A bevy of folk/roots acts played the Wheatland benefit at The Intersection, plus photos from shows by The Front Bottoms, Heavier Than Air Flying Machines and more. (Photos, video)
Dancing the Night Away: Winter Wheat packed The intersection on Saturday with roots music fans. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Winter wheat often gets planted in September and harvested the following year.
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In the case of Saturday’s Winter Wheat celebration at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, the musical seeds were indeed planted in September at the annual Wheatland Music Festival, with a host of roots acts regaling thousands near Remus. But The Intersection affair featuring more than a dozen bands also planted its own seeds, raising money for Wheatland’s drum kiva/all-performance stage.
The Front Bottoms at The Pyramid Scheme (Photo/Katy Batdorff)
More than that, it was a heckuva party packed with more than 650 devoted West Michigan “Wheaties” who cheered, danced and embraced the rootsy display of bluegrass, folk and, blues from the likes of the Benzie Playboys, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, Blue Molly, An Dro, Black Jake & The Carnies and more, captured in images by Local Spins photographers Anthony Norkus and Anna Sink.
It was an upbeat, mirthful affair with contra dancing on an imported dance floor and an eclectic lineup that made for the perfect winter escape.
“We’re going to warm up Grand Rapids right now with our energy, our positivity, our love,” singer Molly Bouwsma Schultz gushed at one point from the main showroom stage during Blue Molly’s set of soul and blues, a mix of unique covers and lively originals.
Meanwhile, the front lounge, aka The Stache, was jammed wall-to-wall with folk fiends who cheered the likes of Red Tail Ring and the Celtic-infused An Dro. “It’s so good to be here,” violinist Michele Venegas told the packed house. “We love playing Winter Wheat.”
The feeling among fans was obviously mutual.
Karisa Wilson performing for the MAJIC Concert Series. (Photo/Local Spins)
(Although the fifth annual mid-winter event added an outdoor jam and drum tent, that turned out to be an unworkable attraction: Due to the weather, musicians and fans eschewed the “side show” to stay indoors.)
Winter Wheat may have been the West Michigan musical event boasting the most performances this weekend, but venues big and small cranked it up in defiance of some wild and crazy January weather:
The Northern Skies kicked out folk-rock at Rockford Brewing Co. on the same night that the Fresh Folk series at St. Cecilia Music Center featured singer-songwriters Drew Nelson, Mark Sala, Hannah Rose Graves, Jimmie Stagger, Jen Sygit and Josh Rose. On Friday, Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Karisa Wilson delivered some personal, emotionally powerful material with her band at Bethlehem Lutheran Church as part of the MAJIC Concert Series.
Meanwhile, heating things up on consecutive nights at The Pyramid Scheme were New Jersey indie-punk band The Front Bottoms and progressive bluegrass act Fauxgrass (with Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys’ Dobro player Mark Lavengood filling in on stand-up bass for the injured Tim McKay).
For even more photos from Winter Wheat, go to the Local Spins Facebook page.
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
