Beyond the lineup of diverse Wednesday and Friday shows starring Michigan acts, SpeakEZ Lounge will take over Tommy Pancy’s Sunday jazz jams after Turnstiles closed its doors. View the full schedule.
Packing the House: Live music returns to SpeakEZ Lounge in September. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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After a summer of blistering hot live music, it’s almost time to take that musical heat indoors — amid air-conditioned comfort and delectable cuisine.
The Local Spins Wednesday and Fridays series at Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge will resume Sept. 17 with the award-winning, vintage, rebel country of The Bootstrap Boys, launching another season of diverse live music by Michigan artists.
What follows for the next four months will be a mix of indie-rock, Americana, folk, jazz, punk, funk and blues, unfurling in SpeakEZ’s cozy environs at 600 Monroe Ave. NW and continuing a Local Spins-hosted tradition that goes back more than 10 years. View the artist lineup and schedule below.
The Bootstrap Boys: Playing SpeakEZ on Sept. 17. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
And there’s more: SpeakEZ owner Eric Albertson has arranged with jazz musician Tommy Pancy (Candid Antics) to host Sunday night jazz jams that previously were led by Pancy at Turnstiles on the city’s West Side before that venue closed at the end of July.
“With multiple music venues in Grand Rapids closing, we want to remain a home for local musicians and fans of local music,” said SpeakEZ manager J.P. Hiler.
Indeed, that home will also feature another special “Tribute Month” in November, with That Beatles Thing (The Beatles) and The Insane Theatre (The Doors) coming back to grace the SpeakEZ stage, along with the return of a wildly popular night of music: The second “Laurel Canyon Night” on Nov. 21, this time featuring the music of The Eagles, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and The Byrds — all of whom played a role in the California upsurge of talent in Laurel Canyon in the 1960s and 1970s.
Our February debut of this “open-mic tribute” — spotlighting the songs of Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and Warren Zevon — drew an overwhelming response from musicians as well as fans, so we decided to do it again. For musicians and singers interested in participating in this special performance, details can be found online here. The deadline for signing up is Oct. 24; those selected will be informed by early November.
NEW SUNDAY JAZZ JAMS: EVERYONE WELCOME
The Sunday jazz jams will take place at 6 p.m. (on Sundays that don’t interfere with the Detroit Lions schedule of games), starting Sept. 14. The evenings will begin with a 45-minute set from the house band; a signup sheet will be on hand to put interested musicians in the “queue” for performing. The jams are open to all skill levels, with the band playing jazz standards.
Tommy Pancy (Photo/Eric Stoike)
It’s all about “the sense of community,” Pancy said. “People can come in with very little jazz knowledge and, over time, develop a real appreciation and understanding of the art form in a space that’s very supportive and free some of the typical sterotypes of ‘jazz snobs’.”
Jazz has had a robust home at SpeakEZ in the past with drummer Randy Marsh hosting Sunday jams for years and Local Spins showcasing young, boundary-pushing progressive jazz acts in the early days of its Local Spins Wednesdays series.
For Local Spins Wednesdays and Fridays curator/host John Sinkevics, the mission is to expose audiences to talented Michigan artists they might not otherwise get a chance to experience — all in an up-close-and-personal setting.
“We’ve not only served as a little springboard for up-and-coming musicians such as The Accidentals, Billy Strings and Jake Kershaw in the past, but highlighted a wide range of styles unleashed by bands from across the state,” he noted.
“Drop by any one of these shows whether you’re familiar with the performers or not, and I’m confident you’ll walk away with a new appreciation for Michigan talent.”
The Local Spins Wednesdays and Fridays series is sponsored by SpeakEZ Lounge, Modelo Especial, Long Drink, Alliance Beverage and Local Spins. Other than jazz nights, shows start at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
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