Blessed with summer-like weather, Kalamazoo’s seven-day Sounds of the Zoo festival closed out the weekend with a refreshing salvo of diverse music. The recap and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps: Closed out Sounds of the Zoo with a rock flourish. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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It only seemed apropos that the final weekend of Kalamazoo’s robust Sounds of the Zoo festival would roll out amid ideal, sunshine-splashed weather.
“It was another magical year,” a tired but happy festival founder and executive director Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert said on Monday, after dozens of performers lit up Bronson Park and other locations in downtown Kalamazoo over the weekend to close out the seven-day affair.
“The weather was absolutely perfect over the weekend and created the ultimate outdoor music festival vibe in Bronson Park. … We again were able to showcase a wide variety of amazingly talented, diverse musicians that shared their music with the community.”
With more than four dozen bands strutting their stuff at eight different Kalamazoo — not counting outdoor busking locations on Saturday — the free, second annual Sounds of the Zoo embraced not only a plethora of genres uncorked by Michigan acts but varied fan atmospheres.
Zion Lion: The band pumped up Bronson Park on Saturday. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
“All of the local music venues offered a different way to experience live music. We added two more venues to the roster this year which created more opportunities to experience live music,” Hudson-Prenkert said. “The excitement and enthusiasm was palpable for the entire seven days of the festival.”
Saturday’s busking stations featuring regional performers at several downtown locations “were a hit as the day went on,” said Local Spins’ Derek Ketchum, noting that as many as 75 people cheered sets outside State Theatre.
And on Sunday, Dixon’s Violin, Avalon Cutts-Jones, Full Cord, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds and Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps gave the festival’s final day a boost.
“It (Sounds of the Zoo) is definitely growing,” Ketchum said.
Noted Hudson-Prenkert: “Honestly, just being able to pull off Sounds of the Zoo for the second year was the ultimate highlight for me. I am so appreciative of all the support the music community has shown. I am so thankful and grateful to have had so many amazing people be willing to work together to help make Sounds of the Zoo become a reality to share with the community. It takes a village and it was so gratifying to see it come to fruition as a community.
“I am blown away with the excitement and support that was generated this year. I had so many people come up to me thanking me for putting on Sounds of the Zoo. … I can’t wait to see how it grows in 2024.”!
PHOTO GALLERY 1: Sounds of the Zoo (Saturday-Sunday)
Photos by Derek Ketchum
PHOTO GALLERY 2: Sounds of the Zoo (Saturday-Sunday)
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
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