Jammie Awards 2018 revisited: ‘So much’ talent, energy and fun boost West Michigan’s biggest night for music

Take a gander at Local Spins’ exclusive, expanded coverage of the WYCE Jammies with a robust photo gallery, video and reactions from winning bands.

 

SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY, VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS, WINNERS’ LIST

“So much talent.”

“So much fun.”

And so much energetic music, heartfelt camaraderie and uplifting charm.

Those sentiments permeated the 2018 edition of WYCE-FM’s Jammie Awards show Friday at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, with more than 20 bands performing on two stages as the community radio station (and Local Spins) doled out honors to some of the top releases of the past year.

Even though a few scheduled stars were missing due to the wintry weather (May Erlewine, Organissimo, ConvoTronics), those that turned out – and those like folk-rock’s The Crane Wives who admirably and gleefully filled Erlewine’s open slot on stage – were treated to a spectacle befitting the label, “West Michigan music’s biggest night.”

It certainly was a big night for rock/pop bands such as Grand Rapids’ Lipstick Jodi, not only making its first appearance on The Intersection’s main showroom stage, but also winning the award for best alternative album for the self-titled “Lipstick Jodi.”

Band keyboardist Jamie Baarman said she felt nervous beforehand, but that all changed when the band hit the stage just after accepting its Jammie.

“No nerves, no nerves!” Baarman gushed. “It was so much fun.”

Every moment of Lipstick Jodi’s hard-hitting performance oozed charisma. The set marked bassist Camille Hoorn’s last performance with the band, which, in addition to the Jammie win, made things all the more emotionally charged.

ELBOW-TO-ELBOW CELEBRATION OF REGIONAL ACTS

Several hundred fans ambled between the nightclub’s two stages all evening long, giving the event its usual festival vibe.

The front lounge, aka The Stache, was overflowing with an elbow-to-elbow crowd late in the evening to hear the warm, bluesy vibes of Hannah Rose and the GravesTones, who were nominated in the blues/soul category for “Awake in a Dream.” Singer Hannah Rose Graves and an all-star lineup of musicians got things stirred up quickly, eliciting dancing and loud cheers from an audience of hundreds.

The same was true of 17-year-old blues-rock phenom Jake Kershaw, who lit up the Jammie Awards for the first time in his brief career, turning heads all around the main showroom from the first notes he played, as is his custom. New for the evening? He left with listener’s choice honors for best album by a new artist as well as Local Spins’ emerging artist of the year award.

“I’m so grateful to receive an award, and right off the bat,” Kershaw said of the prize for his “Piece of My Mind” debut album. “It’s a super nice crowd; there’s a really cool mix of bands. That’s the great part about it: the music here in Grand Rapids. It’s so awesome here.”

Fans felt that awesomeness, too.

Rachel Naccache was a newcomer to the Jammie Awards, attending the 19th annual event to support the band Justin Avdek & the Underground Circus, who performed on the Stache Stage.

“It’s pretty cool,” Naccache said. “It’s really nice to have something like this here in Grand Rapids everyone can come to, that’s not just a far-away concert or festival, that’s minutes away from your house. And there’s so much talent here, not to mention, so many regulars — people always out, supporting our great West Michigan talent.”

That includes Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, who took a front-row spot in the main showroom to marvel at Kershaw’s jaw-dropping talent, as well as dozens of well-known West Michigan musicians who weren’t performing Friday but turned out to support and cheer other bands.

Ogle the robust Local Spins photo gallery and video below. And for even more coverage, videos and photos from The Jammies, click here: May Erlewine, The War & Treaty, Hollywood Makeout roll up big wins at Jammie Awards

PHOTO GALLERY: Jammies 2018 at The Intersection
Photos by Anthony Norkus, Kendra Kamp, Anna Sink and Derek Ketchum

VIDEO: Jammies Highlights

Copyright 2018, Spins on Music LLC