Huey Lewis & The News return to Meijer Gardens tonight.
Huey Lewis & The News, Katie Todd
7 p.m. Monday
$75 ($73 Meijer Gardens members)
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
It’s so hot, chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs. Sorry, I couldn’t resident. Hey, I thought it was broiling and crazy at the sun-stoked Electric Forest music festival in Rothbury this weekend but it looks like we’re in for more of the same this week: steamy weather mixed with red-hot live music. What a combo.
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Huey Lewis delivers more than just his Top 40 hits from the ‘80s and some TV show acting stints. Although overshadowed by some opening-night amphitheater glitches, last summer’s Meijer Gardens debut by Lewis and crew featured a host of horn-flavored R&B classics that his band clearly relished. Expect more of the same tonight (Monday), though unfortunately, Meijer Gardens just today announced that the concert is a sellout.
Funktion kicks off the Tuesday Evening Music Club series.
Funktion, Garrett Borns
7 p.m. Tuesday
$12 adults, discounts for kids/seniors; free for Meijer Gardens members
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
The brainchild of Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Ralston Bowles, Meijer Gardens’ Tuesday Evening Music Club series has become the premier outdoor series spotlighting local and regional musicians and bands. This year’s Tuesday night affairs begin with a health dose of funk and pop. Kalamazoo’s Funktionhas become one of West Michigan’s leading funk/R&B outfits, and Grand Haven pop/rock singer-songwriter Garrett Borns is making waves across the Midwest. And he also plays Grand Rapids again on Wednesday, so keep on reading.
Garrett Borns and his band will perform at downtown’s Fourth of July show.
The Outer Vibe, Garrett Borns
Kari Lynch Band, Donald Kinsey
Fourth of July Celebration
6 p.m. Wednesday
Free
Ah Nab Awen Park, downtown Grand Rapids
Spectacular pyrotechnics fired from two Grand River bridges aside, the real fireworks at Wednesday’s Fourth of July celebration in downtown Grand Rapids come BEFORE that display lights up the night sky at 10:30 p.m. Iconic bluesman Donald Kinsey (who was invited on stage for Gov’t Mule’s encore at Meijer Gardens last week), country’s Kari Lynch Band (recently gracing the front page of The Grand Rapids Press), pop phenom Garrett Borns (who won a best new artist award at last weekend’s Summerfest in Milwaukee), and rock/pop’s The Outer Vibe (featured on the cover of this month’s REVUE Magazine) will perform on the stage in front of the Gerald R. Ford Museum starting at 6 p.m.
With Spins on Music serving as a media sponsor for this year’s entertainment, I’ll be emceeing the stage show and introducing bands on Wednesday. And I’m just hoping I don’t melt by the time those missiles get launched.
Honor By August
Honor By August
8 p.m. Saturday
$18 ($110 for four-person private table)
Seven Steps Up, Spring Lake
Washington D.C.’s Honor By August is a rock foursome distinguished by its “inviting vocals and anthemic” guitars, according to metroscene.com. On Friday, the award-winning band is skipping its “reverb-drenched” approach for a special acoustic show at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake, known for its pristine “Pin Drop Concerts” in an intimate, listening-room setting.
The band won Billboard’s worldwide song contest and The Washington Post even called the up-and-coming band one of the East Coast’s “most promising” talents. Details and ticket information here. Seven Steps Up also hosts an “Acoustic Boys of Summer” concert featuring Nick Wronski and Darin Zarzecki at 8 p.m. Friday ($5).
Pedro’s Pig Roast with
Minne Morey & the Pacific Island Dancers, The ChupaCobras
Noon-7 p.m. Saturday
$10 adults, $5 seniors and children 12-16, $3 7-11, free 6 & under
City Beach, Grand Haven
Now, this is a beach party. Pedro’s 21st annual Pig Roast features live music, food, games, hula dancing, family activities and more, like Piglympics with Beach Blanket Bingo and more.
The event raises money for the Senior Meals on Wheels program in the Grand Haven area.
Bad Veins
9:30 p.m. Saturday
$5
Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids
Inventive Cincinnati indie-rock duo Bad Veins is touring behind its new album, “The Mess We’ve Made.” Opening their musical “mess” on Saturday will be Grand Rapids’ own shoegazy rock outfit Shores and electro-pop’s AOK. On Thursday, by the way, it’s Strange Arrangement and Glean Infusion in a free show at Founders at 9:30 p.m. More details here.
Brandi Carlile returns to Meijer Gardens on Sunday.
Brandi Carlile, The Apache Relay
7 p.m. Sunday
$45 ($43 Meijer Gardens members)
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
If you’ve never seen Brandi Carlile live, this is a tremendous opportunity and venue to catch her bracing rock and pop music. Touring with “the twins,” Tim (guitar) and Phil Hanseroth (bass), Carlile first appearance at Meijer Gardens was an opener for the Indigo Girls. But she’s a star headliner these days and has a brand new album, “Bear Creek,” to promote, but will certainly kick out older faves such as “The Story.” Watch a video for one of her new songs below. Opening will be Apache Relay, an indie-roots band out of Nashville. Get ticket information here.
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