Football was in the air, but so was music across West Michigan, with performances at outdoor festivals as well as at the usual watering holes, plus the kickoff to Hope[…]
Banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck’s first-ever appearance at the historic event was just the icing on the cake for the 40th Wheatland fest, drawing 10,000-plus people to rural Mecosta County for[…]
It started early with The Indigo Girls at Meijer Gardens and continued through the weekend, with throngs revved up by the EDM music of Gramatik at The Intersection and acoustic[…]
Thursday night’s season-ending concert brought Georgia’s Indigo Girls back to one of their favorite Grand Rapids haunts, with devotees helping pack the sold-out amphitheater. In the annals of Frederik[…]
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[…]
A hot August night at Fifth Third Ballpark greeted Thompson Square, Drake White and Brett Eldredge as Rock the Rapids launched its three-day festival. On tap Wednesday: Daughtry. Thursday: ZZ[…]
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[…]
The zoot-suited California swing-meisters returned to the outdoor amphitheater with impressive opener Andy Frasco for a sold-out show that had many tripping the light fantastic. (Review, photo gallery) If[…]
If August Michigan weather gets any better than this, Local Spins hasn’t seen it. Bracing musical performances just added to the picturesque glory as evidenced by the Weekend Photo Gallery.[…]
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[…]
The New York indie-rockers flashed alluring three-part harmonies and top-drawer instrumental virtuosity for the concert series’ smallest crowd of the summer. (Review, photo gallery) There were moments Saturday night[…]
The temperature wasn’t exactly California hot, but the sun was out and Mike Love yet again led this New Millennium version of The Beach Boys through a passel of surfin’[…]
The singer and multi-instrumentalist’s second show at the outdoor amphitheater proved to be as triumphant as her first appearance there in 2012. (Review, photo gallery) I’ve often endeavored to[…]
Steaming hot music added to the steamy hot weather at City Lights Music Festival, Taste of Grand Rapids and Meijer Gardens, with a few hot indoor shows such as GRAM[…]
Steve Miller’s return to Meijer Gardens found a receptive, sold-out crowd for his big hits and gave a Grand Rapids singer-songwriter some welcome exposure. (Photo gallery) Perennial sellouts at[…]
With help from a 13-piece band, the jazz singer and pianist brought boatloads of New Orleans sunshine, charm and musical virtuosity for his first-ever show at the outdoor Grand Rapids[…]
This weekend’s Local Spins Weekend Photo Gallery covers the gamut of live music from Lansing to Grand Rapids to the lakeshore. The summer string thing can take many forms:[…]
The Nashville string band’s first-ever concert at the outdoor amphitheater had the sell-out crowd of 1,900 kicking up its heels. (Review, photos) Old Crow Medicine Show unfurls tale after[…]
With a repertoire of acoustic standards from the 1890s to the 1950s, the Grand Rapids quintet oozes a vintage feel in every performance. Next week, the band plays the Tuesday[…]
The two New York artists with rare musical flair treated the crowd of 1,700 on a muggy night at the amphitheater to a singular show. (Review, photo gallery) “Oh[…]
Thursday’s Fourth of July bashes kicked off the weekend in explosive style, with performances at Meijer Gardens, Coast West Music Festival, The Intersection, Zellie’s Opry House, The Pyramid Scheme and[…]
The virtuosic jam band’s second-ever appearance at the outdoor amphitheater drew a sell-out crowd of mostly 20-somethings who jammed the lower bowl with red, white and blue garb. (Review, photo[…]
With a new album coming soon, Grand Rapids’ own Ultraviolet Hippopotamus will light up Ah-Nab-Awen Park on the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids Thursday, just before the Amway Fourth[…]
By kicking up a wildly entertaining bluegrass dust cloud, West Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass launched the final day of Electric Forest in Rothbury on an energetic, smile-inducing note. (Photo gallery)[…]
Thousands attending the four-day Michigan music festival on the Double JJ Resort continued to whoop it up Saturday, with performances on six stages, including The String Cheese Incident and more.[…]
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Day 2 of Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan, unleashed headlining homeboys The String Cheese Incident, plenty of EDM glory, and of course, the psychedelically artsy Sherwood Forest. (Photo gallery, videos)[…]
