West Michigan’s best concerts of summer 2012: The big list (videos)

Check out video highlights of Spins on Music’s picks for best concerts of the summer, with links to mini-reviews and a preview of fall’s must-see shows.

Ah yes, September means a lot of things: the end of summer (boo-hiss), the kickoff to football (hurray), the winding down of the outdoor festival season (already?).

It also means people have been bugging me in a nice way about the best concerts I’ve seen this season.

So, you can read the full column running down my picks for the best shows of the summer of 2012 here at GRnow.com, along with my choices for the biggest disappointment of the season, some honorable mentions and select photos from these concerts.

But for a really quick ride down the rapids, you can preview my “best of” list, aka The Big Eight, right now here at Spins on Music, along with video highlights from all but one of these shows.

To say the least, it’s been an exhausting but satisfying summer of live music … and the fall might actually be every bit as exhausting and satisfying, depending on your taste in music. Read that fall preview of must-see shows in my September column at REVUE Magazine here.

1. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals (Meijer Gardens, Aug. 16)

2. Roger Waters’ “The Wall” (Van Andel Arena, June 6) — By the way, the former Pink Floyd frontman has announced that he’ll be touring this spectacle again in 2013, with the U.S. tour kicking off in May in Houston, Texas.

3. Gov’t Mule (Meijer Gardens, June 28)

4. Thievery Corporation (Electric Forest in Rothbury, June 29)

5. Bonnie Raitt/Mavis Staples (Meijer Gardens, Aug. 17)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

6. Ultraviolet Hippopotamus (Founders Fest, June 23)

7. Cowpie Music Festival (Shagbark Farm, Aug. 10-11)

8. Andrew Bird (Meijer Gardens, July 15)

Check out my honorable mentions here.

Disagree? Make the case for your own favorites or most compelling shows of the summer by emailing me or posting comments here at Spins on Music.

Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com