Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Upcoming shows
The rumors are no longer rumors: Powerhouse bluegrass guitarist Billy Strings, a West Michigan native, will make an Oct. 31 tour stop at the sprawling Grand Rapids venue. Details at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan’s mid-April blast ranged from jam-packed shows by national artists to showcases of regional favorites to the enduring pull of vinyl — all recapped in images and videos at Local Spins. Check out 10 galleries and three videos, including August Burns Red, Brie Stoner & Kate Pillsbury, B93’s Battle to the Bash, Record Store Day, The Claudettes, Flexadecibel and more.
Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
A hot summer indeed. Big stars and regional favorites will fire up outdoor stages throughout the state this summer. Today, Local Spins launches the first round of its annual “Outdoor Summer Concerts at Michigan Venues” listing, with more to come as show announcements filter in. Check out rosters at Pine Knob, The Deck in Muskegon and many more.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
The 50th anniversary celebration taking place in early September will also feature Tuba Skinny, The Onlies and an impressive roster of Michigan acts. View the full lineup and other details at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
Northern Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts has revealed more than a dozen concerts thus far for its summer ‘Arts Festival,’ with Styx, The Temptations, Lindsey Stirling, Train, Five for Fighting, The Beach Boys and more on tap. View the lineup at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Videos
The beloved northern Michigan festival today announced the 60-plus-act lineup for July, including Marc Broussard, Sweet Water Warblers, Myron Elkins, Gina Chavez and The Crane Wives. View the full lineup and get details at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos · Videos
Saturday’s free event at Kalamazoo Valley Museum drew hundreds of fans, luthiers and musicians, including guitar virtuosos Fareed Haque & Goran Ivanovic. The recap, photo gallery and video at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Our recap of this week’s live music blizzard — indoors and out — travels from Comstock Park to GR to Hudsonville to Kalamazoo, and from touring stars to local band favorites. Browse all of the images and check out the show recaps at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Despite the blustery storm of ice and snow outside Wednesday night, the Kalamazoo-bred bluegrass powerhouse packed The Intersection for a long evening of entrancing jams. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
In the midst of winter’s chilly bluster, Michigan music festivals are whetting fan appetites by announcing lineups or adding big names to their rosters. The round-up of some recent high-profile festival rosters with links to ticket sales at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Saturday’s musical revelry on three stages at The Intersection highlighted a weekend that celebrated Michigan-made bands. Photos, recaps at Local Spins, including a Kalamazoo show led by Celestial.
Festivals · Playlists · Upcoming shows
Eleven diverse bands will play two stages at The Intersection in the first Winter Wheat fest since early 2020. The back story, the schedule and a playlist at Local Spins.
Audio · Features · Hot Top 5 · Videos
The soulful, Kalamazoo hip-hop ensemble soared to the top of the December chart, with several new Michigan entries right behind. See which albums made the latest Hot Top 5 Chart and listen to tracks from all of the releases at Local Spins.
Upcoming shows · Venue Spotlight
The “communal” hangout on Bridge Street NW kicks off its new live music series with Selkie on Jan. 8. Get details and the full schedule at Local Spins, along with information about a new Latin jazz series in Kalamazoo.
Announcements · Local Spins on WYCE · Top 10 Lists
Based on radio airplay at WYCE (88.1 FM), Local Spins reveals the Top 10 list of songs by Michigan artists that made the biggest impact on listeners and programmers in 2022. Listen to this week’s Local Spins on WYCE radio podcast and see how you can win tickets to see Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers at The Pyramid Scheme this weekend.
Local Spins Rewind · Top 12 Stories Countdown · Videos
It’s no surprise that one of the top stories of 2022 would involve Michigan-bred star Billy Strings. In April, he and his band performed on the Grammys, though he didn’t win for best bluegrass album. Check out the story and videos in today’s Local Spins Rewind.
Audio · Photos · Top 12 Stories Countdown
The countdown of Local Spins’ most-read stories of 2022 begins today with our coverage of Michigan-bred bluegrass hero Billy Strings at No. 12. Ogle a photo gallery and see what stories came in just behind that in our year-end countdown.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
Touted as “the trip of a lifetime,” the Kalamazoo progressive bluegrass band will stage its annual festival in Reyjkjavik next June with guest Holly Bowling. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
The Ionia County-raised guitarist continues his meteoric rise, with his latest album, “Me/And/Dad,” making waves on a number of national/regional charts. See who else made the latest Hot Top 5 and listen to tracks from all of the releases at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The liveliest Thanksgiving weekend for live music in three years delivered everything from country to rock to electronic music to jamgrass for West Michigan fans — from a packed house at Rockford Brewing to two straight nights of a bluegrass homecoming in Kalamazoo. The photos at Local Spins.
Album reviews · Audio · Videos
Raised in Ionia County’s rural Muir, Billy Strings embraces the traditions he grew up with, featuring duets with his stepfather, Terry Barber, on his latest Rounder Records releases. The review at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
The band uncorks its traditional Thanksgiving weekend concerts at State Theatre. Our interview with mandolinist Paul Hoffman and this week’s radio show podcast with new music by Myron Elkins, Chain of Lakes, Jack Pine, Entransient and more.
