With a growing, ardent fan base, the Grand Rapids band is touring the country and making noise in a good way. Plus, the Local Spins on WYCE radio show podcast with new tracks by Michigan artists.

Timeless, Cathartic Live Experiences: Pretoria on stage at Elevation. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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With unique three-guitar harmonies and infectious hooks, Grand Rapids’ Pretoria is redefining power pop.
“A lot of people hear that word (pop) and kind of cringe, like, ‘Oh, you’re selling out, you’re making Top 40 radio music,’ ” said guitarist Matt Burdick.
“That’s not what we mean. Not there’s anything inherently wrong with pop, but we wanted to make music that was fun and catchy but still meaningful to us. And this is just what’s been connecting.”

Rob Gullett: Revamping the vibe since the band’s 2018 roots. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
He added: “I really like the term power pop in reference to our music. I don’t really know the clear definition. … It’s pop, but it’s not necessarily by-the-numbers stuff.”
Indeed, Pretoria – which began its life in 2018 as a grunge- and punk-oriented outfit – has morphed into an arresting, pop-hued indie-rock band “with elements of post-punk and retro rock.”
It’s a formula that’s cultivated a fast-growing and devoted fan base, one that sings along to lyrics from some of the band’s catchiest tracks.
The five-piece group – guitarists Burdick, Josh Bilisko and Matt Pavlock, bassist and lead vocalist Rob Gullett and drummer Ben DeWitt – electrified a packed house of ardent fans at Elevation inside The Intersection to close out last weekend’s Jammie Awards show. (Scroll down for a video of Jammies highlights.)
“I was kind of blown away by the support that showed up,” said Burdick, who attended Grandville High School with Gullett, DeWitt and Bilisko.
“It’s been a dream of all of ours since we were teenagers and first picked up a guitar to play at The Intersection. It was just really honoring to play in front of so many friends. … Hearing strangers sing along to our music will never stop feeling surreal and we couldn’t do what we do without that support.”
Band members even reworked their set list after hearing other top-shelf acts perform at the Jammie Awards earlier in the evening, figuring they had to “live up to the hype” and try to “stand shoulder to shoulder with these giants.”
“It was just an incredible honor to be there that night,” added Pavlock. “Just being there with our friends and getting to meet a lot of cool artists there and celebrate just a lot of talented musicians. It was an awesome evening.”
That vibe is precisely what Pretoria is all about.
MAKING MUSIC FOR THE ‘GOOD OLD DAYS’ THAT ARE YET TO COME
“Concerts have always been a cathartic experience for us and we love bringing that experience to others,” Burdick said. “We want our music to feel timeless but nostalgic, like a coming-of-age film soundtrack.
“Music you associate with moments that felt insignificant at the time but become core moments in retrospect. … Pretoria makes music for the ‘good old days’ that are still yet to come.”
That approach has even perked up the ears of young fans across the country who’ve embraced Pretoria’s music on Spotify and messaged band members.

Pretoria: More singles and an East Coast tour to come. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
For this week’s edition of Local Spins on WYCE, the band showcased its latest single, “Seven,” along with a track (“Something-Anything”) from last year’s full-length release, “Where Will the Night Take Us?” Scroll down to listen to the songs and interview as part of the radio show podcast.
Pretoria builds on its triumphant Jammie Awards set with a Milwaukee show tonight, followed by an appearance at The Fledge in Lansing on March 8, Club Sandwich in Kalamazoo on March 9 and The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids on April 5 (with Low Phase, Headband Henny and The Cosmoknights).
Beyond that, there are plans for an East Coast tour later this year and release of a new single during “each season” of 2024.
“I think we’re open to just kind of seeing where it takes us,” Pavlock said of Pretoria’s future. “We definitely want to grow and keep challenging ourselves as musicians, keep writing better songs.”
In addition to spotlighting the music of Pretoria, this week’s episode of Local Spins on WYCE — which showcases Michigan music at 11 a.m. Fridays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org – boasted new tracks from The Still Wonder, Brutes, Squatch (this week’s musicians’ pick by Pretoria), Jay Alan Kay, Ann Wade, Nick Caster & Ty March, MaRynn Taylor, The Rebel Eves, Ryan Lynch and Sean Anthony Sullivan. Listen to the radio show here.
PODCAST: Local Spins on WYCE (3/1/24)
VIDEO: 2024 Jammie Awards Highlights

Exuberant Audience: Fans cheering on Pretoria at the Jammie Awards. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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