Summer hasn’t started winding down just yet: Music is firing on all cylinders from Grand Rapids to Holland to Jackson County. Check out the images at Local Spins.
Summer Still Sizzling: This gleeful bunch for Kid Ink at Intersection was just the beginning of a crowd-revving week of live music. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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As usual, folks are suddenly trying to jam as much summer into August’s final weeks as they can, and that includes soaking up musical rays. Here are just a few gems from the past week:
CD-Release Show: Jimmie Stagger at H.O.M.E. in The B.O.B. (Photo/Taylor Mansen)
MONDAY
Rapper Kid Ink got the week started at The Intersection, pumping up a joyful bunch.
WEDNESDAY
Grand Rapids bluesman Jimmie Stagger regaled a devoted mid-week crowd — and sold a passel of CDs — at H.O.M.E in Grand Rapids’ The B.O.B as part of the album-release party for his new recording, “Graveyard of My Own.”
Olivia Mainville and The Aquatic Troupe, all six of them, delivered what could only be described as an unusually eclectic set of experimental indie-folk at Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge as part of the Local Spins Wednesdays series (which this week features the CD-release show for The Go Rounds).
Pedal-Steel at the Park: Robert Randolph on state at Holland’s Park Theatre. (Photo/Jared DeBacker)
THURSDAY
The Legal Immigrants brought the energetic, garage-fueled rock and Nathan Kalish & The Lastcallers delivered the rockabilly-tinged vintage country to the stage of the Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill in Grand Rapids.
Robert Randolph & The Family Band uncorked their pedal-steel-driven soul and funk in what more than one fan described as an “awesome show” at Holland’s Park Theatre, a day before headlining the Traverse City Microbrew and Music Festival.
FRIDAY
Pop Evil’s CD-release show for the rock band’s new “UP” album outside The Intersection in Grand Rapids was a real show-em-hometown-love affair, with a crowd of 1,500 cheering the West Michigan group. See the review and full photo gallery here.
Several miles away, country legend Vince Gill and his band entertained a capacity crowd at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park with twangy, flavorful country — and a smattering of humor. Check out the Local Spins photo gallery and review.
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Holler Fest in Brooklyn, Michigan, boasted a who’s who lineup of Michigan acts for a weekend of music at Frog Holler Farm, an organic vegetable farm. Local Spins writer Ricky Olmos was there and filed this report from early weekend performances:
Holler Fest Folk: The Accidentals on stage during the festival on Friday. (Photo/Ricky Olmos)
Holler Fest hit full stride at dusk on Friday. Three stages, roaring bonfires, high attendance, and perfect weather set the scene for a night of engaging performances with Ann Arbor’s The Understorey taking the main stage at 7 p.m. and playing an entertaining full-band set of originals and covers with a soulful twist, led by the vocals of Jess McCumons. Plymouth folk outfit Cold Tone Harvest performed next, playing a set of carefully crafted Americana songs, while experimental gospel trio Streaking In Tongues played a multi-instrumental set on the second stage.
The evening reached its pinnacle with an engaging 9 p.m. set by Traverse City’s The Accidentals, who captivated attendees with an engaging and energetic set that spanned multiple genres and had many singing and dancing along. (The Accidentals play Meijer Gardens on Tuesday night, part of final Tuesday Evening Music Club show featuring Ralston & Friends.) The festival continued Saturday with performance by Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, Barbarossa Brothers, Olivia Mainville, Andru Bemis, Watching For Foxes and more.
SATURDAY
Fascinating combinations of artists ruled the evening on Saturday with soul-rock’s Vox Vidorra and hip hop’s Lady Ace Boogie and Fable the Poet lighting up The Pyramid Scheme, while just across town at Billy’s Lounge, rock’s Devin & The Dead Frets and soul’s Skankadank did their respective musical thing.
WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY (Aug. 23, 2015)
Jimmie Stagger photos by Taylor Mansen
Olivia Mainville, Nathan Kalish, Legal Immigrants photos by Anna Sink
Robert Randolph photo by Jared DeBacker
Holler Fest photos by Ricky Olmos
Vox Vidorra, Lady Ace Boogie, Dead Frets photos by Anna Sink
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC
