Some 10,000 folk fans will flock to the rural site in Remus for sets by Rodney Crowell, Claudia Schmidt, The Steel Wheels, The Accidentals, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Rachael Davis and more. See the full schedule.
Hard-touring Grand Rapids jam band to call it quits for awhile in hopes of re-energizing shows and music; up-and-coming teen duo gets boost from big names Marshall Crenshaw and Stewart Lerman in New York.
Artist Spotlights · Podcasts · Videos
This week’s Local Spins Artist Spotlight shines on an 18-year-old, up-and-coming West Michigan artist with a new album and a tour under her belt. (Story, video, podcast)
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Separated by nine miles, Tuesday’s two outdoor concerts in the Grand Rapids area boasted different vibes but the same enthusiastic crowd support. And T-Pain’s hip hop lit up The Intersection. (Photo gallery)
The weekend started early with a long-awaited Meijer Gardens show, a rap battle and a CD listening party, and kept right on rolling from Grand Rapids to Traverse City.
The August batch of Local Spins reviews spotlights some much-anticipated recording projects from acclaimed bands (with sneak audio peeks), plus releases from The Northern Soul, Junior Valentine & Jason Wheeler, The Carboys, Bruce Matthews and Jake Vroon.
Outdoors and indoors, West Michigan’s concert docket was as lively as any weekend of the summer, from Berlin Raceway to Hoxeyville to the streets of Grand Haven, all captured in Local Spins images.
After an impressive first day, the Woodstock-like Hoxeyville in the Manistee National Forest continued with aplomb Saturday and Sunday as it trotted out a top-notch regional lineup. (Story, video, photos)
Up-and-coming indie-rock bandleader Ben Daniels says his actor-singer dad “burned the blues into my mind.” The Michigan band will back Jeff Daniels on stage.
The fast-rising Michigan trio releases its new CD on Thursday, the same day it plays Grand Rapids and a day before heading to Milwaukee to perform at the granddaddy of Irish festivals.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The musical weekend started early with shows at Meijer Gardens and The Intersection, and featured a mix of national acts and stellar local bands hosting CD-release shows. (Aug. 7-10)
For the ninth summer in a row, the engaging Texas singer-songwriter sold out his appearance at the outdoor Grand Rapids amphitheater.
Concert announcements · Upcoming shows
Acoustic Café series brings the Nashville-based Americana singer to Royce Auditorium for the first time, with Bowles bringing Earthwork Music artists to the same stage.
Weirdest night ever at Meijer Gardens? Acclaimed singer-songwriter playing sold-out amphitheater takes exception to loud fan chatter and departs amid f-bomb laden tirade, then returns to finish concert. Oh, and Jenny Lewis performed, too.
The first batch of mid-July Local Spins CD reviews covers a dizzying range of Michigan artists and musical styles, from pop to funk to folk. And there’s plenty more to come.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From Harbor Springs to Kalamazoo, West Michigan throttled up music from folk to blues to hip hop, captured in images at Local Spins — plus a recap of part of Blissfest.
Affable and engaging, the reunited progressive bluegrass trio rekindled its familiar musical fire with old favorites and new gems for a sold-out amphitheater on a picturesque night.
The 34th annual Blissfest north of Harbor Springs fires up this weekend with more than 50 acts, from New York’s Donna the Buffalo to Michigan’s Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers.
The duo retraces Grammy-winning “Get Up!” in bracing show Thursday at a sold-out Meijer Gardens. The guest Local Spins review by The Crane Wives’ Ben Zito.
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.
Founders Brewing Co.’s seventh annual street party lived up to the hype with Charley Bradley & His Extraordinaires stealing the show with their fiery, retro-soul set, followed by the ultra-funk of Lettuce.
Album reviews · Features · Upcoming shows
The much-admired singer-songwriter and new mom plays a CD-release show Saturday at Wealthy Theatre, celebrating the ‘wild ride’ of her 7th studio album. (Story, review)
This week’s Local Spins Artist Spotlight shines on a versatile multi-instrumentalist from Grand Rapids with a penchant for musical story-telling. He plays One Trick Pony tonight.
Musical lightning strikes thrice: Unusual confluence of stellar acts playing Grand Rapids on single night impresses crowds despite stormy weather.
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.
