Linear’s own Cliff Ensing treated us to a bounty of cocktails, on menu and off, while reminding us that Linear’s happy hour (3-6 p.m. every day) is one of the best around. Half off signature cocktails, draft beers and wine glasses is not so bad! You didn’t really mean you were going to the gym more often this year, did you?

Tucked away on Lyon Street, neighborhood establishments like Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket Baking Co. and Lyon Street Cafe serve the many denizens of Heritage Hill and Midtown. All business owner Kameel Chamelly didn’t have on his roster was a full-service restaurant. 

In just two short years, the Samsara Family Collective has completely changed the playing field for electronic artists working and creating here in West Michigan.

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.