Though the Grand Rapids classic rock/blues/reggae fusion group The Legal Immigrants has been in existence for almost two years now, the band was well-kept secret -- until now. That was when a series of networking victories led exposure with a drastically higher profile.

Earlier this year, ConvoTronics appeared on both the Detroit and Long Island stops of the Vans Warped Tour. They performed on the brand new "Bring It Back" stage — an experimental new platform for rap and hip-hop artists to showcase their music, which member Julius Hayes described as "euphoric."

When it comes to music festivals, there are your average festivals and there is The Gathering of the Juggalos. Let's be honest about this. If you are a summer festival junkie, the lineup at Bonnaroo, Lollapallooza, Coachella, all starts to become pretty interchangeable, with a few notable exceptions.

Rock music isn't the first thing attendees of Lollapalooza hear as they approach the festival gates. Instead, some of the first sounds come in the form of bells, and chants coming out of a loudspeaker.

There will be a public trollstomping on Aug. 11 at MXTP. Dwarf Corpse, a folk-metal band from Grand Rapids, will execute the little-known but visually impressive maneuver when it plays the Grand Rapids music venue with Battlecross. This, of course, raises the question: What exactly is trollstomping?

As the All Stars Tour summons pits of hard-swinging HxC fans all around the nation with a roster of hardcore/metal bands, the Intersection will get a sample of the all-star action with support from some local rookies too.

After four decades in the rock-n-roll spotlight, Ted Nugent's mind is still an honest, bizarre and unapologetic place. The guitar slinger, known for hits like "Strangle Hold" and "Fred Bear," never fails to unleash his right wing/conservative opinions into the open.

Being a band is easy. Being a band that stands out, especially in an era inundated with new bands at every corner of the Internet, is not. That's why Derek Lancioni, drummer of Charles the Osprey, brings Fes2val to Grand Rapids.

On 20 Division Avenue, just beside the intersection of Division and Fulton, sits a gray and white building. Outside the front door is a sign shaped like a vinyl record. It reads, "Dodd's Record Shop: New & Used Vinyl." But don't let this simple building and sign fool you. Dodd's Record Shop is a music lover's paradise.

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For Breathe Owl Breathe, East Jordan's earthy folk outfit, reaching a national audience may have been a long road (one that spanned over seven years), but the trials never exceeded the joy.

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