Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Local Spins’ week-in-review boasts images from a rock-hued fundraiser, a bass-and-comedy spectacle, the country twang of Maddie & Tae, a “Reggaefest,” another anniversary celebration for The Pyramid Scheme and more. Check out all of the images and photos at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Grand Rapids jam band headlines Sunday’s Feedback benefit at Founders Brewing, which also recently snagged Desmond Jones to play Founders Fest in mid-June. Read the latest about the band and watch a new video at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
The 11th annual street party on June 16 boasts a Grateful Dead cover band and emerging indie acts with Desmond Jones and FBC All-Stars adding local flavor. Get the lowdown and ticket links — plus check out videos of the featured bands — at Local Spins.
The Phish frontman and his band delivered an audience-pleasing musical barrage for a near-capacity crowd at 20 Monroe Live on Wednesday night. Read the review, browse the photo gallery, check out the set list — only at Local Spins.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
A busy West Michigan week of live music boasts release shows for Lady Ace Boogie and The Native Howl, plus intriguing appearances by The Sauce, The Outer Vibe, House of Hamill, Theatre Bizarre Orchestra, 1964 The Tribute and much more. Get the lowdown on all of this week’s big shows on The Big List and a full roster of upcoming concerts via ‘On the Horizon.’
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
It was a storm of eclectic shows: The Accidentals, Ministry, Julien Baker, Kevin Jones Quintet, Asleep at the Wheel, John Sebastian, Go Rounds, Wailin’ Jennys, Tauk, Mustard Plug and more in Local Spins images.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
April also heats up across West Michigan with Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Wild Child, We Came as Romans, Kayzo, Olin Clark and more. Check out this week’s live music picks for the region — including Saturday’s Starkbierfest — and see how you can win tickets to Jake’s Music Festival at Elevation in Grand Rapids on Friday,
The Accidentals, JJ Grey, Chris Robinson and more to headline the Kalamazoo venue this summer as Greensky Bluegrass trades its traditional Bell’s opener for its own new music festival. See the initial Garden schedule at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Two of St. Patrick’s Day’s biggest events in Grand Rapids drew euphoric crowds on Saturday. Ogle the images at Local Spins, along with photos and videos from other fan-pleasing West Michigan concerts, from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo, including Sunday night’s Walk off the Earth show at 20 Monroe Live.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
Cowpie Music Festival has finalized the lineup for its summer soiree with UV Hippo, May Erlewine, Desmond Jones, Jake Kershaw and many more. Meanwhile, Jake’s Music Fest in early April will star four Grand Rapids bands playing the city’s newest music venue. Get details at Local Spins.
Breaking music news · Photos · Venue Spotlight · Videos
The first big show in the basement-level Elevation at The Intersection takes place Saturday, with plenty more concerts and events to come. Read about the new venues, check out a photo gallery and take a video tour.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Celtic music, of course, can be found everywhere across West Michigan, but there’s also much more: Heaters, Kyle Cook, Nathan Kalish, Protomartyr, Trixy Tang, The Willeys, the christening of a new music venue and a Cowpie Music Festival band battle. Get the complete lowdown on live music via The Big List and see how you can win tickets to Irish on Ionia.
Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Starting with A Day to Remember, it was a week to remember for West Michigan’s concert scene from touring stars to local faves, showcased in several photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Videos
Tickets are now on sale for the May 31-June 2 event on the Hoxeyville festival grounds in northern Michigan, with Billy Strings, Rayland Baxter, Joshua Davis, Fruition and The Cris Jacobs Band also slated to perform. Get details at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Videos
Advance tickets are on sale now for the mid-June festival at Circle Pines Center south of Grand Rapids, with Joshua Davis, The Accidentals, Mustard Plug, May Erlewine, Last Gasp Collective and more pumping up the bill. See the full roster of 2018 performers and watch videos of the headlining acts.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
For the first time, Cowpie will host a “Pathway to the Pasture” contest this spring to choose its final band for the August festival. See which bands will be competing at venues in four cities and get details about the headliners announced for Cowpie 2018 so far.
Touring behind its new album, “It’s Not Us,” the popular jam band revved it up impressively in old-school fashion in the first of two straight nights at this West Michigan venue. Read the review by Local Spins writer Ryan Boldrey, with a colorful photo gallery by Derek Ketchum and a complete set list from Friday’s show.
For the second month in a row, the latest albums by May Erlewine and Billy Strings dominated local/regional airplay on WYCE-FM (88.1). See who else made the Top 5 with videos/audio samples of all the artists on the latest chart.
Big List Concert Guide · Upcoming shows
Bid adieu to 2017 and usher in the new year with gargantuan shows and parties hosted by some of the Michigan music scene’s biggest stars. And there are big concerts leading up to the big night, too. See the full roster in the Big List Concert Guide.
The Earthwork Music artist’s latest album, “Mother Lion,” led a reshuffling of chart positions last month for local and regional albums which previously have appeared in the Top 5 at WYCE-FM. Check out the latest chart and watch videos of the featured artists.
For this month’s Michigan Radio segment on “Stateside,” Local Spins spotlights a few bubbling-below-the-surface West Michigan releases you might have overlooked: The Turnips, Cosmic Knot and The Zannies. Listen to the full statewide radio podcast.
Concert reviews · Videos · Weekend Photo Gallery
Another eclectic week of live music across West Michigan: Check out reviews of Over the Rhine and UV Hippo, plus photo galleries from fan-pleasing shows by Brett Young, Tommy Emmanuel, The Outer Vibe, May Erlewine and super-groups reprising 1997 and paying tribute to Tom Waits. You’ll find this flurry of photos and videos only at Local Spins.
