Country-pop superstar Shania Twain made a grand entrance at Van Andel Arena, then unleashed a spectacle that was flamboyant as well as fan-interactive. The concert review, photo gallery and set list from Wednesday night’s show at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Blissfest 2018 Revisited: ‘Magic time,’ high-spirited musical revelry, late-night jams
The 38th annual Blissfest captivated capacity crowds in northern Michigan over the weekend. Local Spins was there to capture the action in words and photos. Relive highlights from the festival, courtesy of writer Devin Anderson and photographer Anna Sink.
Beaver Island Music Festival 2018: Playlist, schedule and what you need to know
There’s nothing like it anywhere. The Beaver Island Music Festival is a musical experience and escape unlike any other this summer. Get the lowdown — and a festival soundtrack — at Local Spins. Listen to the playlist of festival acts, get background on this unique Michigan celebration.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Big List (July 16-22): Shania Twain, Joe Jackson, A$AP Ferg, Johnny Mathis, Black Label Society, Faster Horses, Beaver Island Music Fest
It’s a week of big names and big local shows, including the Tuesday Evening Music Club, On the Line, another Local Showcase, hi-ker, Yolonda Lavender and a special GR Symphony concert. See the full roster of upcoming concerts, plus some intriguing Under-the-Radar Picks.
Concerts-in-Review: Flame Fest, Louie’s 100th, Our Lady Peace, Soul Syndicate, Kathy Lamar, Kalamazoo Blues Fest
There’s no letting up when it comes to summer music in West Michigan, with celebrations and concerts from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to Hudsonville, displayed in images at Local Spins. Check out all of the photo galleries and links to coverage.
Features · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Piano Cottage set to rock Wealthy Theatre with youthful talent, exuberance
The future of rock ‘n’ roll gets showcased over two nights in Grand Rapids as the 7th anniversary Piano Cottage Rocks! event brings remarkable student performers to the Wealthy Theatre stage. Get details at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Big Boss Band keeps its blues hues humming: Local Spins on WYCE
The West Michigan blues band, which plays this weekend’s Kalamazoo Blues Fest, debuted new songs on the WYCE radio show, which also boasted new tracks by In the Valley Below, Luna Puer and more. Listen to the podcast, watch the video of Big Boss Band’s in-studio performance.
Patti LaBelle beguiles Meijer Gardens as radiant goddess of soul
At 74 years young, Patti LaBelle fully engaged fans during her first Grand Rapids appearance in three decades, unfurling everything from “Lady Marmalade” to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The review and photo gallery, exclusively at Local Spins.
The Pretenders, Tunde Olaniran, Kalamazoo Blues Fest heat up West Michigan (Photos)
The featured West Michigan concerts leading up to another steamy weekend were hot in many ways, from Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders at 20 Monroe Live to the opening night of the Kalamazoo Blues Fest to Tunde Olaniran revving up the dance party at GRAM on the Green. See all of the photos at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Blissfest gears up for 2018 with star-studded lineup, broad mix of music, ‘incredible sound’
With top-notch talent, a family-friendly atmosphere and the beauty of northern Michigan nature, Blissfest has been a favorite of music fans for 38 years. Get a preview of this weekend’s star-studded, sold-out festival at Local Spins and check out the jam-packed schedule.
Pink Sky soars to lofty No. 1 on June’s Local Spins Hot Top 5 chart
The electronic music duo capitalizes on the buzz about its upcoming new release with impressive airplay on WYCE, with Brad Fritcher’s MOODS making its chart debut, too. Fritcher plays a farewell show at SpeakEZ Lounge on Wednesday night. Check out the Hot Top 5 and listen to songs from each of the featured artists.
Album reviews · Audio · Videos
Album Reviews: Jake Allen, Coffin Problem, Dangling Participles, Suzies, Lazy Genius, Eric Fulton, Wire in the Wood, Minor Element
Local Spins’ first batch of July releases covers a broad range of Michigan artists, from prog-pop to jazz to jamgrass to rock ‘n’ roll. Read the reviews, listen to samples of the music, find out where these bands are playing.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Holler Fest tradition continues for Michigan’s ‘friendliest, most down-to-earth festival’
May Erlewine, Appleseed Collective, Wire in the Wood, Jesse Ray & the Carolina Catfish, Barbarossa Brothers and many more regional favorites will play the Aug. 24-26 fest in Jackson County. Get the Holler Fest lowdown and scan the roster of 2018 festival acts at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Big List (July 9-15): The Pretenders, Patti LaBelle, Blissfest, Hall & Oates, Kalamazoo Blues Fest, Junior Brown, George Clinton
July continues to heat up with Flame Fest, Louie’s 100th Anniversary, Picnic Pops, The Temptations, The Red Elvises, GWAR, Brad Fritcher’s farewell show, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and more. Browse all of this week’s live music picks, plus see how you can win tickets to Saturday’s big Flame Fest in Hudsonville.
