Ten years ago, David Abbott had moved back to his hometown of Grand Rapids, unsure of what to do next. He began work at ArtPrize, which slowly but surely led him on the path to April of 2018, when he became the first-ever executive director of Festival of the Arts. In conversation, it’s immediately clear that Abbott is passionate about his community and the festival itself.
Even as he’s living the dream of every working musician — out on the road playing packed venues and massive festival stages all across the country — organist/vocalist Michael Trotter Jr. admits he could have never written the script for his life right now.
Right from the very beginning, Watching For Foxes has always kept an eye on the next horizon.
With each of Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish’s three full-length albums earning a WYCE Jammies Award, as well as snagging the number-three spot for Best Original Band on Revue’s very own Best of the West readers’ poll, there is little doubt that the group has captured the attention of West Michigan.
Absolutely overflowing with talent, West Michigan’s local music scene has something for everyone. Once again, we’ve compiled our list of 10 bands across all genres who we think deserve your time this year.
The Ouroboros — in ancient mythology, it’s often depicted as a serpent devouring its own tail. The iconic image symbolized the infinite cycle of life and death, and came to define the work of medieval alchemists forging together new life from cast-off materials
As an artist, activist and human being, Grand Rapids emcee Lady Ace Boogie defies expectations.
Early this summer, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. announced that Movies in the Park would become Movies on Monroe. This sixth season of the free summer film series is taking place at 555 Monroe Ave. NW, located along Monroe just north of the interstate. Previously held at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, the move is part of the city’s acquisition of the sizeable riverfront property.
Most rock stars don’t name their records after their grandmothers — let alone a series of records. Then again, Brian Sella, lead vocalist and guitarist of The Front Bottoms, isn’t most rock stars.
At six feet, two inches tall and 260 pounds, violinist Kevin Marcus knows he’s not exactly what most people think of when they envision a classically trained string player.
Kalamazoo’s own Greensky Bluegrass has played just about every summer festival in America. From the esteemed Telluride Bluegrass Festival to the massive Bonnaroo and West Michigan’s own Electric Forest, the band has become an absolute staple on summer stages over its nearly two-decade history.
Everything that can happen, will happen. That’s the crux behind the so-called Murphy’s Law of inevitability, and if ever there was a place where it’s most applicable, it’s the world of live music.
Try to remember the last time you listened to Dashboard Confessional. Maybe it was in 2004 on the Spiderman 2 soundtrack, when a side-burned, dreamy-eyed Chris Carrabba shared a music video with a spidey-suit clad Tobey Maguire, singing the self-edifying lyrics of Vindicated. Or maybe it wasn’t that long ago at all. Maybe you caught Carrabba last month on Conan burning through a performance of We Fight, a single from Crooked Shadows, Dashboard’s first album in nearly a decade.
As the rhythmic core of musical renegades X Ambassadors, drummer Adam Levin has always brought a hip-hop bend to the alt-rock band’s beatific sound. He has helped spearhead the group’s unique fusion of styles and genres, often stumbling upon new sounds simply by embracing what he calls “happy mistakes.”
