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.
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.
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 announcements · Summer Concerts · Upcoming shows
The 97 LAV Budweiser Blues on the Mall launches its 23rd year in Grand Rapids with blues guitar phenom Kelly Richey on June 18 and includes an early August tribute to Walter Trout.
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.
Breaking music news · Features
After computer issues caused some delays in notifying acts, the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts has finalized the performance schedule for June 6-8 and it’s now online.
Artist Spotlights · Podcasts · Videos
The popular, award-winning Lansing-based band in this week’s Local Spins Artist Spotlight performs regularly in West Michigan and brings its soulful charm to Grand Rapids on Saturday night.
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.
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)
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.
Saturday’s anniversary show at Wealthy Theatre will showcase eight eclectic local acts while raising money for, and raising awareness of, juvenile diabetes research.
With decades of professional musicianship in its ranks, West Michigan’s two-year-old Big Boss Blues has quickly made its mark on the region’s blues scene. (Podcast, video)
As the community radio station’s spring fund drive revs up, WYCE unveils its “881 Essentials,” including about 50 local and regional bands and solo artists they play on-air.
Led by renowned Grand Rapids guitarist Fitz Green, the instrumental surf rock band draws a devoted following at its regular haunts: Rocky’s, Tip Top Deluxe and Rockford Brewing.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements
Tickets are on sale for the June 13-15 music fest in Delton, with dozens of regional acts on the bill, including Drew Nelson, Steppin’ In It, Edye Evans, Rachael Davis, Rick Chyme, Ralston Bowles, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys.
National acts topped bills for br-r-rracingly unique West Michigan shows, but regional bands Mystic Dub, Root Doctor, Steve Hilger Band, An Dro and more were in the Local Spins photo mix, too
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Ogle rollicking winter fun indoors and out in these photos of the Winter Beer Fest, punk bands at the Tip Top, EDM mania at The Intersection, soulful rock at The Pyramid Scheme, sensitive singer-songwriters and dozens of local bands playing the Jammie Awards.
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)
Friday night’s Jammie Awards hosted by WYCE-FM (88.1) at The Intersection will boast two dozen bands on two stages and a packed house. It’s come a long way since its humble beginnings. Local Spins asked three key Jammie-ites to recount its growth and importance.
Ogle images and videos from a bevy of West Michigan shows: A Tribe Called Red, Nick Moss, Cooper’s Glen and MAJIC concerts, Withhold the Blood, The Trace Duo, Jim Shaneberger, Billy Strings/Don Julin, Bowery, Equal Parts, Ben Daniels Band, Nicholas James Thomasma.
The Grand Rapids singer and harmonica player’s much-acclaimed tribute to Gary Primich earns best self-produced album honors at the Memphis awards show.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows
The Waxies, Tosspints and more to rock an even bigger Irish on Ionia on Saturday; after years of regaling West Michigan audiences, the award-winning Blue Molly has played its final show.
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.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A bevy of folk/roots acts played the day-long Wheatland benefit at The Intersection, plus images from Fresh Folk and shows by Heavier Than Air Flying Machines, The Front Bottoms and more.
St. Cecilia Music Center’s singer-songwriter night also spotlighted the music of Josh Rose, Hannah Rose Graves and Mark Sala.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows
Nelson and Sala have taken different musical paths but share a passion for writing compelling songs. (Video, podcast)
Michigan folk, bluegrass and roots acts — from Lindsay Lou to Blue Molly — will ‘rub elbows’ and play the day-long Wheatland fundraiser at The Intersection.
As we rock into 2014, Local Spins takes a look at the top music stories on the website from the past year: the posts and features that drew the most interest from readers.
Just in the St. Nick of time for 11th-hour Christmas shopping, another batch of Local Spins reviews of albums by Michigan artists.
The Outer Vibe rolls and gets rocked with “Princess of Sin,” while Mowery earns International Blues Challenge nod for “Account to Me.”
Want your music preserved for posterity? West Michigan artists can submit CDs to the district library so patrons can literally check out their music. By Elizabeth Slowik LocalSpins.com The[…]
Halloween descended several days early, with wild and woolly costume- and EDM-driven events in downtown Grand Rapids, plus tour stops by diverse acts from here to the lakeshore. (Photos, video)[…]
The reaction of 2013’s $2,000 winners, all from West Michigan? “Stoked,” “elated” and “somewhat surprised.” Listen to the winning songs. The Top 10 vote-getters in ArtPrize are still stumping[…]
ArtPrize’s first weekend, Founders Brewing’s grand reopening, Earthwork Harvest’s annual gathering and a historic marathon rap: All of it brought a bracing bevy of live music to Grand Rapids and[…]
For the third year, St. Cecilia Music Center is hosting a weekend ArtPrize Musicians’ Showcase in downtown Grand Rapids with 50 acts on two stages. Here are highlights from Friday’s[…]
It’s Labor Day: Do you know how little your favorite local musician or band is probably being paid? Pipe in with your own experiences, comments. On Labor Day 2013,[…]
Whether fronting The Sanger Brothers Band or flying solo, the Holland native plays with confident passion. He’s currently at work on a new studio album; get a sneak peek here[…]
Reveling in the final vestiges of summer, West Michigan concertgoers had plenty of live music to wallow in — from Rock the Rapids at Fifth Third Ballpark to polka parties[…]
The little ol’ band from Texas, joined by Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Grand Rapids’ own Junior Valentine, closed out the three-day festival at Fifth Third Ballpark with a truckload of[…]
With a muscular new album, “The Grind,” being released this week, the award-winning West Michigan singer-songwriter talks about his evolving musical approach and being true to his vision. Vincent[…]
Dennis Gruenling, Joe Filisko, Jim Liban, Nick Moss, Doug Deming and Hank Mowery blow in for Thursday’s show that pays tribute to Little Walter and benefits Blue Star Connection. See[…]
GRandJazzFest with regional and national acts took over downtown Grand Rapids, but there was plenty more live music to embrace, too. (Photos, video) Q: How does a jazz musician[…]
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. […]
Unseasonably cool for early August, conditions were nearly perfect to soak up live music outdoors — and even indoors — in the Grand Rapids area, ending with WLAV-FM’s big 40th[…]
August’s opening salvo of live music in the Grand Rapids area heats up with Orquesta Tradicion, John Butler Trio, Grizzly Bear, Fly Moon Royalty, Loverboy, Mark Farner and an unusual[…]
With a new studio album set for release next month, The Todd Wolfe Band brings its rigorous national tour to Grand Rapids’ Tip Top Deluxe on Friday. More than[…]
