This week’s Local Spins on WYCE radio show not only highlighted tracks by the Hot Top 5 artists for May, but boasts an interview with the city manager about the new amphitheater and his favorite acts.
No. 1 for May: Kyle Brown & The Human Condition topped the latest Local Spins Hot Top 5 Chart. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
SCROLL DOWN FOR HOT TOP 5 CHART & THIS WEEK’S LOCAL SPINS ON WYCE RADIO PODCAST
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When it comes to music by local and regional artists being played on WYCE (88.1 FM), Kyle Brown & The Human Condition came out on top in May — with the rootsy rock band’s latest album, “The Touch of Grass,” getting more spins that month on WYCE than any other Michigan act.
Wide-ranging releases by Ten Peso Version, Max Lockwood, Megan Dooley and Free Hat weren’t far behind. (Check out the full Local Spins Hot Top Chart for May below).
But when it comes to artists that Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington would love to see playing the soon-to-be-constructed, 12,000-seat outdoor amphitheater downtown, it’s international superstars such as Janet Jackson or Jay-Z, or maybe even, New Edition.
“Oh man, I think Janet Jackson would put on a good show,” he said in a recent interview with Local Spins about the impact the much-ballyhooed, $184 million Acrisure Amphitheater would have on the city and its music scene after it opens for business in 2026.
“You’ve got to get somebody that’s going to draw a crowd from around the region. I think Janet would do.”
Of course, Washington is well-versed in the importance and economic significance of music and the arts to a community, after spending years in Austin, Texas, aka “The Live Music Capital of the World,” before moving to Grand Rapids.
And he also appreciates Michigan’s talent pool, including iconic, Grand Rapids-bred soul acts Al Green and DeBarge, and Detroit hip-hop star Eminem — not to mention Grand Rapids Second Ward City Commissioner Lisa Knight, an acclaimed singer, music educator and theater mainstay.
But he’s mostly excited about the potential that an outdoor amphitheater along the Grand River downtown would have on the future growth of Grand Rapids and its reputation as a music mecca.
Mark Washington (Courtesy Photo)
“I think we realized after the pandemic that there was yet another opportunity to have outdoor events and outdoor acts and to be competitive for some of the big venues we’re seeing across the country, and with people’s affinity to more outdoor recreation. It seemed like the right project, right time,” he said.
“It’s very, very exciting. If you think about the things that we’re doing in Grand Rapids with these big public assets, with the amphitheater and a soccer stadium, and having those planned to be online in 2026, and all the river activation, our city has a lot of momentum moving forward.”
Beyond a classic track by Al Green and counting down tracks from the Hot Top 5 for May, this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE — which spotlights local and regional music at 11 a.m. Fridays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org — featured new music from Rebekah Jon, The Whiskey Charmers, Fake Baseball, The War and Treaty and John Richard Paul. Listen to the radio show podcast here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (6/14/24)
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