The mid-July torrent of live music across West Michigan this weekend ranged from blues to bluegrass to metal, jazz and more. Relive the action in words and photos at Local Spins.
Beautiful Blues: Ivy Ford on stage during the Kalamazoo Blues Fest. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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When it comes to the blues, the Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association has been championing and spotlighting the influential genre for more than 30 years.
So, this weekend’s Kalamazoo Blues Festival — which first took place back in 1994 — gave fans a wide swath of blues gems to cheer at Arcadia Creek Festival Place, from North Carolina roots rock/blues singer and harmonica whiz Brandon Santini, Grammy Award-nominated blues guitar hero John Primer and multi-award-winning Texas saxophonist/singer-songwriter Vanessa Collier to Michigan favorites such as Chris Canas, Lefthanded Rollers and Crossroads Resurrection.
Rain and storms on Saturday impacted the turnout, but the 31st fest unfurled a buffet of variety to entice fans.
Leftover Salmon: Part of a night of bluegrass at Meijer Gardens. (Photo/Anna Sink)
In Grand Rapids, meanwhile, Friday night at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park ended with what could be dubbed a bluegrass “hippie jam.”
Members of the evening’s three bands — Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters and Kitchen Dwellers — filled the stage for covers of some vintage classics for a non-capacity but super-enthused crowd.
Brimming with homey, barefoot, bubbling-over, family-style energy, the sun-drenched evening boasted plenty of dancing upfront, bringing smiles to the faces of all the musicians who’ve been touring the country on this three-band jaunt.
It all started with a trippy set from the Montana-bred Kitchen Dwellers, who even rolled out a cover of Radiohead, as well as a song produced by Michigan’s own Glenn Brown, “Seven Devils.”
On the other end of the musical spectrum, Saturday’s Day 2 lineup for Grand Rapids’ rock-driven Upheaval Festival at Belknap Park featured everything from the metal of Falling in Reverse to the bluesy alt-rock of Dead Poet Society.
Unfortunately, rain and threat of lightning interrupted country rap/hip hop artist Yelawolf after just one song around 5 p.m., when the festival site was cleared, with fans returning abound 6:30 p.m. He managed to squeeze in a single song, then sang Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” before leaving the stage (later to hang out with fans upfront).
The shortened schedule after that featured Wage War, Vended and FiveXFive before Dead Poet Society and Falling in Reverse wrapped up the evening. (View full Day 1 coverage at Local Spins here.)
Jazz Bash 2025 at The Stray (Photos/Ralston Bowles)
Indoors, the musical celebrations in Grand Rapids included the first ever, day-long “Jazz Bash” at The Stray in Grand Rapids, an event organized by Grand Rapids musician Tommy Pancy with headliner Randy Napoleon Trio and six other bands performing.
In Paw Paw, Warner Vineyards hosted a Wednesday tour stop by The Bacon Brothers — with star Kevin Bacon chatting amiably with the crowd — along with Pernikoff Brothers and Kyle Brown, while Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo fired up on Friday with the debut of West Michigan’s The Flying Leaps, along with Yellowhouse and The Plural Nouns.
Scroll down to browse the photo galleries.
PHOTO GALLERY: Kalamazoo Blues Fest
Arcadia Creek Festival Place (Friday-Saturday)
Photos by Derek Ketchum
PHOTO GALLERY: Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Kitchen Dwellers
Meijer Gardens (Friday)
Photos by Anna Sink
PHOTO GALLERY: Upheaval Festival at Belknap Park (Saturday)
Photos by Anthony Norkus
