For more than three years in the heart of downtown Holland, Our Brewing has offered up 20 taps, a “bring your own food” vibe and a cozy performance spot for live weekly music. Check out the latest in the Local Spins series on unique West Michigan music venues and take a video mini-tour of the brewpub.
Announcements · Breaking music news
Hundreds of bands, dance groups and other performers fill stages downtown every year at Festival. But the application deadline is fast approaching. Get details here, with a link to the online application form.
The avant garde rock spectacle on Tuesday played the first of two nights at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids with ardent fans ‘moving, laughing and reacting’ to the Blue Man Group’s colorful hijinks. Read the review, check out the photos.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From country to heavy metal to folk, venues were brimming to capacity to close out January with tour stops by Kip Moore, Lamb of God, Oh Hellos and Umphrey’s McGee, not to mention rousing shows by local stars, too. The action, of course, was captured in Local Spins images. Read the show recaps, check out the photo galleries.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
This week’s Local Spins on WYCE in-studio guests gave things some punk wallop in Studio X, plus new tracks from Public Access, Dede & The Dreamers, Miriam Pico, Blue Water Ramblers and much more. Read the story, listen to the radio podcast, check out the exclusive video of I Believe in Julio’s on-air performance.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Ann Arbor-based band with Traverse City roots plays Rockford Brewing this week after releasing an album that was recorded in basements, garages and bedrooms across Michigan. Read the feature story and check out Dede and The Dreamers’ distinctive music.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
It was a week of legends, legendary performances and coming-out parties for new ventures and future legends in their respective genres across West Michigan, captured in images at Local Spins. View several different photo galleries from shows in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Grand Haven.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins Live · Podcasts · Videos
With his band finishing up its third album, Jake Kalmink also brings other artists’ “vision to life” in the studio. He debuted a new song live on the air this week for Local Spins Live. Check out the video and podcast; The Fever Haze plays Grand Rapids on Thursday night.
Album reviews · Local Spins on WYCE · Top 10 Lists · Videos
Last week, it was the Local Spins critics’ picks. This week, West Michigan musicians and bands present their choices for the best music and concerts of 2015, both local and national — with audio and video clips from the selected artists. Some of the picks will surprise and inspire you.
Celebrating the arrival of another year requires musical revelry, so Local Spins has rounded up some of the best and biggest New Year’s Eve bashes unfolding across West Michigan on Friday.
Another busy year for music gave fans much to celebrate, with Local Spins spotlighting a fast-growing scene that’s producing stellar talent – some of it basking in the national spotlight.
The third installation of Local Spins’ late-year roundup of new local and regional releases also includes a new single from Steve Rivers and a Christmas EP by The Crane Wives. Check out the reviews and listen to the music.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A vintage bluesman, West Michigan hard-rock fave, up-and-coming Detroit pop star and emerging alt-country/rock band strutted their stuff this week — captured in compelling images by Local Spins photographers.
Atkin, a member of the bands Rustbell, Public Access and South of Wealthy Trio, suffered head and spinal injuries in the accident in Guatamela. Supporters have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical expenses.
Concert reviews · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Weekend Photo Gallery
Three of the most memorable rock bands from West Michigan’s music scene joined forces Friday for a post-Thanksgiving extravaganza to ignite fans who traveled from afar for the Grand Rapids show. Check out the photo gallery and radio podcast from that day’s Local Spins on WYCE show featuring DP’s Andy Holtgreive.
With the holidays approaching, Local Spins rolls out Phase One of its year-end roundup of albums released by regional acts, featuring some intriguing projects from An Dro, Megan Dooley, The Bootstrap Boys and more. Check out the reviews, with audio samples to boot.
Artist Spotlights · Podcasts · Videos
Members of the Grand Rapids band are still stretching outside their ‘comfort zones’ with dynamic songs that they’re now releasing as singles one at a time. They play New Holland Brewing in Holland on Friday. Read the story and check out the new videos of this distinctive West Michigan group.
