Legacy Award winners Mustard Plug and The Verve Pipe will lead an impressive lineup of performers and nominees at WYCE’s 16th annual awards show at The Intersection. See the full performance schedule.
Rock Legacy: Brian Vander Ark and The Verve Pipe will be honored and perform Friday at the Jammies. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Mustard Plug frontman David Kirchgessner has never been a fan of contests or award shows.
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Proud of Mustard Plug’s 23-year Run: David Kirchgessner. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
But being honored this year by WYCE’s Jammie Awards with a Legacy Award for the ska punk band’s longevity and stature as one of Grand Rapids’ best recognized musical exports makes him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
It’s all about the mutual love and admiration that West Michigan’s musicians have for one another.
“I think the best part of the Jammies is that it doesn’t seem so much like a competition between local bands but more like a celebration of the local scene,” he told Local Spins. “It’s really nice to be shown the appreciation of your community.”
Save this image on your smartphone and take it with you to the Jammies on Friday.
Continuing a tradition that’s grown considerably in size and stature over the years, the 16th annual Jammie Awards taking place in Grand Rapids on Friday will honor the best in regional music with more than a dozen awards and performances by at least 25 West Michigan acts on two stages.
Hosted by Grand Rapids community radio station WYCE-FM (88.1), the evening is rightly considered the biggest night of the year for musicians from Kalamazoo to Traverse City to Ann Arbor. Akin to the local version of the Grammy Awards, the event could draw more than 1,400 people to The Intersection.
A record number of regional recordings are up for album of the year honors – more than 130 – with awards also announced and presented in a variety of categories, ranging from best album by a new artist to best blues/soul album to best production/engineering.
The Verve Pipe – the platinum-selling West Michigan alt-rock band that also has survived more than two decades – will join Mustard Plug in being honored with a Legacy Award. Both bands will play short sets as part of the evening that, for the first time, will also include a post-party hosted by singer-songwriter Seth Bernard and feature performances by Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys and others.
Brian Vander Ark, lead singer and chief songwriter for The Verve Pipe, said being honored with a Legacy Award is “icing on the cake” after a year that saw the band release “Overboard,” its first bona fide rock album in 13 years, earning widespread critical praise in the process.
The alt-rock band’s resurgence comes amid the region’s growing reputation as a music mecca, evidenced by a record number of artists nominated for Jammies.
REGION PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY ACTS AND GETTING SUPPORT FROM FANS
“The West Michigan music scene is producing some of the best acts in the country,” Vander Ark raved. “The best part of the Jammies is the amount of music fans who support this award.”
Big Crowds: The Jammies will fill The Intersection with bands playing two stage. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Enduring and thriving after more than 20 years in the music business means the honor for Mustard Plug is truly gratifying, Kirchgessner conceded.
“Over the past 23 years, we’ve had ups and downs and ups again. Overall, I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished,” the band’s lead singer said. “I can’t think of many other bands that have stayed as true to their vision, kept producing new music, kept touring and kept more or less the same lineup as we have.”
Mustard Plug last year released its most recent CD, “Can’t Contain It,” touring the country behind the album and continuing to rev up its fan base.
“I take a certain amount of pride in the records and tickets we’ve sold, but the band’s goal has always been to create music we like and perform shows that we’d like to see. We’ve never made it a goal to focus on critical acclaim or mainstream popularity,” said Kirchgessner, noting it’s great to see so many West Michigan bands similarly making their mark on the scene as evidenced by the Jammies lineup.
Dante Cope
“It’s definitely a testament to the strength of the local scene. It’s amazing to see how many bands there are and how productive they are.”
Other acts playing the Jammie Awards and post-party tonight include Alexis, A.B., Channing & Quinn, Brad Fritcher, The Concussions, Dante Cope, Hannah Rose & Justin Wierenga, Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, Josh Rose, Maraj, Max Lockwood, Micah Ling, The Muteflutes, Nicholas James Thomasma, Roosevelt Diggs, Tom Hymn, Valentiger, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, Vox Vidorra and more. See the full schedule above.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the post-party expected to continue until after 1 a.m. Admission is free, plus you can pick out a free CD if you’re wearing pajamas (jammies) or make a donation of $10 or more to WYCE. Attendees also are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or gently used clothing for charity.
The event is presented by Bell’s Brewery with support from The Intersection, ViziDef, Rainbow Music, LiveSpace and GRTV.
Tune in to 88.1 FM WYCE at 11 a.m. Friday when members of Mustard Plug will be special guests during Local Spins on WYCE.
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC
Nicely written article. Should be a dynamite show!