Our preview of Friday’s mammoth WYCE Jammie Awards focuses on several emerging acts who’ve never played the event. Learn more about these bands and check out the complete performance schedule.
First-Time Jammies Acts: From top, Banda El Bajio, Free Hat, Wills Piff, Pablo Eskobear, Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet, Short Panic, Vernon Potts (Courtesy Photos/Brady Olsen/Dan Terpstra)
SCROLL DOWN FOR COMPLETE JAMMIE AWARDS SHOW SCHEDULE
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One of the true joys of WYCE-FM’s annual Jammie Awards show lies in musical discovery.
With 19 acts performing on three stages inside The Intersection in Grand Rapids on Friday (Feb. 23), fans and fellow musicians get an opportunity to hear and experience many performers from across the region for the first time.
So today, to kick off that process of musical discovery, Local Spins focuses its spotlight on seven artists representing different genres who are playing the Jammie Awards for the first time.
West Michigan’s Biggest Night for Music: The Jammies. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
We asked all of them the same questions about their music, with tracks you can sample to get a taste of their approach.
Scroll down for a full schedule for the 24th annual Jammie Awards hosted by WYCE (88.1 FM) that you can save on your smartphones to take along to the event.
Doors for the all-ages show open at 6 p.m., with a $5 suggested donation to WYCE. Canned food donations also will be accepted for Feeding America West Michigan.
Oh, and Local Spins and the Michigan Music Alliance will be on hand with a table boasting stickers and other goodies.
Banda El Bajio De José Luis Estrada (8:30 p.m. Main Stage)
Started: 2006 in Grand Rapids
The Music: “Our music is 100 percent regional Mexicano, traditional wind band style. Fans and all attendees will enjoy a show full of energy, rhythm and joy. Our music is 100 percent in Spanish and it is always good to introduce your music to new people.”
Listen: “Imposible De Explicar”
Pablo Eskobear (6:10 p.m. Elevation Stage)
Started: 2016 in Grand Rapids
The Music: “ ‘Beats’ would be the easiest way to describe music. I produce stand-alone instrumentals as well as beats for rappers. I’ll be doing some live finger drumming/sampling and you can expect to hear a wide variety of beats from chill hop to trap, soulful hip hop and Latin-inspired beats. To hear I was up for another Jammie Award was very validating and comforting to know people are enjoying my music. I’m no stranger to the live stage having played drums in a metal band for about 10 years, but I’ve never really performed my Pablo Eskobear beats live so this will be a first. I’ve been holed up in the studio for many years just producing and cranking out music. I feel it’s a good time to bring my beats to a live audience. I think it’s an important step in my musical career that I’ve been putting off for too long.”
Listen: “Silk Sheets”
Wills Piff (8:55 p.m. Elevation Stage with Samil)
Started: 2016 in Grand Rapids
The Music: “My music is definitely a feel of ‘90s hip hop/boom bap mixed with current events and modern flows with personal stories. My music definitely contains subject matter that is relatable to anyone living in the Western world. Fans can expect my performance to be a groovy and entertaining experience. Samil and I feel we have created a special project that is well worth experiencing.. This is my biggest show ever and will definitely boost the momentum of my career.”
Listen: “Doom Patrol”
C.A.R.Ma. Quartet (8:45 p.m. Stache Stage)
Started: 2021 in Ann Arbor
The Music: “Peter Madcat Ruth’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet is a bit hard to categorize. We call it eclectic traditional and improvisational music – American roots music, blues, folk music, jazz and world music (especially Indian music) are all part of the mix. We were thrilled to be invited to perform, but also quite surprised because we have never performed live in the Grand Rapids area, or anywhere else in Southwest Michigan.
Listen: “Appalachian Sun”
Free Hat (7:40 p.m. Elevation Stage)
Started: 2015 in Grand Rapids
The Music: “We describe our music as post-elevatorcore, which mostly gives you no indication of what to expect, yet once you hear it, it seems to make sense. Our sound is a result of our individual musical ideas and influences all being filtered through the other members of the band, coalescing into what makes Free Hat sound like Free Hat. We all have widely different backgrounds and influences which ends up making it so that none of our influences tend to outshine the others. Humor has an important place in our music, even if it’s an instrumental piece. Fans can expect a performance of material, mostly from our recent release, that showcases the range of styles featured. And as always, there will be a Free Hat to give away. … There are so many great acts in this community and to have so many of them all in one building on one night is quite the experience. We’re excited to see many of the acts, and we’re excited for people to get a chance to see us and what we’re all about. Being nominated for a Jammie and getting to perform at the event is very big for our musical aspirations. We know our music is unique, and there are not always clear-cut paths for music like ours to reach audiences.”
Listen: “Blue Accord”
Vernon Potts (6:55 p.m. Elevation Stage)
Started: Sometime recently in Lowell
The Music: “Vernon Potts is a psychedelic-punk band playing the styles of pedestrian swan-rock. Fans can expect a sound collage/art-rock show meeting a rock band with bad humor. … It may be our biggest show to date. … We were founded in the beta quadrant then moved to the Milky Way to settle in Lowell. I recall fond memories of jamming in Grateful Dead covers bands since my past incarnations starting in 1872.”
Listen: “Pictures”
Short Panic (8:20 p.m. Elevation Stage)
Started: 2019 in Grand Rapids
The Music: “Our music is sort of a mix of funk-rock with a little bit of disco influence in there too sometimes. Fans can expect high-energy originals that they can’t help but dance to. We are super excited and honored to be invited to perform at the Jammies. This is going to be one of the biggest, if not THE biggest venue for us in our career so far.”
Listen: “Slax”
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