Sun, rain, snow, falling leaves, wind, thunder, sleet. It’s that wacky time of year, and the same sort of wildly varying live music descended on West Michigan this weekend … captured in Local Spins photos/video.
Hippo Homecoming: Hundreds of fans reveled to the jamming of Ultraviolet Hippopotamus at The Intersection on Saturday night. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Ultraviolet Hippopotamus didn’t play its usual — if unusual and elaborate — Halloween show in Grand Rapids this year because it was on the road down South, but the hard-gigging jam band aimed to make up for it with a powerfully good homecoming show at The Intersection on Saturday, especially with a brand new album, “Translate,” getting some buzz.
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Take it from Local Spins contributing writer Alec Juarez, it was a sight and night to behold:
“The Intersection’s electricity bill is sure to be outrageous this month.
Saturday night’s lighting technician certainly had his hands full while handling the appearance by Ultraviolet Hippopotamus with openers Afro Zumba and Genetics: A multi-colored light show accompanied the bands’ psychedelic jams and hopping, skipping bass lines.
Afro Zuma was one of the openers on Saturday night. (Photo/Anna Sink)
A LIVELY MUSICAL ODYSSEY, COURTESY OF UV HIPPO
Bright, flashing lights could also be spotted in the audience as many enthused concertgoers swung LED-hula hoops around their hips; others simply danced with every ounce of energy in their bodies. The crowd perpetuated the relaxed atmosphere of the show while UV Hippo pulled the musical strings like a band of puppeteers, playing songs off their new album “Translate” and revving up the energy with old fan favorites, jamming on until well past 1 a.m.
The lively headliner’s musical odyssey, with blistering guitar solos and drum flurries, felt like sitting in on a well-refined jam session — a phenomenal homecoming show that proved their mettle as one of Grand Rapids’ favorite local acts.”
The rest of the weekend rocked in a variety of ways: the atmospheric folk-rock of Big Dudee Roo at Rockford Brewing Co., pop-infused indie-rock band Bowery uncorking new material at its CD-release show in The Stache at The Intersection, Boston’s Barrence Whitfield and The Savages making their first-ever Grand Rapids appearance with a blistering, scream-studded, rock ‘n’ soul show the likes of which the Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill has never seen before (check out the video below if you don’t believe me), folk’s Bennett and singer-songwriter Ralston Bowles debuting their “Give Till It Helps” song in a special concert to help kick off the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Christmas campaign, and Nashville-based, award-winning singer-songwriter Dana Cooper performing at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake.
And while the Local Spins weekend doesn’t usually begin on Wednesday, photographer Anthony Norkus took such stellar photos of Asking Alexandria firing up The Orbit Room at mid-week — even with a smaller-than-expected crowd — that we’ve include those pics here, too. (Return to Local Spins on Monday for a chance to win tickets to see Lamb of God at The Orbit Room on Wednesday.)
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Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
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