The October music news roundup at Local Spins checks in with the latest Walk the Best contest winner, Kid Rock’s faux political campaign and Bob Seger’s recovery.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The week leading up to Halloween is a scary-good one when it comes to live music, and of course, the holiday gets started early with plenty of ghoulish weekend parties. Scour The Big List and Under-the-Radar Picks, and win VIP tickets to see The Accidentals at their CD-release show at the Frauenthal Center.
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Another week of audience-inspiring music had West Michigan fans cheering national touring acts and local stars alike — and Local Spins was there to capture the images. Browse all of the photo galleries and find links to reviews of Steely Dan and 311.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts
The 162nd episode of the show spotlighting local and regional acts also boasted music from Wicker Basket, Cosmic Knot, Jake Kershaw, Hannah Laine and Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys. Listen to this week’s radio podcast.
Thursday’s tour stop at 20 Monroe Live unleashed the band’s rousing, genre-melding attack while attracting a throng of devotees, including one Grand Rapids fan who was seeing 311 for the 67th time. Relive the show with this Local Spins review and photo gallery; browse the set list.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Another week of eclectic music unfolds, from Surfer Blood to Kari Lynch, Mary Chapin Carpenter to CARE, Adam Rudolph to Chris Ayer, Bex Marshall to Lindsay Lou. Get the lowdown with The Big List and this week’s Under-the-Radar Picks, and see how you can win tickets to see 311 or blues-guitar phenom Jake Kershaw.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts
Listen to three podcasts spotlighting regional music: The past two episodes of Local Spins on WYCE, plus Local Spins on Michigan Radio, highlighting May Erlewine, Desmond Jones, Valley Girl, Cameron Blake, Sojii, FlyLiteGemini, Joshua Davis, Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Slumlord Radio and more.
Breaking music news · Upcoming shows · Videos
The bluegrass band will send Mark “Huggy Bear” Lavengood off with a Michigan tour that kicks off Oct. 20, while The Great Ones — hip hop’s Lady Ace Boogie and JRob — celebrate a $1,000 win during ArtPrize. Get the full story at Local Spins.
With performances by Yolonda Lavender, The Bootstrap Boys and Michigander, the second-year festival drew big throngs of ArtPrize visitors to the downtown pedestrian bridge over the Grand River. Check out the images.
Artist Spotlights · Festivals · Upcoming shows · Videos
Along with other regional stars, the fast-emerging Grand Rapids hip hop artist on Saturday plays both the Blue Bridge Music Fest and Ladyfest at the Lakeshore as she eyes release of her sophomore album. Read about her new project, watch the video for her new single and save full schedules for both festivals at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Audiotree Music Festival lit up the day and night in Kalamazoo, with national tour stops by hard-rocking stars in Grand Rapids and a harvest festival in Rockford. Browse all of the colorful, action-packed images at Local Spins.
Headliners SuperDuperKyle, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizzard, Lizzo and Twin Peaks will be joined by local acts hi-ker and Less is More, plus other national touring acts. See and save the full weekend schedule.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
More than 2,500 attendees reveled Friday in dozens of performances by Michigan stars on opening day of this weekend festival on Earthwork Farm. Watch the video highlights and check out the photos, only at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
This weekend’s summer-ending festival outside Lake City shapes up as the biggest, most heartwarming assemblage of musicians yet. Get the lowdown on the three-day Harvest Gathering with a full list of performers.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The last big festival week of the summer also boasts tour stops by State Champs, San Fermin, P.O.S, Apocalypta, Elliott Brood, Marisela, Ben Sollee, some riveting local shows, the Cottage Bar Chili Cook-Off and the Knickerbocker’s first anniversary. See all the featured live music listings, plus the Under-the-Radar Picks. Plus, see how you can win tickets to see Nick Moss.
The Traverse City trio’s new Sony Masterworks album was the most-played regional recording on WYCE last month, with other local faves close behind. Check out the chart, videos of the Top 5 acts and a list of new regional releases.
