The band playing Local Spins’ 13th anniversary show next Wednesday debuted a new song this week with a busy summer ahead, just part of the mid-May Michigan Music Showcase radio podcast.
Still in the Spotlight: But Joe Bockheim of The Legal Immigrants notes that lots of work and passion precedes that on-stage glitz. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
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Since 2009, guitarist, singer and songwriter Joe Bockheim has seen a fair number of different musicians find “permanent” residence in The Legal Immigrants – upwards of 16 players and counting.
But one thing has remained constant in that Grand Rapids rock band: Joe Bockheim.
So when he decided to finally make public a much-treasured track (debuting this week for Local Spins on WYCE) featuring even more special guest musicians – “a ‘Wrecking Crew band’ that included Jack White bassist Dominic John Davis and keyboardist Steve Talaga – he released it under The Legal Immigrants moniker.
Bockheim: Celebrating 16 years as band frontman and 13 years of Local Spins. (Photo/Local Spins)
“It is my favorite song I’ve ever recorded,” Bockheim said, noting “I Adore You” was never released because it didn’t reflect his current band lineup at the time or the vibe of other songs. (Scroll down to listen to the track as part of this week’s radio show podcast.)
“But I decided a couple months ago, ‘I’m just going to release this as The Legal Immigrants,’ because I’m looking back and there’s all different people on every other record. The only common thread is me.”
Indeed, the congenial band frontman continues to unleash his infectious and energetic rock tunes, influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin and, yes, Jack White and The White Stripes, while also exploring a bevy of other genres, from country to pop and Americana.
The journey began after graduating from Central Michigan University where Bockheim played football for the Chippewas as a wide receiver.
“Started right out of college having no idea how to be in a band, let alone singing to a microphone,” Bockheim recalled. “I’d been kind of writing songs and starting to figure some material out, which is paramount as we know with art. But there’s a lot more that goes into it than just, ‘Hey, write a good song.’ You have to find the right people, get the good fit, get the gear.”
Honing the band’s craft after years of hitting the road (including a tour of Australia), hauling heavy equipment, playing late-night gigs and surviving the usual rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, Bockheim is now a family man with three young children and a musical passion that’s focused mostly on recording his music.
“Now, it’s at a different kind of stage of the career where all my focus is writing and recording,” he said. “I’ve got three children now and hopefully, I’ll be blessed with grandkids someday, and I want at least some tiny bit of proof that was kind of cool at one point in my life.”
VIDEO: Joe Bockheim, “Smokey Mountain (Acoustic)” Live for Local Spins
HEADLINING LOCAL SPINS’ 13th ANNIVESARY PARTY AT SPEAKEZ LOUNGE
Then again, that doesn’t mean The Legal Immigrants are shying away from stages anytime soon.
Indeed, after hitting the road this weekend for a gig in Indianapolis, the band – longtime bassist Kevin Kitsch, guitarist Aladdin Kadic and drummer Mike Schertenlieb of Flexadecibel (who’s filling in for Scotty King) – will celebrate the 13th anniversary of Local Spins at Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday (May 21). Show and party details here.
“I love intimate shows like. It really does take on a different color than most other shows, because the people are right there,” he said of SpeakEZ Lounge. “It’s a lot more personal. … I’m going to try to do different interpretations of some of our songs.”
As for his eagerness to play Local Spins’ birthday bash: “They need to have one of these (Local Spins publication) in every city in America,” he said, noting the website is “such a tremendous facilitator for bands. I rely on Local Spins to keep me current with what’s going on …”
On Stage at Elevation in 2022: The Legal Immigrants (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
The band has several summer shows lined up, including June 11 at The Deck in Muskegon, June 27 at the Smiling Acres Music festival and July 6 at Red Dock in Saugatuck. Bockheim also plans to play solo at The Beaver Island Music Festival on July 19.
Beyond that, Bockheim plans to get back into the studio armed with more songs – eyeing an eclectic, genre-spanning collection – while making sure he’s fleshed the material out first.
“Come in prepared, get it tracked,” he said. “Leave some space for some magic, but just get the damn thing done.”
It’s one of the lessons learned from his football career; lessons that can be applied to performing and recording as a rock ’n’ roll band.
“I would say the biggest common thread is it’s about preparation. You see the fancy clothes on the stage and you see the pretty uniforms on game day. But really where everything happens is earlier in the week – all the practice time, rehearsal time, the writing time,” he said.
“What you see, that finished product, is the result of a tremendous amount of work and passion.”
Of course, there’s another inspiring comparison to football. “The crowds: Who doesn’t like people cheering for you?”
In addition to debuting, “I Adore You,” this week’s Local Spins radio show also featured Bockheim’s in-studio, acoustic performance of the song, “Smokey Mountain.”
Listen to the songs and interview as part of the radio show podcast that also features new Michigan music by Major Murphy, Dave & Kristi, The Butterscotch Boys and Hominian, as well as a 13th anniversary look back at tracks by Potato Moon, DangerVille Wildcats, The Hawktones and Folias Duo.
Local Spins’ Michigan Music Showcase airs on WYCE at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Listen to previous show podcasts online here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (5/16/25)
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