Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
As West Michigan eases into November 2020, the indoor live music scene is much different and more restricted than it was last November. Local Spins rounds up the musical happenings amid what’s expected to be a turbulent election week.
Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
Until COVID, Benton Harbor’s The Livery was a favored performance spot for many regional and national acts, reflected in the brewery’s Top 10 playlist of artists who’ve played its stage. And the venue has plans for upcoming ‘sound stage’ sessions amid the pandemic. Learn more about that and listen to the playlist at Local Spins.
Buoyed by splendid October weather, Tamarack Camp hosted a mini-festival of sorts on Saturday, featuring sets by several popular West Michigan acts. Browse the photo gallery, watch the video at Local Spins.
Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
The Sweet Water Warblers, Joshua Davis, Hoots & Hellmouth, Billy Strings & Don Julin, Luke Winslow-King and other favorites pump up the intimate Fennville venue’s Local Spins playlist. Ogle the videos, listen to the featured songs on Spotify.
Playlists · Top 10 Lists · Videos
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Styx, Charlie Daniels, Greensky Bluegrass, Frankie Ballard, Goo Goo Dolls, Styx and more populate this week’s soundtrack courtesy of State Theatre. Check out the videos and listen to the Top 10 playlist on Spotify.
Playlists · Venue Spotlight · Videos
In honor of this week’s #SaveMIStages campaign, Local Spins offers up tracks from the best past performances at 15 West Michigan concert venues which have been silenced due to COVID-19. See which artists were chosen, watch the videos and listen to the songs at Local Spins — then email lawmakers to show your support for these businesses.
Live-Stream Concerts · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
With the usual, much-beloved Wheatland festival canceled this year due to COVID-19, organizers have assembled three days of performance videos by a slew of familiar artists — from Jill Jack and Seth Bernard to Blue Highway and Lunasa. Get details and a full schedule for the September event at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Live music in the great outdoors took several different forms across the region — from Benton Harbor to Grand Rapids to a farm east of Gaylord, with performances by Mark Lavengood, Jenna Mammina and many more. Local Spins traveled hundreds of miles for images of what’s become a rarity this summer due to COVID-19: Live music.
COVID-19 silenced live music downtown until Thursday when the first “Listening Lawn” show regaled a sold-out crowd outdoors on the piazza at Studio Park. Check out the review and photo gallery exclusively at Local Spins.
Asking viewers to support the National Independent Venue Association in its plea to Congress for help amid the pandemic, Michigan’s favorite bluegrass son and his band performed Monday for “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Watch videos from the performances at Local Spins and listen to this week’s Top 10 playlist: The Best of Billy Strings.
Features · Weekend Photo Gallery
Today’s entry in our series spotlighting Local Spins photographers focuses on Nathan Purchase, with his favorite concert photos of artists such as Umphrey’s McGee, Tame Impala, Billy Strings, My Morning Jacket, Greensky Bluegrass and, of course, Desmond Jones. View the photos and get the stories behind his classic shots.
Today’s video roundup is topped by Friday’s furious night of fundraising blues at the Tip Top Deluxe, plus songs by Sweet Water Warblers, Full Cord Bluegrass, American Hotel System and Upon Wings. Check out all the videos in this week’s edition of “music on the silver screen.”
The historic downtown Grand Rapids venue today announced a record-setting lineup of folk, jazz and chamber music concerts starting this fall. See the full lineup and details about the post-pandemic challenges facing venues such as St. Cecilia Music Center.
Features · Weekend Photo Gallery
Local Spins continues its “concert photo rewind” series spotlighting the stellar work of its photographers, this time focusing on our Kalamazoo live music honcho: Derek Ketchum. Here are his favorite photos and the stories behind these colorful, action-packed shots.
Round 2 of Local Spins’ spotlight on the amazing work of its concert photographers continues with Jamie Geysbeek. Browse some of his favorite photos, including images of Skillet, Black Veil Brides, Chris Thile, NF, Slash, Lauren Daigle and more, with stories behind the shots.
