Reveling in the final vestiges of summer, West Michigan concertgoers had plenty of live music to wallow in — from Rock the Rapids at Fifth Third Ballpark to polka parties at the Dozynki Polish Heritage Festival.
ZZ Rapids: Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top gave Fifth Third Ballpark all their lovin’ on Thursday. (Photos/Anthony Norkus Photography)
Look, in my book, there’s almost a full month of summer left.
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But in reality, folks are scrambling to jam in as much West Michigan fun as they can in the waning weeks of August, with some colleges firing up classes next week already and Labor Day looming ahead.
Local Spins jammed in as much live music fun as it could muster, too, starting the weekend early on Thursday with ZZ Top, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and GR’s own Junior Valentine pumping up 8,500 fans for Rock the Rapids’ final night at Fifth Third Ballpark, which also made organizers happy, considering this was a holding-pattern year for the festival. The solid numbers for all three nights (more than 22,000 total) certainly bodes well for Rock the Rapids’ return in 2014. Check out the Local Spins reviews and full photo galleries for all three shows at these links: ZZ Top, Daughtry/Lifehouse, and Thompson Square/Brett Eldredge/Drake White.
The Local Spins photo wrap-up of the weekend also boasts Bobby G Blues playing Rockford Brewing Co., the Dozynki Polish Harvest Festival on Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids with bands led by Stan Mroz, Rick Vinecki and more, along with the Backyard Bourbon & BBQ bash with country bands outside The B.O.B., the sold-out performance by Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (see the Local Spins review and more photos here), White Rabbit at Teazers, The JetBeats at the Tip Top Deluxe, and Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Kelsey Rottiers playing Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up listening room.
THE LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY (8/25/13)
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
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