Global citizen Michael Franti brings interactive sunshine, uplifting zest to familiar venue
Reggae/rock/fusion singer Michael Franti and his band Spearhead delivered a scorching 110-minute set for a sold-out Meijer Gardens crowd Sunday amid high temps and even higher spirits. Relive the upbeat show, browse the photo gallery at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Janelle Monae unfurls arena-like spectacle; fans cheer fireworks, bands in Grand Rapids; PHoffman & Joshua Davis romp in Kalamazoo
Local Spins’ weekend concert photo roundup kicks off with Janelle Monae’s crowd-pleasing tour stop at 20 Monroe Live, with throngs also flocking to Saturday’s Fourth of July bash in Grand Rapids, plus Kalamazoo fun with PHoffman and Joshua Davis at Bell’s Brewery and pianist Nat Zegree’s homecoming show at Bronson Park.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Videos
Everything you’d want out of a rock ’n’ roll album: Nathan Walton for Local Spins on WYCE
The Byron Center native and singer-songwriter Nathan Walton uncorked live renditions of songs from his debut EP with his band for the radio show, which also debuted tracks by The Aquaerials, Major Murphy and Pink Sky. Listen to the podcast, watch a video of his in-studio performance..
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Michigan-bred Borns enchants home state crowd at Common Ground’s opening night
The L.A.-based pop star originally from Grand Haven unleashed an impressive homecoming set at the Lansing festival, which also boasted appearances by country stars Kip Moore and Hunter Hayes and pop/rock’s The Aces and Judah & The Lion. Check out the review and opening night photo gallery at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Electric Forest 2018: The magic, the music, the heat, the phenomenon revisited
Two weekends of musical marvels in the woods of Rothbury, Michigan, came to a close last weekend. Relive some of the highlights in Local Spins photos and a video, with links to Electric Forest coverage here and elsewhere.
Hot times spark hot music from Rachel Curtis, Hannah Rose, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Tuesday night’s sweltering heat couldn’t temper audience enthusiasm for impressive outdoor shows: Tuesday Evening Music Club’s 2018 kickoff at Meijer Gardens and the Rogue River Blues Series in Rockford. Check out the show recaps and photo galleries exclusively at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Audio · Podcasts
Local Spins on Michigan Radio: The rise of Major Murphy, Michigan Rattlers, Brian Koenigsknecht
The July Local Spins segment spotlighting West Michigan artists gave “Stateside” listeners a sampling of dream pop, well-crafted Americana and harmony-laden indie-folk. Listen to the podcast and featured tracks by all three artists, including the brand new single by Major Murphy.
Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
Tuesday Evening Music Club at Meijer Gardens returns with emerging Michigan acts
Bringing together some of Michigan’s most talented, emerging artists, the popular Tuesday series kicks off in the amphitheater tonight with Hannah Rose & The GravesTones and Rachel Curtis. See the full series lineup.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Big List (July 2-8): Kesha, Michael Franti, Janelle Monae, Sheryl Crow, PHoffman Davis Group, Common Ground Festival
The holiday week also features the kickoff to the Tuesday Evening Music Club series, Pedro’s Pig Roast in Grand Haven and, of course, Grand Rapids’ Fourth of July fireworks show on Saturday starring local bands. See all of this week’s featured concerts, along with our Under-the-Radar Picks.
Kaleo delivers high-powered Grand Rapids show, plus Yes, Helmet, Kevin Krauter, more
Kaleo’s indie-rock flourish Sunday at 20 Monroe Live ended a week that boasted Grand Rapids stops by Helmet, Yes, Blondie and Herbie Hancock, plus local showcases in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, including Hannah Rose & The GravesTones, The Dacia Bridges Project and The Legal Immigrants. Browse all of the resplendent images at Local Spins.