Ignoring a few sprinkles, the singer-songwriters and their talented bands combined for three hours of top-notch, rootsy alt-country.
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Dar Williams, Steppin’ In It, Rootstand, Drew Nelson, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, Edye Evans Hyde among 30-plus acts playing weekend festival south of Grand Rapids.
Local Spins’ first Guest Playlist for June comes courtesy of rockabilly starlet Delilah DeWylde, who offers up a roster of tasty, relatively obscure, retro-fired musical nuggets.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
June’s first weekend may have been the biggest ever for West Michigan music fans with hundreds of bands playing outdoor stages from Grand Rapids to Martin to Kalamazoo.
From Nathan Kalish & The Wildfire celebrating a new album to Mustard Plug and Alexis closing things out, it’s bound to be a street party to remember – and on the same weekend as Festival.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
It was a weekend for parties and CD-release celebrations, along with the usual musical mayhem from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, captured in images at Local Spins.
Reveling in his role as a brand new father, the driving force behind Earthwork Music credits Michigan’s “awesome music community” for bolstering his latest recording.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan welcomed summer early by turning amps to 11 with help from surf-rock’s Concussions, jazz pioneers Richard Pinhas and The Moon, metal’s Mushroomhead, blues’ Rusty Wright and a bunch of fun-loving VW bus owners, captured in images at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Features · Photos
Local Spins’ David Specht and photographer Tori Thomas experienced Buses by the Beach on Friday, capturing the camaraderie and music of the 13th annual event, held at Camp Blodgett.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Upcoming shows
The Celadon Summer Concert Series is back, adding to a long list of free outdoor summer shows across West Michigan. And today’s the deadline for bidding on some bracing house concerts by acclaimed Michigan bands.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Upcoming shows
Nicholas James & The Bandwagon, Delilah DeWylde & The Lost Boys, The Muteflutes and more are part of the lakeshore event that began a dozen years ago with 12 VW buses. And check out the premiere of a new song, “Bus Life,” written just for the festival.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Videos
A hidden gem along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, the guitarist with an impressive past shines these days as a vintage country music artist. (Video)
Really, it’s true. West Michigan’s unique and ‘intense’ listening room celebrates a major milestone with Thursday’s performance by East Coast singer-songwriter Pat McGee.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From all-out rock shows to soul and funk to EDM to jazz to acoustic guitar wizardry, the weekend unfurled in eclectic fashion across West Michigan, captured in photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
With a mid-week show, The Soil & The Sun’s Grand Rapids homecoming launched several days of live gems that included singular sets by Jimmie Stagger, The Outer Vibe, Chance Jones, Junior Valentine and Alice Peacock.
The rootsy five-piece Grand Rapids indie-folk/country band releases its debut album at Founders on Saturday. Read the story for a chance to win a copy of the new CD.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
From Root Doctor to Kari Lynch to Brian VanderArk to The Crane Wives: Strong lineups power outdoor summer concerts in Rockford, Holland and Wyoming for 2014.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The long holiday weekend teemed with music, including Mid-Life Crisis at Forest Hills Fine Arts Center’s 10th anniversary, Granger Smith, Hannah Rose Graves and Breathe Owl Breathe.
The veteran Grand Rapids guitarist, performer and instructor fronts an intriguing new trio with mandolinist Jason Wheeler and percussionist Brandan Grinwis, mining American roots gems. (Story, podcast, video)
Intimate vocals and moving songwriting marked the band’s concert Tuesday night at the Calvin College Covenant Fine Arts Center in a show rescheduled from January.
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.
National tours of note made West Michigan stops, but there was plenty more with a big lineup of regional acts at Jake’s Music Festival plus shows by The Bangups, Seabird, Scott Pellegrom & Kevin Kozel, Nathan Kalish and Teddy Geiger.
Breaking music news · Features
The keyboard ace for bands such as Jive at Five and Blue Molly who died Saturday of an apparent heart attack remembered as a terrific friend and versatile musician.
This week’s Local Spins Artist Spotlight shines on a Grand Rapids folk-rock trio which blends the voices of a seasoned singer-songwriter and a classically trained vocalist. (Podcast, video)
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
The unique Interlochen venue in northern Michigan hosts more than two dozen stars – from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Buddy Guy – with tickets on sale April 18. And Hoxeyville returns in mid-August to the Manistee National Forest.