This is a FREE mandolin workshop although tips are accepted at (PayPal – brian@mandoberlin.com) or at (VENMO – @fullcordbluegrass) We will learn the songs AVALON in G and TOPSY in[…]
Billy Strings plans an epic 2+ hour solo set right from his living room in Nashville, TN. This rare solo acoustic performance will be broadcast as part of the new[…]
FCB is bring three of their guys to our headquarters in Grand Haven for a live show complete with two sets, crowd interaction and a good time! We will be[…]
Hello friends. I hope you all are staying safe and in good health. I wanted to do a few live streams this week to help raise some money for some[…]
The Colorado bluegrass band with W. Michigan ties scrapped weekend Listening Room shows in Grand Rapids due to the COVID-19 crisis. But you can listen to songs they would have played live in this Local Spins playlist.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
Featuring two Kent County natives, the Colorado-based bluegrass band plays two straight ‘homecoming’ shows this weekend at Grand Rapids’ Listening Room. Read the Local Spins interview and watch videos of the band ahead of the weekend run.
This edition of our concert week-in-review spotlights some W. Michigan tour stops by fan favorites — from metalcore to indie-folk to bluegrass to a funky jam band. Browse all of the images at Local Spins.
The 15th annual edition of the Fretboard Festival brought a couple thousand people to Kalamazoo Valley Museum on Saturday for performances by 19 regional artists, plus workshops and instrument vendors. The recap, photo gallery and video highlights, exclusively at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
March roars in like a lion music-wise with Gaelic Storm, Cowboy Junkies, Shiba San, Scotty McCreery, Will Sexton, The Accidentals, Distant Stars and more on the docket. Plus, Local Spins’ Big List has ticket giveaways for three different concerts this week.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Videos
The August festival outside Wellston, Mich., will also feature the likes of Sweet Water Warblers, Michigan Rattlers, Luke Winslow-King, The Go Rounds and more. See the full roster of performers at Local Spins and watch recent videos of the headliners. Tickets are now on sale.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This week’s concert recap focuses on three shows in particular that celebrated the talents — new as well as experienced — of West Michigan artists. But there are images of Raul Midon, Fatoumata Diawara, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Dave Bruzza and more, too.
Chris Thile’s sold-out show Tuesday at St. Cecilia Music Center was an uplifting, mutual love affair between the performer and his fans. “Your town is crushing it,” Thile raved at one point. The review and photo gallery, exclusively at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
February closes out with We Were Promised Jetpacks, Symphony With Soul, Winter Delights Fest, Dave Bruzza, Excision, The Go Rounds, a much-buzzed-about Rush tribute and much more. Browse our Under-the-Radar Picks and check out the “Big List Spotlight” on a new concert series kicking off on Grand Rapids’ North Side.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
Amid sold-out shows this week, the super-group of May Erlewine, Rachael Davis and Lindsay Lou took time out to reflect on the “real magic” of their project for Local Spins. Learn more about this Michigan-bred phenomenon and the group’s upcoming album, and watch a video of a recent a cappella performance.
The Grammy-winning band lit up St. Cecilia’s sold-out Royce Auditorium in Grand Rapids on Thursday night with impressive instrumentals and vocal harmonies during the Acoustic Cafe Folk Series show. The review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Tributes to David Bowie and Tom Petty also are on tap, along with concerts by Domestic Problems, The Autumnatic, Darcy Wilkin, Coffin Problem, Jack Droppers, Roosevelt Diggs, Roger MacNaughton and a Crooked Tree Creative showcase. And check out this week’s ticket giveaway.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
In a bid to drive away the winter blahs, West Michigan audiences embraced a dynamic mix of touring and local artists. And once again, Local Spins captured it in photo and video form.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
The announcement of the initial lineup for the June festival came the same day that Billy Strings revealed he’s mounting a February tour of intimate Michigan venues with his dad. Find out who else is playing Camp Greensky and which cities are part of the “Family Strings” tour.
Audio · Hot Top 5 · Top 10 Lists
Check out the final roster of local and regional albums which earned the most airplay at WYCE-FM last year, topped by a Michigan bluegrass powerhouse. Then, listen to tracks from all of the featured artists.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
This week’s concert photo gallery and video roundup also features Stone Soup & The Broken Teeth’s album-release, Toth, Leland Blue and Paradise Outlaw. Browse the images at Local Spins.
