From blues celebrations in Grand Rapids and Grand Haven to rock-fueled Record Store Day performances, it was an unseasonably wintry weekend when live music prevailed … and caught in photos shared at Spins on Music.
Big Blues Crew: A hefty crowd gathered under the big top for Larry McCray on Saturday in Grand Haven. (Photo/Michael Coleman)
It all rolled out as a truly bizarre news week, from the Boston Marathon bombings and an intense manhunt to historic flooding and the latest West Michigan snowfall I can ever recall.
Indoors, the live music caravan in the Grand Rapids area rolled on: Roosevelt Diggs’ lively country/folk performance at Rockford Brewing Co., The Bernie Worrell Orchestra’s funk-athon at Founders Brewing, Bobbie McFerrin’s vocal mastery at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, Pennsylvania’s The Stray Birds and Kalamazoo’s Red Tail Ring delivering folk beauty at Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up, WGVU’s Local Blues Matter benefit at Billy’s Lounge with a bevy of West Michigan blues icons, including Donald Kinsey, bluesmen Larry McCray, Vincent Hayes and more playing the (really) Chilly Blues Festival in downtown Grand Haven, part of which was indoors and part of which took place under a monstrous beer tent, and the Water Clocks, Bowery, HRVRD and Daylight playing The Stache inside The Intersection.
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And, of course, there was Record Store Day on Saturday, with hundreds cramming into Vertigo Music on S. Division Avenue in Grand Rapids and the Corner Record Shop in Grandville, as bands cranked out live music for customers who lined up for special vinyl releases, discounts and a general celebration of independently owned record stores across the country.
At Vertigo, Modern Convenience, Trinket, Haunted Leather, The Corrosive Kids and Helical Scan turned up the amps while customers held their vinyl treasures like prized fish, some waiting in line for more than a half-hour to check out. A smiling proprietor, Herm Baker, was aiming for a 10 percent increase in sales from last year’s Record Store Day spectacle, which also boosted sales by 10 percent from the previous year — most of it via vinyl, which is once again becoming the backbone of record industry growth.
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Even the city’s oldest music retailer, Dodd’s Record Store, a few blocks away on S. Division Avenue, saw a smattering of customers, as bands led by Rev. Charles Preston Smith of PotatoeBabies played just outside the front door despite the unseasonably cold temperature. Meanwhile, The Corner Record Shop in Grandville boasted performances by Dave Hardin, Mike Key, The Diemakers, The Boss Mustangs, Dangerville and Glowfriends.
Great to see these indie shops getting some love, eh?
Come back to Spins on Music on Monday morning for more photos and updates here at the Weekend Photo Gallery.
Remember: If you have photos from live weekend music events in the Grand Rapids area, email them by Sunday morning to jsinkevics@gmail.com, listing the band, the venue and the photographer. We’ll use the best photos in the Weekend Photo Gallery and put your name in the hat for April to win a gift certificate from HopCat.
Folk/Country Energy: Roosevelt Diggs entertained a big crowd as the house band at Rockford Brewing Co. on Thursday. (Photo/Spins on Music)
Funk Legend: Bernie Worrell, a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic, brought his orchestra to Founders on Thursday night. (Photo/Brian Haik)
Vocal Mastery: Grammy-winning singer Bobby McFerrin and a five-piece band showed off their jazzy chops at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center on Friday. (Photo/Spins on Music)
At 50 And Counting, A Mid-Life Crisis Indeed: Drummer Steve Bloom celebrated his birthday on Friday with a party featuring performances by Mid-Life Crisis and guests.
Pennsylvania Folk: The harmony-driven Stray Birds landed at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake on Friday. (Photo/Kevin Reedy Photography)
Kalamazoo Duo: Red Tail Ring opened Friday night’s show at Seven Steps Up. (Photo/Kevin Reedy Photography)
Jamming Together: Red Tail Ring joined The Stray Birds on stage Friday for a joyful encore. (Photo/Kevin Reedy Photography)
Local Blues Do Matter: Guitarist Donald Kinsey (with Andrew Ogrodzinski in the background) played WGVU’s Local Blues Matter benefit at Billy’s Lounge on Friday. (Photo/Michael Koole)
Lined Up: Hundreds of music buyers packed Vertigo Music on Saturday (and stood in long lines) for Record Store Day specials, discounts, live music, refreshments. (Photo/Spins on Music)
Banging It Out: Trinket turned up the volume during its set at Vertigo Music.
Haunting Music: Haunted Leather played Vertigo Music on Saturday. (Photo/Anna Sinkevics)
Psychedelic Gems: Haunted Leather at Vertigo.
Crazy Man at the Cash Register: Vertigo Music’s customer service representative on Saturday.
Getting Wild at Record Store Day: Rev. Charles Preston Smith and the PotatoeBabies revved up Dodd’s Record Store on Saturday. (Photo/Anna Sinkevics)
Cold Spins: Burnt Offerings played outside Dodd’s Record Store on S. Division Avenue for Record Store Day.
Historic Figure: For more than 50 years, Gerry Dodd has been selling records in Grand Rapids.
Motown Magic: Detroit bluesman Larry McCray fired up the crowd with hot guitar licks during Saturday’s Chilly Blues celebration in Grand Haven. (Photo/Michael Coleman)
Heating Up: West Michigan guitarist Vincent Hayes, left, was part of the Chilly Blues lineup which also included Big Daddy Fox, Chris Wiser and more. (Photo/Michael Coleman)
Sitting In: After his beer tent set, McCray also played with the Steve Hilger Band at the Dee-Lite. (Photo/Courtesy of Steve Hilger)
Blue Moves: The Water Clocks played The Stache inside The Intersection on Sunday night. (Photo/Todd VanTongeren)
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
Love Bernie Worrell! Is that an actual Clavinet he’s playing?
…Swamped here with various stuff. No time to talk right now.
Remembering Pink Floyd: “One of these days I’m going to… Skype you into little pieces!”