Reflecting the milieu of the entire seven-day music festival, Sunday’s closing salvo at Bronson Park boasted a wide swath of styles amid summery weather. The recap and photos at Local Spins.
That’s a Wrap: The Go Rounds on stage Sunday at Bronson Park to close out Sounds of the Zoo. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Sounds of the Zoo 2025’s final day perfectly summarized what this free, week-long Kalamazoo music festival is all about.
From world music to soul to Americana to psychedelic, pop-driven rock, the festival’s conclusion on Sunday came amid cloudless skies and summery weather at Bronson Park, showcasing the myriad of styles that marked performances by more than four dozen artists over seven days at several different Kalamazoo locations.
Launching in the sunshine with the Middle Eastern flair of the Bahar Ensemble, which actively works with the Connecting Chords Music Festival and Concert Series, the closing salvo at the fourth-year festival continued with California’s Goh Kurosawa, a multi-genre, guitar-looping wizard who had the crowd mesmerized before his first song had ended.
Sunday Soul: Yolonda Lavender (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Detroit’s Americana powerhouse, Jennifer Westwood & The Handsome Devils followed with a set that showed why she’s been a multiple winner at the Detroit Music Awards. Kalamazoo’s own Yolonda Lavender further upped the ante with a soulful display that took attendees to church on an early Sunday evening — and as the sun went down, it served as a little reminder that this was Kalamazoo’s summer season finale.
Closing the night out, Kalamazoo indie-rock/pop band The Go Rounds had the crowd up front and dancing along throughout a nearly 90-minute set. The music — combined with an incredible light show — made the Bronson Park amphitheater look more like a flying saucer, ready to take fans on a ride to another planet.
For festival founder Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, the herculean task of juggling so many performers at so many different venues was more than worth it, demonstrating the “power of collaboration in action. Throughout the week, artists, industry professionals and community members came together to network, share ideas and create connections that will last far beyond the festival itself.
“It was inspiring to see our team continue to grow and thrive, and to watch local college students step into new roles, develop their skills, and gain hands-on experience in the music industry. The momentum is building, slowly but surely, and it is deeply gratifying to see the community begin to recognize and embrace the vision we are working to bring to life.”
More coverage of the rest of the Sounds of the Zoo at Local Spins here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Sounds of the Zoo at Bronson Park (Sunday)
Bahar Ensemble, Goh Kurosawa, Jennifer Westwood, Yolonda Lavender, The Go Rounds
Photos by Derek Ketchum
Copyright 2025, Spins on Music LLC
