With summer around the corner, cities across the region are starting to reveal band lineups for free outdoor community concerts which draw thousands on weeknights. Here are schedules for four of them.
Blues on the River: Jake Kershaw returns to Rockford’s Rogue River Blues Series this summer. (Photo/Local Spins)
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Spring has sprung, which means music lovers already are eagerly looking ahead to a dizzying slate of free community concerts hosted on weeknights across West Michigan.
And the first batch of lineup announcements for these series boast a dizzying – and impressive – slate of regional performers, too, representing multiple genres: rock, country, blues, soul, folk, Celtic music and Americana.
Lowell’s Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts, Rockford’s United Bank Rogue River Blues Series, Grand Rapids’ Celadon Summer Concert Series and Hudsonville’s Concerts on the Green all kick off in June, with many more announcements in other cities still to come.
Hannah Rose (Photo/Anna Sink)
For Grand Rapids singer Hannah Rose Graves, who launches the 2019 edition of the Rogue River Blues Series in Rockford with her band, The GravesTones, on June 11, it’s an honor to bring her soulful blues, rock and funk back to her hometown as a kickoff to summer.
“This event is always the most nostalgic of my summer. I am very proud to be from Rockford,” said Graves, who debuts her first music video later this week. “And to get to start the summer off right with music, hopefully sunshine, and picnic blankets means the world to me.”
In Lowell, which gets things started June 13 with country music singer Alan Turner, the concerts will take place on Riverwalk Plaza downtown without the iconic Lowell Showboat as a backdrop. The historic showboat was demolished earlier this year because it was no longer structurally sound.
“Everything will take place in the usual location, just with no showboat in the background,” said Janet Teunis, project director for LowellArts. “They do hope to have a new showboat in its place by 2020.”
Here are 2019 lineups for four summer series.
Lowell-Bound: Deep Greens & Blues have a new album and play the Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts series on June 27. (Photo/Nate Johnson)
LOWELL: SIZZLIN’ SUMMER CONCERTS
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays
Where: Riverwalk Plaza, downtown Lowell
LINEUP
June 13 – Alan Turner
June 20 – Blue Soul Express
June 27 – Deep Greens & Blues
July 4 – River City Jazz Ensemble w/ Rick Reuther
July 11 – The Insiders: Tom Petty Tribute
July 18 – The JetBeats
July 25 – Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish
Aug. 1 – Roosevelt Diggs
Aug. 15 – Desmond Jones
Aug. 22 – B-Side Growlers
Bracing Blues: Hank Mowery & The Hawtones (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
ROCKFORD: UNITED BANK ROGUE RIVER BLUES SERIES
When: 7 p.m. Tuesdays
Where: Garden Park near the dam, Rockford
LINEUP
June 11 – Hannah Rose & The GravesTones
June 18 – Harper & Midwest Kind
June 25 – Hank Mowery & The Hawktones
July 2 – James Reeser & The Backseat Drivers
July 9 – Blue Diamond
July 16 – Jake Kershaw
July 23 – Michael J. Howe Band
After the Blues
July 30 – The Crane Wives
Aug. 6 – Serita’s Black Rose
Aug. 13 – The Soul Syndicate
Paddy’s Cure (Photo/Anna Sink)
GRAND RAPIDS: CELADON SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays (except where noted)
Where: Celadon Community Amphitheater, 2050 Celadon Dr. NE
LINEUP
June 20 – Paddy’s Cure
June 28 (Friday) – James Reeser & The Backseat Drivers
July 11 – Bucket O Maybes
July 18 – Sunday Morning Sunshine
Aug. 1 – Deerfield Run
Aug. 8 – Macy Krew
Up-and-Coming: Macy Krew released a country-pop album last year.
HUDSONVILLE: CONCERTS ON THE GREEN
When: 7 p.m. Thursdays
Where: Veterans’ Memorial Park, Hudsonville
LINEUP
June 6 – Great Scott Band
June 13 – Macy Krew
June 20 – Moon Shot
June 27 – Echo 45
Keep coming back to Local Spins for more updates on summer concerts.
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