Beck, with Sean Lennon’s Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger in tow, made a West Michigan tour stop on Saturday, giving Grand Rapids a long-awaited dose of his boundary-pushing alt- and indie-rock.
Rains finally rolled through in the final wee hours of Rothbury’s EDM- and jam band-driven extravaganza in the woods, but not before String Cheese Incident, Moby, Cut Copy and more regaled ever-frolicking throngs.
Despite gray skies and brief showers, Meijer Gardens’ seventh concert of the season entertained a sellout crowd with pop-hued folk-rock and alt-rock by two popular live touring bands.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Founders Fest jammed downtown streets in Grand Rapids, but compelling shows were also on tap with Needtobreathe at Meijer Gardens, May Erlewine at Wealthy Theatre and more — featured in the Local Spins photo gallery.
Frontman and family man Brian Vander Ark talks with Local Spins about why the West Michigan band finally went back into the studio for a stunning project that eschews the ‘silly rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle’ of old. (Story, album review)
NEW FORMAT! The mid-June weekend round-up of live music ranged from the indie-rock verve of Minus the Bear and CAKE to local heroes playing outdoors, including Steppin’ In It, Kari Lynch, Junior Valentine & Jason Wheeler, Hannah Rose and many more.
Popular alt-rock band delivered a solid two-set show of 15 songs on Thursday, plus a three-song encore that boasted a cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” (Review, photos)
Ignoring a few sprinkles, the singer-songwriters and their talented bands combined for three hours of top-notch, rootsy alt-country.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
Tickets for the second of three straight August concerts planned for the ballpark north of Grand Rapids go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
It was a weekend of dynamic performances, some by West Michigan bands The Soul Syndicate, Murder Party, Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish and a dozen bands at the Bona-Who? fest. (Photos, videos)
The inaugural Grand Rapids music festival was to unfurl Friday and Saturday in a pair of Eastown homes and promised to be a multi-genre, waffle-filled affair. But a complaint led to its cancellation.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
The two-month celebration of Michigan music starts with Afro Zuma and a kid-interactive “Family Appreciation Night” and wraps up in August with Ralston & Friends.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
Returning will be CAKE, Lyle Lovett, The Beach Boys, O.A.R., Five for Fighting and Sheryl Crow, but most acts are new to Meijer Gardens. See the full schedule; ticket presale for members begins April 26.
Breaking music news · Features
With hundreds of acts scrambling to get noticed, West Michigan’s own Stepdad, Rick Chyme, The Soil & The Sun and Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers dive into the “zoo” that is SXSW. Watch an exclusive Local Spins video of Chyme’s performance Thursday.
Midwest Skies, The Outer Vibe, We Know Jackson, Uncommon Road, SoundIsRed, Triangulion and more to play two stages during the weekend’s diverse music showcase.
Breaking music news · Concert reviews
WYCE’s 15th annual affair doled out 18 Jammies to regional acts along plus some special Legacy Awards while two dozen bands rocked a full house at The Intersection on Friday night. See the full list of award winners. (Photos, video)
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Seth Glier, Midwest Skies, White Rabbit, Tom DeVries, North Atlantic Drift and The Crane Wives also rock the latest batch of Local Spins concert images. (Photos, videos)
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows
WYCE has chosen two dozen regional acts — indie-rock to blues to jazz and way more — to play the 15th annual Jammie Awards show at The Intersection on Feb. 21.
Nine bands duked it out at Sunday’s finals at The Intersection. But another battle of the bands on Saturday at Billy’s Lounge was scrapped after four acts were no-shows.
New releases by Uncommon Road, Roger MacNaughton, Breathe Owl Breathe, Love Fossil, Don Middlebrook, Lazy Genius and Make No Heroes in this batch of fall Local Spins reviews.
Sun, rain, snow, falling leaves, wind, thunder, sleet. It’s that wacky time of year, and the same sort of wildly varying live music descended on West Michigan.
