New Year’s Eve West Michigan-style: Joe Hertler, The Crane Wives, Carolina Liar, Billy Strings, DJs and more (Photo Galleries)

From Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to the lakeshore, jam-packed venues ushered in 2016 with some of West Michigan’s most popular bands and DJs. And the day after New Year’s, The Go Rounds and Seth Bernard pumped up Founders. (Photos)

 

There was much to celebrate, much to look forward to and for some football fans, much to forget.

Revelers turned out in huge numbers on New Year’s Eve across West Michigan — from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to the lakeshore — to welcome 2016 and cheer a bevy of local bands and popular DJs who entertained jam-packed houses and sold-out crowds at several venues.

Here are just a few of those big parties, captured in images by Local Spins photographers from a hectic night:

• The Crane Wives and Way Down Wanderers made their New Year’s Eve debut at Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids an upbeat, positive, smile-inducing and familial affair. The Grand Rapids folk-rockers band brought their friends from Chicago — the Americana- and bluegrass-infused Way Down Wanderers — as well as some special guests (Rick Chyme, Mark Lavengood, Steve Leaf) to entertain a sold-out crowd with a full evening of originals and intriguing covers. Even the audience held some surprises, with guitarist Alex Atkin making his first public appearance since being seriously injured in a November motorcycle accident.

PHOTO GALLERY: The Crane Wives/Way Down Wanderers photos by Anna Sink and John Sinkevics

• The HOT FM outdoor New Year’s Eve celebration being held at a new location — Grandville Avenue and Cherry Street near The Intersection — attracted a growing throng of thousands of partyers as the evening wore on and the midnight ball drop approached, with performances by emerging pop artists Carolina Liar, Five Knives, Kevin Rudolf, Tryon and Ja’Leeyna Dooley. Nearby at Founders Brewing Co., meanwhile, mid-Michigan’s Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers fired up a capacity crowd with a light-bedecked stage show that also featured Thick Tint and Big Sherb.

Here’s what Local Spins contributor Ricky Olmos had to say about these shows, with photos by Tori Thomas and Anna Sink:

Between the ever-popular Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers at Founders, and the stellar lineup at the outdoor Hot FM New Year’s Eve party, Grandville Avenue SW in Grand Rapids and the surrounding area was jam-packed with late-night revelers. Despite light snow and freezing temperatures, a gigantic crowd gathered outside The Intersection for live performances by big names like Carolina Liar and Kevin Rudolph. The event culminated with a New York City-style ball drop and erupting cheers. Meanwhile, down the street at Founder’s Taproom, Big Sherb kicked things off with a vibrant, rhythmic set. The Mount Pleasant band blazed through a set of lively tunes and instrumental jams. The unique instrumentation included plenty of auxiliary percussion: tambourines, cowbells, bongos and other hand percussion. The Rainbow Seekers then took the stage, greeted by exuberant applause from a crowd steeped in anticipation. Decked out in the usual eccentric dress, with Hertler sporting a colorful cape, the group brought a high level of energy from the get-go, starting off with, “What it Feels Like to Drown,” from the album, “On Being.” Later came the groovy, saxophone-laced songs, “Captain America” and “Feel,” from the band’s latest release. Throughout the set, the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd danced, clapped and sang the night away.

PHOTO GALLERY: HOT FM New Year’s Party/Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers photos by Tori Thomas and Anna Sink

• Down the street at The B.O.B., all floors were packed to the gills for performances by Jesse Ray & the Carolina Catfish, Skankadank, DJs, Dueling Pianos and more. Local Spins photographer Tony Norkus reported that he’s never seen The B.O.B. more packed, with revelers really letting loose at midnight.

PHOTO GALLERY: The B.O.B. photos by Anthony Norkus

• In Kalamazoo, the city’s New Year’s Fest boasted nearly two dozen bands performing in numerous venues throughout the downtown area. With 23 acts representing different genres spread between 11 different venues surrounding Bronson Park, photographer Derek Ketchum made the rounds, including Motown sounds of Denise Davis and the Motor City Sensations, The Bluz Brothers (award-winning tribute band), the bluegrass/folk of Who Hit John?, the Western Jazz Quartet at the First Baptist Church and The Kalamazoo Big Band over in the First Presbyterian Social Hall, and finally, SSIK, a Kiss tribute band, just before the ball dropped at midnight.

PHOTO GALLERY: Kalamazoo New Year’s Fest photos by Derek Ketchum

• Billy Strings, his dad Terry Barber, and Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys revved up a sold-out New Year’s Eve show at Grand Haven’s new Grand Armory Brewing on Thursday night, with photographer Loren Johnson (a singer-songwriter who plays the venue today) reporting that the party was “pretty packed” and Billy Strings and Barber “absolutely killed it” during their set.

PHOTO GALLERY: Billy Strings/Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys photos by Loren Johnson

• DJs ruled the roost at The Intersection’s Beats & Bubbly DJ Night in Grand Rapids, hosted by WSNX and featuring EDM-infused sets by Mike @ Night, Jason Veeder, Steve Swift and Mayhem, with a happy throng celebrating the arrival of 2016. Much the same was true at The Pyramid Scheme, whose Back to the ’90s New Year’s Eve featured Foster, AB, SuperDre, DJ Composition and DJ Snax.
PHOTO GALLERY: Beats & Bubbly photos by Eric Stoike; Back to the ’90s photos by Katy Batdorff
• The day after New Year’s Day, Kalamazoo’s The Go Rounds and Traverse City’s Seth Bernard kept the celebration going with a special performance at Founders Brewing Co. that saw members of The Go Rounds backing up a newly groomed Bernard — garbed in a snazzy blue sportcoat — during his set.

PHOTO GALLERY: The Go Rounds and Seth Bernard photos by Anna Sink

Copyright 2016, Spins on Music LLC