Thomas Rhett, Return to River, Heartstown: Photos

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Local Spins recaps festivals in Grand Rapids, Homer and Lansing, along with tour stops by Thomas Rhett, Theory of a Deadman and G. Love & Special Sauce in this weekend’s live music roundup.

Sundry Saturday: Sevendust, Anastasia Elliot and Thomas Rhett were just part of a packed weekend of live music. (Photos/Veronica Ann Dearborn/Eric Stoike)

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From downtown Grand Rapids to the pastures of Homer to the riverfront in Lansing, Michigan’s summer festival flurry continued in highly varied fashion over the weekend.

The first day of the two-day Return to the River Festival in Grand Rapids’ Monroe North district closed out with a bang on Saturday with sets by Nashville art-rock artist Anastasia Elliot and electronic music producers Vali Una of New York and VEIL of Philadelphia — this after a full afternoon and early evening of performances on two stages by 14 other acts, including Coconut Connie and Grupo Super Nova.

The free-admission festival continues today (Sunday) with a dozen more performances. Details here.

Meanwhile, 104 miles to the southeast, The War and Treaty opened up their property in Homer to fans for their first-ever HeartsTown Music Festival, with 10 acts from Michigan and Nashville performing on two stages.

Local Spins’ Derek Ketchum offered up this recap:

The inaugural HeartsTown Music Festival had the feel of a family reunion. There were food trucks, yard games in the back, a lounge area by the food, and a tent that many people gathered under throughout the day, especially when dodging an early downpour.

It was incredibly intimate, and that made the atmophers more special, with a mix of Michigan-based and Nashville-based based artists, including Brittney Spencer (who sang on Beyonce’s “Cowboy Carter” album). It was also a team effort, with all of the band members of War And Treaty helping out throughout the day, from turning over stages to running sound for the barn stage.

Hometown Celebration: Michael and Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty at their HeartsTown fest. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)

Eastern Michigan Americana band The Gasoline Gypsies put on an incredible set, one that featured an number of new songs that will appear on their next album, set to be released later this year. Other performers included Blank Page, EON Zero, Jordan Babbs, The Kentucky Gentlemen and Ypsilanti duo DuPont Phillips (with Kylee Phillips including some of her solo material in the set).

The War and Treaty — led by the ever-soulful Michael and Tanya Trotter — closed out the festival, getting attendees singing and dancing along throughout their nearly 90-minute set that included some new music. Afterward, Michael Trotter invited fans to head back to the barn where they all took part in filming for The War and Treaty’s next music video.

Mid-Michigan boasted an intimate weekend festival of its own. The two-day Fishstock Americana Festival at Fish Ladder Music Park in Lansing uncorked sets by 10 rootsy Michigan artists: Shelby and Jake, Mark Lavengood, The Lash, The Bootstrap Boys, Steppin’ In It, Mercadez Kelley, Deer and Elk, Jen Sygit, Rachael Davis Band and Full Cord.

The Riverfront Setting: Fishstock Americana Festival (Photo/Anna Sink)

The festival even moved at one point to Elderly Instruments on Saturday to escape the rain for an indoor jam session that included Billy Strings’ dad, Terry Barber.

But that wasn’t all when it comes to live music. Country star Thomas Rhett had everyone “Gone Country” at Grand Rapids’ Acrisure Amphitheater on Saturday (23-song set list here), the same night that Theory of a Deadman and Sevendust pumped up GLC Live at 20 Monroe.

Earlier in the week, G. Love & Special Sauce made a tour stop at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe. And get full Local Spins reviews and photo galleries from Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and Lindsey Stirling at Acrisure Amphitheater.

PHOTO GALLERY: Return to the River Festival (Saturday)
Photos by Eric Stoike