The free two-day festival on the blue pedestrian bridge in downtown Grand Rapids will feature regional stars, including Molly, Cameron Blake, Lipstick Jodi, Lazy Genius and The SEVENth.
Bridge Music: Spectators checking out the Blue Bridge Music Fest in 2017. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS OF SOME OF THE FESTIVAL ACTS
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With an eclectic mix of regional stars, the Blue Bridge Music Fest will return to the pedestrian bridge in downtown Grand Rapids in late September to pump up ArtPrize 2018.
Sponsored by HopCat and WYCE-FM, bluegrass fave Lindsay Lou, blues-guitar hero Jake Kershaw, electronic music act Pink Sky, soul singer Molly, folk’s Cameron Blake, indie-pop’s Lipstick Jodi, hip hop’s The SEVENth and psych-rock’s Lazy Genius will play the free, two-day festival that takes place on the Blue Bridge Sept. 28-29.
For the third year in a row, Quinn Mathews, who recently stepped down as manager for community radio station WYCE (88.1 FM), has booked, organized and will produce this year’s festival.
“The concept has always been free music smack dab in the middle of downtown for the guests to our city during ArtPrize, to showcase the talent coming out of West Michigan,” Mathews said.
“So pumped for the lineup. Just like (the programming on) WYCE, this festival is ‘A World of Music,’ all born right here in Michigan, from blues to hip hop to bluegrass and soul. You will experience a little bit of everything. Where else are you going to catch Lindsay Lou and Jake Kershaw for free?”
With HopCat on board again, the festival will also feature local beer and food for spectators.
Last year’s event drew thousands of people who gathered to watch bands or just strolled the bridge in between visits to ArtPrize venues. ArtPrize 10 – the world’s largest art competition – runs Sept. 19-Oct. 7 in Grand Rapids, with hundreds of artists competing for more than $500,000 in grants and prizes.
The Blue Bridge Music Festival runs 4-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, and 1-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29. Admission is free.
Check out Local Spins coverage of last year’s Blue Bridge fest here: Sun shines on Blue Bridge Music Festival’s opening day in Grand Rapids
VIDEO: Lindsay Lou (The Cabin Sessions)
VIDEO: Jake Kershaw (Franke Center for the Arts)
VIDEO: Cameron Blake, “Fear Not”
VIDEO: Lipstick Jodi, “Anymore”
VIDEO: Lazy Genius, “Holographic”
Copyright 2018, Spins on Music LLC
