To heat things up for our year-end round-up of best concerts & albums of 2025, we’re revealing the Top 5 concerts based on reader counts of concert reviews, and asking readers to submit their favorites, too.
Top Dog: Billy Strings had a very big year in 2025 and hit No. 1 on Local Spins’ concert list, too. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
It’s been quite a year — and that’s aside from global tumult and domestic political turmoil.
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The flood of concerts and festivals across Michigan produced countless memorable moments for performers and fans alike, from tour stops by international stars to intimate gems produced by local musical heroes.
And as is our tradition, Local Spins in December will publish our writers’ picks for best concerts and best albums/songs of the year — something that always delivers an eclectic assortment of musical delights, many of them overlooked by mainstream media and audiences.
But we also want to hear from readers.
Email us your picks for best concerts (or festivals) of 2025, along with your favorite album/EP release of the year and you’ll be placed in a drawing for a fantastic Local Spins gift pack that includes a copy of the 2026 Local Spins Calendar. Just email info@localspins.com with “BEST CONCERTS” in the message field with your choices for best live show and best album of the year by midnight Dec. 5, and we’ll publish your picks in our year-end roundup. Make sure you include the reasons why these concerts and albums were so special in your view.
As for today’s Top 5 concert list from Local Spins, well, it’s a popularity contest of sorts, based on reader views of Local Spins concert reviews over the past year.
1. Billy Strings weaves kaleidoscopic bluegrass enchantment in spellbinding hometown show, May 30 – The Ionia County-bred bluegrass superstar returned to Grand Rapids for two jam-packed epic nights of music at Van Andel Arena. The review: https://localspins.com/billy-strings-charms-gr-with-kaleidoscopic-bluegrass-enchantment-local-spins/
2. Dwight Yoakam, Mavericks bring ‘Brighter Days’ to Kalamazoo with country exuberance, March 27 – Touring behind his latest album, country icon Dwight Yoakam — along with The Mavericks and 49 Winchester — regaled Southwest Michigan fans who cheered the lengthy show at Wings Event Center. The review: https://localspins.com/dwight-yoakam-mavericks-bring-brighter-days-to-kalamazoo-with-country-exuberance-local-spins/
Chaka Khan: The singer pumped up Meijer Gardens in June. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
3. Jack White transforms Grand Rapids venue into rafter-rattling, rock ’n’ roll roadhouse, April 15 – The Detroit-bred guitarist blazed a loud, shapeshifting trail through his career catalog for 2,600 rabid fans at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. The review: https://localspins.com/jack-white-transforms-grand-rapids-venue-into-rafter-rattling-rock-n-roll-roadhouse-local-spins/
4. Herb Alpert turns back clock with verve, charisma and Tijuana Brass classics, May 11 – The 90-year-old trumpeter made a May tour stop at Grand Rapids’ DeVos Performance Hall and drew standing ovations for his songs and his band’s performance — a show that fans raved about weeks later. The review: https://localspins.com/herb-alpert-turns-back-clock-with-verve-charisma-and-tijuana-brass-classics-local-spins/
5. Chaka Khan creates ‘Something Good’ and more in retrospective Meijer Gardens show, June 4 – The legendary R&B singer brought a cavalcade of hits to the outdoor amphitheater in June, with Grand Rapids native Sarena Rae getting the evening started. The review: https://localspins.com/chaka-khan-creates-something-good-at-meijer-gardens-local-spins/
Return to Local Spins in December when we’ll reveal our critics’ selections for top albums and concerts of the year, along with readers’ picks. Check out the picks for 2024 here.
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