This Local Spins round-up focuses on Michigan House’s return to Austin for SXSW and the latest booking for St. Cecilia’s Acoustic Cafe series, plus a listing of recent buzzed-about concert announcements.
Firing Up for SXSW: Detroit’s ONEFREQ will perform as part of Michigan House’s benefit shows leading up to the big Austin conference and music festival. (Photo/Sarah Nesbitt/Creative Many Michigan)
MICHIGAN HOUSE SET TO ROCK SXSW; HOSTS BENEFITS IN TRAVERSE CITY, ANN ARBOR
For the fourth year in a row, Michigan House – which showcases the state’s creative community – will set up shop during March’s mammoth South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, hosting musical performances, panel discussions, speakers, workshops and other events.
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And this year, to raise money for the cause and help send Michigan bands and artists to the conference and music festival, Michigan House is hosting benefit shows in Traverse City and Ann Arbor featuring groups from across the state.
Ann Arbor-Bound: Lady Ace Boogie will perform with other acts at Blind Pig. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
The first “Winter Social” event takes place at The Little Fleet, 448 E. Front St., in Traverse City on Feb. 17, with performances by Detroit’s ONEFREQ and Nique Love Rhodes & The NLR Experience, Grand Rapids’ Major Murphy and DJ Adrian Butler (aka AB), along with Traverse City’s own Turbo Pup. The event, running 3-11 p.m., will also feature beer, spirits and food.
Tickets are $20 (which includes two beer or one winter cocktail) and available online here. Michigan House is partnering with Little Fleet, Milkweed, L. Mawby Winery, Farm Haus Cider and Grey Skies Distillery for the Traverse City party.
The second benefit unfurls at Ann Arbor’s Blind Pig, 208. S. First St., on Feb. 22 with sets by Detroit’s Nydge, Madelyn Grant and Alexander Lynch as well as Grand Rapids’ Lady Ace Boogie. Tickets for this 7 p.m. show are $10 in advance or $12 at the door the day of the show.
Get information and a ticket link online here.
Last year as an official SXSW presenter, Michigan House hosted panels in Austin that focused on Michigan initiatives in creativity, innovation and equity, a Local Spins roundtable on the music business featuring musicians from Austin and Michigan, and a diverse showcase that featured sets by The Go Rounds, Michigander, Flint Eastwood, Stef Chura and others from the Great Lakes State.
Check out Local Spins’ coverage of Michigan acts at 2017’s SXSW at this link here and follow Local Spins for continuing coverage of Michigan’s involvement in this year’s conference and festival. Michigan House will host events in Austin from March 10 through 13.
RHIANNON GIDDENS TO RETURN TO ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER FOR FOLK SERIES
When Rhiannon Giddens played St. Cecilia Music Center three years ago, it was one of the triumphant highlights of that season’s Acoustic Café folk series – eliciting such review superlatives as “elegant,” “dynamic” and “powerful.”
Returning to Grand Rapids: Rhiannonn Giddens (Photo/Anna Sink)
Grand Rapids fans have a chance to experience that all again.
St. Cecilia Music Center announced today that Giddens will return for this season’s Acoustic Café Folk Series, performing in Royce Auditorium on May 17.
The award-winning singer, songwriter, violinist and banjo player is touring behind her latest album, “Freedom Highway,” which was nominated for album of the year by the Americana Music Association.
Giddens, 40, first rose to prominence as one of the founding members of the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, an old-timey folk, country and blues group.
In February, the opera-trained singer will perform several concerts in New York as a duo with Dirk Powell, then has numerous festival appearances lined up across the country before performing in Grand Rapids in May, for the final show in this season’s Acoustic Café Folk Series. Tickets are $40 and $45. (Check out Local Spins’ review of her 2015 concert online here.)
St. Cecilia’s folk series – created in partnership with Rob Reinhart’s syndicated “Acoustic Café” radio show – continues on Feb. 1 with folk icon Judy Collins, on Feb. 23 with banjo phenoms Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn and on April 12 with country/Western swing outfit Asleep at the Wheel.
Get series tickets and details online here, or call 616-459-2224.
OTHER RECENT CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENTS OF NOTE
Jack White (Photo/David James Swanson)
Feb. 23: G Herbo, Lil Bibby at The Intersection in Grand Rapids – Info here
March 15: The Eagles at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids – Info here
March 18: Hatebreed, Crowbar at The Intersection in Grand Rapids – Info here
March 22: Frankie Rose at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids – Info here
March 24: Moonwalks at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids – Info here
April 7: Brad Paisley at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids – Info here
April 21: Jack White at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids – Info here
April 27: Russell Dickerson at Elevation inside The Intersection in Grand Rapids – Info here
May 8: Tony Bennett at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids – Info here
June 8: Tech N9ne at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids – Info here
June 25: James Taylor & His All-Star Band, Bonnie Raitt at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids – Info here
July 15: Daryl Hall & John Oates, Train at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids – Info here
July 25: Erasure at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids – Info here
Aug. 8: David Byrne at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids – Info here
Aug. 10: Sugarland at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids – Info here
Sept. 6: Fall Out Boy at Van Andel Arena – Info here
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