Hankering for a career as a musician? Don’t have a back-up plan: Nathan Kalish for RSVP Music Chat
Singer-songwriter Nathan Kalish has spent years honing his craft, playing 200-plus gigs every year across the country and working as a musician full-time. What does it take to leave your day job behind? Listen to the RSVP Music Chat podcast to find out.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Hannah Rose Graves’ new band unfurls new songs, ‘great live energy’: Local Spins on WYCE
The Grand Rapids group which plays a Saturday night showcase in Kalamazoo lit up this week’s radio show, which also boasted new tracks by Brutes, Flint Eastwood, The Deputies, Overdrive Orchestra, Shawn Butzin and more. Listen to the podcast, watch a video of The GravesTones’ in-studio performance.
Blondie plays it cool in spite of stifling heat, humidity at Meijer Gardens
Pop culture icon Debbie Harry and band shared new songs and relied on the classics in a lively performance that focused on the fun, but also subtly delved into the subversive. Relive the evening — minus the heat — via the Local Spins review and photo gallery.
Grand Rapids rockers The Zannies win Pathway to the Pasture band contest
Outpolling three other West Michigan bands. Grand Rapids’ The Zannies won the last performance slot for August’s Cowpie Music Festival during Friday’s finals at The Intersection. Check out a recap of the event along with video highlights.
Yes at 50 shows off musical muscle in first Michigan show; plays Grand Rapids tonight
The version of prog-rock’s Yes featuring Steve Howe, Alan White and Geoff Downes stopped at Interlochen Center for the Arts on Thursday night. Check out the Local Spins review, which serves as a preview to Friday’s show at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids.
Herbie Hancock fires up ‘space machine,’ boundary-pushing jazz at Meijer Gardens
On what turned out to be a nearly flawless summer evening, the legendary keyboard player unfurled a genre-bending lesson in jazz that flaunted looping, synthesizer magic, vocoder, a keytar and more. Read the Local Spins review by Ross Boissoneau and a special musician’s take on the show by Dutcher Snedeker.
Features · Upcoming shows · Videos
Blondie set for return to Michigan with ‘best band’ ever, new and classic songs
Blondie drummer Clem Burke chatted with Local Spins about the group’s past and great ‘live show,’ with upcoming stops this week in Grand Rapids and Interlochen. Only at Local Spins.
Flint Eastwood finds ‘Real Love,’ reveals struggles of growing up gay
With her new pop single, “Real Love,” directly addressing the trauma of being gay in the evangelical church, Local Spins revisits its candid February interview with Flint Eastwood’s Jax Anderson. And as a bonus, the “Local Spins Rewind” feature gives you a chance to listen to Flint Eastwood’s new song.
Yes crisscrosses Michigan this week for 50th anniversary tour: The Local Spins Interview
Read the Local Spins interview with Alan White of the legendary prog-rock band that hits Grand Rapids’ 20 Monroe Live on Friday, with other tour stops this week in Detroit and Interlochen.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Big List (June 25-July 1): Blondie, Chingy, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt, Yes, Arrested Development, Kaleo
Old Crow Medicine Show and James Taylor (with Bonnie Raitt) launch the week, but there’s plenty more on the docket including the Pathway to the Pasture finals. And win tickets to the first-ever Local Spins Showcase at Old Dog Tavern.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
Electric Forest Weekend 1 Revisited: An escape from reality, a splash of Michigan roots music
Local Spins writer Ricky Olmos plunged into the magical world of the music festival in Rothbury, caught up with the Michigan Rattlers at their Forest debut and got high, literally, in a hot-air balloon. Relive the weekend in words and photos at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
Herbie Hancock ‘still going strong,’ exploring rap, electronic music and more
The 78-year-old keyboard legend brings a brief U.S. tour to Meijer Gardens on Wednesday as he eyes another new album. Read the Local Spins interview with Herbie Hancock.
The Week in Photos, Videos: Langhorne Slim, The Accidentals, Jake Kershaw, Lanco, The Turnips, El Brandino
Beyond festivals like Electric Forest and the Grand River Water Festival, West Michigan enjoyed a wide variety of musical marvels. Check out the Local Spins photos and videos.