The Michigan rock-rapper with a country bent delivered a career-spanning show — along with some political fervor — at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena on Wednesday. Read the review and browse the photo gallery at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
September gets rolling with Voodoo Glow Skulls, Seth Glier, Lauren Duski, Greg Nagy, Tom Hymn, the Freedom Flag Benefit and anniversary celebrations in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Holland. Check out all of this week’s live music picks on The Big List.
The week leading up to Labor Day gave West Michigan fans funk, country, soul, hip hop, folk-rock and more. Relive the moments in robust Local Spins images.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The week that ends with Labor Day boasts tour stops by international superstars and summer series wrap-ups. Get the lowdown on The Big List, where you can also win tickets to see Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
The late August round-up of live music features concerts and festivals from Grand Rapids to the lakeshore to Brooklyn — from Emma Loo & Sam’s cutting-edge spectacle at The Pyramid Scheme to Michigan music on the farm. Check out all the images in Local Spins’ week-in-review recap.
Guest Column · Summer Festivals
Breakaway’s EDM and hip hop spectacle is playing Grand Rapids on a site that’s never been used for an event like this. Read a veteran DJ’s take on this festival that drew thousands of young fans on opening day along with some advice for Day 2.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
With sets by Travis Scott, R.L. Grime, Waka Flocka Flame and more, EDM and hip hop acts pumped up Belknap Park on Friday on the first day of the national festival. Read the recap, browse the photo gallery, watch the video from Day 1.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Travis Scott, Zedd and more play the two-day festival at a site that’s never hosted a music festival before. Breakaway shifts to Ohio in September and North Carolina in October. See and save the full festival schedule at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Railroad Earth & Twiddle get things started, with the Shoreline Jazz Fest, Conrad Shock, Emma Loo & Sam, Holler Fest and a new Quinn & Tuite’s concert series in the mix. Check out all the live music selections and Under-the-Radar Picks for the week.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
HopCat and WYCE will join forces to present live music on downtown’s Blue Bridge Sept. 29-30 with sets by Michigander, The Great Ones, Watching for Foxes, Bootstrap Boys, Yolonda Lavender and more. See the full schedule at Local Spins and learn what’s changed for this year’s ArtPrize song contest.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Gov’t Mule and Galactic get one of the busiest weeks of the summer started, with Lil’ Ed, Ian Anderson, Tribute on the Grand and a birthday bash for Creston Brewery also in the mix. Get the lowdown on all of the big shows and under-the-radar picks.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals
This year’s three-day edition of Cowpie on a Kent County farm wrapped up Saturday with more jam-heavy, genre-bending magic courtesy of moo-ving regional stars. Experience a photo-laden recap of the weekend at Local Spins.
Local Spins Live · Podcasts · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
More than 20 bands and thousands of festival-goers will descend on Shagbark Farm in southern Kent County for an expanded three-day celebration of regional music. See the full weekend schedule and save it on your smartphone to take along.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Things ramp up the second week of August with Michigander & Benjaman James, JRob & Convotronics, Jake Kershaw, Sawyer Fredericks, Circa Survive and a Westside Weekend of rock. Get the lowdown on all of this week’s live music picks at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
Being held for the first time in Grand Rapids, 20-plus national and regional acts will play the EDM- and hip hop-oriented Aug. 25-26 Breakaway Music Festival at Belknap Park. Breakaway shifts to Ohio in September and North Carolina in October.
