Launching with The Wood Brothers on July 12, the seven-show series also features Michigan’s own May Erlewine, Spin Doctors and The Lone Bellow. Get the schedule at Local Spins.
Robert Randolph Band: The acclaimed pedal steel and “sacred steel” guitarist plays Listening Lawn July 26. (Photo/Kendra Petersen-Kamp)
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Lawn lounging doesn’t get much better than this.
Studio C and Midtown’s 2024 “Listening Lawn” series on the Studio Park piazza in downtown Grand Rapids aims to heat up summer with everything from the scintillating pedal steel of virtuoso guitarist Robert Randolph and his band to the indie-rock/pop of Scotland’s KT Tunstall to the eye-popping wizardry of bassist Victor Wooten & The Wooten Brothers.
KT Tunstall (Courtesy Photo)
Kicking off on July 12 with the Grand Rapids return of the rootsy folk and blues outfit The Wood Brothers, the fourth annual Listening Lawn series will feature seven concerts, wrapping up with Tunstall (“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”) on Aug. 24.
In between, West Michigan fans will get a dose of ‘90s alt-rock favorites Spin Doctors (July 19), indie-folk/Americana’s The Lone Bellow (July 27) and northern Michigan singer-songwriter May Erlewine (Aug. 22) — part of a lineup that Studio C’s Emily Loeks calls “a really great group of bands.”
Tickets for Listening Lawn concerts go on sale today (Tuesday) at themidtowngr.com.
Quinn Mathews, director of music and programming for Studio C and Midtown, said he revels in “the fun and the energy” of the annual outdoor shows, calling the piazza “a unique and amazing place” for concerts, complete with state-of-the-art audio and lighting.
“Super pumped,” Mathews told Local Spins. “I wanted to get some names from all different styles of music. Feel pretty excited about it. I’ll be excited even while working and seeing these shows.”
The Listening Lawn concert series, sponsored by Mercantile Bank and Pepsi, also will feature a pavilion that includes a full bar and snacks. Mercantile’s Monica Krieger said supporting the series is part of a commitment to celebrate and amplify “the diverse voices that make up our vibrant community.”
Studio Park actually christens the summer of live music early this weekend, with Local Spins Fest’s five-band celebration of the website’s 12th anniversary taking place on the piazza from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Regional stars Nathan Walton & The Remedy, Elijah Russ Collective and Short Panic will be joined by two youth bands.
Get tickets – $10 ($25 VIP) – for Local Spins Fest online here.
Victor Wooten: Returning to West Michigan. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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