It was a rousing return of Local Spins Wednesdays for SpeakEZ Lounge in celebration of Local Spins’ 10th anniversary, with an enthusiastic, capacity crowd on hand. The show recap, photos, video.
Surf-Rock Royalty: The Concussion made their return to SpeakEZ Lounge on Wednesday. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
UPCOMING LOCAL SPINS SHOWS: Local Spins Week continues today (Thursday) with a “secret” pop-up show in late afternoon in downtown Grand Rapids, live-streamed on Local Spins’ Facebook page. At 8 p.m. tonight (Thursday), a hip-hop showcase with Les Creatif, J.Rob & Bedrock and Wuzee & Samil takes place at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids. Get tickets online here.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
On Friday, Local Spins hosts a 7 p.m. blues show starring Jake Kershaw and Hank Mowery & The Hawktones at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill; $10, available here. A 10 p.m. late show at Elevation inside The Intersection will feature Desmond Jones and The Legal Immigrants; $10, available here.
Finally, Local Spins Fest unfurls Saturday outside Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids. It kicks off with DJ SuperDre at 3 p.m., followed by Cabildo at 4 p.m., Hannah Rose Graves at 5 p.m., Full Cord at 6 p.m., Public Access at 7 p.m. and The Accidentals at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available online at listeningroomgr.com. Some seating will be available and supplied by Studio Park, along with standing room on the piazza. Attendees can also bring their own folding chairs. The show is rain or shine, but severe weather can cause delays or cancellation.
THE SHOW: The Concussions (Dick Chiclet, Matt Mason, Claude Nine, Billy Vits) and Earth Radio (Hannah Laine, Dutcher Snedeker, Justin Avdek, David Ward) on Wednesday at SpeakEZ Lounge in Grand Rapids
Hannah Laine of Earth Radio (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
HIGHLIGHTS: The Concussions took the stage by fire from the start and ended with that same fury: intoxicating the listeners with a cover of “Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones (clearly a fan favorite). Electrically charged, a dancing crowd closed in on the instrumental surf-rockers — playing their first official show in two years — as guitar solos ignited the flame. Just as the heat in the room barely started to simmer, Earth Radio slithered onto the stage with a smoldering, haunting sound. As soon as they had every set of eyes in the room mesmerized, the jazzy genre-defying quartet made a sudden about-face, picked up the pace with an eclectic funk and had everyone grooving again.
PRICELESS WORDS: “I remember when I was young, I told a family member that I was a musician and then he asked me: ‘What will you do when being a musician doesn’t work out?’ The first thing I thought was ‘What does he know that I don’t?’ My other thought was…’F— this guy!’” – Justin Avdek, Earth Radio
THE VIBE: Joyful and spirited, SpeakEZ was filled front to back with positivity and celebration. Between moments of dynamic energy was a casual, laid-back familiarity that welcomed all types of music lovers.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Concussions, Earth Radio at SpeakEZ Lounge
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker and Derek Ketchum
VIDEO: The Concussions, Earth Radio at SpeakEZ
Copyright 2022, Spins on Music LLC