Concert announcements · Festivals
Ani DiFranco, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Patty Griffin lead a one-day Saturday event with a cozy ‘BanjoFest’ at The Ark on Friday. And Hoxeyville 2023 will feature Wood Brothers, Keller Williams and more. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
Ionia County’s favorite bluegrass son pumped up thousands of fans in Kalamazoo on Thursday, followed by another home-state show in Saginaw tonight. The review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins Rewind · Podcasts · Upcoming shows · Videos
The world’s Grammy-winning face of bluegrass plays Wings Event Center Thursday. But in 2015, Billy Strings was just Michigan’s emerging acoustic fave, wowing a handful of fans for Local Spins Live at River City Studios. Relive the milestone performance via video and podcast at Local Spins.
Award-winning acoustic stars hailing from touring acts that include Punch Brothers and Bruce Hornsby will host workshops starting Thursday at Camp Blodgett along Lake Michigan. Learn more about the camp and view the full roster of instructors.
Breaking music news · Features
The Michigan artists landed major awards on Wednesday night in Nashville. See what prestigious honors they walked away with and their reaction at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The return of the beloved Wheatland Music Festival for the first time in three years outside Remus last weekend electrified fans and bands alike. Revisit the action in words, photos and video.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The week leading up to Labor Day brought a diverse mix of artists — national and local — to area stages. Local Spins was there to document the late-summer revelry in photos.
Playlists · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
For the first time since the pre-COVID days of 2019, the beloved Michigan festival revs up next weekend with revered touring acts and Michigan stars. The preview, main stage schedule and a playlist at Local Spins
Thousands of revelers embraced the rootsy, bluegrass-hued festival in the Manistee National Forest over the weekend. Local Spins has highlights, a photo gallery and a video recapping the action.
The shows leading up to another weekend of musical merriment in West Michigan boasted soulful pop, bluegrass, ska and vocally impressive songwriting powerhouses, lighting up venues from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. Browse the photos and show recaps at Local Spins.
Albums that Changed the World · Podcasts
This week’s special edition of the radio show focuses on Michigan music with a twist: We play tracks from albums that a dozen local and regional artists say have influenced them the most, from Kanye West to The Beatles. Get the back story and listen to the full radio show podcast.
Albums that Changed the World · Audio · Playlists · Summer Festivals
Northern Michigan’s Dunesville Music Festival unfurls this weekend in Interlochen, so Local Spins asked the event’s co-director to reveal three albums that have impacted her most, along with a current favorite. Listen to tracks from all of the albums and find links for the festival lineup and details.
Photos · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
Dozens of free summer concerts unfold every night across the state, spotlighting everything from rock to jazz to blues. Local Spins explores why they’re so popular as a seasonal pastime. Plus, view photos from several of these series.
Breaking music news · Venue Spotlight
The highly regarded Spring Lake concert venue which opened 11 years ago has hosted hundreds of concerts by iconic artists and will stage its final show in December. The back story at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Upcoming shows
The upcoming season of the Acoustic Café Folk Series at the Grand Rapids venue will feature stars spanning generations and styles. Get the details at Local Spins.
After a long hiatus, Blissfest returned to northern Michigan last weekend with a bevy of roots and folk stars. Revisit the musical fun via these highlights in words and photos.
Major tour stops — big and small — dominated the West Michigan concert landscape for the second weekend in July. The recaps and photo galleries exclusively at Local Spins, featuring Death Cab, O.A.R., Los Straitjackets, The B-Sides, Full Cord, The Incantations, Sarah Borges and more.
Artist Spotlights · Breaking music news
The Grand Haven-based group outplayed 9 other bands from across the country to snag a cash prize and an appearance on the bluegrass festival’s main stage in 2023. Learn more at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
The second-year festival fires up again in the Trufant area on Friday with more than 30 acts slated to perform over the holiday weekend. Get the lowdown, schedule and more at Local Spins.
Closing out a jam-packed string of sold-out amphitheater shows, the banjoist — along with Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush — brought his ‘Bluegrass Happening’ to Grand Rapids on Monday. Check out the review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Uncategorized
An appreciative Meijer Gardens audience soaked up Southern charm from the always-enthusiastic, twangy, bluegrass, country & Americana act in its return to Grand Rapids on Thursday. The review and photo gallery.
Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Saturday’s brilliant weather offered an ideal backdrop for three diverse festivals: country’s B93 Bash at LMCU Ballpark, GR Pride Festival downtown and the second day of music at Circle Pines Center. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
Playlists · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
On hiatus since 2019 due to COVID, the popular, family-friendly festival south of GR hosts 40-plus regional acts on four stages over the weekend. Get the schedule and preview the music with a Local Spins Playlist.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
After a long COVID hiatus, the much-beloved Mio festival featuring more than 30 regional acts kicks off Friday. Get the preview, the inside story and the full schedule at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Attendance surged significantly on Days 2 and 3 for the return of Camp Greensky, which showcased the legendary Little Feat as well as numerous on-stage collaboration amid a camaraderie-filled weekend. Get the recap, browse the photo galleries and check out some video highlights.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Thursday’s opening salvo of the music festival being held at southern Kent County’s Shagbark Farm boasted happy fans, rousing sets and perfect weather. Get the recap, browse the photo gallery and watch video highlights at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
The first Festival of the Arts since 2019 kicks off Friday in downtown Grand Rapids with more than 140 performances on five stages. Get the lowdown and the full performance schedule at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Set to be staged for the first time since 2019 and for the first time in southern Kent County, the Camp Greensky festival is set to unfurl this weekend with Greensky Bluegrass, Little Feat, Steppin’ In It and more. Get the back story on what it takes to create a festival on a working cattle farm and view the schedule at Local Spins.
