Weekend Recap: Kehlani, Re(turn) to the River, Burning Foot

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August’s final weekend was chock full of sizzling live music, from national touring acts like Clownvis Presley and Michigan Rattlers to local faves, reflected in images at Local Spins. Get recaps, browse the photo galleries.

‘Nights Like This’: Kehlani brought one of those nights to GR on Saturday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)

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From the opening track, “Little Story,” that launches her latest album — and kicked off her Grand Rapids tour stop on Saturday — to the her first charted hit, “Crzy,” from 2016 that closed out the show, California pop-soul singer Kehlani covered a lot of bases for exuberant fans at GLC Live at 20 Monroe.

The same could be said for West Michigan’s torrent of live music and festivals that heated up the final weekend of August 2022, part of a late-summer salvo pumping up venues from Muskegon to Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo and beyond.

The musical action included:

Returning to the River: The scene on Saturday. (Photo/Holly Holtzclaw)

• The first-ever Re(turn) the the River Festival in the Monroe North district of Grand Rapids, with the Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.-sponsored event boasting performances on three stages throughout the day and evening on Saturday, ranging from the funky strains of Muskegon’s Flexadecibel to the bluegrass charm of West Michigan’s Mark Lavengood to the soulfulness of Molly and more.

• The second annual West Michigan Songwriter’s Festival regaling a small crowd at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont on Friday and Saturday, with event organizer and Rockford’s own Dan Terry joining Nashville songwriters Erin Enderlin, Brian Sutherland and Julie Ann Weiler to tell tales behind the songs that they performed — from writing a tune in a cigar bar about the way exes might react when they see other again to superstar Reba McEntire offering up chicken strips to Enderlin backstage at a show. (The Friday evening performance even included a song co-written by Sutherland and West Michigan singer-songwriter Kyle Rasche, who was on hand for the show.)

Clownvis Presley: In full regalia. (Photo/Jeff Brinn Photography)

• Michigan Rattlers and Brian Koenigsknecht drawing a big crowd at Bell’s Brewery Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo for a Saturday evening affair.

• A busy Saturday night at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, with Philly livetronica jam-band heroes The Disco Biscuits lighting up the main showroom and Australian country singer Morgan Evans bringing his national tour to Elevation down under (so to speak).

• Grand Rapids indie-rock band Low Phase staging a release show at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids on Friday, with sets by Phabies, The American Hotel System and The Cosmoknights.

• The inimitable Clownvis Presley from St. Louis paying homage to The King in is his own inimitable, circus-like way at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill on Friday, along with Messer Chups and The Moonrays.

• Kalamazoo’s Corn Fed Girls capping off a lively weekend in Southwest Michigan with a free community show in Oshtemo.