Frontman Jason Singer aims for ‘a special night’ after being featured for Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted tracks by Les Creatif, Cal in Red, Stovepipe, Trauna, The Go Rounds and more.
On Stage: Michigander last played Grand Rapids in July for an energetic outdoor show at Studio Park. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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Michigander’s Jason Singer has never been in a better place.
The anthemic pop band essentially wraps up its most successful U.S. tour ever tonight with a jam-packed show at Grand Rapids’ The Pyramid Scheme, a performance that shapes up as a true homecoming celebration for the Midland native and former West Michigan resident.
“It’s sold out and it’s gonna be a sweaty one,” vowed Singer. “It’s gonna be a very special night – really excited to come back home to a sold-out crowd.”
It comes after an ambitious national tour and continued widespread radio airplay for Michigander tracks such as “Let Down” and “Misery.”
Happy Guy: Michigander plays The Pyramid Scheme on Friday night. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
“The tour has been the best tour we’ve ever had,” said Singer, who launched his career in the Grand Rapids area. “We’ve toured in a pretty tight bubble this time, and it’s been pretty cozy. But overall, this trip has been amazing.”
Not only that, but Singer is engaged and optimistic about the future, .
“I’m 29 now, creeping up on 30, which is weird,” he conceded. “I’m engaged now, which is cool. But I think for the first time, I’m really happy. My goals haven’t changed really. I’ve just felt more content than ever before.”
He brought that upbeat attitude to WYCE for this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, performing acoustic versions of “Let Down” and “Misery” in the community radio station’s studio. Scroll down for the performances and full radio show podcast, with the video for “Misery” here.
VIDEO: Michigander (Acoustic), “Misery” for Local Spins on WYCE
The Friday night show at The Pyramid Scheme will also feature sets by the reunited Fever Haze, Trauna and Dawning. Doors open at 7 p.m.; any tickets that might open up will be $18 at the door. (The band also plays Magic Stick in Detroit on Nov. 4.)
MICHIGANDER BAND ‘THE BEST IT’S EVER BEEN’
In a 2017 Local Spins interview, Singer – who was living in Kalamazoo at the time – said his goal was to create “really great songs” for “the next American rock ‘n’ roll band.”
Now, he insisted, “The band is the best it’s ever been. I love them so much.”
Michigander’s Latest EP
His star certainly has risen, with the band building a national audience, playing major festivals and snagging WYCE Jammie Awards along the way (Michigander took home prizes for best album by a new artist in 2019 for “Midland”).
Tracks from his most recent EP, 2021’s “Everything Will Be Ok Eventually,” have racked up more than 5 million plays on Spotify alone.
As 2021 draws to a close for Singer and his band, the future looks as bright as ever, with more new music in the works and the frontman noting he’s come into his own style as an artist. The band even opens for The Lumineers at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom on Dec. 6 and goes on tour with Manchester Orchestra starting in February.
“I’ve been working on writing some new tunes,” he said.
“Very excited about them. We have a few surprises we are gonna drop next year, too, that I can’t wait to tell people about.”
The Oct. 29 edition of Local Spins on WYCE – which spotlights local and regional music at 11 a.m. Fridays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org – also featured new music from Cal in Red, Les Creatif, Trauna, Dance Contraption, The Go Rounds, Flexadecibel and Stovepipe Stover, as well as tracks by Voluptuous Panic and The JetBeats. Listen to the radio show here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (10/29/21)
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