Audio · Features · Upcoming shows · Videos
The extraordinary, unique event returns to Eastown with 33 diverse performances, plus classes and workshops, all unfolding in three homes. Get the lowdown here and check out Local Spins’ “five acts to catch” at Lamp Light 2015.
For Local Spins readers, 13 is a lucky number. With the harrowing holiday falling on a weekend, we’ve picked a baker’s dozen of Halloween bashes to haunt your Saturday night. Check out the full list, then pull out your craziest costume.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The string of eclectic shows started with Tav Falco’s Panther Burns and included Jars of Clay, Of Montreal, Brad Fritcher’s MOODS, Mipso, Shawn Mullins, Youth Lagoon and much more. Check out all the images from a week of scintillating live music in West Michigan.
Local Spins opens up its screening room to showcase a diverse collection of videos by Michigan artists with plenty to offer for the eyes as well as the ears. The Go Rounds, The Verve Pipe and Kari Lynch lead the way with compelling new videos, boasting some familiar settings and faces. Check out this October video roundup.
Artist Spotlights · Audio · Commentary
Beyond the well-known breakout artists already stepping out nationally are a host of emerging, under-the-radar West Michigan bands and solo acts. Here’s 15 of them to check out in words and music, from Hollywood Makeout to hi-ker to J. Rob to Shane Tripp to Cardboard Swords to Brother Adams.
Breaking music news · Features · Videos
A Michigan country jamboree and The Avett Brothers kick things off this weekend, with Porterhouse Presents also offering up Charles Bradley, Ozomatli, Billy Strings, silent discos, food and beer on the site. Get the scoop on this new outdoor venue, and view (and save) the opening weekend schedule.
Audio · Breaking music news · Features
With the band’s new single hitting download and streaming services today, the Grand Rapids alt-rockers don’t intend to release a new CD after all, but will ‘put out songs as we write them.’ Read the story and listen to The Verve Pipe’s new song, “If I Could Make You Feel.”
Three Grand Rapids-area events dominated the landscape musically, but there was much more across West Michigan: Taking Back Sunday, Mustard Plug, Megan Dooley, Delilah DeWylde, Blake Elliott and Full Cord. Check out all the colorful photo galleries at Local Spins.
New ArtPrize musical offerings range from The Eddy outdoor venue to Michigan House’s intimate indoor performance space, plus more than 150 busking performances in five locations around the city. Check out the robust lineup of live music offerings during ArtPrize in this Local Spins roundup.
It’s a one-two punch of regional music in Grand Rapids. On Saturday, Eastown Street Fair boasts sets by 15 bands on two stages. Meanwhile, Tip Top Deluxe hosts a Sunday showcase of hip hop, funk and R&B. Get the full schedules here at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
The weekend’s stunning array of shows by national and local acts paced an entire week of invigorating live music as Labor Day 2015 approaches. It’s all highlighted in a Local Spins recap, with photo galleries and videos.
One of the final Meijer Gardens concerts of the summer boasted the return of a Maryland rock band which once again sold out the outdoor amphitheater and got plenty of ‘hands up’ in the process. Read the review and ogle the photo gallery from a hot night of music.
Concert reviews · Guest Column · Photos
Local Spins takes an inside look at an under-the-radar, mid-week concert that had “bodies flying every which way” thanks to a frenzied Buffalo band hitting its stride. Read the review and check out the wild photo gallery.
Features · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
With 60 bands vying to win a grand prize worth $10,000-plus, the Saturday afternoon bonanza of music takes over the lakeshore town. Get details and see how the second annual event has upped the ante.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
The tour where there’s no place for encores because they play all the hits anyway hit Meijer Gardens on Monday. It was all about nostalgia and ‘flashbacks to high school’ for many. For others, it was just a fun night of sing-alongs. Check out the review and photo gallery.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Concerts
Sunday showcased a rare alignment of planets: One of Meijer Gardens’ best shows yet with one of Umphrey’s McGee’s best Grand Rapids shows ever, dazzling even newbies with mind-blowing chops and groovy lighting. Read the review and check out the photo gallery from a concert that drew perhaps the wildest crowd in the amphitheater’s history.
Bars of Gold, Bong Mountain, The Reptilian and dozens more will rev up Shakespeare’s Pub for this annual rock fest that’s growing with ‘mesmerizing,’ diverse talent. Read the story about this Kalamazoo event and check out the full schedule.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Seasoned and emerging national acts made West Michigan tour stops, but local acts basked in summer’s power, too, including Bennett, Roosevelt Diggs, The Go Rounds, Jim Shaneberger, The Sailor Kicks. Check out all the photos in this weekend’s spectacular photo gallery.
Features · Upcoming shows · Videos
The iconic, genre-defining bassist and songwriter plans to unleash an acoustic-driven, career-spanning show at the Tip Top Deluxe with an innovative Detroit jazz group. Read the intriguing Local Spins interview by Brian J. Bowe.
Features · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
Well-known regional acts Heartsick, Flint Eastwood, Joshua Davis, Steve Rivers, B. Sykes and more boost the six-day festival that kick off Tuesday. See who else is playing and check out the full Common Ground schedule.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Grand Rapids overflowed with outdoor stages and nearly non-stop live music this weekend from a mind-bending array of artists. Check out the Local Spins photo gallery and some video highlights from Festival and what was likely the biggest Local First Street Party ever.
Features · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
With hundreds of West Michigan performers jamming stages in downtown Grand Rapids this weekend, Local Spins spotlights some must-see acts in this guide to “the best of Fest,” courtesy of Local Spins writers and some well-known local musicians. See who’ve they’ve picked.
The Grand Rapids taproom’s special Sunday night show packed the place with fans of the celebrated indie-rockers. Check out the photo gallery and roundup of the concert.
Inspired by Hayley Williams, singer Tonia Broucek fronts the fast-emerging pop-punk band that aims to release its first full-length album this summer. Read by the story by Nolan Krebs and check out the video of an acoustic performance by the band.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Videos
Local Spins’ third anniversary celebration in May will feature shows by some of our readers’ favorite bands, all of whom have much-anticipated new albums on the way. See which other Michigan acts ranked high among reader favorites and find out who won our Local Spins gift packages.
The celebrated Michigan singer-songwriter’s return to Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Tuesday focused on his latest album and spotlighted his incisive writing. Read the review by Local Spins writer Tricia Woolfenden and check out the photo gallery by Anna Sink.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
Springtime music celebrations get the warm-weather festival ball rolling in West Michigan, with Heaters, The Accidentals and more heating up the Local First bash and northern Kent County’s Bona-Who expanding to two days. Check out the lineups.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
The rootsy August festival returns to Shagbark Farm in southern Kent County with more than a dozen acts and a ‘Stampede Mud Run,’ too. Check out the Michigan band lineup and details.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
First-time Meijer Gardens acts Gary Clark Jr., The New Pornographers, Patty Griffin are on tap with returnees Steve Miller, Indigo Girls, O.A.R., Bela Fleck and The Doobie Brothers in the mix. Member tickets go on sale April 25. See the entire lineup here.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
The June 20 street party also features Elephant Revival, Gringo Star, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Devin & The Dead Frets, Organissimo and FBC All-Stars. Advance tickets go on sale April 17. Check out the details for one of Grand Rapids’ biggest summer street fests.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Upcoming shows
Update: The internationally acclaimed experimental post-hardcore band from Grand Rapids plays a sold-out show at The Pyramid Scheme on Tuesday night. Read the remarkable story about rock ‘n’ rollers with a mission.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Fun music aplenty. This weekend’s roundup of live music images ranges from The Lacs’ country rap to the Mummies’ funk to Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish’s rockabilly to The Go Rounds’ rootsy-but-danceable vibe to Kathy Lamar’s jazz and more. Scan the complete photo gallery.
Midwest Skies, Valentiger, The Legal Immigrants, SoundIsRed, Maybe Next Time, American Wifi and dozens more play the West Ottawa High School weekend festival which showcases the region’s emerging, diverse talent. See — and save — the full schedule.
