Grand Haven’s first-ever Pride Fest on Sunday will boast sets by Lipstick Jodi, Olivia Mainville, Abigail Stauffer and Jack & The Bear aimed at promoting the idea that “love wins in the end.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS OF THE FEATURED ARTISTS
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For years, C3 in Grand Haven has embraced everyone into the community congregation.
Now, the Lakeshore spiritual community – which has attended diversity and pride celebration events outside Grand Haven for years – is preparing to throw a celebration of its own called C3’s Music & PRIDE Celebration, set for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Grand Haven Community Center. Tickets are $10 and are available online here.
The music lineup includes Ann Arbor singer-songwriter Abigail Stauffer (2 p.m.), Southwest Michigan’s innovative Jack & The Bear (3 p.m.), West Michigan indie-folk outfit Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe (4 p.m.) and Grand Rapids indie-rock/garage rock band Lipstick Jodi (5 p.m.).
“Typically, we’d sponsor another organization’s Pride Fest, whether it be in Grand Rapids or Holland, and we would have a C3 booth with our resources and information,” said David Dean, C3 volunteer and planning committee member who is helping organize the event.
“But this time, the committee brought up the idea, ‘Why don’t we have our own?’ The feedback was really positive, and the emails and phone calls started coming in…for musical performers, business sponsors, and most of all, personal sponsors.”
Dean said it seemed as though everyone who signed on to the event as a donor or sponsor is connected to the LGBTQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) by family or friendship.
“It was personal to them,” he said. “It’s no longer abstract. It’s a positive, celebratory, musical experience.”
Dean said C3’s Music & PRIDE Celebration will be a celebration, above everything else.
“I want this to be an event where we work towards something, rather than against,” he said. “We are doing this to promote the idea that love wins in the end, and can unite us all.”
A TOPIC ‘NOT ALWAYS OPENLY DISCUSSED’ BUT A GOOD PLACE TO START
Dean said that in keeping with the open, inclusive nature of C3, members of the community might not always agree on every point in the conversation, but it is important to get together and have the discussion.
“Historically, it’s been an area not always openly discussed,” he said. “But, sticking up for the little guy, like C3 always does, it’s a good way to start and to have the conversation. If you don’t want to hear it, just don’t come. But there are others who need to hear it, who need to be loved, supported and encouraged. And we are doing this for them, too.”
Dean said the event is a good fit for C3 which has a history of social awareness and musical presentations at its weekly Sunday gatherings.
Dean also said the C3 crew was lucky to have the organizers behind The Red House Concert Series to book the musicians. As of last week, half of the 180 tickets had been sold, and Dean was confident the event would sell out.
“The event has really blossomed,” he said. “We will have resources and other LGBTQ organizations in attendance, but music is the main part of the event. It brings everyone together. Poor, rich, music is an equalizer, it is a great avenue to feel, to celebrate and to enjoy what brings us all together.”
Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe are part of the “Local Spins Live at River City Studios: The Sessions, Vol. 1” CD that features tracks by 12 West Michigan bands recorded in front of a live studio audience. To order a copy of that CD, visit the Local Spins shop here. Watch the video from that session below.
VIDEO: Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe, Local Spins Live at River City Studios
VIDEO: Lipstick Jodi, “She Likes Boys”
VIDEO: Abigail Stauffer, “Fire & Comfort”
VIDEO: Jack & The Bear, “Riddles in the Dark”
Copyright 2017, Spins on Music LLC