Tuesday’s regional showcase at Meijer Gardens unfurled a slice of funky, groovy, electronic music for attendees, while Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish rocked a refurbished park in Rockford.
Tuesday Grooves: A. Billi Free, The Lasso and special guests created a unique amphitheater milieu. (Photo/Brayden Flodin)
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It was a night of funk and grooviness at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. And rock in Rockford.
The second installment of the 2025 Tuesday Evening Music Club series cut through the heat with New Mexico-based A. Billi Free and Detroit electronic artist The Lasso, formerly of Kalamazoo.
The duo performed a variety of funky and groovy tracks from their album, “Holy Body Roll,” along with their new single, “Quiet Riot.” It all provided an opportunity for Tuesday’s amphitheater audience to take a moment to breathe and chill through the hot and humid weather.
They also introduced the modest-but-attentive crowd to several special guest artists, including Arizona’s Psypiritual who brought a Southwest flair to the Midwest show, as well as Kalamazoo hip-hop cellist Jordan Hamilton and saxophonist Saxsquatch, aka Jarad Selner.
Jesse Ray: Performed with the Carolina Catfish in Rockford on Tuesday. (Photo/John Sinkevics)
Psypiritual uncorked a slew of witty and unique bars that had the crowd nodding their heads and listening closely to catch every nuance. As a result, he said he could “feel the love” from the Grand Rapids audience.
The Lasso, aka Andy Catin, who plans release of a new full-length album, “Pleasure, Peace, and Pain,” in July, described Tuesday’s show as “high-energy, sonic therapy.”
The vibrant and soothing set was part of the 11-concert Tuesday Evening Music Club series, wthih runs through late August with a mix of R&B, hip hop, Latin music, indie-folk, pop-rock oldies and Americana. The Grand Rapids Ballet tops it all off with a performance on Aug. 26.
Next up, the series sponsored by Ayers Basement Systems, Meyer Music, WYCE (88.1 FM) and Corporate Live will host a night of Latin-flavored music featuring MexiCuba and Cabildo on July 1. View the full series online here.
Meanwhile, 11 miles to the north on Tuesday, it was a night of raw rock, blues and rockabilly courtesy of Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, who christened Rockford’s recently renovated Garden Club Park. Performing as part of the United Bank Rogue River Blues Series, the animated duo had a slew of attendees dancing enthusiastically in front of the stage despite the muggy conditions.
The series — which had been forced to relocate to the Rotary Pavilion for two weeks due to park construction work — continues next week (July 1) with Hank Mowery & The Hawktones at Garden Club Park, which now features picnic tables, benches and other improvements.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Lasso, A. Billi Free at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Brayden Flodin
PHOTO GALLERY: Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish at Garden Club Park
Photos by John Sinkevics
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