Commentary · Detroit Lions · Playlists · Videos
We musically recount the Detroit Lions’ mostly futile playoff experiences since their 1957 championship while predicting a Sunday win amid more upbeat themes for an NFL team on the rise. The Local Spins column and a unique playoff playlist.
Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Top 10 Lists
Today, we reveal the Top 10 songs of the year by Michigan bands and solo acts, based on airplay at Grand Rapids’ WYCE (88.1 FM). View the Top 10, listen to the music and this week’s radio show podcast.
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.
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 · Weekend Photo Gallery
Beyond a flurry of football, the long Thanksgiving weekend cooked up a buffet of rock, hip hop, bluegrass, Americana and jam-band charm at venues from Grand Rapids to Holland to Kalamazoo.
From rock and soul to world music and “Traditional Songs & Ballads of the Irish Diaspora” courtesy of Nick Veine and Ben Traverse, this mid-November round-up covers plenty of musical territory. Check out the reviews, listen to the music.
Albums that Changed the World · Audio · Playlists
The Traverse City musician (Medicinal Groove) and manager of The Alluvion reveals the recordings that have shaped his own career. Listen to tracks from all of his selections at Local Spins.
Albums that Changed the World · Artist Spotlights · Audio
With impressive credentials acquired during stints in Nashville and L.A., Jones adores his northern Michigan homestead and the three albums that have inspired him. Listen to tracks from those recordings, a current favorites and songs by Jones himself.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Check out Local Spins photo galleries featuring Fred Armisen’s Grand Rapids tour stop, plus weekend shows in Kalamazoo starring Headband Henny and Horseshoes & Hand Grenades.
It was a hump day unlike any other with fist-pumping affairs at GLC Live at 20 Monroe and Kalamazoo State Theatre, plus the launch of Local Spins Wednesdays and Sounds of the Zoo’s Day 3. Browse the photo galleries from all of the shows at Local Spins.
Concert announcements · Upcoming shows
Alger Park Church hosts the third season of the series featuring eclectic Michigan acts, including classical music, a twist on opera and ‘The Music That Raised Us’ tribute to black female icons. Get the schedule and more details at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
The week-long Kalamazoo festival’s opening night boasted diverse, riveting sets at Bell’s Brewery Back Room, with six more days of Michigan music to come. View photos and a video at Local Spins, along with a recap of Monday’s event.
Audio · Emerging Artists to Watch · Videos
Local Spins’ ‘Emerging Artists to Watch’ series focuses on a genre-bending act led by a singer and songwriter from Southwest Michigan who’s generating sparks live. The band released its debut album last week.
The soulful English singer made her amphitheater debut on Sunday night, celebrating two decades of her music. The review and photo gallery at Local Spins.
As summer begins to wane, live music continues to heat up stages from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. Revisit eight shows from the past week in images at Local Spins.
Two beloved septuagenarians brought their enduring music to Meijer Gardens on Thursday night for a sold-out concert that covered a lot of musical ground. The Local Spins review and photo gallery.
Wednesday’s summer squall abated in time for a captivating performance amid picture-perfect weather in Meijer Gardens’ sold-out amphitheater, The review and photos 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.
Local Spins on WYCE traveled to Grand Haven to chat with the veteran bandleader as well as Third Coast Recording founder Bill Chrysler while also debuting new tracks by Michigan artists, including Fire in the Attic, Cal in Red, FINKEL, Daves at 7, Lost Magic, Bradley Sinclair, Trifocal and more. Learn more about Carl Webb and Third Coast Recording, watch a video and listen to this week’s radio show podcast.
Meijer Gardens favorite and trombone/trumpet player extraordinaire Trombone Shorty kept the capacity amphitheater crowd on its feet Wednesday with an entrancing set of funk/jazz/blues. Review and photos at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Features · Photos · Videos
‘Nobody cares what you do here.’ That was the theme as Electric Forest returned to Rothbury with wildly garbed attendees and bass-heavy romps. The Day 1 recap, photos and video.
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.
One fan called it the ‘best place to be on a Tuesday night.’ Singer Sarena Rae and Motherland Cultural Connections proved that with crowd-pleasing sets on a sunny, warm night. Read the recap, browse the 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.
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.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts · Videos
Staged at Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids, the eight-show outdoor series kicks off with Tank & The Bangas on July 12 and also features local faves The Crane Wives and The Verve Pipe. Get the full schedule at Local Spins.
The soulful Americana duo originally hailing from Michigan found favor with WYCE listeners and programmers when it comes to their latest studio album. View the full chart at Local Spins and listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Artist Spotlights · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows
On May 20, celebrated Grand Rapids singer Sarena Rae joins six other acts playing the second Local Spins Fest in downtown Grand Rapids. Today, she answers seven questions about her life, her music and more, providing unique insights into this talented emerging star.
Concert reviews · Photos · Videos
Electrifying a jam-packed Stache inside Grand Rapids’ The Intersection on Thursday, the duo with a top-shelf backing band rocked the house in emotional fashion. The review, photos and video at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Weekend Photo Gallery
Various musical milestones marked concerts at several West Michigan venues over the weekend, recapped in photos at Local Spins. Check out images of Granger Smith, Tunde Olaniran, The Bootstrap Boys, The Arcadian Wild, Rittz, Prof and more.