The powerhouse bluegrass band proved its mettle on Sunday night at Bell’s Brewery with bracing covers and originals for a devoted audience that boasted fans from across the Midwest. Relive the show in this Local Spins review and photo gallery.
The bluegrass guitar whiz and Michigan native bumped The Accidentals from the top slot last month, with four new regional album entries coming in right behind. See the full chart and listen to music from some of the featured artists.
Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows · Videos
This October round-up of new regional releases covers the musical gamut, from prog-rock to jam bands to indie-rock and more. Check out the reviews, listen to samples of the new music at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
West Michigan’s live music week was surprisingly hectic for early October, from outdoor shows to indoor fireworks of the rock ‘n’ roll variety — much of it flaunted in Local Spins photos.
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.
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.
Australian guitarist John Butler himself concedes he doesn’t know what kind of music his band plays. On a muggy August night, Butler and his bandmates wowed a sold-out Meijer Gardens crowd with genre-melding, instrumental magic. Read the review and ogle the photo gallery at Local Spins.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
The 15th anniversary festival boasts sets by Greensky Bluegrass, Billy Strings and Charles Bradley & The Extraordinaires, and features a supporting cast of national and regional acts. Read why bands love this annual celebration so much and see the full performance schedule for the weekend.
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.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
Expanding this year to three days, Thursday’s opening night of Cowpie Music Festival on Shagbark Farm in southern Kent County oozed musical charm with sets by UV Hippo, Grasshoppah, Covert and White Rabbit. Check out the first-day recap, photo gallery and video.
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.
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.
Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
This unusual Michigan music festival on Lake Michigan’s biggest island officially kicks off Thursday with a star-studded lineup of regional acts. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Summer Festivals · Videos
The sold-out street party drew thousands to downtown Grand Rapids Saturday with regional and national stars playing a super-sized stage. Get the recap, browse the photo gallery and watch video highlights of Founders Fest at Local Spins.
In the first of three straight sold-out shows at Bell’s Brewery, the Michigan-bred progressive bluegrass heroes on Thursday proved their roots are still strong in Kalamazoo. Check out the review and photo gallery from this traditional summer kickoff which has starred Greensky Bluegrass for more than a decade.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
In what may be Founders’ biggest street party yet, the June 17 festival will tap a mix of regional and national stars, along with plenty of beer. Scroll down for concert videos of the featured bands and check out details about this year’s Founders Fest.
Breaking music news · Guest Column · Top 10 Lists
What were the Top 5 most-played local and regional acts for February at WYCE-FM? What new local and regional albums have been added to the on-air rotation? What exactly is a listener-supported community radio station? How can listeners become programmers? Get answers to all these questions and more in this Local Spins guest column by station manager Quinn Mathews.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Jam-packed venues across West Michigan boasted rousing shows by Lotus, Jeezy, GZA and The Accidentals with Jake Allen. Check out the images — and videos — from a busy week at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins Live · Podcasts
The Feb. 15 edition of Local Spins Live featured a pared-back version of a popular Grand Rapids jam band, Desmond Jones, lighting it up in the studio. Read the story about what the band has planned for 2017 and listen to the full radio podcast.
Concert announcements · Summer Festivals · Videos
The Aug. 10-12 festival on Kent County’s Shagbark Farm boasts a wealth of regional acts, from jam bands Earphorik and Ekoostik Hookah to local faves Fauxgrass and Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish and many more. See the full lineup and links to early-bird ticket sales.
The opening week of Grand Rapids’ newest concert venue continued Thursday with hours of adventurous prog-rock courtesy of Chicago jam band Umphrey’s McGee. Read the Local Spins review, browse the photo gallery and check out the set list.
Audio · Breaking music news · Videos
In a Local Spins exclusive, Grand Rapids jam band Desmond Jones has produced and released its first music video. And listen to the new single from blues guitarist Jim Shaneberger and his band, who crank out a real gem from a CD slated for release in February.
Breaking music news · Concert announcements · Summer Festivals
The Michigan festival will expand to two days in October and feature sets by Desmond Jones, Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, Melophobix, Watching for Foxes, Devin & The Dead Frets and several more acts. Check out the initial lineup and a link to early-bird ticket sales.
Artist Spotlights · Features · Upcoming shows · Videos
Break out the sweatpants, a jam-band attitude and shed a tear: After more than 50 shows, Grand Rapids’ Desmond Jones will play its final Monday night residency gig at the West Side’s Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill this week. Read the back story, including the wacky things that have happened on Monday nights in this Grand Rapids watering hole.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Videos
The Grand Rapids guitarist and singer chatted and performed during this week’s Local Spins on WYCE, which also debuted new tracks by The Turnips, Everyday Junior, Monte Pride and more. Check out the Local Spins Artist Spotlight story, podcast and video.
The band headlines a big New Year’s Eve show in Kalamazoo, then heads back into the studio later this winter to record a long-awaited, much-talked-about new album. Check out the story as Local Spins revisits some West Michigan artists featured in the new 2017 Local Spins wall calendars. Grand Rapids’ UV Hippo is the September cover.
Breaking music news · Features · Videos
Local Spins rewind: The top story of the past week profiles Level Up, a sprawling S. Division Avenue studio and rehearsal space that already has Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Desmond Jones, Watching for Foxes and more laying down tracks for new projects. Watch the video, check out photos of the studio.
Announcements · Upcoming shows · Videos
The concert hall next to The B.O.B. opens in February with a wide range of bookings: The Verve Pipe, Lauryn Hill, Pop Evil and more. Tickets go on sale Friday. Check out the first slate of concerts booked for the venue.
