The shows leading to another weekend of musical merriment boasted soulful pop, bluegrass, ska and vocally impressive songwriters, lighting up stages from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. Recaps, photos.
Shining Performances: Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen and Julien Baker impressed a sold-out crowd in Kalamazoo. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
EDITOR’S NOTE: From immaculate weather for rousing outdoor shows to fan-inspiring indoor sellouts, the second week in August boasted performances by The Dead South, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen & Julien Baker (on ‘The Wild Hearts Tour’), Lake Street Dive, Mustard Plug and Kait Rose & The Thorns (album-release show). Scroll down for some recaps and photo galleries from these shows. And of course, there’s more to come this weekend. View the Concert Calendar here.
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LAKE STREET DIVE @ MEIJER GARDENS (FRIDAY)
Lake Street Dive wasted no time bringing their infectious energy and musical chemistry to the stage at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Friday evening.
After a captivating performance from opener, California folk-rock singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham, to set the tone of the evening, the band launched into a lineup of songs from their 2021 release, “Obviously.”
The Boston-based group which has regularly sold-out Meijer Gardens takes the structure and catchiness of pop songs and infuses them with elements of folk, soul, jazz and Motown to create a sound that is uniquely theirs.
After performing the 2016 track, “How Good It Feels,” lead vocalist Rachael Price expressed her gratitude for the enthusiastic capacity crowd: “What really feels good is looking out and seeing you all singing our songs, especially the old ones. It’s really touching.”
Touched by Fans: Rachael Price and Lake Street Dive delivered a soulful set on Friday. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
The group paid homage to some of their Motown influences with a unique, stripped-back cover of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” They followed it with a few more covers from a range of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, The Cranberries and Shania Twain. These covers will all be featured on the band’s upcoming EP, “Fun Machine: The Sequel,” a follow-up to their EP of covers released in 2012.
Although the fast-paced set left little time for breaks, Price made sure to give credit where credit was due by announcing which of her bandmates wrote each song. And while her soulful vocals stood out as a highlight, each instrumentalist was given a chance to showcase his or her skills.
During the acoustic portion of the show, the rest of the band joined Price around a single microphone to contribute to backing vocals and harmonies.
For the final song before the encore, Price brought on stage special guest Theo Katzman from the popular Ann Arbor funk band Vulfpeck, immediately bringing fans to their feet as he joined in on vocals for Lake Street Dive’s most popular song, “Good Kisser.”
To close out the show, the group performed a haunting, almost entirely a capella version of “Sarah” as well as the high-energy “Go Down Smooth,” giving the audience one last chance to dance and clap along. – By Holly Holtzclaw
PHOTO GALLERY: Lake Street Dive, Madison Cunningham at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
THE WILD HEARTS TOUR W/ ANGEL OLSEN, SHARON VAN ETTEN, JULIEN BAKER @ STATE THEATRE (THURSDAY)
The Wild Hearts Tour mesmerized and energized a sold-out crowd with nearly four hours of musical magic Thursday night at Kalamazoo State Theatre.
The tour — which brings together vocal powerhouses Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen and Julien Baker onto one action-packed, jaw-dropping bill — initially was scheduled for nearby Bell’s Beer Garden, but was moved to the larger indoor venue after robust early ticket sales.
West Michigan fans turned out with enthusiasm for the triple act, which also included a brief but well-received set from show opener/special guest Quinn Christopherson.
The three headlining artists each delivered catalog-spanning sets with their respective bands before Olsen and Van Etten closed out the evening with a compelling encore of their 2021 collaboration/single, “Like I Used To.” – By Tricia Woolfenden
PHOTO GALLERY: The Wild Hearts Tour
Photos by Derek Ketchum
PHOTO GALLERY: The Dead South, Tejon Street Corner Thieves at Meijer Gardens (Wednesday)
Photos by Steve Baran
