Local Spins Rewind: 2016’s Record Store Day revelry, Jake’s Music Festival romp & more

Five years ago, long before COVID, mid-April rocked West Michigan as musicians and fans packed record shops, Wealthy Theatre, Pyramid Scheme, Intersection and Billy’s Lounge. Revisit the special weekend.

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: It seems like forever ago, but in the years before COVID, mid-April weekends were chock full of tantalizing musical discovery, from Record Store Day hoopla at independent shops across West Michigan to tour stops by national stars to the annual Jake’s Music Festival, which showcased regional bands while raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Organizers of Jake’s announced this week that the festival won’t take place in April 2021 due to pandemic uncertainties, with hopes it might return in the fall. Until then, revisit Local Spins’ coverage of a special musical weekend that took place in Grand Rapids exactly five years ago. Might that be repeated in April 2022? Time will tell.

 

RECORD STORE DAY 2016: THE BEST EVER?

“Best Record Store Day ever.”

Those sentiments were expressed by one of many who turned out on a gorgeous Saturday across West Michigan in 2016 to celebrate independent record stores from Grand Rapids to the lakeshore to Kalamazoo.

It accurately reflected the mood of vinyl buyers, live music lovers and, of course, record shop owners, who saw droves of shoppers and browsers throughout the day.

A jam-packed Vertigo Music on S. Division Avenue in Grand Rapids not only had music devotees lined up most of the day to snag special releases and classic LPs, but also to revel in beverages and music from DJs and sets by wide-ranging local acts ranging from Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish to Vox Vidorra to Zen Star Beat Cult.

On the city’s West Side, Dodds Record Shop heated up its new location on Bridge Street NW with a street party: a full day of sidewalk performances by a host of bands and a .65-mile parade to Harmony Hall and back (representing the 65 years that Dodds has been open in Grand Rapids). The Dodds Record Store Day party — led by ebullient owner and PotatoeBabies frontman Rev Charles Preston Smith — continued deep into the evening at Flamingo Lounge just down the street.

The same lively attitude was evident at record stores elsewhere across the region, including Corner Record Shop in Grandville and Green Light Music in Kalamazoo. Check out the photo gallery below.

By the way, the 2021 celebration of Record Store Day will take place on June 12 and July 17.

PHOTO GALLERY: Record Store Day 2016
Photos by Anthony Norkus, Anna Sink and Derek Ketchum

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JAKE’S MUSIC FEST ROCKS WEALTHY THEATRE

The atmosphere backstage for the 2016 edition of Jake’s Music Festival said it all.

Broad grins, warm handshakes and hugs, jovial banter and musical camaraderie was the order of the day — and long evening — as a dozen bands and solo artists covering a myriad of genres lit up the stage Saturday at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre.

That all of them donated their time and energy to the cause, raising more than $5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, seemed to just make the 12th annual edition of the festival that much more upbeat and inspiring.

“I love it,” said Joe Bockheim, frontman for The Legal Immigrants right after the band’s rousing early evening set at Jake’s Music Festival and just before the rock group left for yet another Saturday gig.

Indeed, several of the performers — including The Legal Immigrants, Emma Loo, Charlie Darling, JOE and Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish — did double-duty (or even triple-duty) on Saturday, also playing events for Record Store Day at Vertigo Music, Dodds Record Shop and Flamingo Lounge. (Return to Local Spins on Sunday night for a Record Store Day photo gallery.)

A solid turnout of attendees cheered them and the rest of the lineup (Take3, Brother Adams, Nick Arthur & The Habitat, The Sailor Kicks, Fathom 19, Murder Party) on a picture-perfect spring day that left organizers Clay Grueber, Tom Scheidel and Scheidel’s son, Jake (for whom the festival is named) beaming.

“You could feel the energy in the room from the very first band and it just seemed to grow all night,” said Tom Scheidel. “I think the festival went great. The bands were fantastic. Clay did an excellent job of putting together a killer lineup.”

Not surprisingly, he added: “Our whole team is pretty tired today.”

Tired but happy.

PHOTO GALLERY: Jake’s Music Festival photos by Anthony Norkus and Taylor Mansen

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KIEFER SUTHERLAND, WE CAME AS ROMANS, LOCAL BLUES MATTERS

There was plenty more to embrace across West Michigan that very same weekend back in 2016.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland brought the tour in support of his new country/Americana album to The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, packing — though not selling out — the nightclub. The raspy-voiced guy better known to most as the intrepid Jack Bauer from the popular “24” TV series delivered an appropriately twangy set.

PHOTO GALLERY: Kiefer Sutherland photos by Katy Batdorff

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We Came As Romans, Miss May I, Wilson and Sworn In pumped up The Intersection the same weekend. Local Spins contributor Jonathan Beatty filed this report:

The “Band VS Food” toured kicked off in the main showroom at The Intersection with We Came As Romans, Miss May I, Wilson and Sworn In. While the show started relatively early, those that showed up were treated to a raucous set from Wilson, who wasted no time in warming the crowd up with their high-energy live set, inspiring raised fists and sing-alongs.

Miss May I came out to a roaring ovation from the mostly filled room with singer Levi Benton quickly getting the crowd off their feet and inciting a mosh pit that stayed active for most of the band’s set.

Fans stormed the stage as soon as the lights went down for We Came As Romans, who were greeted by a sea of bobbing heads and arms. Despite a troubling sound mix for Miss May I and WCAR, the headliners took advantage of the non-stop energy created by their unique dynamic of having two vocalists. One highlight: singer Kyle Pavone climbing up into the rafters above the stage, inducing fans to capture the moment with cellphone cameras.

The same night, The Stache (front lounge) was hopping with a collection of area musicians covering hits from Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots – recreating the bands’ songs with stunning precision. – Jonathan Beatty

Meanwhile, Flint Eastwood, AOK and Alexander Lynch powered up a pop-fueled night of Michigan music at The Pyramid Scheme (with Lynch’s mother even making the long drive down to Grand Rapids from the Upper Peninsula).

In addition, the annual Local Blues Matters benefit in support of blues programming on WGVU 88.5/95.3 FM kept a packed house happy at Billy’s Lounge with a bevy of Michigan blues artists including Detroit’s Larry McCray, Grand Rapids’ Jimmie Stagger & Hank Mowery and Hannah Rose & The GravesTones, not to mention an appearance by the Blues Brothers.

And in Kalamazoo, The Kalamazoo Downtown Music Jam — a monthly “pop up” showcase of local musicians — rolled out cover bands at The Park Trade Center in Kalamazoo, an event headlined by Lisa Can’t Sing.

WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: April 14-16, 2016
We Came as Romans, Miss May I, Wilson photos by Anthony Norkus
Flint Eastwood, AOK, Alexander Lynch, Rival Summers photos by Taylor Mansen
Local Blues Matters photos by Anthony Norkus
Kalamazoo Downtown Music Jam photos by Derek Ketchum

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