Beyond the lavish parties ushering in the New Year, there were some intimate shows starring beloved regional artists to get the first weekend of 2020 started on the right foot. Photos, videos at Local Spins.
Listening Room Debut: Chris Cranick and Overdrive Orchestra on stage Friday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
To be sure, Grand Rapids’ Listening Room hasn’t just been about spotlighting acoustic singer-songwriters and folk singers.
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Last weekend’s lineup at the new 200-capacity venue in Studio Park was proof of that, with the heavy “stoner rock” of Grand Rapids’ Overdrive Orchestra on Friday (featuring Patty PerShayla and Desmond Jones’ Isaac Berkowitz as special guests), followed by West Michigan’s Robin Connell Jazz Trio with Max Colley III on Saturday.
Robin Connell (Photo/Kendra Petersen-Kamp)
Interestingly, that all-ears vibe seemed to rub off on the crowd at Rockford Brewing on Friday when Michigan songbird May Erlewine and her band played a sold-out show at the brewpub.
The northern Michigan singer-songwriter had what’s normally a boisterous brewery crowd transfixed with her songs and stories.
Scroll down for photos and videos from these intimate shows.
Of course, if you missed it, there was plenty of rambunctious revelry pumping up West Michigan on New Year’s Eve from Billy Strings to Pop Evil to Manic Focus to Kalamazoo’s New Year’s Fest. Check out the separate photo/video recap here: Billy Strings’ sizzling psych-bluegrass, Pop Evil, Manic Focus, New Year’s Eve parties galore
PHOTO GALLERY: Overdrive Orchestra, Patty PerShayla, Isaac Berkowitz at Listening Room (Friday)
Photos by Anna Sink
VIDEO: May Erlewine at Rockford Brewing (Friday)
PHOTO GALLERY: Robin Connell Jazz Trio w/ Max Colley at Listening Room (Saturday)
Photos by Kendra Petersen-Kamp
