A decade ago, W. Michigan’s Josh Rose voiced his plea for no-frills, no-texting, no-talking milieus as vital for performers and fans. He still hankers for that. Local Spins Rewind revisits his essay with an update.
‘Meaningful Musical Space’: Josh Rose at the Midtown listening room in 2022. (Photo/Bryan Bolea)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This guest column originally appeared at Local Spins on Oct. 15, 2015, one of a series of essays giving a voice to West Michigan musicians on topics dear to their hearts — assessing the highs and lows of the music scene, in their own words. At that time, singer-songwriter Josh Rose advocated for quieter, more pristine concert experiences for local artists. Since then, some listening rooms have come and gone, including the much-beloved Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake and Richard App Gallery (mentioned in Rose’s column). Local Spins asked Rose for an update; check out his addendum below.
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Back in 1990 in the tiny Starlight Theater in Sault Ste. Marie, my friends booed and talked through the entire duration of “Dances With Wolves.”
Yes, I admit, I may have joined the party a little bit and may have told a few loud jokes about Kevin Costner’s butt or something.
Josh Rose (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
I was young, my friends. I was literally running with a pack of 17-year-old wolves. Forgive me. I hope I didn’t ruin the movie for anyone or make any flannel-shirt-wearing movie fan waste $3.
Now, of course, I remember the movie with fondness, especially Lt. Dunbar’s assignment to the frontier outpost of Fort Sedgewick. Dunbar, played by Costner, finds himself alone, vulnerable, and unprepared in Colorado, left to rebuild a destitute fort and fulfill his assignment for the U.S. Army on the plains of the Old West.
I’ll spare you the synopsis: the movie simply hit home with me.
Fort Sedgewick was the ultimate setting for the inevitable clashes: ancient versus new, nature versus progress, and culture versus culture. Costner’s character navigates these conflicts amid magnificent backgrounds, forges a new identity, finds love, and manufactures his own Nirvana (albeit briefly) only after he steps outside his civilized comfort zone.
So what is the comfort-zone stretching Fort Sedgewick of the music world? Listening rooms.
These musical venues are off-the-radar outposts that offer people a musical Xanadu. People want to be wholly invested in a musical experience. People want music performed organically and without frills. If conditions are exactly right, people want to shut their cell phones off, let the world be for a while, and immerse themselves in a meaningful musical space.
MINIMAL DISTRACTIONS, AUDIENCE INTERACTION AND A COMPELLING EXPERIENCE
People want to be moved.
This is what happens in a listening room. The distractions are minimal. The audience is expected to listen without conversation. Artists sit down and trade songs, often accompanying each other in spur-of-the-moment bursts. The artists swap songs, tell stories, and interact with the audience to keep the content varied and upbeat.
Singer-songwriter Michelle Held (Photo/Kevin Hanson)
It’s not just music for “right now,” with energy and four on the floor and a dance beat. It’s like the old-time candy: It’s music for now … and later.
West Michigan has limited listening room space for local and regional artists. At the time this column first was written, Richard App Gallery in Grand Rapids had stepped up to offer its location for listening-room concerts to showcase Michigan talent.
Patrons came early, took in some great art, conversed with friends and then enjoyed two hours of music – sans touch screens. In that two hours, they probably found themselves laughing, nodding their heads, and feeling.
It may take a little more concentration than that arena or stadium show you’ve been saving for, but I promise: You’re probably going to like the listening room experience.
October 2025 Addendum from Josh Rose: “I still believe in the power of musical community and I believe that people are starting to realize that technological advances have made some positive contributions to human social interactions. However, I also feel that people are starting to realize that the Internet is where drama, negativity and discord are amplified and monetized.
“I really hope that people still crave the real community and magic that music and art provides as it has for the past 40,000 years or so. It’s part of who we are as homo sapiens. Spaces that are dedicated to the human expression are so important today.
“I feel that we need art as much as we ever had. I hope we can sustain dedicated artistic spaces and the art that human beings still create. I hope what I (and other musicians) do is art. It’s up to you all to decide if that sentiment has merit or not. Peace and love to you all, Josh.”
ABOUT JOSH ROSE: Ada-based singer-songwriter Josh Rose has released several albums, including 2023’s “foreverland.” He’s also a high school teacher. Get more information at josh-rose.com.
Copyright 2025, Spins on Music LLC
