Kicking off Thursday in southern Kent County, the second-year, three-day fest features Desmond Jones, Myron Elkins, Full Cord and more. Get the complete lowdown, schedule, playlist and details.
‘A Special Place’: Inviting daytime sets and blazing nighttime romps are part of Shagbark Fest. (Photos/Chelsea Whitaker)
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Take it from the musicians themselves: Shagbark Farm in Alaska, Mich., is a special place and its annual music festival stands as one of the milestone events of the summer.
John Nowak, drummer for the headlining Desmond Jones jam band which will play a Saturday night set on the Shagbark Stage, raves about the “positive environment,” something that’s characterized the event even when it was known as the Cowpie Music Festival before its rebranding last year. (Nowak also hosts a late-night “Vinyl Dance Party” at this year’s festival.)
One of 2023’s performers, Kyle Brown of West Michigan roots rock band Kyle Brown & The Human Condition, said the farm “holds a special place” in his heart, calling owner Farmer John Crissman “a staple in the music community.”
The festival also revels in Michigan-made music, with an eclectic. who’s who lineup of performers from across the state, ranging from Ann Arbor prog-rock/funk/fusion favorite Chirp to award-winning West Michigan bluegrass band Full Cord to fast-emerging Americana star and Allegan County native Myron Elkins (Local Spins’ ‘Emerging Artist of the Year’ for 2023) to vintage country’s The Bootstrap Boys to progressive jazz’s Pocket Watch.
And with one brief exception on Thursday night, there are no overlapping sets on the two stages so attendees don’t need to miss any band’s performance.
“We are excited to be back for Year 2 of Shagbark Music Festival,” said festival organizer Nathan Purchase of Purchase Productions.
“We’ve added 11 new acts along with several Shagbark staples. Attendees can get excited for zero overlapping music with two stages, a fire performance by Stormy Chromer and everything else people have come to love about the property.”
Check out the festival essentials, ticket links, the full schedule and a playlist below.
And view Local Spins’ coverage of Shagbark 2023 here.
SHAGBARK MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS
Returning to Shagbark: Myron Elkins (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
WHERE: Shagbark Farm, 7525 Alaska Ave. SE, Caledonia, 49316
WEBSITE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shagbark-music-arts-festival-2024-tickets-862584412197?aff=erelexpmlt
THE DRIVE: 18 miles (23 minutes) southeast of Grand Rapids
51 miles (52 minutes) northeast of Kalamazoo
147 miles (2 hours, 21 minutes) west of Detroit
58 miles (1 hour) west of Lansing
157 miles (2 hours, 26 minutes) south of Traverse City
THE LINEUP: Desmond Jones, Myron Elkins, Full Cord, Feed the Dog, The Bootstrap Boys, Chirp, Covert Operations (reunion), Hannah Rose Graves Band, Nathan Walton & The Remedy, Flexadecibel, Pocket Watch, Round Creek String Band, Pajamas, Kait Rose, The Microtones featuring Don Julin, Stormy Chromer, Belfast Gin, Mark Lavengood, John Nowak’s Vinyl Dance Party.
TICKETS: $75 general admission weekend; $40 Friday/Saturday day pass; $30 Thursday day pass; $40 RV weekend pass. Children 10 and younger are admitted free. Tickets available here.
SHAGBARK MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2024: The Local Spins Playlist
THE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY – 1
Friday – 1
Saturday – 1