The Wheatland Music Organization’s 11th annual soiree will pack Grand Rapids’ Intersection this weekend with performances by more than a dozen roots music and folk artists on two stages. Details, schedule at Local Spins.
West Michigan ushered in 2020 with the bluegrass brilliance of Billy Strings, an outdoor Pop Evil party, Manic Focus, 20 Monroe Live’s Resolution Ball, Kalamazoo’s New Year’s Fest and more captured in photos and videos at Local Spins, with a full review of Billy Strings’ homecoming show.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Upcoming shows
Maintaining mental health and dealing with “a lot of pressure” represent real challenges for touring musicians, especially road warriors such as The Accidentals and Billy Strings, who plays a sold-out New Year’s Eve show in Grand Rapids. In Part II of its interview with Billy Strings, Local Spins delves into the issues that have become a growing concern for many bands.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Gasoline Gypsies kick off a holiday-hued week that also features Pink Sky, Tammi Savoy, Full Cord, Roosevelt Diggs, American Hotel System, Sullivan King, Earth Radio and more. See this week’s featured concerts, plus the Under-the-Radar Picks.
Artist Spotlights · Audio · Podcasts
The new “Michigan Music” compilation featuring 33 Great Lakes State artists and impressive recordings by Billy Strings and Sandra Effert take center stage in the statewide December segment. Bend an ear to the podcast and the featured songs, plus get the back stories about these artists at Local Spins.
The two-night Thanksgiving weekend stand at State Theatre unleashed epic sets and memorable riffs. Enjoy the review and photo gallery at Local Spins, along with Friday’s set list.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The first Michigan Mondays show at Listening Room with members of The Accidentals kicks off a party-up holiday week in West Michigan that also features concerts by Henhouse Prowlers, Mike Mains, Luke Winslow-King, Merkules and much more. Browse this week’s featured live music selections and the always-intriguing Under-the-Radar Picks.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
Brent Shirey of Valentiger unfurled new songs on-air for Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted music by Catfish & The Man, Aspen Jacobsen, Edison Kitt, Jack Droppers and more. Peruse the story, podcast and video at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
The hometown boy with roots in Ionia and Traverse City can’t wait to play a sold-out New Year’s Eve show at The Intersection in Grand Rapids after a “crazy,” award-winning, chart-topping year. Part 1 of a revealing, on-the-road Local Spins interview with William Apostol, aka Billy Strings.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
The Grammy-nominated band of virtuosos made a tour stop Wednesday at Grand Rapids’ Listening Room, impressing a small but approving crowd. They play Petoskey, Interlochen and Ann Arbor next. Peruse the review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Audio · Podcasts
There are compelling stories behind each of the West Michigan artists featured on this month’s edition of Local Spins on Michigan Radio’s “Stateside.” Listen to the podcast, get the back story on these three acts.
For the second year, the Folk Alliance Region Midwest conference will host seminars and performances by hundreds of touring musicians in Grand Rapids. Get the Local Spins preview, schedules of performances and details about this week’s “truly real” event.
Album reviews · Audio · Videos
Fall brings with it some frightfully good new regional music, including the latest from Michigan-bred bluegrass hero Billy Strings, a popular hip hop collective, fetching fiddle music and scary-cool Halloween gems. Check out the reviews, sample the new music at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Features · Kalamazoo · Photos
The third annual Great Lakes Music Camp along the Lake Michigan shoreline drew dozens of ‘pupils’ for workshops and even more acoustic music fans for a packed Saturday night concert starring instructors. In Kalamazoo, meanwhile, the Great Lakes Acoustic Music Association also celebrated acoustic glory at its GLAMA-versary event. Story and photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
September closed out with a bang: Rain washed out country star Luke Bryan’s ‘Farm Tour’ stop in Richland, but other acts rocked the house, including Skillet, Alter Bridge, BoomBox, Judah & The Lion, Frankie Cosmos, Sigrid, Greyhounds, Mark Lavengood and more. Get the recaps and photos at Local Spins.
