Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
The opening night of the seven-day festival featured five eclectic singer-songwriters performing varied tunes in an intimate setting. The recap, photos, video highlights and more at Local Spins, along with the performance schedule for the rest of the week.
With Chase Rice and Ella Langley also on the bill, Thursday’s “Gravel and Gold” tour stop at Van Andel Arena delivered plenty of Bentley’s familiar country hits for adoring fans. The review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Emerging Artists to Watch · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Americana singer-songwriter — another ‘Emerging Artist to Watch’ — chats about his new EP, ‘Poison Ivy,’ for Local Spins ahead of this week’s release shows in Eagle and Dimondale. The Artist Spotlight feature and video.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
August’s final weekend blast of live music across the state covered the gamut, from country to metal to indie-rock to bluegrass and more, from Return to the River in Grand Rapids to Havoc Fest in Jackson. Browse all the photo galleries and a video at Local Spins.
From Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids and beyond it was another simmering summer week of concerts, including Celeste Allison, Chris Canas, Luke Winslow-King, a songwriters’ fest and more.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
This week’s Local Spins on WYCE podcast features an interview with indie-rock’s Parallelz, plus new tracks by RyneShyne, The Accidentals, St. Sinner Orchestra, Fay Burns and more. Listen to the podcast and learn more about these bands and their releases.
Michigan country singer Sadie Bass revved up her first Faster Horses performance during the weekend festival that boasted sets by stars Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll and many more. Browse the photo gallery at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Emerging Artists to Watch · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
With Bass playing the huge Faster Horses fest Saturday, we caught up with the country singer who has a busy year ahead. Learn more about Bass and listen to this week’s Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuts tracks by other Michigan artists.
Throngs of country music fans will flock to Jackson County for a weekend country music extravaganza starring Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and more. The Local Spins guide to Faster Horses.
All five acts took to stages across the state this week, from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids to Sparta and beyond. Browse the photo galleries from these shows and more, only at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
A day of rain kept some ticketholders away, but Tuttle’s band and Old Crow Medicine Show brought bluegrass-, gospel- and country-hued sunshine to Meijer Gardens on Wednesday. Review, photos, video.[…]
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
Local Spins crisscrosses the state and traverse genres with this latest batch of releases by Michigan, including albums by Bruce Matthews Band and The Whiskey Charmers. Listen to tracks from all of the album and see where many of these artists will be performing this summer.
Concert reviews · Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
Summer concerts continued to heat up West Michigan over the past week, with national touring acts stopping in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Local Spins has the photos, recaps, set lists, including a gallery from the final day of Smiling Acres 2024.
he booming baritone’s sold-out performance Wednesday night kicked off a busy, 33-show season at Meijer Gardens’ amphitheater replete with cowboy hats, glitter and a little bit of giddy-up.
Photos · Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
The holiday weekend kicked off Michigan’s music festival season, with throngs at Detroit’s electronic music spectacle Movement and a bevy of West Michigan events, including a Sounds of the Zoo benefit, the summer concert kickoff at Otsego’s Liquid Note and more. Browse the photos at Local Spins.
Albums that Changed the World · Audio
The executive director of Bay Harbor’s Great Lakes Center for the Arts — a one-time singer and actor — reveals the artists and albums that have influenced him most. Listen to tracks from all of the recordings at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
From a post-hardcore throwdown to acclaimed jazz to jam-band fun to country twang and more, Local Spins offers a visual sampling of the week’s concerts from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo.
The 2024 concert calendar is chock full of outdoor concerts at diverse venues across Michigan, starring national touring powerhouses as well as regional bands. Local Spins has the schedules.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Sold-out shows starring the country-driven Cody Jinks, Home Free, Jessie Murph and Larry Fleet spearheaded West Michigan’s busy concert lineup over the past week, from Kalamazoo to Grand Rapids — including performances by The Mountain Goats, Marc Cohn, Amy Speace and Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish.
The alt-rock/pop band took home three awards at Marshall’s Franke Center on Saturday, including video of the year, but a half-dozen other bands and filmmakers won honors, too, including Kalamazoo’s Basic Comfort and Detroit’s Nadim Azzam and Louie Lee among others. View the full list of winners.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
The summer series at the popular northern Michigan venue boasts will expand with ‘a wider variety of genres’ and bands. View the schedule at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
It wasn’t ALL about St. Patrick’s Day when it comes to live music this past week (though there was plenty of that). The Stray’s Battle of the Bands continued, plus West Michigan saw tour stops by several national fan-wowing acts — including Circles Around the Sun — as well as shows by some regional favorites. And it was all recapped in photos at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Emerging Artists to Watch · Videos
As MaRynn Taylor climbs the country music charts and accomplishes career milestones, she holds onto the wonder of her younger self while following in the footsteps of the country stars she grew up admiring. The Local Spins interview, along with Taylor’s latest music videos.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
From Grand Rapids to Muskegon to Kalamazoo, live music fans got to experience lots of new acts and environments while also embracing some tried-and-true favorites — all recapped in images at Local Spins. Check out photos/videos of Gyasi, The Fat Animals, Roosevelt Diggs, Jay Gavan & The Flying Leaps, the Vultures John Mayer Tribute and more.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan tour stops were just part of an active live music week with Chase Matthew, Crankdat, Celeste Allison, Payton & Annabelle, Garbage Angel and more lighting up stages. Browse all of the photo galleries and a video at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
West Michigan duo frontman Lynn Thompson who plays the Sunday festival has another album on the way. Plus, Local Spins debuts tracks by several other Michigan artists, including Tommy Schichtel, Ficus, The Inn, Samil, Brother Wolf, Natalie Gaza, Troy Ceasar, Aaron James Wright and more.
