West Michigan's Arts & Entertainment Guide
Professional Philanthropist: Q&A with Roberta King, PR and marketing vice president for Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Written by Lindsay Patton-Carson | Tuesday, 23 October 2012 17:13 |It’s easiest to understand it with three things: Gifts, growth and grants. So, the Community Foundation accepts gifts from people. Gifts come in and we grow them through the market. Most of our money is invested.
More than half a century after its original debut, West Side Story returns, ready to dazzle audiences anew with the plight of star-crossed lovers trapped within a ranging feud. Directed by David Saint, the Miller Auditorium performance is based on the 2009-2011 revival.
Comedy Veteran Brian Regan Keeps it Clean, Keeps it Funny
Written by Josh Spanninga | Tuesday, 23 October 2012 16:20 |Brian Regan doesn't have to lace his comedy with obscenities to be funny. In fact, to do so would be counterintuitive. "I have no problem with blue comedy from a fan perspective," Regan said. "But it's not natural for me as a performer."
November Microbrews: The Mitten Brewing Company
Written by Ben Darcie | Tuesday, 23 October 2012 16:18 |Engine House No. 9 has been a fixture of Leonard Street in Grand Rapids since 1890. It has housed many businesses since being decommissioned as a fire station in 1966. Currently residing within its walls is the newest addition to the West Michigan beer scene.
Friends since kindergarten, co-founders and brewers Chris Andrus and Max Trierweiler went into their separate careers, but wanted to find something they could do together.
Things Get Real Surreal at the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Written by Jennifer Cuffman | Tuesday, 23 October 2012 15:34 |As the second installment of a three-year, three-exhibition partnership with the Whitney Museum of American Art, the GRAM opened its doors to Real/Surreal Oct. 19.
Artist in the Spotlight: Deadwood Stone Bends Alternative-Metal
Written by Kevin VanAntwerpen | Friday, 21 September 2012 11:21 |Deadwood Stone opened for Slash last month. Yeah, that's right. The same Slash you're thinking of. The one with the top-hat and the crazy hair. The one who played during last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show. You know – he used to be in a little band called Guns 'n' Roses.
Matt Braunger: Goofy White Guy Extraordinaire
Written by By Josh Spanninga | Friday, 21 September 2012 11:22 |Matt Braunger has been all over the place. He grew up in Portland, Ore., studied theater at Manhattanville College in New York, did improv and stand-up in Chicago, and finally, moved to Los Angeles to solidify his career in comedy.
Braunger has had a solid career in standup for a few years now, with appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman," a Comedy Central hour-long special and his digital album Soak Up the Night. But even with all of this standup success, Braunger is still probably most often recognized for his acting career.
Life is Country Music for Eli Young Band
Written by Jamie Linari | Friday, 21 September 2012 11:19 |If James Young could tell his younger self anything, it would be to have a little more discretion with promotional photos. Well, that and when things get tough, to just hang in there.
Luckily for us, hang in there he did because about 13 years and a lot of hard work later, the Eli Young Band has released five albums, two chart-topping singles, and one recently named "Song of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Growlers 101: The Old-Fashioned Toting Device Becomes a Trend
Written by Samara Napolitan | Friday, 21 September 2012 11:07 |The growler is having a moment. The 64-ounce vessel reminiscent of a moonshine jug can often be seen lining the shelves of brewpubs, ready to be filled with a beer geek's favorite beer and toted home to enjoy. Though they are undoubtedly trendy, growlers offer far more than artisanal accessorization.
"I think any brewery should offer growlers," says Kris Spaulding, the co-owner and sustainability director of Brewery Vivant. "Not because growlers are unique, but because being very community-focused, a growler makes sense."
As Michigan breweries expand, industry sees opportunity for growth
Written by Nathan Peck | Monday, 01 October 2012 10:52 | What was once a basement hobby for a dedicated few now has many in the state viewing craft brewing as an economic engine for the state.
The growth of the craft beer industry is outpacing that of the rest of beer industry. Craft beer sales grew 13 percent in 2011 compared to an overall 1.9-percent decline within the beer industry as a whole, according to data from the U.S. Brewers Association. Michigan’s craft beer industry generates $133 million in economic activity, and the state ranks fifth in the nation in the number of breweries, according to the Michigan Brewers Guild.
