Industry honchos descended on the Grammys this week, but the big show for West Michigan music takes place Friday in Grand Rapids. And it’s no contest which is better. See the ‘acts to watch’ this year.
Honored to be Performing with the ‘Best of the Best’: Brother Adams is part of the Jammies lineup. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Check out a podcast below of this week’s special pre-Jammies edition of Local Spins on WYCE with in-studio guests The Soul Syndicate and a musical preview of Friday’s Jammie Award performances.
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Blame television one-upsmanship, Internet-fueled celebrity hoopla, social media bombast.
Or maybe it’s just the public’s fascination with red carpet processions and over-the-top superstar performances.
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To an outside observer, the actual power of “music’s biggest night” and the prestige associated with the Grammy Awards – which took place on Monday night – seems lost amid the sheer glitz and hype of goofy displays, bizarre duets and questionable nominations.
Pop music is just that, so it’s really no surprise that mega-stars Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj and company have captured headlines.
But there’s also a “rich just get richer” quality that’s increasingly made the Grammy Awards a sort of closed-circle party: It’s not that some of these recording artists don’t deserve acknowledgment; it’s just that so many more deserving ones aren’t even considered for recognition and will never find the Grammy spotlight, despite their boundary-pushing music and inspiring collaborations.
Collaborations, camaraderie and unselfish support, meanwhile, drive West Michigan’s version of the Grammys, which take place just four nights after Los Angeles’ hype-fest.
For Joe “Boots” Bockheim, having The Legal Immigrants play the Jammie Awards at The Intersection in Grand Rapids is literally a dream come true.
“It means the world to us. It’s always been a goal of mine to get on that stage,” Bockheim said. “I wish we could get into a fistfight with the Grammys with what we have here in West Michigan. It’s such a beautiful family of bands that’s been developing for years. This is just like our party Friday.” (Check out a video of an in-studio Local Spins Live performance of a new song by The Legal Immigrants below.)
Traverse City-area singer-songwriter May Erlewine views Grand Rapids’ annual Jammie Awards show as a community-engaging, life-changing event.
“The awards are about more than just the music,” said Erlewine, who shared coveted album of the year honors at the 2011 edition of the Jammie Awards, which are hosted by Grand Rapids community radio station WCYE-FM.
“It’s about coming together and celebrating the musicians and artists in the region. I love the way WYCE uses their voice to place honor and value in independent music.”
A SHOWCASE OF THE ‘BEST OF THE BEST’
As Jairimi Driesenga of Holland’s Brother Adams puts it, the Jammies are quite simply a showcase of “the best of the best” in Michigan music.
“We feel blessed to be performing among so many acts we admire,” Driesenga said of Brother Adams, which will play Friday at The Intersection in Grand Rapids along with two dozen other acts during a long evening when awards will be presented in 14 categories.
Jammies Love: The Concussions performing at the 2015 Jammie Awards show. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Thanks to the “aggressive folk” music the band spotlighted on its 2015 “Blood” EP, Brother Adams is nominated for several awards, including best album by a new artist, song of the year and best Americana album.
“West Michigan’s artistic collaborative spirit makes this area a very attractive music scene and Brother Adams wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Grand Rapids is the place to be,” Driesenga said. “And it’s all just flickers of flame right now. I foresee some big things coming out of this scene sooner than later, and for those who aren’t convinced of that, the Jammies performances will do it for ‘em.”
Indeed, the 17th annual awards show organized by WYCE (88.1 FM) will boast short sets by rising stars and familiar acts from Michigan’s diverse music scene, including Vox Vidorra, Lady Ace Boogie, Big Dudee Roo, Greg Nagy, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, The Legal Immigrants, Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe, Rick Chyme & Nixon, Tunde Olaniran, The Soul Syndicate and more. The lion’s share of acts are performing at the Jammies for the first time.
The Soul Syndicate made a pre-Jammies appearance this week for Local Spins on WYCE. Listen to the full podcast here, including tracks by nine other acts being featured at The Intersection tonight.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE with The Soul Syndicate
Things at the Jammie Awards get started at 5:30 p.m. Friday. A $5 minimum suggested donation at the door provides showgoers with a food ticket for snacks from San Chez Bistro, and a donation of $10 or more secures an “I Support Local Music” pin. Also, Feeding America will collect food items from Jammie attendees, with a special need for peanut butter, whole-grain pasta and canned vegetables. And those wearing pajamas, aka jammies, get a free CD from WYCE’s collection.
With 95 regional artists nominated for album of the year, there’s plenty of suspense and excitement to go along with the musical camaraderie and upbeat entertainment.
Nominees range from up-and-coming acts such as young northern Michigan musician Milo Birch and Muskegon Americana duo Plain Jane Glory to more established groups such as Flint’s Rusty Wright Band and Kalamazoo’s The Go Rounds.
Past winners of the album of the year award insisted there’s nothing like being honored with a Jammie, an award voted on by the army of volunteer programmers at WYCE, which devotes much of its air time to Michigan music.
“The accolades I received from my peers were uplifting beyond words and was a positive affirmation, filling a void that a lack of financial compensation could not fill,” said Kurt Schmiege of the Grand Rapids Afro-beat faves Afro Zuma, which won album of the year honors in 2014.
“The best thing about the Jammie Awards is how much of the community comes out to support local music.”
Return Performer: Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish are one of the few repeat acts at the Jammies this year. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, with two dozen sets taking place on two stages inside the Grand Rapids nightclub, including a performance by Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Ralston Bowles who is being honored this year with a special Legacy Award. He will also host an after-party in The Stache (front lounge) starting at 11:30 p.m.
Paul Hoffman of Kalamazoo’s nationally renowned progressive bluegrass group Greensky Bluegrass, which won the big Jammie award last year, called the event “a great celebration of regional music. I always enjoyed being there for the opportunities to see our musical comrades and establish some new local creative alliances.”
West Michigan blues guitarist Vincent Hayes, who shared album of the year honors in 2011 with Erlewine, said it’s about “being supported and recognized by the community for one’s musical achievements, and then getting to cheer other musicians on as well. It’s the only event that I know of in the state that features so many genres of artists under the same roof.”
Check out a recap of last year’s Jammie Awards in this Local Spins story and photo gallery.
VIDEO: The Legal Immigrants, “Fly On,” Local Spins Live
https://youtu.be/quXeqddE8YI
Copyright 2016, Spins on Music LLC
Sorry to break it to you, but no, the Jammies are definitely not better than the Grammys.
No worries. All a matter of personal opinion. The Jammies are by far more interesting to me.