The late August round-up of live music features concerts and festivals from Grand Rapids to the lakeshore to Brooklyn — from Emma Loo & Sam’s cutting-edge set to Michigan music on the farm.
Avant Garde Spectacle: Emma Loo & Sam delivered that and more at The Pyramid Scheme on Friday. (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
With many students trudging back to school today, last week’s flurry of festivals and concerts across Michigan served as a colorful, last blast of musical fun.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
And we’ve got the photos to prove it.
The roster included a sold-out show featuring Five for Fighting (with string accompaniment) at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Bill Kirchen playing a special open-mic night at Holland’s Park Theatre, Local Showcase No. 17 at The Pyramid Scheme (with Emma Loo & Sam, Twin Flame, 78 Revolutions Per Minute and Reggie), Beer City Bike Fest outside The Spoke Folks in Grand Rapids, the 38th annual Polish Festival at Rosa Parks Circle, the Hispanic Festival on Calder Plaza and an album-release show Thursday by singer-songwriter Nordy at Rockford Brewing (which also hosted The Zannies and Conrad Shock & The Noise on Saturday).
And there was more: Get a recap/photo gallery below of Holler Fest, held over the weekend outside Brooklyn, Mich., with dozens of Michigan bands performing.
Plus, check out separate Local Spins coverage of the first-ever Breakaway Music Festival held at Belknap Park, with thousands enjoying EDM and hip hop stars on Friday and Saturday.
WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY No. 1
Nordy photos by Anna Sink
Local Showcase No. 17 photos by Katy Batdorff
Zannies photos by Anna Sink
Polish Festival, Hispanic Festival photos by Dionte Hampton
Beer City Bike Fest photos by Anna Sink
PHOTO GALLERY: Bill Kirchen at Park Theatre
Photos by Steve Baran
PHOTO GALLERY: Five for Fighting at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Kendra Kamp
HOLLER FEST 2017
Over the weekend, Holler Fest returned to Frog Holler Farm in Brooklyn, Mich. in its most refined and mature form. With a handful of infrastructure updates, organizational proactivity and yet another influx in attendance, the grassroots-grown music festival was firing on all cylinders from day one.
Brisk, fall-like temperatures prevailed on Friday, making for enjoyable (if not slightly chilling) outdoor conditions. Friday night included Main Stage performances by Jack and the Bear, The Switchbacks and Jive Colossus. In their signature theatrics, Jack and the Bear unraveled a flamboyant set for a sprawling crowd.
Meanwhile – and in juxtaposition to the lively Main Stage – The Cabin provided the perfect setting for intimate, stripped-back performances. Songwriter, Libby DeCamp, gave a delicate, soft-spoken performance of beautifully-woven Americana songs. At Main Stage, Ann Arbor’s Jive Colossus concluded the festival’s opening day by performing a rollicking, dance-inspiring set, filled with a colorful array of horns, and percussion.
Day Two warmed significantly by early afternoon and highlights included an animated, politically-hopeful set by Gemini and the classic Americana refrain of The Raisin Pickers. As the day progressed, a steady stream of festival-goers continued in and by dusk the rolling farm pastures were abuzz with throngs of joyful revelers. Holler Fest alumni, Breathe Owl Breathe returned for a Saturday night headlining slot on Main Stage, offering up a spectacle of peculiarity and eccentric instrumentation. The duo’s enigmatic sound and stage-presence proved incredibly captivating. At The Cabin, Barbarossa Brothers unveiled their own entrancing set. The Saginaw collective serenaded the crowded lamplit cabin by way of upright bass, resonator guitar and percussion, to many a foot-stomping listeners’ delight.
Concluding Saturday evening, festival headliners, Wire in the Wood unleashed a joyous, celebratory set. The Ann Arbor quartet breached the confines of their traditional instrumentation with lush soundscapes and sweeping musical layers. As usual, the evening’s festivities carried on into the wee hours of the night: friends danced merrily to the music, children frolicked fearlessly through damp grass, and the traditional Holler Fest bonfire painted the night sky with glowing embers.
(There was also an impromptu jazz set during breakfast Saturday morning. An assortment of musicians gathered alongside the breakfast line to provide entertainment while folks waited for their coffee and oatmeal. Starting with just a couple instruments, it eventually grew to a full-band with drums, keys, guitar, upright bass, and longtime Holler Fest volunteer Chrissy Martin singing classic jazz numbers.) – Ricky Olmos
PHOTO GALLERY: Holler Fest
Photos by Ricky Olmos
