The Local Spins countdown to the May 18 celebration of its 12th anniversary at Studio Park in Grand Rapids continues with a Q&A showcase of the young, fast-emerging Short Panic.
Tearing It Up Live: Short Panic on stage. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
EDITOR’S NOTE: The third annual Local Spins Fest will celebrate Local Spins’ 12th anniversary on May 18 at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids, sporting the theme “The Future of Michigan Music.” Five emerging West Michigan bands will perform, including two teen bands spawned by area music academies and schools of rock, giving young musicians a chance to rub elbows with more established, ultra-talented acts. As part of the countdown to this musical celebration, Local Spins is profiling festival performers in Q&As, starting today with up-and-coming Short Panic. Scroll down for a performance video and get festival tickets/details here.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Short Panic wasted little time making a splash on West Michigan’s music scene.
Formed by music students at Grand Rapids Community College, the youthful funk-rock ensemble burst out of the gates by winning The Stray’s 2023 Battle of the Bands and followed that up by getting signed to Midwest Gold Records to release their full-length debut album.
Oh, and their set at February’s WYCE Jammie Awards at The Intersection had a jam-packed crowd inside Elevation dancing, cheering and otherwise reveling in one of the most impressive performances of a star-studded night of Michigan music.
That makes the young, emerging band — drummer Kyle Kuhn, guitarist Ben DeWitt, guitarist-singer David Ophoff, saxophonist/keyboardist Joe Schimmelmann, bassist Solomon Gant and singer Megan Meadowsm — a perfect pick for Local Spins Fest 2024 touting “The Future of Michigan Music.”
As we look ahead to this summer-starting festival in downtown Grand Rapids, learn more about the band via this Local Spins Fest Q&A. Get general admission and VIP tickets for Local Spins Fest here.
Local Spins: What’s the No. 1 goal for your band in 2024?
Short Panic: We’re going to be writing a lot of new material in 2024, so our main goal is to make music that takes our sound further. We want to experiment more with vocals, collaborate more, and start working on our next batch of recordings.
Local Spins: Now that you folks have been performing for awhile, what’s the most important lesson for a young band to learn?
Short Panic: We’d tell young bands to just keep their nose on the grindstone and let time do its thing. We’ve seen a lot of bands that are not exactly the “stuff of legend” when they’re starting out, but all of a sudden a couple years later they’re freaking badass. It’s all about consistent effort and a critical approach to your own music.
Local Spins: Who do you idolize as a success story in music?
Short Panic: The (Michigan) band Vulfpeck has been able to have success while being an Independent Band. It’s very much a collaborative group where each member plays a significant part and it wouldn’t be the same if any of them weren’t involved.
Local Spins: If you could send one of your band’s songs on a rocket ship as a message to another planet, which song would that be and why?
Short Panic: “Roundabout.” That tune takes you for quite the cosmic ride which would be relatable to other species in the universe. (Scroll down for video.)
Local Spins: What can folks expect from your set at Local Spins Fest?
Short Panic: Our set at Local Spins Fest will be a mix of favorites from our album, new unreleased sauce, and fun covers with our personal flair. Expect high energy.
VIDEO: Short Panic, “Roundabout” (Dogtown Studio)
Copyright 2024, Spins on Music LLC
