As the Jammie Awards return Friday to The Intersection to honor Michigan artists, we reminisce about the inaugural event. Plus, check out Friday’s performance schedule and a playlist.
From Small Musical Acorns, Big Things Come: The Jammie Awards have grown since 2000.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s been billed as West Michigan’s “biggest night of music,” a testament to the legacy of the long-running WYCE Jammmie Awards, which began in somewhat humble fashion back in 2000 but has grown into a must-attend event for musicians and fans alike.
After a COVID interruption, this year’s Jammies show returns to The Intersection in Grand Rapids at 5:45 p.m. Friday, with 20 acts performing on three stages and awards given out in more than a dozen categories for the past year’s best recordings. Admission to the all-ages event is a suggested $5 donation to WYCE at the door.
Launched at the diminutive original location of Founders Brewing on Monroe Avenue NW, the Jammie Awards have been staged at various venues over the years — including Opus 1894, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Wealthy Theatre — before eventually settling at The Intersection downtown.
(By the way, I experienced my first Jammies in Year 2, when an overflow crowd packed Opus 1894 to the gills and cemented the idea in my mind that this was, indeed, a big deal.)
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With the awards show now in its 23rd year, Local Spins asked former station manager Michael Packer, one of the co-founders of the event, to recount the origins of the Jammies and how that mission to showcase local and regional music has endured.
Oh, and yes, lots of folks still wear jammies to the Jammies.
THE JAMMIE AWARDS STORY: Michael Packer
The Jammies started as a collaboration, dreamed up when programmer Mike Van Denend came up to me with the idea of “doing some sort of event to shine a light on local artists.”
We met in the WYCE conference room, shaking around numerous ideas. We came up with “The Jammies” because we wanted something that represented a jam, thus the name.
Programmer “PJ” (Paul Johnson) came up with the idea of wearing pajamas, you know, Jammies to the event.
It started out as a small event in 2000 at the old Founders Brewing Co. (a small local business that has become a national chain). We weren’t sure what to anticipate, so we thought a small place would be a good start.
Michael Packer (Courtesy Photo)
Surprisingly, there was a packed house. The place held about 100 and we had about 200 in there.
That first year, we gave out just one award: The Jammie of the Year went to the band Roberta Bradley & Gypsy.
The plan was to move the event to various locales, but it grew beyond our anticipation. Finally, it landed at The Intersection. It’s been the home to the Jammies ever since.
With loyal crowds, the volunteers from WYCE and the staff at the Intersection, it is now a huge collaborative event sporting three stages to a packed crowd.
I’m proud to have been part of the creation. No doubt there are awards, but the intent is to profile the mass of creative talent in the area: 23 years and going strong.
Come back to Local Spins Friday and Saturday for full coverage of the Jammies.
JAMMIES 2023 PERFORMERS: The Local Spins Playlist on Spotify
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