Kalamazoo Pride, GR's Festival and more (Photos)

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The first full week of June was full of musical merriment, from Grand Rapids to Otsego to Paw Paw to Kalamazoo, recapped in photos at Local Spins.

Firing up Festival of the Arts: J Snell and Sligh on the Clocktower Stage on Saturday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)

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The recap of West Michigan’s live music week has had plenty of twists and turns and tantalizing highlights — all spotlighted in Local Spins photos below.

The first full week of June featured:

• A sold-out tour stop by heavy metal’s Baroness at Grand Rapids’ Pyramid Scheme

• Opening summer concerts at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Tuesday Evening Music Club recapped at Local Spins here; Orville Peck reviewed here);

• Paw Paw’s Warner Vineyards welcoming Southwest Michigan’s own Myron Elkins, along with Alex Teller;

• Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Andy Frasco and Dogs in a Pile heating up a summer-starting spectacle at Bell’s Brewery Beer Garden;

• Kalamazoo Pride unfurling its two-day 2024 celebration at Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Creek Festival Place with a bevy of bands and performers taking the stage;

Kalamazoo Pride: The crowds on Saturday. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)

• Kalamazoo’s Art on the Mall, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts’ Art Fair, June Jubilee and State on the Street also pumped up downtown Kalamazoo with live music and visual art displays;

• Grand Rapids’ Festival of the Arts revved up several stages with a wide array of music throughout the day on Saturday — until rain forced organizers to cancel evening performances. (View the Friday recap here.) Saturday highlights courtesy of writer Holly Holtzclaw included:

• Sophia McIntosh and the Sages on the DiSuvero Stage – This talented band of teens, led by lead singer Sophia McIntosh, could be heard long before the DiSuvero Stage was even in view. The group performed an array of well-loved classics including Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” as well as some original tracks. McIntosh pulled off challenging vocal feats and slid from note to note with seemingly no effort at all. McIntosh and her band performed with complete confidence and smiles on their faces as their audience of family, friends, and strangers alike cheered them on.

• Big Timmy & The Heavy Chevys on the City Stage – Despite getting cut short due to the rain, Big Timmy & The Heavy Chevys produced a high-energy set with a huge sound and powerful vocals. The Grand Rapids band brought soulful and funky beats to the City Stage, enhanced by a full horn section consisting of a trumpet, trombone and two saxophones. As the rain showed no sign of letting up, audience members gathered under awnings to keep listening. Some die-hard fans even remained in the front row, completely unconcerned about the weather.

• Elsewhere, Heather Bartman entertained enthusiastic fans with her signature country-rock sound, Kalamazoo’s DRINK THEIR BLOOD mixed things up with jazz-infused heavy metal, and Don Sprik & Freewheelin played some classic rock ’n’ roll. The Calder stage showcased dance troupes of all kinds, choirs and instrumental ensemble performances for the majority of the afternoon. By 7 p.m., all outdoor activities were put on pause and shortly after that, Festival of the Arts made the decision to cancel all outdoor performances for the rest of the night.

PHOTO GALLERY: Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts (Saturday)
Photos by Anthony Norkus and Holly Holtzclaw