View the “Destination: Live Music” video spotlight on Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge and check out the upcoming winter/spring schedule of concerts at the downtown restaurant and venue.
Live Music With a Twist: SpeakEZ Lounge touts everything from acclaimed food to soccer broadcasts to crowd-pleasing Michigan music. (Photo/Local Spins)
SCROLL DOWN FOR WINTER CONCERT SCHEDULE, DESTINATION LIVE MUSIC VIDEO
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Local Spins and SpeakEZ Lounge have a lot in common.
Not only has Local Spins partnered with the downtown Grand Rapids restaurant and music venue to host a concert series for the past decade, but both are celebrating their 14th birthdays.
So, it’s only apropos that Michael Whitenack’s “Destination Live Music” video series would spotlight the intimate and popular establishment just as Local Spins announces its winter-spring 2026 lineup of concerts starring Michigan artists. (Scroll down for the schedule.)
“We are a jack-of-all-trades here, so I wanted to be open and accessible, and wanted to push the local angles,” said SpeakEZ owner Eric Albertson, who purchased the business at 600 Monroe Ave. NW once known as Cambridge House.
Eric “EZ” Albertson
“We’re the island of misfit toys. We are known for our food, but I’m not a high-end restaurant. We are not a sports bar, but I’m a soccer bar. I’m not a jazz club, but I do jazz on Sunday nights. I’m not a live music venue, but here we are doing a live music interview. So we try to do a little bit of everything …”
The same might be said for the Local Spins Wednesdays and Fridays series that features a wide swath of artists from across the region, not to mention up-and-coming acts: Billy Strings, The Accidentals, The Go Rounds, members of The Crane Wives and others that have gone on to national acclaim have graced the SpeakEZ stage.
The January 2026 lineup alone features several artists making their Local Spins and SpeakEZ Lounge debuts, starting with Friday’s “Winter Wheat Warm-Up” show (Jan. 9) featuring emerging young guitarist Peter Cavanaugh with mandolinist Brian Oberlin and Todd Kirchner from Full Cord, and Dee Sutton and Sallie Bacon from Sweet Dee & The Wild Honeys. (A representative from Wheatland Music Organization will also be on hand to help spotlight Saturday’s Winter Wheat festival at The Intersection.)
The series follows that with award-winning Detroit rock/roots/blues band Jennifer Westwood & The Handsome Devils on Jan. 16 and new Grand Rapids Americana act American Rust on Jan. 30, with the Tom Petty tribute American Heartbreakers in between. Future shows will feature appearances by popular Michigan-bred performers Melophobix, Myron Elkins, Patty PerShayla and more. SpeakEZ also hosts Sunday night jazz jams hosted by multi-instrumentalist Tommy Pancy, as well as regular tribute nights. A $5 surcharge is added to patrons’ tabs to help pay performers.
As with many other venues, SpeakEZ struggled but weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to scuffle at times as it navigates the difficult landscape facing restaurants and bars that offer live music.
“It’s a struggle to survive,” Albertson conceded. “We have seen some music venues that have closed down or places that profiled music. It’s a changing environment right now in the last five years.”
Nevertheless, he noted, “you can come in here and get shockingly good food for a music venue” while showing support for a local establishment that showcases regional artists.
“I’ve heard that SpeakEZ is West Michigan’s best-kept secret, and it’s like, well, thanks for the compliment but I’d like to be a better-known secret,” Albertson quipped. “Our loyals are very regular. Our reviews are very strong.”
Track SpeakEZ events, menu updates and more on its Facebook page and check out its website at speakezlounge.com.
VIDEO: SpeakEZ Lounge (Destination Live Music)
LOCAL SPINS CONCERTS AT SPEAKEZ LOUNGE: Winter/Spring 2026
Copyright 2026, Spins on Music LLC