At night, the rains came to Rothbury for the opening salvo of Electric Forest, but not before thousands of fans enjoyed bands such as A Tribe Called Red and that[…]
An exuberant, near-capacity crowd of 1,800-plus cheered Carlile and her band’s third appearance at the outdoor amphitheater, with The Lone Bellow winning over fans with an invigorating opening set of[…]
A capacity West Michigan crowd on Monday cheered the California psychedelic pop/rock ensemble and opener The Giving Tree Band. (Photo gallery) With a new album on the way in[…]
Pink Martini’s second appearance at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Monday night musically spanned the globe and delighted fans. By Mary Mattingly LocalSpins.com Better late than never.[…]
Things got steamy this weekend as summer kicked into gear with bracing shows at Meijer Gardens, the giant Founders Fest street party and more. (Photos, videos) Not sure what[…]
Starting with Alejandro Escovedo’s bracing rock ‘n’ roll show, Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos had folks dancing into the evening at Meijer Gardens on Friday: The Local Spins review[…]
A gorgeous Thursday for jazz, as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra regaled a big crowd at Meijer Gardens and Detroit’s Michael Malis Trio a tiny audience at The DAAC.[…]
Harmonica player and singer Hank Mowery’s new album is a riveting tribute to the late Gary Primich. On Friday at The Stache, he’ll reintroduce the beloved icon’s music to the[…]
Los Angeles’ Lord Huron and Nashville’s Escondido rocked a loving bunch of Michigan fans on Monday. Despite sound glitches, Local Spins reviewer Tricia Woolfenden found the sold-out Grand Rapids homecoming[…]
Frampton’s Guitar Circus brought a Big Top of high-profile musicians — Peter Frampton, Steve Cropper, Robert Cray — to the outdoor amphitheater Monday for a tasteful show cut short by[…]
Sheryl Crow’s first-ever appearance at the outdoor amphitheater featured a wide-ranging set of hits and new country material, plus a pre-show confab with guitarist Peter Frampton. (Review, photo gallery) […]
Summer pumped up this sizzling West Michigan weekend with a cornucopia of bands playing from Grand Rapids to Rockford to the nether reaches of Barry County. (Photos, video) Favorite[…]
For the second year in a row, the Warren Haynes-led Mule fired up devotees with blues-infused favorites and singular covers. (Photo gallery, video) Pandora’s online version of “Gov’t Mule[…]
The West Michigan rock band celebrates its first studio album in nine years and its first concerts in 10 months with a series of Michigan CD-release shows, including Friday at[…]
As usual, Festival showcased the marvelously eclectic range of Michigan’s musical talent, bringing out huge throngs amid stellar weather. Check out the photos and “A Day in the Life” video[…]
Inspiring dance-happy fans wherever it plays, the eight-piece ensemble will fire up its “cumbia machine” this summer, starting with a Festival performance on Saturday. (Video, podcast) As an international[…]
With West Michigan’s own Vincent Hayes Project getting the party started, the iconic bluesman launched the 2013 concert series amid sunny skies with a veteran band and plenty of audience[…]
Memorial Day weekend heated up nicely in the Grand Rapids area with some uncommon concerts — outdoors at a Buses by the Beach benefit in West Olive, indoors at Quinn[…]
Singer-songwriter Ben Scott-Brandt’s unusual new Ribbons of Song project, “Waterbugs,” gets previewed in some inspiring ways: in-studio on Local Spins Live and in an outdoor pre-release performance Sunday. (Podcast, video)[…]
With an endearingly ragged, bluesy rock sound, The Dead Frets will celebrate release of a self-titled debut during a Founders Brewing show. But before that, they revved up Local Spins[…]
Grand Rapids music makers — playing the Bona-Who? fest, Active Commute Week Celebration, tribute show and World Fiddle Day — ruled the roost, with a British metalcore assault from Asking[…]
Veteran well-known bassist and guitarist Jim Shaneberger unveils a bluesy new band on Friday and celebrates his solo album debut in June. (Podcast, video) Jim Shaneberger will never forget[…]
Michigan music fans welcomed The Motor City Madman back to his home state Tuesday at Van Andel Arena, with REO Speedwagon and Styx in tow. The most unusual twist: Grand[…]
Things have quieted down after all the New Year’s hubbub, but the music stayed lively from Grand Rapids to Howard City, shared in photos at Spins on Music. There’s[…]
