Live music in Michigan’s great outdoors got rolling this past week with the first Rogue River Blues and Summertime Blues shows, Rockford Start of Summer and Buttermilk Jamboree. Revisit them in photos.
Closing Out Buttermilk Jamboree: The drizzle didn’t faze May Erlewine or her fans on Sunday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Music headed into the great outdoors last week and cloudy, rainy weather didn’t deter Michigan stars or their fans from getting into the spirit of things. Check out the reviews, photos and a video below.
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TUESDAY
HANNAH ROSE & THE GRAVESTONES: Rogue River Blues Series Kick-Off in Rockford
Rogue River Blues Series: Hannah Rose attracted a big crowd on Tuesday. (Photo/Anna Sink)
Skies were overcast but the crowd came out in full force once again, packing Garden Park along the Rogue River in Rockford for the kickoff to this year’s United Bank Rogue River Blues Series starring Rockford’s own Hannah Rose Graves and her band, The GravesTones.
And as usual, Graves and company delivered crowd-pleasing, dance-inspiring sets of their soul-infused rock, blues, funk and folk as attendees and series organizer (and Blues Brother look-alike) Steve Jazwiec looked on.
This week, the series continues with a performance by Harper & Midwest Kind starting at 7 p.m.
PHOTO GALLERY: Hannah Rose & The Gravestones in Rockford
Photos by Anna Sink
WEDNESDAY
JAKE KERSHAW, HANK MOWERY & THE HAWKTONES: LAV Summertime Blues in Walker
Beer, corn dogs and sweet blues: What more can you ask for on a Wednesday night?
Despite dodging some rain, this year’s edition of the WLAV Summertime Blues series, presented by Preferred Credit Union and Orion Construction, kicked off Wednesday at the DeltaPlex Arena parking lot in Walker.
Wet But Bluesy: Jake Kershaw and Band. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Although the threat of rain reduced turnout for the season opener — especially when it comes to bikers — Grand Rapids’ Hank Mowery & The Hawktones opened things up with hundreds of folks watching in lawn chairs, jamming their catchy tunes with energetic guitar solos twisting back and forth to finger-flying piano work, topped off by Mowery’s groovy harmonica.
“Its a guaranteed good evening,” said attendee Tom Stevens. “I like the beer, food and listening to great blues music.”
The rain didn’t stop Jake Kershaw from rocking the series for the third year in a row. Kershaw may only be 18 years old, but he is no amateur when it comes to his jaw-dropping guitar-playing.
“We have been following Jake for about three years now and he’s just awesome,” said fan Marta Souter. “He’s so young and has been playing like this for years. He makes it look so easy when in reality it’s not.”
Added Dean Kline: “We like Jake Kershaw. We saw him back several years ago when he was just a side act and now he’s headlining and we like it even more. He tears it up.”
And Wednesday’s show included a special treat: With Kershaw temporarily taking over on drums, drummer Chip Hebert brought his girlfriend on stage and proposed to her in front of the crowd. – Autumn Babas
PHOTO GALLERY: Jake Kershaw, Hank Mowery & The Hawktones for LAV Summertime Blues Opener
Photos by Derek Ketchum and Molly Long
FRIDAY
PHOTO GALLERY: Melophobix at Start of Summer, Rockford Brewing Beer Tent
Photos by Anna Sink
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
BUTTERMILK JAMBOREE 2019: Circle Pines Center in Delton
Get a full Local recap, photos and video highlights of Day 1: Buttermilk Jamboree rocks, rolls, folks and funks on a robust Day 1
After glorious weather and an equally glorious lineup of music Friday, a couple thousand attendees at Buttermilk Jamboree found themselves skirting and enduring misty rain for much of the rest of the weekend.
Umbrella Weather: Sunday’s scene at Buttermilk. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
That didn’t seem to deflate the enthusiasm of performers or their fans, however, with Local Spins photographer Derek Ketchum and Anna Sink finding plenty of highlights from Saturday and Sunday’s sets:
• Seth Bernard and Jordan Hamilton — The duo had the crowd mesmerized on Saturday afternoon. What some might originally think of as a “stripped down” Eggtones collaboration was much more than that. The musicians shared the spotlight, alternating between Bernard’s “Eggtones” tunes and Jordan’s music, which included their rendition of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Hamilton’s mastery of the cello and looping pedals, combined with Bernard’s powerful, positive lyrics — and incredible guitar tones — spread the message of love and community as well as bringing people together for conservation. The perfect duo for Buttermilk finished out its set, most appropriately, with Hamilton’s song, “Better Days.”
• Samantha Cooper — The singer-songwriter’s set on Saturday afternoon was made even more special as Kalamazoo-bred drummer M. Sord sat in with Cooper, fresh off the road from performing on Jon Spencer’s tour.
Saturday NIght Highlight: The energetic Las Cafeteras. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
• The Appleseed Collective — Things got a bit crazy at Buttermilk with the Appleseed Collective firing up the main Orchard Stage in mid-afternoon Saturday. The Ann Arbor folk/swing band performed a great mix of work from their recent albums along with some new music from a soon-to-be-released EP.
• Las Cafeteras — Las Cafeteras, who played to the crowd at Buttermilk with the sound and energy that they likely had the night before at Bonnaroo in Tennessee, were impressive considering the distance they traveled that day. They had the crowd energized and dancing up front from the get-go of their set despite the threat of inclement weather.
Dacia Bridges (Photo/Anna Sink)
• Dacia Bridges Project and Earth Radio — Southwest Michigan singer Dacia Bridges took control of the Sugar Bush Stage late Saturday evening with her fierce guitar work, fiery vocals and all-female band. It was the perfect intro to the haunting bellows of Hannah Laine as part of Grand Rapids’ Earth Radio’s closing set on the same stage. During “You Don’t Know,” Laine invited the Buttermilk attendees to exhale their own shrieks of catharsis in unison, creating a communal, chaotic screaming session the segued into funky jazzy jams from bassist Justin Avdek and keyboardist Dutcher Snedeker. It was all about dancing and getting down.
• Luna Blu – The Chicago-based band Luna Blu filled up the beer tent on Sunday afternoon, with lead singer Nan Mosinksi grabbing everyone’s attention with her powerful vocals — showing hints of Natalie Merchant — with a great blues band behind her.
• May Erlewine – After a poignant introduction by Ryan Williams, Sunday headliner May Erlewine and band made the best of a drizzly situation in late afternoon, regaling an audience of umbrellas, ponchos and raincoats with her captivating (and sometimes activist) approach. She talked about her recent U.K. tour when a reporter asked what it was like living in the United States right now. “I feel like a passenger in a vehicle and the driver is insane,” she said.
PHOTO GALLERIES: Buttermilk Jamboree – Days 2 and 3
Photos by Anna Sink and Derek Ketchum