As we dive into October, it’s time to look back at the Local Spins stories and reviews which got the most attention from readers over the summer.
Music Festivals Returned with Fan Fervor: Faster Horses and other celebrations got lots of attention at Local Spins. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
To say it’s been an action-packed, news-filled summer would be an understatement.
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West Michigan's music scene
Michigan’s music scene returned with gusto during the summer of 2022, arguably offering more shows, festivals and music events than it did in the pre-pandemic days of 2019.
As we plunge into October, Local Spins figures it’s a good time to revisit some of the summer’s top stories.
Elvis Costello (Photo/Jamie Geysbeek)
Interestingly, Local Spins readers embraced varying sorts of posts when it comes to the Top 10 most-read stories of the season, from features on veteran and emerging musicians to reviews of high-profile concerts and festivals. Here’s the summer’s Top 10; click on the headlines to view the full stories.
1. Elvis Costello launches U.S. tour with clever, ever-entertaining aplomb in Grand Rapids – The first show in Elvis Costello & The Imposters’ summer tour on Aug. 4 at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park drew attention from readers across the globe.
2. Near-sellout Grand Rapids crowd revels in Journey’s ‘big’ arena show, signature hit tunes – Apparently, lots of Journey fans — many who flocked to Van Andel Arena — have never “stopped believin’ ” in this classic rock outfit.
3. Faster Horses’ hubbub, Drive-By Truckers’ triumph, Void’s victory & more – We’re guessing the “hubbub” surrounding the 2022 Faster Horses Festival at Michigan International Speedway in July attracted the most attention in this concert photo round-up, though Drive-By Truckers, Walk the Beat and other events created a buzz, too.
Bill Vits (Courtesy Photo)
4. Beat of a Different Drummer: Bill Vits’ legacy with GR Symphony, The Concussions & more – The poignant recounting of Grand Rapids drummer and percussionist Bill Vits’ life story — as he battles cancer — was shared by readers across the region who’ve been touched by this engaging musician over the past several decades.
5. Michigan country singer Sadie Bass turns heads – and chairs – on ‘The Voice’ – Hailing from the tiny town of Bath, Mich., emerging artist Sadie Bass has long been a regional fave and now fans are waiting to see how she fares in the next round of the popular NBC singing competiton.
6. An ‘amazing vision’: Shagbark Farm transformed for this weekend’s Camp Greensky – Shagbark Farm in Alaska in southern Kent County hosted two major festivals this summer: June’s Camp Greensky (led by Kalamazoo bluegrass powerhouse Greensky Bluegrass) and August’s Cowpie Music Festival. This story goes behind the scenes to show what it takes to assemble a music festival and all of its many moving parts.
Greensky Bluegrass at Shagbark Farm (Photo/Anna Sink)
7. Little Feat boogies confidently ‘right through the night’ for exuberant Kalamazoo fans – Uncorking songs from its classic “Waiting for Columbus” live album, this enduring band fired up a near-capacity crowd at Kalamazoo State Theatre.
8. Rick Springfield belies age, beguiles besotted fans, brings orchestral ‘Human Touch’ to GR – Hey, if you looked and sounded this good at age 72, you’d still be touring, too.
9. Holler Fest set to continue Jackson County tradition with 60-plus bands on tap – Local Spins previews dozens of music festivals and this one at Frog Holler Farm, in particular, always entices a devoted audience of readers and festivalgoers.
10. America uncorks ‘legal limit of ’70s music’ — from ‘Tin Man’ to ‘Horse With No Name’ – Our Top 10 list starts and ends with a Meijer Gardens concert, this one dripping with nostalgia for a baby boomer crowd.
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