thursdays, plus the schedule for Garage Bar’s Wednesday Block Party and Bike Night series.
Launching GRAM on the Green: Kalamazoo’s Last Gasp Collective will play the popular series in July. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
It’s a given: Michigan summers and music in the great outdoors go hand in hand.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
And a couple of Grand Rapids concert series are gearing up to give fans a one-two punch in the middle of the week.
The 2019 edition of the Thursday night GRAM on the Green series – hosted by the Grand Rapids Art Museum and WYCE (88.1 FM) – boasts a widely eclectic lineup of West Michigan artists representing several genres: hip hop, blues, pop, jazz, soul, funk, folk and electronic music.
The 2019 Schedule
The free concerts – held at 6 p.m. Thursday on the museum’s outdoor terrace – kick off on July 11 with Kalamazoo’s Last Gasp Collective, a soul, hip hop and R&B ensemble that’s earned rave reviews for its genre-spanning approach.
The series continues with Grand Rapids pop/rock band Lipstick Jodi and electronic artist Jes Kramer on July 18, electronic acts Pink Sky and hi-ker on July 25, soul/pop singer Molly with jazz band Blushing Monk on Aug. 1, rock/funk/blues act Hannah Rose & The GravesTones with R&B/funk’s KJ & The Good Time Family Band on Aug. 8, Marshall blues-rock sensation Jake Kershaw on Aug. 15 and finally, Grand Rapids indie-folk artist Cameron Blake with Ugandan folk singer Samuel Nalangira.
In addition to live music, the series features food trucks, free museum admission, art-making activities and a cash bar. The series gets support from Bank of America, WYCE and the Meijer Foundation.
Block Parties Return Starting Tonight: Outside Garage Bar & Grill on Wednesday nights. (Photo/Taylor Mansen)
Many of the free shows draw huge crowds, and the same goes for the Garage Bar & Grill’s Wednesday night Block Party and Bike Night series, which launches at 7 p.m. Wednesday (June 12) outside the bar at 819 Ottawa Ave. NW in Grand Rapids’ Monroe North District.
The first Block Party of 2019 will feature the music of Grand Rapids’ Innuendo, a band that plays ’90s music and “the best classic rock.” Admission is $3 at the gate, with plenty of parking for motorcycles available.
The parties continue June 19 with Detroit rock/Americana band Jennifer Westwood & The Handsome Devils and June 26 with rock’s Hazy Past of Grand Rapids.
The rest of the schedule: Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys with The Legal Immigrants (July 20), The Elijah Russ Collective (July 27), Mid-Life Crisis (Aug. 7), Grand Rapids Beer Run (Aug. 10), Brena (Aug. 21), Octoberfest with The Holy Warheads, Head and Moto (Sept. 14).
Copyright 2019, Spins on Music LLC
