Album reviews · Audio · Videos
2024 has seen a flurry of releases of fresh Yuletide music by artists from across the state. Today, Local Spins presents its takes on these tunes, along with links to listen along.
Country, Americana and alternative music tunesmith Kari Lynch has hosted the benefit concert for more than a decade. It returns Saturday to Caledonia. The lineup, lowdown and how you can help at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
As December rushes toward the holidays, West Michigan venues heated up with crowd-pleasing shows from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo to Spring Lake. The photos and recaps at Local Spins, including Whitey Morgan, Groove Tonic, Kalamazoo Academy of Rock and more.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend kicked off with two Grand Rapids shows — Desmond Jones and Nathan Kalish & Jessica Pounds — at different ends of the musical spectrum. The recaps and photos at Local Spins.
Recently making their performance debut in Grand Rapids, the throwback country outfit features members from several popular Michigan bands, led by the ‘high lonesome’ voice of Sam Hess.
Amplified Newsletter · Detroit Lions · Playlists
To celebrate Thanksgiving and a traditional Ford Field showdown, Local Spins has combined its usual Thursday ‘Amplified’ newsletter (nusic news, ticket giveaways, concert announcements) with a special soundtrack tribute to the NFL-leading Detroit Lions. Plus, check out music news, concert announcements and our ‘Song of the Week.’
Artist Spotlights · Audio · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Nashville-based singer-songwriter who launched his career in the Grand Rapids area has a new studio EP and plays SpeakEZ Lounge on Wednesday with tunesmith Jessica Pounds. Get his back story and listen to music by Kalish and Pounds.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Kalamazoo boasted a busy Saturday of live music with The Incantaions, Them Coulee Boys and The Smokin’ Dobroleles, capping a week that also saw packed shows in Grand Rapids. Browse the photo galleries exclusively at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
The acclaimed teen singer-songwriter fires up Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge on Wednesday night with a special show for Swifties and fans of her own pop-laced singles as she prepares to release her debut album and launch a “Boots & Bracelets Tour.” Get the back story and show details at Local Spins.
Today is the Veterans Day holiday, so we’re unfurling some classic tracks that commemorate those in the military and the sacrifices they’ve made, as well as anthems for peace in the face of endless global conflicts. Listen to the songs, watch the videos.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
The celebrated country band delivered a set filled with hits and covers Saturday at Van Andel Arena, while Michigan musicians, artists and photographers strutted their stuff at GIG’s inaugural event. Check out the recaps and images at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Once again, West Michigan’s live music week covered a lot of bases: country, folk, bluegrass, psych-rock, metal, drone and more — from Boris to Neko Case. The photo recaps at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Festivals · Upcoming shows
The lineup for the two-day festival taking place at Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium features big name indie artists, including Josh Ritter, The Milk Carton Kids, Jobi Riccio and Joy Clark, with Old Crow’s Ketch Secor emceeing. Get all of the details at Local Spins.
The iconic singer with a 40-years-plus career unfurled 25 engaging songs during her Monday tour stop at DeVos Performance Hall. The review, photos and set list at Local Spins.
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.