Concert announcements · Summer Concerts
Northern Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts has revealed more than a dozen concerts thus far for its summer ‘Arts Festival,’ with Styx, The Temptations, Lindsey Stirling, Train, Five for Fighting, The Beach Boys and more on tap. View the lineup at Local Spins.
Album Releases · Album reviews · Audio · Upcoming shows
New recordings by Y-Not, Rob Jordan, Pink Sky and John Lamb also pump up this late March round-up of reviews of fresh music by Michigan bands and solo artists. Listen to tracks from all of the releases.
Albums that Changed the World · Audio · Playlists
With Earth Radio’s Justin Avdek playing with three different artists at Friday’s Jammie Awards, Local Spins asked the multi-instrumentalist to reveal albums that have impacted him most. Check out his picks and listen to tracks from all of the albums.
Audio · Emerging Artists to Watch · Hot Top 5
With a wildly diverse musical background, the Grand Rapids producer and drummer has made waves with his infectious tracks. See what else made the Hot Top 5 Chart for January, with four new local/regional entries. Plus, listen to songs from all of the releases.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows
The annual variety show for charity heats up Elevation on Dec. 29 with more than two dozen musicians and singers. Get the lowdown, plus this week’s Local Spins on WYCE podcast with the debut of tracks by Michigan artists.
Albums that Changed the World · Audio
Today, the popular Local Spins series revealing albums that have impacted Michigan musicians continues with Scott and Molly Schultz. Listen to tracks from all of the recordings, along with Molly’s new single and video.
Artist Spotlights · Upcoming shows
Local Spins chats with two legendary artists — Hall of Hall & Oates fame and Rundgren — as the icons prepare to play DeVos Performance Hall. Get the inside story on this unique tour in this exclusive Local Spins interview with both artists.
Concert announcements · Festivals
Ani DiFranco, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Patty Griffin lead a one-day Saturday event with a cozy ‘BanjoFest’ at The Ark on Friday. And Hoxeyville 2023 will feature Wood Brothers, Keller Williams and more. Get the lowdown at Local Spins.
Kicking off the season on Friday with Serita’s Black Rose and Kait Rose, the free, four-concert series at Alger Park Church will spotlight folk, world music, soul, classical, blues and more. Learn more about the series and view the schedule at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
From Spanish-infused rock to soul to folk to hip hop, the inaugural music festival reveled in good weather and an upbeat vibe. The recap and photo galleries at Local Spins.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
The first-year festival pumped up three different Kalamazoo venues Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — and Local Spins was there to capture the action in words and photos.
Concert reviews · Festivals · Photos
The Mainstays, DC, DJ Boogie and The Incantations made it a manic Monday at Bell’s Brewery, kicking off the inaugural Sounds of the Zoo with an eclectic blast. View the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Artist Spotlights · Local Spins on WYCE · Podcasts · Upcoming shows · Videos
The Ann Arbor chanteuse playing next week’s Sounds of the Zoo fest debuted a single for Local Spins on WYCE, which also aired new music by Last Gasp Collective, Martyr for Madison, Conklin Ceili Band, Keith Hall & more. Learn more about Dani Darling and the Kalamazoo festival, watch the singer’s new music video and listen to this week’s full radio show podcast.
The brainchild of Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, the week-long affair at several venues in downtown Kalamazoo will boast vastly diverse performances and a collaborative vibe. Learn more about this first-year event, view the full schedule and listen to a playlist of performers.
Artist Spotlights · Summer Festivals · Upcoming shows · Videos
The boundary-pushing, ‘groove-heavy,’ bilingual artist from Asheville, N.C., headlines the inaugural All Call Music Festival taking place in Traverse City on Sunday. The Local Spins interview, plus Helado Negro’s latest music videos.
Concert reviews · Summer Festivals · Weekend Photo Gallery
August’s final weekend was chock full of sizzling live music, from national touring acts like Clownvis Presley and Michigan Rattlers to local favorites, all reflected in images at Local Spins. Get the recaps and check out more than a half-dozen photo galleries.
From enduring hits such as “Lido Shuffle” and “JoJo,” Boz Scaggs made the most of his amphitheater debut, with guitarist-singer Robert Cray and singer-songwriter Jeff LeBlanc also on board. The Local Spins review and photo gallery.
The week leading up to a hectic weekend of live music boasted a dizzying array of styles and approaches, from indie-folk to prog-pop to R&B and soul. Revisit the action in images at Local Spins.
Albums that Changed the World · Audio · Playlists · Summer Festivals
Northern Michigan’s Dunesville Music Festival unfurls this weekend in Interlochen, so Local Spins asked the event’s co-director to reveal three albums that have impacted her most, along with a current favorite. Listen to tracks from all of the albums and find links for the festival lineup and details.
Grand Rapids Art Museum and WYCE (88.1 FM) review the popular free series this week. The weekly, four-concert affair also will feature Andrea von Kampen, Brie Stoner, Rachel Brooke, Jesse Ray and more.
