The Kari Lynch Band revved up the growing Ah Nab Awen Park crowd with an energetic set of rock-hued country.
It was a Fourth of July to remember.
On the hottest day of the year thus far, with the temperature reaching a searing 99 degrees, thousands flooded the banks of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids to cheer some blistering musical performances and watch a spectacular fireworks display launched for the first time from two bridges.
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Four impressive regional acts – blues guitarist Donald Kinsey (with guitarist Andy Ogrodzinski), country’s Kari Lynch Band, pop’s Garrett Borns and rock’s The Outer Vibe – sweated and hammered their way through sun-simmered evening sets in Ah Nab Awen Park leading up to the “Amway Fourth of July Family Fireworks.”
(The entertainment also included performances by The Audacious Hoops, Daredevil Circus and others.)
The Outer Vibe raised the volume in their lively pre-fireworks show, focused on the band’s new album.
With only a slight delay at the beginning of The Outer Vibe’s set due to some equipment glitches, the event celebrated West Michigan’s auspicious musical talent. That was evident by the long lines of fans waiting for autographs and buying merchandise from the acts after their sets.
As Nick Hosford, lead guitarist for The Outer Vibe, put it, it was great to see four hard-working acts who make music their living spotlighted for the crowd of several thousand which gathered on the lawn in front of the Gerald R. Ford Museum. The Outer Vibe, in fact, made the Fourth of July bash the official CD-release show for the band’s brand new album, “Hoka Hey.”
An army of workers and volunteers, coordinated by Ed Kettle and his family, toiled in brutally broiling conditions to assemble the downtown party, and it was a blast serving as the evening’s emcee (though that air-conditioned car ride home sure felt sweet).
Check out some video highlights and photos here.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