Grand River Water Festival delivers music and message: ‘Important to take care of the earth’
Saturday’s Grand River Water Festival at Grand Rapids’ Riverside Park served up sets from a diverse range of Michigan acts while celebrating and promoting efforts to improve water quality. Get the recap and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Electricology making Electric Forest a bit more extraordinary for the environment
Large-scale music festivals are notorious for the disheartening amount of trash attendees leave behind. At Electric Forest, Electricology’s mission is to change the trend with a multitude of fun initiatives for festivalgoers in Rothbury this weekend and next. Get the back story at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Bello Spark hones its harmony-hued Americana, Bruce Ling serenades a hornet: Local Spins on WYCE
Grand Rapids’ Bello Spark debuted two new songs on the air, Ling hawked his Grand River Water Festival that takes place Saturday and the show premiered new tracks by The Gorgeous Oranges, Pink Sky and Barrel Bones. Listen to the podcast, watch a video of Bello Spark’s fetching in-studio performance.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Electric Forest’s opening day sizzles with electronic trippiness, jam fervor, hippie vibe
From the wild, fan-involving antics of Andy Frasco to the throbbing beats of Green Velvet and Keys N Krates to the lengthy jams of host String Cheese, it was a memorable opening day and night in Rothbury. Browse the photo gallery, take a video tour of Electric Forest as it morphs from day to night and check out the list of top Local Spins highlights from Day 1.
Fueled by familiarity, Seal serves up fresh renditions of classics at Meijer Gardens
Giving new life to “Luck Be a Lady,” “I Put a Spell on You” and a few of his own well-known hits, the British-born performer graced the crowd at Meijer Gardens with as much class as those from the Rat Pack era. Read the show recap, browse the photo gallery from Wednesday’s show.
Playlists · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Electric Forest 2018: A guide to the life-changing Forest in words and music
This year’s edition of the two-weekend music festival in Rothbury kicks off Thursday afternoon. Get a musical preview via two Local Spins’ playlists, check out valuable links and a map for your Electric Forest visit and find out why so many fans come back to this special place year after year.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Rick Chyme’s incredible, empowering ‘giant puzzle’: Story, Local Spins on WYCE podcast
Grand Rapids’ popular hip hop artist is in the midst of creating 365 straight days of new music and challenging others at the same time. Listen to the radio show podcast, which also features new tracks by Nathan Walton, Blair Miller and Bronze Wolf, and watch the video of Chyme’s unusual in-studio appearance.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Grand River Water Festival set to celebrate conservation and music at Riverside Park
Saturday’s annual gathering along the river in Grand Rapids boasts more than a half-dozen performances by regional acts, including Molly, Evolucion, Seth Bernard, Fauxgrass, Dede & the Dream, Peter “Madcat” Ruth and more. See the full schedule and save it on your smartphone to take along.
Why Grand Rapids demands a downtown listening room: RSVP Music Chat with Quinn Mathews
Studio C’s $180 million theater/retail/housing complex being built in downtown Grand Rapids is set to include a world-class listening room run by Quinn Mathews. RSVP Music Chat sat down with Mathews to explore this buzz-generating project. Listen to the podcast at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Buttermilk Jamboree 2018 Revisited: ‘An incredible Michigan experience’
The eighth annual music festival at Circle Pines Center thrived in spite of some rainy disruptions, celebrating three days of vibrant, diverse music. Relive this special West Michigan festival via words, photo gallery and video.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Big List (June 18-24): Seal, Langhorne Slim, Al Di Meola, JD McPherson, Grand River Water Festival, Lanco, Electric Forest, Jake Kershaw
The Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, Lanco, Shawn Mullins, Rebirth Brass Band, Priests and Tip Top Deluxe’s seventh anniversary show are all part of this week’s live music lineup. Check out all of the West Michigan concert picks, including Langhorne Slim with The Accidentals and Roosevelt Diggs at St. Cecilia Music Center.
Alison Krauss brings gospel heat wave to Sunday’s Meijer Gardens show
The sold-out amphitheater crowd basked in high heat and the gorgeous vocals and fiddle-playing of the Grammy-winning artist touring behind her latest album. Read the Local Spins review, browse the photo gallery from Sunday night’s concert as well as images from another weekend bluegrass show at Perrin Brewing starring Steep Canyon Rangers, Mark Lavengood and Seth Bernard.
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