Another eclectic week and weekend, from Channing & Quinn to Jackyl to Elephant Wrecking Ball to the B-Side Growlers and some bittersweet goodbyes, captured in photos by Local Spins.
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It was a weekend of firsts and lasts, all unfurling in compelling, audience-pleasing fashion.
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There was West Michigan’s last Ultraviolet Hippopotamus show before the band’s extended hiatus from touring and performing, with The Intersection in Grand Rapids hosting a near-capacity crowd of jam-band loving hippies, hoopsters and those just plain interested in instrumentally adroit prog-rock, electronica, funk, reggae and bluegrass cheering UV Hippo over three sets on Friday night. The band featured a procession of special guests and former band members while delivering familiar UV Hippo fodder as well as covers of songs by Pink Floyd and others while regaling an upbeat, approving bunch. (Check out some video snippets below.)
There was the last formal concert at Fenian’s Irish Pub in Conklin on Saturday night, with Chicago Reel entertaining a standing-room-only crowd of Celtic music devotees, who packed into the Ottawa County tavern like sardines and warmly applauded owners Mary Ann and Terry Reagan, who’ve sold the pub and are retiring. (The pub will continue to host weekly sessions for local musicians until the establishment changes hands early next year.)
There was American WiFi’s first show promoting its brand new album, the “Hotspot 2.0” EP, for a mostly young and ultra-enthusiastic crowd at The Pyramid Scheme on Friday night, with the CD-release show also featuring sets by Midwest Skies and Maybe Next Time. (Video below.)
The same night, California Celtic rock band Flogging Molly played one of the last shows booked for The Orbit Room, which will soon be ending its long run as a Grand Rapids concert venue, with The Mighty Stef and Pasadena also on the bill.
Elsewhere, the Channing & Quinn folk-pop duo made its first-ever appearance at Grand Rapids SpeakEZ Lounge as part of the Local Spins Wednesdays at SpeakEZ series, the trombone-driven Elephant Wrecking Ball made its first-ever stop at Grand Rapids’ Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill (with Mount Pleasant band Big Sherb opening), country singer Cole Swindell (with opening act Kelleigh Bannen) fired up a hefty crowd at The Intersection (with a few people getting so fired up that a hefty brawl ensued that spilled into the parking lot), the rootsy B-Side Growlers made their first-ever in-studio appearance on Local Spins on WYCE on Friday morning (followed by a Saturday evening show at the Grand River Folk Arts Society’s Acoustic Saturday Nights series at the Wealthy Theatre Annex), An Dro’s next to last show with guitarist Fred Willson at One Trick Pony, and Jackyl, well, these boys just returned to The Intersection on Saturday for yet another evening of their Southern-fried brand of chainsaw-wielding hard rock.
THE LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY: Dec. 3-6
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Channing & Quinn photos by Tori Thomas
Elephant Wrecking Ball, Big Sherb photos by Anthony Norkus
Cole Swindell, Kelleigh Bannen photos by Eric Stoike
B-Side Growlers, Midwest Skies photos by John Sinkevics
American WiFi photos by Anna Sink
Flogging Molly photos by Anthony Norkus
UV Hippo photos by Anna Sink
Chicago Reel photos by Anthony Norkus
Jackyl photos by Eric Stoike
An Dro photos by Kristine Carpenter
UV HIPPO AT THE INTERSECTION
AMERICAN WIFI AT THE PYRAMID SCHEME
B-SIDE GROWLERS PLAYING LOCAL SPINS ON WYCE
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music LLC