The region’s first-ever Punk Rock Lottery featuring three new bands revved up Dormouse Theatre, closing out a week of rousing shows by The Jet Stone Conspiracy, Supo and more. Browse the photos.
Punk Glory: Meat Cute, winner of the Punk Rock Lottery, on stage Saturday. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Call it a slice of festival frolicking in the midst of a bitter cold Michigan winter.
Not only did the long-running Ann Arbor Folk Festival revel in late-January performances by a host of stars, but jam band Neighbor’s Kalamazoo tour stop on Thursday with Southeast Michigan’s Act Casual had fans dancing like they were in the midst of a summer music fest celebration.
With Dopapod’s Neal Evans on board for Neighbor’s Midwest run, both bands heated up Bell’s Brewery’s Back Room indoors as temps dipped to chilly lows outside.
On Saturday, performances as part of Kalamazoo’s first-ever “Punk Rock Lottery” took on an upbeat festival vibe, too, with mosh pits of crowd-surfing fans cheering three brand new punk bands assembled via a random drawing, then given six weeks to create new songs and rehearse for the packed show at Dormouse Theatre.
The Toasters: Ska at The Pyramid Scheme (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
Judges eventually “crowned” Meat Cute the winner of the fun and friendly competition that also featured the newly formed Flavor Country and The Lip Stitches, with proceeds donated to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes. Organizers sold out T-shirts created for the event, with talk of possibly creating a split album featuring the bands in the future.
In Grand Rapids, meanwhile, EDM fans at The Intersection got a dose of Electric Forest-like vibes with a tour stop by Shlump (billed as a “psychedelic spaceship ride”) as well as singer-songwriter Fox Stevenson (playing the Stache on tour behind his sophomore album).
The Pyramid Scheme’s busy week included Supo’s album-release show, a tour stop by J.S. Ondara’s Jet Stone Conspiracy (with Tre Charles) and ska’s The Toasters with Dance Contraption.
Scroll down to browse the photo galleries, and check out coverage of the Ann Arbor Folk Festival here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Neighbor, Act Casual at Bell’s
Photos by Derek Ketchum
PHOTO GALLERY: Punk Rock Lottery at Dormouse Theatre
Photos by Derek Ketchum
PHOTO GALLERY: Fox Stevenson at The Intersection’s Stache
Photos by Eric Stoike