Detroit hosted the fifth annual MoPop Music Festival at West Riverfront Park over the weekend, drawing thousands for national and regional stars over a sun-splashed weekend. Browse the images at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, Andrew McMahon, The Accidentals, Kalamazoo Ribfest, Fat Guy Fest and more also grace this week’s live music picks. And check out the Under-the-Radar Picks, along with this week’s ticket giveaway for a show at 20 Monroe Live.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
The 150th episode of Local Spins on WYCE featured performances by a popular Grand Rapids songwriter and his band, and plenty of new music from Michigan-bred artists. Get the back story on John Sanger, watch the video of his band’s in-studio performance and listen to the radio podcast.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
The Beach Boys, a “Women Rock” Picnic Pops tribute, Mike Mains, Farm Block Fest and The Menzingers also fire up the week. And check out the splendid Under-the-Radar Picks.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows · Videos
The fifth annual, two-day MoPop music festival held along the Detroit River kicks off Saturday with a mix of national and regional stars. Check out the full schedule and see what Michigan acts have in store for fans.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
The July 21 episode of the Local Spins on WYCE radio show boasted two in-studio performances and lots of new tracks by Michigan artists. Listen to this week’s podcast and watch the videos.
Commentary · Concert reviews · Top 10 Lists · Videos
Local Spins asked its reviewers to choose their favorite shows of the first half of the year, and their picks covered a broad range of bands, genres and venues. Check out the top picks, from The Flaming Lips to Trombone Shorty to Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, along with some videos.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Michigan faves The Legal Immigrants, Lisa Mary, Tugga the Rapper and more are in the lineup for the four-day Lansing music festival that kicks off Thursday. See and download the full schedule.
The holiday weekend brought fireworks of the musical and pyrotechnic variety to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Lowell, from bluegrass to soul to rock ‘n’ roll. Check out the images at Local Spins from special events at The Pyramid Scheme, Bell’s Brewery, Kent County Fairgrounds and Ah-Nab-Awen Park.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
To gear up for a new EP and July tour, Angela Gail and Jeffrey Jacob of In the Valley Below appeared on this week’s Local Spins on WYCE, which also featured tracks by Michigan Mafia, Alexander Lynch, Fauxgrass and more. Listen to the podcast, watch a video of In the Valley Below’s recent performance at Founders Brewing.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
With 40,000 wildly adorned attendees flooding Double JJ Resort on Thursday, the West Michigan music festival dodged rain for a celebratory explosion of national and regional stars. Read the recap, browse the photo galleries and watch a highlights video from Day 1 at Electric Forest 2017.
Concert announcements · Kalamazoo · Summer Festivals
The September event at Arcadia Creek Festival Place in downtown Kalamazoo expands to two days for 2017, leans toward hip hop and math rock acts, plans to add another ‘special headliner.’ Get details about this year’s Audiotree Music Festival and see who else is in the lineup.
Electric Forest performer Vox Vidorra of Grand Rapids chimes in with the first of three Local Spins playlists geared to get folks ready for the two-weekend music festival coming up in Rothbury, Michigan. From Kendrick Lamar to Nina Simone, listen to the songs and watch the videos; check out the full playlist on Spotify.
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Live music that cut across a wide spectrum: That was the M.O. for the week that was across West Michigan. Check out the photo galleries and videos from more than a dozen concerts, only at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
The reggae-fueled band from the Lansing area made its WYCE debut with a summery, in-studio performance during a show that also boasted music by Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, Blanca Luz and other regional gems.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Videos
With a life that ‘revolves completely around poetry,’ Marcel ‘Fable’ Price has earned widespread praise for brutally honest social commentaries and his mentoring of young wordsmiths. Read the Local Spins interview with this rare, prodigious talent.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Picture-perfect weather greeted The Crane Wives, ConvoTronics, Cabildo, JRob and more as thousands filled the streets Saturday outside Bistro Bella Vita in Grand Rapids. Browse the photo gallery, watch the video highlights.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The weather couldn’t have been better on opening day of Grand Rapids’ Festival of the Arts and musicians responded with diverse, audience-pleasing sets. Check out the Local Spins photo gallery and video.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts
Members of Grand Rapids’ Latin-infused Cabildo turned up their Cumbia-fueled charm for Local Spins on WYCE, which also featured new music from Barbarossa Brothers, Jared Sjoblom, Hollywood Makeout and The Underground Circus. Read the story, listen to the radio podcast.