Announcements · Emerging Artists to Watch · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
This year’s winner is an 18-year-old indie-pop artist from the Lansing area who’s captivated fans across the state with a big voice and big dreams. The Artist Spotlight and Local[…]
Artist Spotlights · Videos · Whatever Happened To
Local Spins writer Enrique Olmos recently caught up with the singer-songwriter and record producer now based in Nashville who got his musical start in the Grand Rapids area two decades ago. Check out the Q&A.
Concert reviews · Photos · Top Stories of the Year Countdown
In early June, a capacity crowd greeted country star Chris Stapleton, with Michigan’s own The War & Treaty and Marcus King also on board. The review was the 13th most popular story of the year. Revisit the coverage, including a photo gallery at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Local Spins Rewind · Photos
In early August, Isbell & The 400 Unit — with Michigan native Dominic John Davis on bass — electrified fans at Meijer Gardens. The Local Spins review was the 14th most popular post of the year. Revisit the review, photos and set list.
The country and Americana artist has organized Saturday’s benefit show in Caledonia, with more than a dozen West Michigan acts performing and raffles to support Mel Trotter Ministries. View the lineup and learn more about this special concert at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Two bands made triumphant West Michigan appearances over the weekend, with Albion-bred heroes The War & Treaty playing Kalamazoo and the Over the Rhine duo returning yet again to Calvin University, plus Sullivan King playing two straight shows at The Intersection and Arkansauce playing Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe. Get the recaps and browse the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The weekend produced some fascinating performances from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, including metal band If He Dies He Dies’ reunion show at The Pyramid Scheme and Mariachi Herencia De Mexico at Kalamazoo State Theatre. Browse all the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Early-week concerts drew varying crowds at several different venues — Van Andel Arena, The Intersection, St. Cecilia Music Center, The Pyramid Scheme, Midtown — with widely varying musical approaches. Browse the photo galleries and get the concert recaps at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
The acclaimed musician who plays St. Cecilia Music Center on Thursday has partnered with the likes of Billy Strings, Bela Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel and more as the leading player of his “ilk.” Learn more about Douglas and his upcoming concert in this exclusive Local Spins interview.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows
Michigan-bred heroes are making a splash yet again, with Billy Strings nominated for three awards, The War and Treaty for two, and Greta Van Fleet for best rock album. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
Lindsay Lou just released a No.1 album that features a collaboration with Billy Strings and heads out on tour this week with Greensky Bluegrass. And with several ‘ties,’ the latest Hot Top 5 chart actually features seven fresh releases by Michigan-bred artists, from indie-rock to world music to singer-songwriter charm.
The August chart representing the regional albums that received the most radio airplay at WYCE (88.1) covers a lot of musical territory. Check out the chart, listen to tracks from all the releases.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Fans at Friday’s sold-out Meijer Gardens show got a special treat when the Kalamazoo-bred Hurd joined the country/pop singer on stage. The review of her18-song show, photos and set list at Local Spins
Thursday night brought two much-respected international touring acts to Grand Rapids — The Chicks at Van Andel Arena and Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova of The Swell Season to Meijer Gardens. The reviews and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
The July music train kept rolling across West Michigan this week, with a new GR music festival, national tour stops and local star fervor aplenty, from Domestic Problems to Stephen Marley to Steep Canyon Rangers — all captured in photos at Local Spins.
With the likes of Luke Bryan, Shania Twain, Zac Brown Band, Dustin Lynch and Dwight Yoakam, last weekend’s Faster Horses festival in Brooklyn, Mich., was a country music party unlike any other. Browse the photo gallery at Local Spins.
It’s back. The Faster Horses country music festival gallops into Jackson County this weekend with a star-studded cast of national stars as well as up-and-coming acts. The preview at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Throngs of thousands cheered country stars in Comstock Park, a Michigan-bred bluegrass powerhouse at Pine Knob and Modest Mouse at GLC Live at 20 Monroe — just a smidgen of the live music lighting up the region this week, captured in Local Spins photos.
The West Michigan folk-rock band’s latest release topped the May chart ahead of new recordings from Earth Radio, The Bootstrap Boys, Chance Jones and RyneShyne. Listen to tracks from all of the releases at Local Spins.
Friday’s Grand Rapids tour stop matched the scorching temperatures outside with sizzling sets that included a homecoming welcome for the Michigan-bred War and Treaty. The concert review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
Playing a dozen U.S. dates with the country/Southern rock superstar, Tanya and Michael Trotter will return to Grand Rapids for an arena-sized homecoming. Get their reaction to being named a tour opener and listen to an encore Local Spins on WYCE show.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
This May roundup of new releases by Michigan artists also features a look at recordings by Signal Quartet, The JR Band and Wowza in Kalamazoo. Listen to tracks from all of the releases and find out where these artists are performing.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
A unique new Muskegon venue opened its doors over the weekend, captured in photos at Local Spins along with concerts at three different Kalamazoo hot spots. Learn more about The Starlight Room and revisit its premiere in images.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Celebrating Local Spins’ 11th birthday and the power of Michigan’s female artistry, the second annual festival drew enthused crowds Saturday for sets by six regional bands: In the Valley Below, Earth Radio, Sarena Rae, Kari Lynch Band, Lokella and Grace Theisen Band. The recap, photos and a video at Local Spins.
