Grand Rapids is a city all too familiar with the indie-alternative rock scene, but a number of groups have been changing things up by peppering in some psychedelic rock.
A Grand Rapids neighborhood venue and organizers are now working to bring a new wave of psych rock into the spotlight with a “mini-festival” called Michigan Psych Night, slated for March 1.
The House of Pancakes in Eastown, one of the house venues of last year’s wildly successful Lamplight Music Festival, will host this one-night event in a living room that consists of a barrier-free line between rock-junkies and local rock stars.
Ann Arbor-based Bad Indians will headline the event and will be accompanied by Chit Chat (Ann Arbor), Heaters (Grand Rapids) and Haunted Leather (Grand Rapids).
Heaters’ band member and festival organizer, Nolan Krebs, is no stranger to the psych rock music scene, which he says is becoming something of a rising trend in Grand Rapids.
“It's a nod to the past in a lot of ways,” he said. “The sonic elements are typically of an analog nature, or in other words, old-sounding, and that's something that a lot of people can connect with ...I think there's a spot in everybody's heart for a 1960s guitar band.”
What better way to contribute to Michigan’s growing psychedelic rock scene than playing alongside fellow psych rockers.
“Bad Indians and Chit Chat are really intense and have a visceral kind of feeling at their live shows,” said Krebs. “They’re super energetic.”
While house venues have certainly always been around, The House of Pancakes is one of the more popular hot spots in the resurgence of this intimate concert-going trend. House of Pancakes boasts a full schedule of shows
Catch this four-band showcase at The House of Pancakes on Saturday, March 1. All ages are welcome as well as a suggested $5 donation to go towards reviving the Division Avenue Arts Collection.
