The unique Grand Rapids house concert festival will showcase 29 acts over three days in three Eastown neighborhood homes, spotlighting emerging and well-known acts from across the region.
Intimate Setting: Fauxgrass performing at last year’s Lamp Light. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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In West Michigan, November means plummeting temperatures, falling leaves and the much-anticipated return of the singularly captivating Lamp Light Music Festival.
Another Year: The sixth Lamp Light unfurls this weekend. (Photo/Anna Sink)
This weekend, tucked away from the brisk autumn air and warmed by the radiance of creativity, the festival will once again transform a collective of Eastown homes into one-of-a-kind music venues.
“I think what makes Lamp Light unique is the intimacy of the venues. When you are crammed in a house with a bunch of people you don’t know, it’s really hard not to connect with others,” said Hannah Laine, who will perform at the festival for the first time on Sunday at Murphy House.
“That is what makes Lamp Light stand out amongst other festivals: the gathering of friends in a cozy home on a crisp fall weekend with the sole purpose of listening to beautiful music. No other festival creates a community like that.”
Now in its sixth year, the eclectic house-show festival will feature performances by Timbre, Breathe Owl Breathe, Stef Chura, May Erwlewine, Gifts or Creatures, Dan Rickabus and many others over the course of three days starting at 7 p.m. Friday.
Advance tickets, $35, can be purchased at lamplightmusicfestival.com. Weekend passes at the door will cost $40, with Friday and Sunday day passes $15 and a Saturday day pass $20. Individual show tickets at the door are $10.
AUTHENTICITY AND CHANNELING ‘A VIBE LIKE NO OTHER’
“Lamp Light really channels a vibe like no other. There is a level of authenticity that is transformative and enriching,” said John Hanson, one of the festival organizers. “It’s a non-commercial atmosphere and … there is a level of respect that comes with that context. Because it tends to be a listening room atmosphere, I think that artists really feel heard and appreciated (in contrast to playing loud bars).
Homey Eastown Atmosphere: The shows have a friendly neighborhood feel. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
“As an audience member, it is a special experience to see an artist so close and intimately with no barriers. So I think people come back for that unique opportunity (and) to discover new music as our team does a stellar job curating exciting new music from around the region.”
Festival-goers will have the opportunity to alternate between three house venues, dubbed Murphy House, Bird House and Sage House. The close proximity of the venues and staggered set times will allow attendees to catch as many of the 29 performances as possible. (Scroll down to view the full schedule below, and get more details about the lineup online here.)
New to the festival this year is a pop-up marketplace located at a separate house nicknamed Witch House. The market will feature a number of artisan vendors with vintage goods and handcrafted products. Witch House will also provide a space for artist merchandise and for Lamp Light’s partner organizations to set up shop and connect with audiences.
Although the festival draws a number of out-of-towners, from artists to organizers, to attendees, its West Michigan Roots continue to strengthen with every year, a growth that is nurtured by an embracing community.
AN INSTITUTION FOSTERING AN ‘ARTISTIC AND COLLABORATIVE CULTURE’
“Lamp Light is important to the city of Grand Rapids as a cultural institution,” said Hanson. “It celebrates and propagates creative music and encourages collaboration and community. People come together to experience live music in a unique environment and usually walk away feeling inspired and moved.
Connecting with Audiences Deeply: The cozy vibe is a boon for performers. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“I believe this experience promotes a more artistic and collaborative culture in Grand Rapids. The festival also provides a platform for people to get involved and use their skill sets to contribute to something beautiful and meaningful and for others to learn new skills in creative industry work including producing, design, video and audio. All in all we have seen a positive impact on the creative community in Grand Rapids from the production of the festival and we are so happy to continue to grow and offer unique programming year after year.”
Returning once again to the festival are curated workshop sessions. This year’s workshops include Story Hour on Saturday afternoon (hosted by The Moth’s Patti Wheeler) as well as The Law and Responsible Creative Collaboration.
With a only a few days before festivities commence, the week leading up to the festival becomes a time of both anticipation and preparation for attendees, organizers and artists alike.
Hannah Laine
“There are a few things I’m looking forward to,” Laine said. “First, playing my original music in such an intimate environment. House shows have always been my favorite shows to play because of the intimate setting. As a musician, it allows you to connect with the audience more deeply with raw emotion and vulnerability, which is very special for me to be able to share my art in that way. The second thing I’m looking forward to is hearing other bands — lots of local musicians playing that I haven’t had the chance to hear yet.
“The last thing that I think is totally worth mentioning – I hear there is a house dedicated to making delicious food for musicians and volunteers and I am pumped for that! If anyone needs to find me, that is where I will be.”
Click here for coverage, photos from Lamp Light 2016: Lamp Light Music Festival 2016 rolls out inspiring, ‘unreal’ and intimate ‘good-ass’ performances
The 2017 Lamp Light Schedule
THE 2017 LAMP LIGHT LINEUP
Friday
Murphy House
7:45 p.m. – Shortly
9 p.m. – Mark Lavengood Band
10:45 p.m. – Pink Sky
Bird House
7 p.m. – Stef Chura
8:15 p.m. – Glum
Sage House
7:30 p.m. – Lasso
8:45 p.m. – Lando Chill
10 p.m. – Divino Niño
Saturday
Murphy House
3 p.m. – Frankie and Myrrh
4:15 p.m. – Gifts or Creatures
Bird House
1:15 p.m. – J.E. Sunde
2:30 p.m. – Ohmme
6:30 p.m. – Timbre
7:45 p.m. – Michael Nau
9 p.m. – Mutual Benefit
10:15 p.m. Mountain Thrum
Sage House
12 p.m. – May Erlewine Trio
1:15 p.m. – Story Hour
4:30 p.m. – Rupert and Joey
5:45 p.m. – Paul Cherry
7 p.m. – Pluto Monday
8:15 p.m. – Aramis
Sunday
Murphy House
2:15 p.m. – Hannah Laine
3:30 p.m. – Kelsi Cote
Bird House
12 p.m. – Breathe Owl Breathe
1:15 p.m. – Blushing Monk
4:30 p.m. – Estar Cohen
5:45 p.m. – Dan Rickabus
Sage House
1:30 p.m. – Sunday Session
5:45 p.m. – Swarming Branch
7:30 p.m. – Tom Hymn’s Tangerine Dream
Copyright 2017, Spins on Music LLC
