The first two days of 2015’s Eastown house concert event have boasted jam-packed crowds and buoyant optimism about Grand Rapids’ musical future. See the photos and Sunday schedule.
‘Right There With the Band’: Gifts or Creatures playing Bird House at Lamp Light on Saturday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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Because of the music.
In dimly lit living rooms and the psychedelically bedecked basements of three Eastown homes, Grand Rapids’ fourth Lamp Light Music Festival has kicked out its jams this weekend for elbow-to-elbow, standing-room-only crowds.
Promising State of the Music Scene: The panel discussion that kicked things off on Friday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
These eager audiences have cheered a dizzying display of local and regional music, balancing indie-folk with hip hop, melodic pop-rock with bluegrass, established musicians with fledgling, up-and-coming acts. And there’s a Sunday afternoon of eclectic artistry still to come.
But one of the most intriguing and important Lamp Light sessions actually unfolded before a single note was even played, with about three dozen Grand Rapids musicians and fans packed into the Bird House early Friday evening for a “state of the music scene” panel discussion.
While the philosophy – and driving musical passion – of panelists Hugo Claudin, Joleen Rumsey, Julio Gomez, Fiona Dickinson and Samantha Andrade differed in terms of what they see for the future of Grand Rapids’ music scene and what might further nurture their art, all of them extolled its vibrant, growing, diverse and collaborative nature.
More important, Grand Rapids is where they want to stay because of the music.
“Grand Rapids is special,” said Claudin, known for hosting cutting-edge house concerts at Mexicains Sans Frontieres.
“What I do right now feels successful,” insisted Dickinson, who hopes musicians continue to “invest in longevity” to help make Grand Rapids’ music scene truly sustainable, rather than moving on to some bigger musical market.
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY AT LAMP LIGHT
More than anything, perhaps, these musicians and many others are proving Grand Rapids can be a place where they can make things happen and make the art they want to make.
“It is possible,” insisted Rumsey, a member of the band The Icicles, which officially released a new EP as part of its late Saturday night performance at Bird House. “All these things are possible.”
Lamp Light may be the perfect representation of that – an unusual, grass-roots-styled celebration of music in cozy, home-based settings, spearheaded by John Hanson and a host of dedicated volunteers.
What performances might lack in glitz, lighting, ideal sightlines and, well, seating of any kind other than a basement or living room floor, they more than make up for with a zeal born of intimate, face-to-face contact with audiences fervently interested in what unfurls directly in front of them, whether it’s the fiery indie-folk of JOE, the hyped-up hip hop of B. Sykes or the pop-hued “basement rock” of Detroit’s The Kickstand Band – all of whom performed Friday night.
Basement Rock: Tokyo Morose performing at Lamp Light on Saturday night. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
On Saturday evening, crowds were so thick at times that the Brick House overflowed from the living room and into the dining room, before finally rounding a tight corner into the kitchen. So, many Lamp Light attendees were content with simply listening as music wafted through the house.
Void of even the faintest whisper or commotion, silence filled the space between the delicate, intertwining notes of a piano, cello, viola and violin as they danced in harmony during Janga’s performance.
The solo project of Theo Ndawillie, a member of Grand Rapids soul group Vox Vidorra, Janga performed a mostly instrumental set of delicate and precise, nearly classical-sounding compositions. Near the end of the set, a short film created by videographer DJ Viernes was shown on a projector while the group of talented musicians followed every nuance of the cinematography with a live score.
‘EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME LEVEL’ AT LAMP LIGHT
Following Janga was the ever-popular Chris Bathgate. Maintaining the ambiance of the crowded space, the Ann Arbor artist blazed through a powerful set of electric folk with the accompaniment of a second electric guitar and the occasional auxiliary percussion of a floor tom.
Closing out the evening at the Witch House, Tokyo Morose rocked the basement performance space with a wall of sound and energy, while the audience responded with incessant head-bobbing.
Up Close and Personal: The crowd at Lamp Light. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
“You can notice a lot more readily people’s reaction,” said Trevor Edmonds, who plays keys, guitar and bass. “Everyone is on the same level, you’re not on a stage. It’s just fun.”
With all three house venues – Witch, Brick and Bird House – providing an alternating list of diverse acts well into the night, attendees made their way through the cozy neighborhood, bouncing from house to house, talking about their experiences as they walked.
Attendees Aleicie DeCenzo and Yogi Rawb reflected on their evening as they left Witch House, describing the festival as a “cultural hub.”
“There’s lots of talent. It’s an eclectic collection,” Rawb said. “The sound’s not always gonna be perfect because you might be in some kind of weird room, but it’s still nice to be right there with the band with everyone in there dancing and singing.”
“I grew up going to Grand Rapids house shows, so it’s nice to see it alive and well,” DeCenzo added.
Yes, Grand Rapids is alive and well. Because of the music.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lamp Light Music Festival 2015
Tokyo Morose/Usagi/Chris Bathgate/E. Andrei/Gifts or Creatures photos by Anthony Norkus
Panel discussion/JOE/B. Sykes/Timbre/Major Murphy photos by Anna Sink
VIDEO: Friday Night at Lamp Light 2015 (with JOE, B. Sykes, The Kickstand Band)
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC
