Beer, pie and books. Quite the combination? Well, Schuler Books and Music with the help of Creston Brewery will be putting that combination together Wednesday, Sept. 25, as it celebrates the recent release of author J. Ryan Stradel’s new book “The Lager Queen of Minnesota.”
The Sept. 25 event is at the Creston Brewery’s Golden Age, located above the Creston Brewery at 1504 Plainfield Ave. NE. It will feature pies from the Golden Age along with a beer selection from Creston Brewery. The author, Stradel, will be there to talk about his new book.
J. Ryan Stradal’s new book “The Lager Queen of Minnesota.” (WKTV)
“This event is really the kick off of Schuler Books reaching out and being more active in the community,” said Schuler Books and Music Events Coordinator Samatha Hendricks. “We are trying to find those community partners and community events to reach new customer bases and to show people that author events can really be a unique experience.”
Henricks said partnering with Creston Brewery made sense since the brewery is always doing things in the community while consistently thinking outside of the box.
“Our [Brewmaster Scott Schultz] is good at jumping outside of the box, playing with beers in a way that you won’t find anywhere else,” said Creston Brewery Manager Roger Haight. “You’ll find rhubarb in one of our beers or cardamon in one of the others. He does a good job at coming up with something creative and that is the big focus of his brewing here.”
Beer and pie are the key ingredients in J. Ryan Stradel’s new book and the featured items at the Schuler Books’ upcoming Pints + Pies. (WKTV)
The reason for the pie-and-beer theme is because Stradel’s book, “The Lager Queen of Minnesota” uses the combination as key ingredients in the story.
Edith Magnusson’s rhubarb pies are famous in the Twin Cities, where they were named the third-best in the state and the nursing home she works at has become the hottest dinner ticket in town. Her sister, Helen, has helped build the Blotz beer brand into a dynasty. But because of a few bad decisions, such as dismissing IPAs as a fad, that dynasty is starting to crumble.
However Edith’s granddaughter Diane takes the chance to learn all about the beer business from the ground up as the IPA revolution begins. She is launching her own brewpub but needs that one key item that will give her and her new baby a slice of security.
Tickets for the event are $55 and include six pie and beer tastings, and a signed copy of “The Lager Queen of Minnesota.” There are only 50 tickets available and you must be 21 or older to purchase a ticket. For more, visit the Everbrite link by clicking here.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced that tickets are now on sale for the return of the traveling exhibit, Bodies Revealed,opening Nov. 16.
The exhibition features real, whole and partial body specimens that have been preserved through an innovative process, giving visitors the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems like never before.
Admission to Bodies Revealed is $15 for adults, $10 for children, $12 for Kent County resident adults, $7 for Kent County resident children, $7 for Museum member adults and member children. Tickets include general admission to the Museum, and can be purchased online at grpm.org or by calling 616-929-1700.
Each ticket to Bodies Revealed will be stamped with a specific entry time. When buying tickets, visitors may make reservations for any time slot during the run of the exhibition.
Museum members can be the first to see the new exhibit at the members only preview on Saturday, November 16 from 8 to 10 a.m. Member preview tickets are available at grpm.org/Bodies.
This phenomenal exhibition about the amazing and complex machine we call the human body, showcases 10 real full bodies and more than 100 organs and partial body specimens. The exhibition respectfully displays each specimen to tell the story of the miraculous systems at work. With a reverent, academic approach, this display allows people of all ages to more closely observe the skeletal, muscular, nervous, digestive, respiratory, reproductive and circulatory systems, and to absorb information normally reserved only for medical professionals.
Many of the whole body specimens are presented in vivid athletic poses that allow visitors to better understand their own everyday motions and activities, while other specimens illustrate the damage that can be caused to organs by habits like over-eating, lack of exercise and smoking.
The human body specimens in the exhibition are preserved through a technique called polymer preservation. The process permanently preserves human tissue through the use of liquid silicone rubber that is treated and hardened. The result is a rubberized specimen, preserved to the cellular level, showcasing the complexity of the body’s many bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and organs.
Bodies Revealed is brought to the GRPM by Experiential Media Group, LLC (E/M Group) and sponsored by David & Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, Bank of America, Meijer, The Steve & Amy Van Andel Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Lacks Enterprises, Inc., BDO, Chris & Kim Branoff, David & Amy Leonard, Williams Kitchen & Bath, Media Place Partners, AMR of West Michigan, Hope Network Foundation and Old National Bank.
This exhibit is brought to you by the citizens of Kent County and the voter approved 2016 millage.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced its partnership in the 15th annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day on Saturday, Sept. 21, offering the opportunity for free general admission to Museum Day ticket holders.
The annual Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day is a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington D.C.-based museums. Museum Day represents a nationwide commitment to access, equity and inclusion. More than 450,000 tickets were downloaded for last year’s event, and Museum Day 2019 is expected to attract more museumgoers than ever before.
Participants must download free Museum Day tickets to receive free general admission from the GRPM. Museum Day tickets are available for download at Smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present a Museum Day ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues on Sept. 21. One ticket is permitted per email address.
This year, Museum Day will celebrate the Smithsonian Year of Music, an institution-wide initiative celebrating the Smithsonian’s vast musical collections and resources through 365 days of music-related programming. Music is not only a reflection of human creativity and innovation, but also a key method of communication and cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The Smithsonian Year of Music crosses disciplines, bringing together music-related resources in art, history, culture, science and education.
On Saturday, Sept. 21, Museum goers to the GRPM can explore three floors of core exhibits focused on history, science and culture, along with the current temporary exhibits TOYS! and Changing America as part of their admission.
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.
Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not.
The exhibit, designed and curated by the GRPM staff, features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from community members. Visitors will imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations.
Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition is being presented in both English and Spanish, and also includes Braille.
Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963, examines the relationship between two great people’s movements, which both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization, and vision. One hundred years separate them, yet they are linked in a larger story of liberty and the American experience – one that has had a profound impact on the generations that followed.
In addition to artifacts from the GRPM Collections, many artifacts on display are on loan from the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives. Local stories are told through the eyes of our community and oral histories will be presented. The exhibition also includes a place for visitors to share their own stories. Shared stories will be added to the GRPM’s digital archive found at grpmcollections.org.
Created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History, the exhibit was toured nationwide by the American Library Association’s Public Program Office. The Changing America exhibit is now a possession of the GRPM.
Music Director Marcelo Lehninger believes it’s the Grand Rapids Symphony’s job to serve its community.
Naturally, that means playing music people want to hear, but it also means taking the orchestra out into the community to play for people where they live.
Grand Rapids Symphony returns for the second season of its Neighborhood Concert Series with Symphony on the West Side, aFREE concert, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, in John Ball Park, 1300 W. Fulton St.
While the concert isfree admission, tickets are required for the program that’ll be held in the park west of downtown Grand Rapids.
Music Director Marcelo Lehninger will lead the Grand Rapids Symphony in such popular favorites as Rimsky-Korsakov’s explosive Flight of the Bumblebee and Tchaikovsky’s lovely Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker Ballet.
Cellist Zachary Earle, from East Kentwood High School, will be joining the Grand Rapids Symphony for the Sept. 21 free performance. (Supplied)
Grand Rapids Symphony Associate Concertmaster Christina Fong will be soloist in the Autumn Concerto from Vivaldi’s highly popular The Four Seasons. Cellist Zachary Earle, a 17-year-old student at East Kentwood High School, will be soloist with the beautiful Swan from Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals.
The concert also includes Aaron Copland’s El Salón México, and Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture, an arrangement of musical themes from George Gershwin’s folk opera.
Come early for pre-concert entertainment from vocalist Kathy Lamar plus pre-concert activities for kids.
Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for Symphony on the West Side. Free parking is available at John Ball Park. Guests can bring food and beverages including alcoholic beverages.
If the concert cannot be held due to inclement weather, Symphony on the West Side will be held the following day at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, in John Ball Park.
GR Associate Concertmaster Christina Fong will be a soloist in the Sept. 21 free performance. (Supplied)
It’s the second season of the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Neighborhood Concert Series, a new initiative launched with help from the Wege Foundation.
“A symphony orchestra in the 21st century has become a service organization,” said Marcelo Lehninger. “We’re here not only to entertain our audience but also to serve our community.”
In 2018, the Wege Foundation awarded the Grand Rapids Symphony a $1 million grant to enhance initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion to engage a broader audience and share live orchestral music with everyone in its community.
Last year, the Grand Rapids Symphony held its first Symphony on the West Side in John Ball Park in July 2018 followed by Lasinfonía navideña, a Spanish-flavored Christmas concert, in Wyoming in December at the Dan Heintzelman Fine Arts Center at Wyoming Junior High School.
In November, the Grand Rapids Symphony plans to present a second free concert, La sinfonía navideñaat 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Kroc Center, 2500 S. Division Ave.
Associate Conductor John Varineau will lead the orchestra in holiday favorites. Admission is free but tickets are required for entrance. Call the Grand Rapids Symphony for details.
Though concerts in DeVos Performance Hall remain central to the orchestra its audience, new programs in new places are important for the continued growth of the Grand Rapids Symphony.
“I have a passion and a mission to reach the hearts and souls of everyone in this community,” said Lehninger said. “Sometimes people feel they don’t belong. We’re trying to show them that, yes, they do belong. Hopefully, they’ll understand that’s it’s their orchestra too.”
Tickets
Admission is free for “Symphony on the West Side” but tickets are required for entrance.
Free tickets are available GRS ticket office, weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza). Call 616.454.9451 x 4 or go online to GRSymphony.org for more information.
Tickets also are available at John Ball Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St. Call (616) 336-4300 or go online to jbzoo.org.
Thriller! Chiller! International Film Festival in partnership with ASIFA Central (The Association Internationale du Film d’Animation), Central Midwest Chapter announce that Tom Sullivan will be a visiting artist offering a lecture on Special FX history and the Evil Dead film series on Oct. 12 beginning at 6:30pm at the Wealthy Theatre.
A screening of director Sam Raimi’s Michigan-filmmaker-made cult horror comedy The Evil Dead will immediately follow the lecture. The screening is scheduled for 7:30pm. Tickets to both the lecture and film screening are $8 and will go on sale on Friday the 13th of September at the Wealthy Theatre box office or online at wealthytheatre.org.
Tickets on sale NOW for series makeup, props, and SFX artist Tom Sullivan (with Evil Dead film screening), Saturday, Oct. 12.
Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival All Access Passholders and Saturday Day Passholders will be able to attend the event at no additional charge.
Thriller! Chiller! International Film Festival will return to screen the best in indie Action, Sci-fi, Suspense, and Horror movies this Oct. 8-12 at the Wealthy Theatre.
The Association International du Film d’Animation, Central Midwest Chapter was founded in France by a group of professional animators and chartered by UNESCO in 1960. ASIFA’s goal is to encourage the art of animation and further promote international understanding and goodwill through the medium of the animated film. There are about 4500 members and 30 chapters worldwide, including seven in the USA. ASIFA Central sprouted in Chicago, Illinois, in 1975 and has expanded to include many professional and independent animators in the Midwest.
About Thriller! Chiller!
The action, sci-fi, suspense and horror-themed film festival will screen five cult classic movies, as well as 63 international independent film selections over five days in October. Specific screening details on independent films are available at thrillerchiller.com
The Event: Thriller! Chiller! International Film Festival — Independent & cult classic Action, Sci-fi, Suspense, and Horror movies
When: Oct. 8-12, 2019; Tuesday to Saturday
Where: Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI. *Festival Hub and screening venue in its 400-seat main theatre, and 60-seat micro-cinema
Pricing: Entry is priced two ways for maximum access: All Access to the entire festival; or all access by the day in the form of a Day Pass. There will be no tickets to individual screenings available except for the Evil Dead screening and lecture sold separately at $8.
All-Access Festival Pass, $50
All screening, events, and private passholder only party + select online screening access. On sale now at www.wealthytheatre.org.
Day Passes:
Tuesday, Oct. 8: $12 for all-evening access to all movies.
Wednesday, Oct. 9: Private party + screening for All Access Passholders only. Must purchase All Access to attend Wednesday events.
Thursday, Oct. 10: $12 for all-evening access to all movies.
Friday, Oct. 11: $12 for all-evening access to all movies.
Saturday, Oct. 12: $20 for all-day access to all movies
Overview of Thriller! Chiller! Festival events
63 Movies from 8 countries: (Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Republic of Korea, Sweden, U.S., UK)
Including 13 Features; 40 Short films; 10 Michigan Movies and 5 Cult Classics will screen at Thriller! Chiller! 2019.
Schedule by the day
Tuesday, Oct. 8 — Thriller! Chiller! Presents a zomcom Double Feature Night of the Living Dead + Shaun of the Dead as part of the Meanwhile Film Series 8 pm & 10pm. $12 general admission to both films. Or, Free with Thriller! Chiller! All Access Pass
Wednesday, Oct. 9 — All Access Passholders party + private screening
Thursday, Oct. 10 — Michigan Movie Night + Godzilla! Michigan Movies at 6pm. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, 8pm. There will also be Thriller! Chiller! indie movies in the Micro-cinema at 6pm and 8pm. $12 Day Pass. Free with Thriller! Chiller! All Access Pass to all movies.
Friday, Oct. 11 — Friday-Night Freak-out + Bridezilla! The wildest, bloodiest, most offbeat movies screen on Thriller! Chiller! Friday nights for Thriller! Chiller! Friday Night Freak-out which starts at 6pm. Bride of Frankenstein, 8pm. Including a Best of Bride of Frankenstein cosplay & fashion show. There will also be Thriller! Chiller! indie movies in the Micro-cinema at 6pm and 8pm. $12 Day Pass. Free with Thriller! Chiller! All Access Pass to all movies!
Saturday, Oct. 12 — The best of indie filmmaking in the genres of Action, Sci-fi, Suspense and Horror all day Saturday, Noon-10pm. The Evil Dead event begins at 6:30pm. Makeup, props and SFX artist for The Evil Dead series, Tom Sullivan, visiting lecturer. 7:30pm — The Evil Dead screening. $20 Day Pass for all-day Saturday. Free with Thriller! Chiller! All Access Pass to all movies! Or, $8 to attend only the Evil Dead lecture and screening.
In its nearly 90 yearhistory, the Grand Rapids Symphony has welcomed such guest artists as violinist Itzhak Perlmanand Midori, cellists Yo-Yo Maand Janos Starker, and pianists Van Cliburn, Emanuel Ax and Leon Fleisherto its stages. Many have played here more than once.
A few truly outstanding artists who’ve captured the hearts of the Grand Rapids Symphony’s fans and supporters and who have commanded the respect of its conductors and musicians have returned again and again. Possibly none have appeared more times with the Grand Rapids Symphony than Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich.
The German violinist makes his sixth appearance in Grand Rapids to open the Grand Rapids Symphony’s 90th Anniversary Season with Hadelich Plays Beethoven on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13-14.
Music Director Marcelo Lehninger, will lead the first concerts of the 2019-20 Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series at 8 p.m. in DeVos Performance Hall. Spectrum Healthis the Concert Sponsor. Guest artist sponsor is theEdith I. Blodgett Guest Artist Fund.
Lehninger leads the Grand Rapids Symphony in music including Samuel Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandaland Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor.
“It’s a very special season,” said Lehninger, who begins his fourth season as GRS Music Director.
Augustin Hadelich, named Musical America’s 2019 Instrumentalist of the Year, will be soloist in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.
Tickets
Tickets for Hadelich Plays Beethovenstart at $18 adults and are available at the Grand Rapids Symphony box office, weekdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across the street from Calder Plaza). Call (616) 454-9451 x 4 to order by phone. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum).
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours before the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Circle Theatre’s 2020 Main Stage season will entertain audiences with a season of throwbacks, belly laughs, and iconic productions. The newly announced season will launch with Circle Theatre’s Season Kickoff Event, American Graffiti In Concert on April 19 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College. The one night only fundraising event will include a silent auction, costume contest, dance contest, and more.
2020 celebrates Circle’s 68th year of producing plays and musicals for West Michigan audiences. Upcoming 2020 Main Stage productions include:
Disaster! (musical): Earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and the unforgettable songs of the ’70s take center stage in Broadway’s side-splitting homage to classic disaster films. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and, quite possibly, repair the love that they’ve lost… or at least escape the killer rats. Musical by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick. This new Broadway show runs May 7-9, 13-16, and 20-23 at 7:30 p.m. and May 17 at 5 p.m.
Moon Over Buffalo (play): In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend Me a Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s, who are on tour in Buffalo with a repertory consisting of Cyrano de and Noel Coward’s Private Lives, when they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee! Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does. Play by author Ken Ludwig. Moon Over Buffalo runs June 4-6, 10- 13, and 17-20 at 7:30 p.m. and June 14 at 5 p.m.
Always… Patsy Cline(musical): Always…Patsy Cline, based on the true story of country superstar Patsy Cline’s friendship with Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in 1961, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death, is more than a tribute to the legendary country singer, it’s the journey of friendship and strength of two women through some of Cline’s most unforgettable hits. Musical created and originally directed by Ted Swindley. Always… Patsy Cline runs July 16-18, 22-25, and July 29-Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and July 26 at 5 p.m.
Noises Off (play): Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. Play by Michael Frayn. This hilarious play takes the Circle stage Aug. 13-15, 19-22, and 26-29 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 23 at 5 p.m.
HAIR(musical): This American tribal love-rock musical celebrates the ‘60s counterculture in all its barefoot, long-haired, bell-bottomed, beaded and fringed glory while exploring the ideas of identity, community, global responsibility and peace. HAIR remains as relevant as ever as it examines what it means to be a young person in a changing world. Book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. Music by Galt MacDermot. This toe-tapping musical runs Sept. 10-12, 16-19, and 23-26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 20 at 5:00pm.
2019 Magic Circle | Goldilocks and the Three Pigs(family play): Goldilocks and the three… PIGS?! The action in this playful romp finds Goldilocks and the three Chop brothers, with help from the Squeal sisters, hiding from the witch who’s chasing them. Toss into this hilarious fractured fairy tale the Big Bad Wolf, his French weasel friend Oui Oui, and two very different witches, then mix in a classic chase scene and a little bit of a moral and watch the mayhem that ensues! Play by Larry Damico. Catch Goldilocks and the Three Pigs on the Circle stage June 29 at 7 p.m., June 30 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and July 1 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m.. Magic Circle Party will be June 29 at 5:30 p.m.
Circle’s unique and diverse Summer Concert Series performances include Hits of the ‘80s: Vol. 2 (May 11, July 20, September 14), Hello Sunshine: Songs of Summer (June 15, August 24), ABC: Boy Band Evolution (June 8, August 17), and Freebird: Classic Rock of the ‘70s(May 18, July 27, September 21). All performances will be held at Circle Theatre, located at the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College, on select Monday evenings throughout the summer.
Season Flex Passes and Concert Bundles for the 2020 season give patrons the best value for purchasing multiple tickets while also allowing for flexibility when plans change. Flex Passes and Concert Bundles are now available for purchase! For more season details, ticket packages, and audition information please call the box office at 616-456-6656 or visit Circle’s website at circletheatre.org.
In 1969, a group of woman, all with Mexican roots, came together with the vision to share their culture and heritage with the Grand Rapids community.
That event — called a Kermés, a combination of food and artisan market with a collection of performances from local artists — has evolved into the La Fiesta Mexicana which will run Friday – Sunday, Sept. 13 — 15, at the Calder Plaza, 300 Monroe Ave. NW.
The very first Fiesta Mexicana featured a parade with horses. (Supplied)
“The first Fiesta Mexicana was organized to be an intimate gathering for people from the local church,” said Mexican Heritage Association President Gabriela De La Vega. “The result was a much larger festivity including horses and a parade through the city.”
De La Vega said she was fortunate to work along side many of the people who were part of that original planning committee.
“Because of them, I continue to be ruled by the same spirit that powered the creation of ‘La Fiesta Mexicana,” she said.
The three-day event is packed with music with two mariachi bands scheduled to perform on Saturday. Mariachi Orr y Plata, which is set to perform 2-4 p.m. and 10 p.m. – midnight on Saturday, and the Grammy-nominated Mariachi Herencia de Mexico is scheduled to perform from 6 – 7 p.m. Saturday. There are several other performances by a variety of bands such as Latinos Klan, Súper Nova, and Banda El Bajio.
There also will be the annual La Fiesta Mexican queen contest, traditional clothes contest, and a Carreolas alegóricas (strollers with Mexican motives). There also will be clowns and a street supermarket (Piñatas).
And of course, what would a 50th anniversary party be without cake, which De La Vega promised a “huge one.”
A tradition at the festival is the crowing of the queen. (Supplied)
“It is within our nature as a community to overcome any situation because we are a group of hard-working people with many different dream and a passion to share our culture and traditions with our community,” De La Vega said. “This is why it’s so important now more than ever to share the great news that we continue to overcome, to be resilient, proud, and grateful about this beautiful city of Grand Rapids.
“I thank our community for letting us celebrate 50 years of tradition, culture, history, perseverance and success.”
For more about La Fiesta Mexican visit the Mexican Heritage Association’s Facebook page. Also participating in this event is the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Kent District Library, and the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities Inc., which includes the Cook Arts Center and the Cook Library Center.
Bassnectar is bringing Freakstyle 2019 Day of the Dead Dark Parties to SMG-managed Van Andel Arena for two unique sets in the dark Nov. 1-2, 2019, at 7pm. Friday, Nov. 1 will also feature Kursa, Stylust, and SuperDre, and Saturday, Nov. 2 will feature J:Kenzo, Aztek, and Distinct Motive.
Two-day passes will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Sept. 6 at 12pm.
Passes are general admission and will be available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices as well as online at Ticketmaster.com. See Ticketmaster for all current pricing and availability.
In keeping with the traditions of this special Mexican Holiday, Bassnectar will be setting up a Remembrance Altar, to honor those lost but still cherished in our hearts — in doing this one can sense an even deeper respect for life, and for all the radiant beauty of the present moment.
Aaaaaaannnnnnnd: party-goers are encouraged to paint their faces — feel free to share inspiration with one another, and for those who don’t arrive in face paint, the Bass Network will set up face-painting stations!
Get ready for the unexpected, the strange, and downright weird… freestyle, darkstyle, wildstyle, FREAKSTYLE!!!
This is an 18+ event
About Bassnectar
By combining sound and force with weight, the Bassnectar experience engulfs the senses. The experience of Bassnectar is more visceral than auditory, as the music sets any stage for an adventure without rules or limitations. On Bassnectar’s stage, there is no hesitation in fusing the familiar with the strange or the classic with the cutting edge.
Bassnectar is the brainchild of Lorin Ashton, and his open-sourced musical project is as diverse as it is imaginary, as raw as it is meticulous, and as fierce as it is stunning. Spanning the spectrum of sonic style, the music draws inspiration from every genre imaginable and supplies a synthesis of intense, wobbling basslines and hypnotic soundscapes for a devout international audience that desires the beautiful and the bestial in the same breath.
What was once was 120 comedians is now down to 16, the Sunday Night Funnies Kingpin of Comedy competition enters its semi-final round this Sunday.
The contest started May 19 with its first of twelve qualifying rounds, which wrapped up last Sunday. The four quarter-final rounds ran Aug. 11- Sept. 1 with two semi-final rounds on Sept. 8 and 15 with the finals being held on Sept. 22. The competition takes place at The Sunny Night Funnies home, Spectrum Entertainment Complex, 5656 Clyde Park SW, Wyoming.
For the semi-final and final round eight comedians are given ten minutes to perform. The line-up order is drawn as the show progresses, so they have no idea of when they’ll be going on stage — it could be first, it could be last. Before the show begins the audience members are given a ballot the night of the show. The audience picks three of the ten they feel should advance to the next round. The ballots are counted while a comic not in the competition performs at the end and the winners are announced afterward.
A packed room for the annual Kingpin of Comedy hosted by the Sunday Night Funnies. (SNF)
“The Kingpin of Comedy competition is a blatant rip-off of the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids contest,” said Brian B. (Brian Borbot), creator & MC of the Sunday Night Funnies. Brian is referring to the successful annual event at Dr. Grins comedy club inside The B.O.B. downtown Grand Rapids.
“Seeing that Wyoming is the 14th largest city in Michigan, I thought it deserved its own stand-up comedy competition with the overall winner getting a prize package worthy of the title funniest person in Wyoming!” Brian said.
The prizes are prizes from Wyoming businesses Spectrum Entertainment Complex and Craig’s Cruisers. Other prizes comes from LaughFest, 20 Monroe Live, and Party in the Park (a concert @ 5/3 Ballpark.). The winner also receives a Day-Glo bowling pin trophy, and a presentation from the City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll declaring the winner the funniest person in town.
The Sunday Night Funnies is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. (Brian Borbot.) It’s a weekly live stand-up comedy performance featuring a variety of comics from Michigan and around the country. The Sunday Night Funnies is a free admission show that starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, 5656 Clyde Park SW, Wyoming.
Tulip Time® Festival (www.tuliptime.com) announces the return of Klompen Garden, a hugely popular public art project which debuted in 2019. Klompen Garden will showcase 20 pairs of artfully designed large ‘wooden’ shoes installed in city parks and tulip beds throughout the downtown Holland area.
Artists living in Ottawa, Allegan, Kent, Muskegon and Kalamazoo counties are invited to submit a design concept and sketch for this one-of-a-kind art project. Concepts will be accepted through an online submission form until Oct. 14, 2019, at 11:59pm EST. Of the submitted concepts, 20 will be selected to create the Klompen Garden.
Tulip Time will supply each selected artist or group of collaborating artists with a large pair (34”L x 12”W x 12”H) of ‘wooden’ shoes, through which artists are encouraged to bring their concept to life.
Upon completion of the 20 projects, a juror vote and public vote will determine the favorite klompen. Tulip Time has invited John Berry to serve as this year’s Klompen Garden juror. Berry will select one grand prize winner who will be awarded $1,000 at the First Bloem Reception in February. The winning pair will be displayed at Holland Area Arts Council for the duration of the festival.
The public will also have a chance to vote for their favorites of the remaining 19 klompen between May 2–19, 2020. The top three public picks will be announced on May 10. Of the public votes, first place will be awarded $500, second place will be awarded $300 and third place will be awarded $200. Visit www.tuliptime.com/klompen-garden for full entry details and competition information!
For additional details, contact Julia Van Fleet at julia@tuliptime.com or 616.396.4221 x104. Follow this project now through the festival by using #klompengarden!
About the juror:
Former Vice President of Corporate Communications at Herman Miller, John Berry was also the founder and first Executive Director of Design West Michigan and founder and first Director of the Design Thinking Academy at Grand Valley State University. John has an MFA in Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BS in Design and Spanish from Indiana University.
The public is invited to the official Project 1 free events happening Saturdays during the run of the exhibition.
From Sept. 7-Oct. 27, 2019, Project 1: Crossed Lines exhibition will occupy multiple outdoor sites in Grand Rapids, Michigan and will feature temporary public artworks by five artists. The seven-week run will be punctuated by a series of events, volunteer opportunities, educational programs and performances.
Each Saturday in September and the last week in October will feature a different program of free and open-to-the-public events that will activate the artists’ works in an unforgettable way. Many other exhibitions, community events and performances will be happening throughout the run of the exhibition.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with community members and organizations across the city to build out a spectacular set of events throughout September,” said Jori Bennett, executive director.
ArtPrize has also partnered with community partners to provide an even richer experience at each of the Saturday events. All Art Works is putting on an exhibition to provide connections between artists and art buyers. The WestSide StreetFair will be happening on Saturday, Sept. 14th that coincides with the run of Project 1. The Grand Rapids African American Art and Music Festivalwill also be happening on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Martin Luther King Park.
“The Grand Rapids African American Art and Music Festival is thrilled to partner with ArtPrize again,” said Lisa Knight, Festival board chair and director of the Centers for Innovation, Health, Education, Youth and Community Engagement, at the Urban League of West Michigan.
“This will be the first time the Festival is held in Martin Luther King Jr. Park and the Project 1 installations there will provide exciting programming opportunities.”
Saturday, Sept. 7, presented by DTE Foundation
Join ArtPrize and the City of Grand Rapids for a day of one-of-a-kind performances and events. Begin at Rosa Parks Circle at noon to kick off the inaugural Project 1 exhibition with a headlining performance from BANDALOOP. From 2-5pm enjoy the Martin Luther King Jr Park community kick-off with a headlining performance by Jordan Hamilton.
While downtown, stop in to see the All Art Works Show: Great Art at Great Prices at 37 Ottawa Ave NW from 10am to 6pm — 200 artists of every career level are curated next to works by world-famous artists. The show is free and open to the public, and all artwork is for sale and priced for fledgling and experienced buyers. The show runs from Sept. 6 through 10.
Evening programming includes an artist panel hosted at Critical Infrastructure at the Tanglefoot site. After the talk, the Disability Drag Show, presented by DisArt, be taking place at a venue to be announced.
Saturday, Sept. 14, presented by Meijer
Start the second weekend of Project 1 at the WestSide StreetFair on Broadway and Bridge from 11am to 6pm. Enjoy live music, art and educational activities for the whole family. Community partners John Ball Zoo, Experience Live Art, Artists Creating Together, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Comedy Project, Gilda’s Club and more will be there.
Be sure to check out Meijer’s Grand Taste Truck sited at Rosa Parks Circle, which will be giving food and household items out. There will be art activities happening from 11am to 3pm.
Then don’t miss an unforgettable evening of light, sound and community at this one-night-only performance at Blue Bridge Amplified, presented by Founder’s Brewing Company. Electronic beat-maker and headliner, Dan Deacon, as well as an array of local artists and musicians will take over Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Voice Bridge, activating the sound system and 400+ lights that will traverse Grand Rapids’s iconic Blue Bridge from 8-11pm.
Saturday, Sept. 28, presented by DisArt and SiTE:LAB
For the final Saturday in September, join DisArt and its collaborators as they present Voices an immersive, multimedia project displayed and interacted with throughout the Tanglefoot site. Designed as both an aesthetic and archiving experience, Voices will gather and visualize stories of alienation and belonging from Disabled community members as well as visitors to the site. The event runs from noon to 10pm, and all are encouraged to attend and participate.
Saturday, Oct. 26
Join us at Studio Park to celebrate the final weekend of Project 1. The evening will kick off with a press conference where several exciting announcements will be made for ArtPrize 2020. The evening will unfold to feature live music in the Studio Park Listening Room.
About Project 1 by ArtPrize
The ArtPrize organization produces open citywide contemporary art experiences that encourage critical discourse, celebrate artists, transform urban space and promote cultural understanding. Project 1: Crossed Lines is the first in a series of multi-sited public art exhibitions to take place between biennial ArtPrize competitions.
A family enjoyed the “Design Zone” exhibit, which is coming to the Grand Rapids Public Museum this fall. (Supplied)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has announced the extension of the popular special exhibition TOYS!, and two new exhibitions opening at the Museum this fall, Design Zone and Bodies Revealed.
Influenced by its popularity and positive visitor feedback, the GRPM will be extending the TOYS! exhibition for an additional year. The exhibition has been widely popular, engaging visitors of all ages in a trip down memory lane of toys from their childhood, while having opportunities for play within the space.
“We are overwhelmed by the community response to the TOYS! exhibit,” said Alex Forist, Chief Curator at the GRPM. “This exhibit was designed with the community in mind, to create an exhibition they could connect with at a deep level related to science, history and culture of toys across generations. We spent a year in the design and planning process, working with community experts to make TOYS! accessible to all, and the visitor feedback we’ve received has confirmed that our process was critical to a positive experience within the exhibit.”
“There is so much to see and do right now at the Museum,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO at the GRPM. “With three special exhibitions this fall, in addition to our three floors of current exhibitions, the Chaffee Planetarium, the carousel and more – there is something for every age and interest within our community. Thanks to continued support from the Kent County millage, we continue to offer free general admission to children within Kent County, and discounts to adults and seniors, as well as free parking for your Museum visit.”
TOYS! will continue to be offered free with general admission through August 2020 at the GRPM.
When someone says wine tours, you might immediately think Traverse City or Sutton Bay area, but probably not in your own backyard of Greater Grand Rapids.
For Kris Mathis and his wife Chawntrell, both avid wine drinkers and who have been on a number of wine tours, having just such a tour in Grand Rapids made sense.
“People were like how are you going to create this wine experience when there are no wineries?” Mathis said. “What we do have in Grand Rapids is a rich, diverse restaurant scene many of which serve an array of wines from all over the world.”
So Mathis decided to incorporate the restaurants into a wine tour that celebrates the city’s rich diversity of food and culture. The public quickly embraced the tours, which is appropriately called Raise A Glass Wine Tours. The popularity of these weekend events, many of which have sold out, has encouraged Mathis to expand to include a walking tour that makes stops at downtown’s House of Wine and Bar Divani.
No matter what tour you attend, Mathis said it is all about the experience and breaking down the barriers to wine tasting and enjoyment.
“People view wine tastings as you have to have a certain level of knowledge, which is not true,” Mathis said, adding that when people sign up for a Raise A Glass tour, they are asked about their level of knowledge along with if there are any food allergies.
“Often times when my wife and I would go to wine pairings or tours, we would be the only African-American couple in the room,” Mathis said. “I saw the tours as way to introduce more people into the world of wine where sometimes they feel like it is over their head.”
Mathis added that the ulitmate goal is to make everyone feel welcome enough to share their experiences and thoughts regardless of their expertise.
What to expect?
Recently Mathis and his wife were host to a media tour that was A Taste of Culture Dinner Tour. The program, which takes about four hours, includes three stops: Forty Acres Soul Kitchen, 1059 Wealthy St. SE; St. Julian Winery – Rockford Tasting Room, 4425 14 Mile Rd. NE; and House of Wine, 53 Monroe Center St. NW.
The entire venture is like a progressive-style meal with the first having appetizers, the second, a small plate meal, and the third, dessert. All the pairings were small plates and to be honest, all the restaurant hosts offered more than just what was on the menu. In fact, owners and representatives were on hand to talk about the food and wines, answer questions, and discuss trends in the industry.
Kris Mathis and his wife Chawntrell
Forty Acres Soul Kitchen Chef Trimell Hawkins
Salmon Chowder Soup at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
Earl Stevens’ Tropiscato at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
Nashville Hot Chicken at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
Meochia Thompson and her daughter Disha Roddy at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
Our hosts from Here.To.Serve, a local hospitality company, commented on how much they love going to Forty Acres because the experience is never the same. In fact, Holland-raised Chef Trimell Hawkins delivered an incredible sampling of food from a watermelon salad to Nashville Hot Chicken (which I did not know you could get in Grand Rapids).
Co-owner Lewis Williams came to the table to talk about the night’s presentation which he said focused on traditional African-American soul food that has been upscaled paired with wines from African-American-owned wineries such as Earl Stevens, better known as rapper E-40, who had a twist on the moscato called Tropiscato.
St. Julian Winery offers more than just wine.
Cheers with the A&G Reserve brandy
Guest Becky DeYoung and Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
St. Julian Winery is a familiar name to many Michigan residents having operated in the Paw Paw area for almost 100 years. More recently, the winery entered into a joint venture with Flo’s Wood Fired Pizza and thus the tasting room in Rockford was opened last year. Brushetta, Caponata (an eggplant dip) and cheese bread from Flo’s menu were paired with wines from St. Julian which included a Pinot Grigio, Michcato, and Red Sangria.
Another item people may not know is that St. Julian also has its own line of spirits, A&G Reserve, which has been aged in Hungarian and French barrels. The winery also has a line of ciders.
Tucked neatly along Monroe Center, House of Wine is a father-daughter team of Jim and Emily Lynch. Opened in December 2018, House of Wine offers more than 70 wines that are from Michigan and beyond. The reason for the range is to allow patrons to discover what they like and to be able to venture out of their confront zone.
For us, it was samplings of a Canard Duchene Champagne, a Chateau de Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc, and a Napa Valley Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a three-generation recipe cheesecake — all of which made for a nice conclusion to the evening.
Kris Mathis with WKTV host Meochia Thompson, WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma and Becky DeYoung (Sam Cooper Photography)
Wrap Up
The tours are all inclusive so the $129.99 per person covers all the wine tasting fees, six different wine tastings, dinner small plates at each location, a wine tour guide and gratuity along with some other amenities. The walking tour, which is $74.99, includes the same amenities except there is no transportation as you walk to the different locations. To contact Raise A Glass Wine Tours, visit raiseaglasstours.com.
Mathis said expansion is definitely in the future which is mostly focused on building the brand of Raise Your Glass. He has no intention of moving into beer, a market that has a number of tour and tasting opportunities. He also noted that beer and cider changes the tour and he wants to continue to provide that luxury experience (which includes a Mercedes 12-seat bus) for people to explore wine and its many facets.
And in a city that is known for its beer, it is nice to know there is another option that celebrates the state’s long history of wine making by not only presenting Michigan wines but expanding upon it to give residents a better understanding of the global affair with wine.
The Avett Brothers, from left, Scott Avett, Joe Kwan, Bob Crawford and Seth Avett. (Supplied/PC/Crackerfarm)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
Scott Avett, who with his brother and co-conspirator Seth is the heart if not soul of The Avett Brothers, was talking about the band’s 2106 release “True Sadness” when he said “We trust and have faith in what we do, and in each other. By the time it is making it out to the world, we have already come to own our work.”
From the beginning — that sort of being the Avetts’ 2009 major label debut of “I and Love and You” — the to pending arrival of “Closer Than Together” on Oct. 4, Scott and Seth and the rest of the North Carolina based band have kept the faith if not always kept the same sonics.
“We are always confident by the time we are putting something out,” Scott said to me just before the band’s 2016 Grand Rapids stop at the Van Andel Arena, where they will return Sept. 6. “We are always confident that we have learned from what we have made, and always confident that we are going to be able to go out and put on a show with what we made. I just don’t think we would release anything we would not stand behind.”
Photo from Avett Brothers “High Steppin'” video shoot (Supplied/Ellison White)
Standing behind “Closer Than Together”, it would appear from the teaser single recently released, “High Steppin’”, as well as a “mission statement” put out by Seth and Scott also in preparation for the release, is sort of an admission that while the Avetts have lived life pretty fully and grown older in due course, they have stayed truthful to their music as it has continued to change with them.
Some may see a little bit of a dark side, or at least a dark humor side, to the video for the new single if not the lyrics of the single itself — after all, there is this little thing in the video of Scott appearing as a “rhinestone cowboy” and Seth is trailing along as what some could describe as “death.” But there is also an often recurring songwriting endpoint that love, ultimately, wins.
“My brother and I have never been more aware of our own failings in the department of golden-rule navigation,” Seth writes in the mission statement. “We see it in ourselves and we are accustomed to seeing it in our neighborhood, our state, our country, our planet. We speak daily with each other about the lunacy of the world in which we live … the beauty of it, the mystery of it, the hilarity and the unspeakable calamity of it.
“The Avett Brothers will probably never make a sociopolitical record. But if we did, it might sound something like this,” Seth writes, but adds that, musically at least, “there is no massive departure from our continued artistic language.”
And while some have suggested that the single “High Steppin’” has, in fact, a more high energy, almost rock ’n’ roll sound to it — and it does seem a million miles away from the sounds of “I and Love and You”, specifically “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”, maybe my favorite single on a long list of band favorites — the promise and premise of the lyrics of the new single seem to keep with the same not-so-subtle artistic language.
“The best beggars are choosers. The best winners are losers. The best lovers ain’t never been loved. And first place ain’t easy. The hardest part is believing. The very last word is love.”
Anybody who knows the Avetts has heard that language, that simple-yet-somehow- deep meanings, before and will undoubtedly will again, at the upcoming night at the Van Andel and on the new release.
The Avett Brothers usual suspects. (Supplied photo)
And anybody who knows the Avetts in concert, knows that while the band often speaks softly, Scott and Seth — and usual suspects and long-time band members Bob Crawford on bass (and things) and Joe Kwan on cello (and things) — carry big sticks when it comes to live concerts. (See a review of their 2016 Grand Rapids show here.)
Tickets for The Avett Brothers at the Van Andel Arena on Friday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m., are available, ranging from $47 per to $195 on various ticket sellers and resellers. Search you favorite.
The Michigan Irish Music Festival observes its 20th anniversary this year, and what better way to celebrate than by hosting more bands than ever in the history of the event?
The festival returns to Heritage Landing in downtown Muskegon Sept. 12-15 and features Irish and Celtic music on seven covered stages. The festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 12 with its Pub Preview Party featuring food, beverages, and three bands in the pub tent only. The full festival begins Friday.
In addition to live music, the Celtic Kitchen and beverage stations serve authentic Irish food and drinks. The Tea Room has non-alcoholic choices and treats in a relaxed atmosphere. Other activities include the Irish Market and Irish Store, children’s activities, a cultural center, and a session tent. FEIS, an Irish dance competition, and the Highland Games are held on Saturday. Sunday, Catholic mass at 9am will be followed by a traditional Irish breakfast.
This year’s festival, expected to draw 40,000 patrons, will host a record 26 bands. Here’s a sneak peek at 10 of the bands on tap:
GAELIC STORM
After two decades and more than 2,000 live shows, this multinational Celtic band returns to the festival for the first time in five years. Gaelic Storm attributes their continued success to a diversified fan base from several musical genres: country, bluegrass, Celtic, and rock. Gaelic Storm, which has gained a reputation as a genre-bending Irish rock band, has topped the Billboard World Chart six times, appearing at mainstream music festivals and headlining the largest Irish festivals across the country.
THE HIGH KINGS
The band’s most recent release, Decade-Best of The High Kings, garnered rave reviews, and their recently completed U.S. tour sold out many of its venues. The High Kings’ unique contemporary style and arrangement to songs of yesteryear are sure to delight.
AOIFE SCOTT
The singer and songwriter from Dublin was named the 2018 winner of the Best Irish Folk Act at the Irish Post Music Awards. Her music has a broad creative scope but is largely influenced by her own roots in folk and traditional Irish music.
ONE FOR THE FOXES
This exciting and dynamic transatlantic trio presents a rousing blend of Irish and American folk music. They offer both traditional and newly composed music, presented in an energetic and engaging manner.
JIGJAM
The award-winning quartet from Ireland blends the best of traditional Irish music with bluegrass and Americana in a new genre, which has been branded as “I-Grass” — Irish-influenced bluegrass.
DOOLIN’
Doolin’ is one of the most innovative bands of the Irish music scene. Formed in Toulouse in 2005, the band comprises six accomplished and eclectic musicians. French in origin, this sextet brings a fresh approach to Irish music. Doolin’ combines instrumentals, vocals, and original compositions in a resolutely modern style. The arrangements at times taking their inspiration from pop-rock, folk, jazz, funk, and even rap.
PIGEON KINGS
Pigeon Kings draws from Celtic and rock influences, but they’re not Celtic Rock. There are traditional elements, but they’re not a traditional band. With elements of Americana and Bluegrass, they have a sound and persona all their own. Pigeon Kings offers a high energy stage show backed by unique compositions, honest lyrics, and experienced showmanship.
THE DROWSY LADS
Jack Baker of the Irish American News named The Drowsy Lads the “Best Irish American Band of 2018.” The Lads, out of Columbus, Ohio, have won over both casual music lovers and those steeped in hardcore traditional Irish music. They’re fond of creating their own spirited arrangements and offer occasional original compositions (even mixing in bluegrass and classical), but that never gets in the way of their obsession with the pure old Irish tunes, songs, wit, and friendship that has defined Irish music for centuries.
CONNLA
After winning New Group of the Year (Chicago Irish American News) and Best New Group (Live Ireland Music Awards) in 2016, Connla has been quickly making an impact on the folk/traditional scene. More recently, Connla won Album of the Year for 2019 at both the ALSR Celtic Music Awards and the Livvies Awards. Songlines magazine named Connla their “must-see act” for their UK tour and proclaimed, “A band this young shouldn’t be this good.”
THE CONIFERS
The five young musicians that make up The Conifers met while studying traditional music at the University of Limerick. They have since developed a lasting friendship, which is evident in their music. In 2018, The Conifers, whose music is energetic and lively with a wholesome sound, won first place in the prestigious Michigan Irish Music Initiative competition in Dundalk.
Advance tickets and passes for this year’s Michigan Irish Music Festival are available online (patrons save $5 per ticket online vs. the gate price). The festival offers an Early-In Free promotion on Friday only from 5 to 6pm, sponsored by Family Financial Credit Union. Other major sponsors of the festival include G&L, Van’s Car Wash and Budweiser. The Delta Hotels by Marriott and Shoreline Inn are host hotels for the festival. For complete festival information, and the announcement of additional bands, visit www.michiganirish.org. Find ticket into here.
Mandolin Orange is a North Carolina based band led by singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz. (Supplied/Kendall Bailey)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
One of the great things about the Meijer Gardens Summer Concert series is catching up with emerging bands just making their national headlining splash, or tour-tested bands making a stop between somewhere and Chicago.
Not really sure where Mandolin Orange fits into that spectrum, but the North Carolina based band led by singer-songwriter Andrew Marlin and multi-instrumentalist Emily Frantz have a growing reputation on the alt-Americana scene (if that is such a thing?), but may well be new to most of the audience at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outdoor amphitheater stage on Sept. 4.
I expect the introduction to be good for all of us, as their sweet-sounding music is as familiar as it is rare.
And speaking of sweet sounds … ya, I know; a little cheesy … you will probably not find two more sweet voices than that of lead singer Marlin and harmonizer Frantz, as evidenced by “The Wolves”, one of the singles off the band’s most recent release, from February of this year, “Tides of a Teardrop”.
As evidenced by “Tides of a Teardrop”, Marlin not only writes sweet songs, he often writes bittersweet songs.
As the new release was being created, according to supplied material, Marlin wrote the songs, “as he usually does, in a sort of stream of consciousness, allowing words and phrases to pour out of him as he hunted for the chords and melodies. Then, as he went back to sharpen what he found, he found something troubling and profound. Intimations of loss have always haunted the edges of their music, their lyrics hinting at impermanence and passing of time.”
For this album, Marlin and Frantz enlisted their touring band, and, having recorded all previous albums live in the studio, they approached the recording process in a different way this time.
“We went and did what most people do, which we’ve never done before — we just holed up somewhere and worked the tunes out together,” Frantz said in supplied material.
“This record is a little more cosmic, almost in a spiritual way — the space between the notes was there to suggest all those empty spaces the record touches on,” Marlin adds.
And the record is clearly touching a receptive audience.
“Tides Of A Teardrop”, when it was released, debuted at #1 on four different Billboard charts: Heatseekers, Folk/Americana, Current Country Albums and Bluegrass.
The band’s last record, 2016’s “Blindfaller”, was their breakout, earning them raves from Vox and NPR Music, and since then they have played Red Rocks with The Avett Brothers, played Bonnaroo as well as the Newport Folk Festival.
Mandolin Orange’s Wednesday, Sept. 4, concert, With Bonny Light Horseman opening, will start at 7 p.m. (5:45 p.m. gates open), with a $40 general admission ticket price. For more information and tickets visit meijergardens.org .
Mason Street Warehouse at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts presents the third production in its summer season, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, winner of 4 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
A wickedly funny mashup of Downton Abbey meets Mel Brooks, Gentleman’s Guide tells the hilarious tale of Monty Navarro, the dashing heir to the D’Ysquith family fortune, who sets out to jump the line of succession by—you guessed it—eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way.
“Gentleman’s Guide has a wonderfully clever storyline, over-the-top singing, and visually stunning period costumes and sets. We’re thrilled that our production will be the West Michigan regional premiere for this show!” said Mason Street Warehouse Artistic Director Kurt Stamm.
Mason Street’s production features 5 “alumni” seen in previous productions (including Elliott Litherland as Monty Navarro, Gina Milo as Sibella Hallward, Harry Bouvy as the D ‘Ysquith family along with Ellie Frances and Jeff Meyer) along with newcomers Katie Fay Francis, Jerome Doerger, Dan Krackhardt, Colleen McLaughlin and Abby C. Smith.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder runs through Sunday, Sept. 1. Matinee and evening performances are available.
Pour yourself a drink and enjoy this murderous romp filled with unforgettable music, larger than life characters, and non-stop laughs.
Tickets are available at our box office, by phone at 269-857-2399 or online here.
Most Americans probably have not heard of pop singer Sigrid. Well, she is from Norway for starters, not a place known as a music capital.
With that said, Sigrid received more than 58 million views on her “Stranger,” and while that is only half of what Taylor Swift pulled in for her recent “You Need to Calm Down, it still a good sum of viewers considering Sigrid pulls in around 10 million per video. (Her most recent video, “Mine Right Now,” is at only around 900,000 partly due to the fact that Sigrid is not in the video due to flight delays. Director Max Siedentopf had to take the singers place making the video just worth watching…and the song is pretty catchy.)
In 2017, Sigrid rose to fame with the release of her debut song “Don’t Kill My Vibe.” She won the BBC Music Sound of 2018 and her single “Strangers” on the UK Singles chart. In March, she released her debut album “Sucker Punch,” with plans for a worldwide tour which will bring her to Grand Rapids.
Sigrid performs Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. at Calvin University’s Covenant Fine Arts Center, 3201 Burton St. SE. Tickets for the concert went on sale today.
The show is part of the Calvin University’s concert series which includes Frankie Cosmos, Sept. 24; Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, Sept. 25, Thompson Square, Nov. 1, and Lucy Dacus, Nov. 6. In fact, Cockburn releases his new instrumental CD, “Crowing Ignites,” a few days before coming to Calvin.
Everybody loves a gift on their special day. So for its 90th anniversary the Grand Rapids Symphony is giving its patrons a special gift, 30 percent off all single price tickets.
According to a press release announcing the special, the Grand Rapids Symphony is thanking its community of nearly 90 years of amazing support by offing the single ticket discount which is available on fall Symphony concert’s for the 2019 – 2020 season.
This fall, the Symphony has an impressive line-up that such Broadway sensation Shayna Steele performing covers of songs made famous by Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner in Queens of Soul, Sept. 27 – 29. In October, both “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Oct. 18 -19, and “Ghostbusters,” Oct. 31, will be shown as the Symphony performs the movie scores and on Nov. 7, violinist Itzhak Perlman makes his first DeVos Hall appearance in more than 35 years.
But like all things, the special pricing will come to an end on Aug. 23 at 5 p.m. But that still gives you a week and half to make some decisions. To view the full season, visit grsymphony.org or call 616-454-9451.
City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll with the 2018 Sunday Night Funnies Kingpin of Comedy, or the funniest person in Wyoming, Megan Writes. (Sunday Night Funnies)
What was once was 120 comedians is now down to 40, the Sunday Night Funnies Kingpin of Comedy competition enters its quarter-final round.
The contest started May 19 with its first of 12 qualifying rounds, which wrapped up last Sunday. The four quarter-final rounds run Aug. 11- Sept. 1 with two semi-final rounds on Sept. 8 and 15 with the finals being held on Sept. 22. Each week ten comedians are given eight minutes to perform. The line-up order is drawn as the show progresses, so they have no idea of when they’ll be going on stage – it could be first, it could be last. Before the show begins the audience members are given a ballot. At the night of that night’s show the audience picks three of the ten they feel should advance to the next round. The ballots are counted while a comic not in the competition performs at the end and the winners are announced afterward.
“The Kingpin of Comedy competition is a blatant rip-off of the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids contest,” said Brian B. (Brian Borbot), creator & MC of the Sunday Night Funnies. Borbot is referring to the successful annual event at Dr. Grins comedy club inside The B.O.B. downtown Grand Rapids.
“Seeing that Wyoming is the fourteenth largest city in Michigan, I thought it deserved its own stand-up comedy competition with the overall winner getting a prize package worthy of the title funniest person in Wyoming,” he said.
The prizes are from Wyoming businesses Spectrum Entertainment Complex and the neighboring Craig’s Cruisers as well as LaughFest, 20 Monroe Live, and Party in the Park (a concert at 5/3 Ballpark.), a dayglo bowling pin trophy, and a presentation from the City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll declaring the winner the funniest person in town.
The Sunday Night Funnies is the creation of Grand Rapids stand-up comedian Brian B. (Brian Borbot.) It’s a weekly live stand-up comedy performance featuring a variety of comics from Michigan and around the country. The Sunday Night Funnies is a free admission show that starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, 5656 Clyde Park SW, Wyoming.
Actor Todd Lewis (center) is Arthur the owner of a decrepit donut shop in “Superior Donuts.” Deb Canfield, who plays Officer Randy Oosten listens as Lewis talks to his employee Franko Wicks, played by Nio Walton. (Ashlee McGreevy)
Circle Theatre continues its 67th Main Stage season with a production of Superior Donuts opening on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. inside the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College.
Under the direction of Mike Hull, Superior Donuts tells the story of Arthur, a Polish – American, who owns a decrepit donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, a black teenager who is his only employee, wants to change the shop for the better. This comedy- drama by Tony® Award and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Tracy Letts explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.
Circle Theatre audience members can take advantage of the Lobby Bar on select nights throughout the summer, including the Aug. 9 performance of Superior Donuts. On Aug. 9, Michigan craft beer and wine as well as donuts from Marge’s Donut Den will be available starting at 7 p.m.; beverages can be enjoyed inside the theatre on that evening.
“This is a show about being stuck in life,” said Andrew Manion who portrays Kevin Magee in the Circle Theatre production. “Stuck because of past mistakes, stuck because of one’s upbringing or background, or maybe stuck because of a crippling anxiety, guilt or fear. This is a show about overcoming these paralyses in order to find freedom, even when opposed by literal violence.”
Hull said “Our show is the story of the American Dream as told by ordinary people. If you are someone who believes that America can be the best it can be for all of its people than this is a show that will hopefully inspire some questions and no small degree of hope.”
Superior Donuts will run Aug. 8 – 10, 14-17, 21 – 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m. The show is rated “R” due to strong language. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 616-456-6656 or visit Circle’s website at circletheatre.org.
In a unique collaboration between healthcare and the arts, ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital, Pines Behavioral Health, and Tibbits Summer Theatre will bring the dramatic rock musical Next to Normal to the Tibbits stage for six performances September 6 to 14, 2019.
Mental Health issues affect more American families than can be accurately measured. It is a disease which is highly misunderstood and filled with stigma. Theatre has long been a means of bringing attention to issues, dispelling stigmas or at least opening up dialogues.
According to Randy DeGroot, President of ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital, “Bringing this play to the community is hoped to reduce the fear and stigma of mental illness — a biological disease — that requires the same level of treatment and follow up as any other health condition.”
Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama as well as three 2009 Tony awards including Best Musical Score, Next to Normal is a very real depiction of the effects of mental illness, both for the affected and their families. Pines and ProMedica have teamed with Tibbits to present the show as a means of opening the dialogue on the very real issues of mental health. Whereas newspaper articles and public town hall forums can convey awareness information, watching the lives unfold during this play creates a much deeper understanding of mental illness.
According to Sue Germann, Chief Executive Officer for Pines, “Through this artistic and entertaining vehicle we can bring awareness to the mental health issue and deepen the dialogue of a very serious biological disease.”
One in five Americans experience a mental health condition; for one in 25, the condition is serious mental illness, yet less than half receive the needed treatment. Among the barriers is lack of education or awareness and social stigma. Both of these barriers can be addressed through this artistic and entertaining professional show.
ProMedica is a mission-based, not-for-profit integrated healthcare organization headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. Driven by its mission to improve health and well-being, ProMedica has been nationally recognized for its advocacy programs and efforts to address social determinants of health. Pines, as the Community Mental Health Authority for Branch County, specializes in assisting those with serious mental illness such as Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Severe Anxiety and other brain conditions that impair functional abilities due to the severity of symptoms.
Tibbits has been producing professional theatre for 55 years and has established its reputation for quality productions.
This collaborative activity is sponsored by ProMedica with additional support from Pines. The performance also received support from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs Minigrant Program administered by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.
Next to Normal will be presented September 6, 7, 13, 14 at 7:30 pm and September 8 and 12 at 2 pm. Theatre has long been a means of bringing attention to issues, dispelling stigmas or at least opening up dialogues. To encourage the open dialogue each performance will include informal discussions and Talkbacks to engage audience members in the dialogue. A Talkback is a discussion of the show with the performers and others involved. Discussions will include health care professionals available for questions, information and assistance.
The goal for ProMedica and Pines is to promote the health and well-being of the community. With the involvement of Tibbits and this shared experience of experiencing Next to Normal, the three organizations hope to build important connections with all of the people involved with or attending the show.
Circle Theatre continues its 67th Main Stage season with a production of Superior Donuts opening on Thursday, Aug. 8 at 7:30pm inside the Performing Arts Center on the campus of Aquinas College. Superior Donuts is brought to the Circle stage by Production Sponsor Steelcase and is rated R for strong language and adult situations.
“This is a show about being stuck in life. Stuck because of past mistakes, stuck because of one’s upbringing or background, or maybe stuck because of a crippling anxiety, guilt or fear. This is a show about overcoming these paralyses in order to find freedom, even when opposed by literal violence.” — Andrew Manion, Cast Member (Kevin Magee)
Under the direction of Mike Hull, Superior Donuts tells the story of Arthur, a Polish-American, who owns a decrepit donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, a black teenager who is his only employee, wants to change the shop for the better.
This comedy-drama by Tony® Award- and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Tracy Letts explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.
Circle Theatre audience members can take advantage of the Lobby Bar on select nights throughout the summer, including the Aug. 9 performance of Superior Donuts. On Aug. 9, Michigan craft beer and wine as well as donuts from Marge’s Donut Den will be available starting at 7pm; beverages can be enjoyed inside the theatre on that evening.
“Our show is the story of the American Dream as told by ordinary people. If you are someone who believes that America can be the best it can be for all of its people than this is a show that will hopefully inspire some questions and no small degree of hope.” — Mike Hull, Director
Superior Donuts will run Aug. 8-10, 14-17, 21-24 at 7:30pm, and Aug. 18 at 5:30pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the box office at 616.456.6656 or visit Circle’s website at circletheatre.org.
Margo Price at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outdoor amphitheater stage Wednesday, July 31. (Courtesy of Kevin Huver Photography)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
90-second Review
In early 2017, just after Margo Price released her “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” and started receiving her long deserved Americana and County Music awards notice, it was easy to call her an “outlaw alt-country” singer — which I think I did in a previous WKTV Journal review after seeing her for the first time.
Price’s fledging career, after all, had her not only playing with Jack White (of the alt-rock White Stripes) — and signing with his Third Man Records label, in fact — but also playing with Outlaw country god Willie Nelson as well as covering the likes of Kris Kistofferson and Waylon Jennings in her solo concerts.
Margo Price and her band (with husband and musical mate Jeremy Ivey in foreground, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outdoor amphitheater stage Wednesday, July 31. (Courtesy of Kevin Huver Photography)
But as evidenced by her and her 5-member band’s 70-minute, 15-song set as the opening act of a double bill at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park outdoor amphitheater stage Wednesday, July 31, Price and her latest release — “All American Made” — has moved beyond labels and expectations to be a singer/songwriter of artistically diverse and emotionally powerful music.
Opening her set with three almost Allman Brothers Band-esque county-rock songs, including “Four Years of Chances” from “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter” and “Nowhere Fast” from “All American Made”, she showed off her beautiful voice with “Tennessee Song”, also from “Midwest …”, which had her almost a capella at the beginning and end.
And that was just the start of her showing off her current musical range and tastes, as evidenced by the set list.
Covers of Janis Joplin’s rock classic “Move over?” — “We were going to play this at Woodstock, but they cancelled it,” she told the Meijer Garden audience — as well as Dusty Springfield’s county classic “Son of a Preacher Man” and Bob Dylan’s forgotten classic “One More Cup of Coffee” (One of my all-time favorites!). Can you be any more diverse than that?
And diving deep into her own rapidly growing catalogue of fine songs, including several fine tunes from “All American Made”, including the album’s title track — which, when you listen close, has a socio-political bite — as well as “Don’t Say it”, “Just Like Love” and her set-closing bluesy “A Little Pain”, when she may have been giving her personal take on her life making a living in music and on the road.
“I’m breaking my back and working like a mother. Who’s to say just how it’s done? A little pain, never hurt anyone …”
One thing for sure, Margo Price — singer/songwriter, music producer, wife, mother (of two including a two-month old), and burgeoning social commentator — ain’t no farmers daughter any more.
May I have more please?
Three things: her taking care of the home fires, our political world and your entertainment finances.
To the first: Price may be all about the music, but she is a family woman as well. During the concert she sung a sweet duet with her husband, Jeremy Ivey, who wrote the tune and has an album out soon which she produced — gotta stand by her man!
And to the second: She has her own unabashed take on modern American society and politics, as the lyrics of “All American Made” attest — “1987 and I didn’t know it then. Reagan was selling weapons to the leaders of Iran … And I wonder if the president gets much sleep at night, and if folks on welfare are making it alright … It’s all American made”.
Also, finally, other remaining Meijer Gardens shows with original price tickets remaining include JJGrey and Mofro with Jonny Lang on Aug. 14, The Stray Cats on Aug. 15, Mandolin Orange — one of my early not-to-miss concerts — on Sept. 4, Dash Sultana on Sept. 8, The B-52s with ODM and Berlin on Sept. 11, and the season finale of Calexico and Iron & Wine on Sept. 18.
Krasl Art Center (KAC) welcomes LaPorte, IN artists Jon Hook and Andrea Peterson to the galleries for their immersive installation: Inhaling the Universe. On view Aug. 9-Sept. 29, this exhibition marks an experimental new adventure by the artists and nature alike, played out in KAC’s galleries.
The artists have created specific pieces for the exhibit, including sculpture, cyanotype, and custom prints in an awe-inspiring installation that is stimulated by and made in collaboration with nature. Their work reflects on the passage of time and life cycles; it leads viewers on a thoughtful and conscientious walk through a wonder-filled landscape.
Hook and Peterson have been living in northwest Indiana since 1997. In both work and study, they attempt to live harmoniously with the surrounding environment. They apply regenerative and sustainable methods on their small farm that entwines their work and life. Hook Pottery Paper consists of a clay studio; a combined book, paper, and print studio; and a gallery shop.
Hook’s wood-fired ceramics use an intense and industrious process that emphasizes the use of local materials for firing as well as glaze-making. He reduces local plants such as hay, cattails, and thistle, as well as clay to their molecular essence, which is then used to create unique glazes. He is a forerunner and expert in his field, specifically concerning sustainable and regenerative firing and ceramic studio processes. Hook has received two consecutive Indiana State grants that aided his research of an oil drip burner system to assist the wood-fired kiln on their farm. Hook’s dedication to mutualism in the environment has evolved to center on regional identity.
Peterson’s work explores all types of paper fibers and processes including paper works, prints, artist books, and environmental installation pieces. She combines paper arts, printmaking and book arts to make works that address the human relationship to the environment.
Courtesy Krasl Art Center
Peterson received her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA in printmaking from University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She has lectured and taught extensively, including at Ox-Bow; School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Sciola de Graphica, Venice, Italy; Paper Museum Steyermeuhl, Austria; Syracuse University and Indiana University. She currently teaches in the Fiber and Material Studies Department at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Krasl Art Center invites the community to welcome the artists and this impressive undertaking on Friday, Aug. 9, from 6-8pm with a cash bar, live music, and small bites provided by Bistro on the Boulevard. Guests will meet not only Hook and Peterson but also artlab artist Casey Roberts and sculptor Peter Krsko, who created the wooden interactive sculpture Ground Wave in KAC’s East Garden.
Hook and Peterson will give a presentation about their farm and regenerative practices before the opening party at 5:30pm.
How the Grand Rapids Public Museum acquired its latest exhibit, “Changing America,” is perhaps just as fascinating as the story the exhibit presents.
It was an article in the Washington Post that lead to the Grand Rapids Public Museum President and CEO Dale Robertson to consider the exhibit. The articled was about a city in Alabama, called Demopolis. The city had had a Confederate statute that was accidentally knocked down with the citizens divided over where the statute should be put back up.
“Are we going to put it up? Are we not going to put it up. What does this mean to me? Well this is what it means to me,” was the discussion according to Robertson the town was having. The town leaders recognized that the town needed to go through a reconciliation and in that process discovered the exhibit “Changing America.”
“It was being traveled by the National Library Association but it was created by the Smithsonian Institute, so you know there is a level of quality and accuracy and factualness that is just part of it,” Robertson said.
Because the show juxtapositions two huge events in American history, the Emancipation Proclamation, which happened in 1863, and the March on Washington in 1963, Robertson talked to the museum staff about bringing the traveling exhibit to Grand Rapids. GRPM Vice President of Marketing and PR Kate Kocienski checked on the exhibit.
“She learned that the exhibit was no longer traveling but if we were interested in paying for the shipping of it, the museum could just have it,” Robertson said.
So the Museum covered the cost of the shipping and brought the panel show to Grand Rapids, augmenting it with items from the Museum’s own collection and borrowing items from the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, located at 87 Monroe Center NW. GRAAMA is hosting a complimentary exhibit “American Freedom 1863-1963 Exhibit.”
“Changing America” will be at the museum through Oct. 13. The exhibit, which opened earlier this summer, has been augmented throughout the months with staff adding elements, including newspaper articles and photos from the Grand Rapids Press archives to the exhibit throughout the months.
“Changing America” and “TOYS” are part of the regular admission to the museum, which is $5 for Kent County residents and $3 for Kent County seniors. Kent County children 17 and under are free and there is free museum parking for Kent County residents when they purchase a ticket. For more information, visit grpm.org.
The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives is open noon – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. The museum is free. For more information, visit graama.org
For the first time in Grand Rapids, Bachelor fans become part of the search for love.
By Hilarie Carpenter, SMG
The most successful romance reality series in the history of television is coming to Grand Rapids to help you find love. TheBachelor Live on Stage official tour will be at SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall on Sunday, April 5, 2020, at 6pm.
The tour is the latest extension of the hit Bachelor franchise, which already includes The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise spin-offs, all produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. The Bachelor television series, heading into its 24th season on ABC, airs in 31 countries around the world.
Hosted by The Bachelor fan favorite Ben Higgins, The Bachelor Live on Stage fits an entire season of Bachelor drama into one evening, giving members of the audience the opportunity to find love in their own community, complete with a rose ceremony.
“I am so pumped to host the Bachelor live tour,” said host Ben Higgins. “Bachelor Nation, or maybe I should say the whole Bachelor family, has brought me a ton of joy over the years.”
Tickets are on sale now! Tickets are available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices and online at Ticketmaster.com. See Ticketmaster for all current pricing and availability.
Each stage show will introduce an eligible hometown bachelor to local ladies from the audience searching for a chance at love. And, for the first time ever, Bachelor Nation will have a say in the rose ceremony. Along with the audience, Ben will guide the bachelor in his journey to find love, from the first impression rose to group date challenges and the coveted one-on-ones. Watch it all unfold live on stage. If the leading lady accepts the final rose, the night could end with the start of a beautiful romance. The Bachelor Live on Stage has something for everyone, whether you’re looking to find love or just want to enjoy the drama of the evening.
For more information on The Bachelor Live on Stage, please go here.
Follow The Bachelor Live on Stage (#BachelorLiveOnStage, #BachelorLive, #BachelorOnStage) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
When Kentwood resident Micah Hamstra saw that the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s Summer Repertory program was going to include “Alice In Wonderland,” he just knew he had to audition.
“The story has been a very big part of my life,” said Hamstra, who will attend Caledonia High School in the fall. “It really showed me how you could just be who you are.”
So Hamstra prepared by “knocking out” his musical audition followed by “blowing up” his script reading. Needless to say, he landed the role of Tweedledum and Humpty Dumpty in the upcoming “Alice In Wonderland” production.
The show along with “All Shook Up” wraps up the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s 2018-2019 season. The shows run during the same week, July 26 – Aug. 4, with the productions alternating performance dates. “All Shook Up” is July 26, 27 (afternoon), Aug. 1, 3 (evening), 4, and “Alice In Wonderland” performances are July 27 (evening), 28, 31, Aug. 2, and 3 (afternoon).
“It’s Elvis,” said Wyoming resident and Byron Center High School student Xavier Turner when asked why he auditioned for “All Shook Up.” “Who wouldn’t want to be involved in a show about Elvis?”
Wyoming resident Xavier Turner is in “All Shook Up.” (GRCT)
“All Shook Up” combines the songs of Elvis Presley with Shakespeare, being loosely based on the “Twelfth Night.”
“I knew of the show,” said Turner who plays the young, quirky, aspiring dentist, Dennis, “ I love that show so, I knew I wanted to get involved.”
This is Turner’s first time participating with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and specifically selected the Summer Repertory program because of the classes tied to the production as well as the chance to be involved on the stage and behind it. Through the Summer Repertory program, each production has its own cast with the cast members of the opposite show serving as the back stage crew. For Turner, he will be helping with wardrobe and the fly rail for “Alice In Wonderland.” Hamstra will be helping with wardrobe for “All Shook Up.”
“Through this program you learn a lot more about theater,” said Hamstra, who said that “Alice” is his third production with Civic Theatre. “You really get the opportunity to learn everything that there is to do back stage along with being in the front.”
Both teenagers said that while they have enjoyed learned about the other aspects of the theater, their hearts are really in performance.
“I know I want to make a profession out of this and for me, I can sing,” said Turner, who has won several awards for his singing performances. “I knew the classes would be really helpful and that it is important to start now.”
Both Hamstra and Turner said they have found a community of family and friends through the production which has made being a part of it even more special.
“It sounds a little cliche but being part of a family has really made coming to this so much fun,” Turner said. “ The opportunity to see something come to life with this group of people has given me the realization of how much I look forward to coming here to do this everyday.”
Hamstra added that those bonds between the actors is what makes the shows fun which in turn makes the production even more exciting to the audience.
“It is just a lot of fun,” