Category Archives: Feature

In love with ‘the culture and energy’ of house concerts: A balm for the anxiety of a terrifying era?

Posted on November 12, 2014 by

My band, Voluptuous Panic, played a gig at the 2014 Lamp Light Music Festival in Grand Rapids. Here are some of my reflections as a performer and audience member. Read more at Local Spins…

Posted in DIY/DIT, Feature, Grand Rapids, Hippies, House Shows, Indie, Lamp Light, Punk, rock 'n' roll | Leave a comment

House Concert Nirvana: Lamp Light Music Festival aims to hit stride with inspiring, empowering small shows

Posted on November 5, 2014 by

There’s a small-but-growing movement toward house shows — small, cozy concerts staged in living rooms and basements, lightly promoted and accessible mostly to people already in the know. Grand Rapids’ Lamp Light Music Festival gives a wider audience the chance … Continue reading →

Posted in DIY/DIT, Feature, Grand Rapids, House Shows, Indie, Lamp Light, Music | Leave a comment

Derek Trucks calls collaborative group with wife Susan Tedeschi ‘a dream band’

Posted on June 13, 2014 by

For a large portion of his 35 years, guitarist Derek Trucks has been the subject of adoration for his guitar virtuosity. After years of extensive recording and touring with the Allman Brothers Band, his eponymous solo group and his current … Continue reading →

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Stooges’ drummer Scott Asheton ‘drove the sound of the band’

Posted on March 17, 2014 by

Judging from the outpouring of emotion from fans and peers over the death of Scott “Rock Action” Asheton Saturday night, it would be hard to tell that his band the Stooges were nearly ignored during their initial run in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Detroit, Feature, Obituary, Punk, Stooges | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Zappa Plays Zappa offers tribute to singular American rocker and composer

Posted on July 10, 2012 by

In a recording career that spanned from the early 1960s through his death from prostate cancer in 1993, he cranked out dense and complex rock music and lascivious novelty ditties (like “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” and “Valley Girl”). He … Continue reading →

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Why Andrew Bird favors live performances and what to expect at Meijer Gardens

Posted on June 9, 2012 by

For Chicago-based singer and violinist Andrew Bird, making music comes naturally. And when he performs at Meijer Gardens on July 15, he’ll be in his natural habitat — the stage. “I consider a live performance the most honest representation of … Continue reading →

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Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace’s transgender journey resonates with Grand Rapids community

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

For the past 15 years, the band Against Me! has cranked out an energetic and socially conscious brand of punk, continuing a grand tradition handed down from Detroit’s MC5 through bands like the Clash and Fugazi. But in the May … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature, LGBTQ, Music, Punk, Transgender | Leave a comment