West Michigan skated into mid-December with holiday fare, rock ‘n’ roll and more — from Turkuaz to Wayland — captured in images and videos at Local Spins. Browse the photos, videos and show recaps.
Holiday Magic: J. Oscar Bittinger and crew on stage at Listening Room on Sunday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Singer-songwriter and event organizer J. Oscar Bittinger called it a reviving, rebooting and revisiting of “A Winter’s Tune,” an annual Grand Rapids holiday tradition that last graced a stage back in 2011.
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Audience members at Listening Room on Sunday afternoon called it a welcome, uplifting return of a unique concert showcasing classic and original songs of the season, presented in the cozy, acoustically pleasing setting of Listening Room in downtown Grand Rapids.
More than a half-dozen solo artists and a few fetching bands (The Folk Bros., The Far Shore, OctoberDay) regaled 100-plus attendees with what can only be described as a magical, intimate rendering of stories and songs, including “White Christmas” by Hannah Rose Graves, “O Come O Come Emmanuel” by John Sanger, “Good King Wenceslas” by Justin “Stovepipe” Stover, “Auld Lang Syne” by Josh Rose and many more.
Beyond that, the who’s who lineup of West Michigan singer-songwriters and musicians included Kyle Rasche, Lexi Adams, Robin Connell and Ralston Bowles, who eschewed the microphone on stage and instead strolled into the audience for a poignant version of his song, “Little Miracles.”
PHOTO GALLERY: “A Winter’s Tune 2019” at Listening Room (Sunday)
Photos by Anna Sink and John Sinkevics
On Saturday night, Brother Elsey’s headlining Pyramid Scheme showy offered the electric buzz of rock ‘n’ roll magic of a band hitting its stride.
Opening the show, Seth Beck gave a rollicking full band performance, followed by Further Closer, an eclectic six-piece collective fronted by Jake Kalmink.
The most magical moments of Brother Elsey’s set arrived when the band played acoustically in the middle of the club floor. Despite the swoosh of a balloon caught in an overhead ceiling fan, brothers Jack, Brady and Beau Stablein pressed through distractions to deliver renditions of “Peacemaker” and “Matador.”
Other highlights included a full-band rendition of “Dreamer,” a new and powerfully crafted song, as well as a brief cover of “All Your Favorite Bands,” by Dawes. By the end of the set, both the band and the crowd were firing on all cylinders, just in time for “Fast Train,” a romping single released earlier this year. The rambling tune, with a grooving bass line and pounding drums, set the perfect backdrop for some of the best harmonies and energy of the evening.
PHOTO GALLERY: Brother Elsey at The Pyramid Scheme (Saturday)
Photos by Anna Sink
Photos by Derek Ketchum
