Tucked safely between the peninsulas, Beaver Island is a singular place, untethered from time and unburdened by the mainland’s concerns.

In the 1960s, when trade officially halted between the U.S. and the new island republic, virtually all the sights, smells and sounds of Cuba remained unchanged. Visit Havana today and you will still see vintage Chevrolets rolling down the old streets, the buildings left squat and unchanged in the last 60 years compared to its capitalist neighbor. And all for the better, in my opinion.

As 2018 drew to a close, one of the hottest headlines in all of music was whether Michigan’s own Greta Van Fleet deserves the chart-topping attention it’s getting as the second coming of Led Zeppelin. Regardless of the polarizing opinions of publications like Pitchfork, the healthy discourse drew overdue attention to the truly original sounds emanating from our state. Artists with longstanding ties to West Michigan in particular, like Nashville transplants Nathan Kalish and Lindsay Lou, both released outstanding LPs this year to widespread acclaim. 

If West Michigan native and rising Nashville prodigy Billy Strings is thankful for only one thing this Thanksgiving, it’s that he’ll finally get to spend at least one night back home.