Local Spins’ November news update: Kalamazoo’s Hitchcock signs with Nashville booking agent, Crane Wives and Appleseed Collective get Ann Arbor Folk Fest love, and Local Spins’ Sleigh Bells concert photo[…]
A guitar god, a groundbreaking alt-metal band, some Michigan roots heroes, a bracing modern percussion trio, a garage rock legend and monstrous metal: All part of Local Spins’ image-laden roundup[…]
The award-winning Grand Rapids band unveils its debut EP recording with a full-blown rock concert production at Allegan’s Griswold Auditorium on Saturday. (Podcast, video) Uncommon Road guitarist Sean Louis[…]
From nightclubs to a fine arts center to a listening room to Eastown basements, West Michigan bid adieu to October and hello to November in rocking fashion, captured in photos[…]
Friday night’s opening house concerts in three locations jammed living rooms and basements for sets by The Soil & The Sun, Lasso, Kellen & Me and more. (Photos, video) […]
Playing at this weekend’s Lamp Light Music Festival in Grand Rapids with Cobalt Mexican Wolves, the well-traveled British-born singer-songwriter finds camaraderie, inspiration in the Double Phelix collective of musicians. […]
Starting with award presentations to the five winners of the ArtPrize/St. Cecilia song contest, West Michigan’s musical weekend ranged from EDM revelry to acoustic alt-rock to a Feedback spectacular, captured[…]
Things rocked this weekend — from ArtPrize’s music series at Rosa Parks Circle to pop and folk stars at The Intersection to an indie-rock festival and singer-songwriter charm along the[…]
Lazy Genius frontman Patrick Wieland adores vinyl, cites The Beatles and Neil Young as influences, tends to mutate musically and thinks of his band as the “Steve Buscemis of rock.”[…]
September’s Local Spins music news roundup peeks at UV Hippo’s upcoming new masterwork, reveals DJs for the first Halloween on Ionia, says goodbye to a jazz night, and posts exclusive[…]
The fifth-year festival boasts bands from New York to Grand Rapids, playing indoors at the Dee-Lite and outdoors on Washington Street, with beer, wine, food and art to boot. […]
Cabildo, Punksuhate, AOK and more contributed to a diverse musical assault amid an expanded, refurbished Founders Brewing environment that sports a new sound system and an eye-pleasing outdoor beer garden.[…]
Led by respected, globe-trotting drummer Scott Pellegrom, the fusion trio creates wondrous, no-holds-barred music. The band, nearing completion of a new studio album, plays Muskegon’s Watermark 920 Friday. (Podcast, video)[…]
West Michigan’s Jessica Price Band and Junior Valentine will share the Fifth Third Ballpark stage with national headliners as part of the three-day music festival that kicks off Tuesday. […]
The Division Avenue Arts Collective is suddenly being evicted, but other venues may step in to host some shows. The volunteer-run group seeks community support and advice to continue its[…]
A capacity West Michigan crowd on Monday cheered the California psychedelic pop/rock ensemble and opener The Giving Tree Band. (Photo gallery) With a new album on the way in[…]
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
Tickets for the Aug. 21 show go on sale Monday. The bands join ZZ Top and Kenny Wayne Shepherd previously announced for the three-day festival. Rock’s Daughtry and Lifehouse[…]
Los Angeles’ Lord Huron and Nashville’s Escondido rocked a loving bunch of Michigan fans on Monday. Despite sound glitches, Local Spins reviewer Tricia Woolfenden found the sold-out Grand Rapids homecoming[…]
Three emerging bands and several young solo performers will rub elbows with veterans such as Wallace Collective and Conklin Ceili Band at day-long festival and pig roast near Cedar Springs.[…]
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo a day early in downtown Grand Rapids at Michigan’s biggest celebration of its kind, plus a dual CD-release show by The Wallace Collective and Chain of[…]
West Michigan’s lively week of live music boasts Michigan’s biggest Cinco de Mayo Bash, a dual CD-release show by The Wallace Collective and Chain of Lakes, a chiptune celebration and[…]
Breaking music news · Features · Upcoming shows
Grand Rapids music lovers will pack independent area shops – Vertigo Music, Corner Record Shop, Dodd’s – for concerts, specials and refreshments on Saturday. It’s not exactly Christmas. But[…]
Diversity reigned yet again — from local to national, from metal to blues to alt-rock — as evidenced by photos shared at Spins on Music. (Photos, videos) Winter refused[…]
March goes out with a bang in West Michigan as national tours sweep into the region, not to mention shows by Michigan stars Deadwood Stone, Mustard Plug, The Fuzzrites, The[…]
Commentary · Features · Top 10 Lists
At long last, the ‘ice is slowly melting,’ which makes this the perfect time to dream of summer and those days of lazing around a cottage and dangling your feet[…]
February romps to a close with star power, not to mention local must-see shows by Neil Jacobs, Asamu Johnson, An Dro, Serita’s Black Rose and some sweet under-the-radar picks. […]
The Big List’s big shows means running shoes may be in order to keep up this week, and that doesn’t even count the Heavyweights heavy metal finals, Reverend Raven’s blues[…]
National touring acts mesh with CD-release shows by Kris Hitchcock & Small Town Son, Thirsty Perch Blues Band and more, from Michigan folk icons to jazz gurus to heavy metal[…]
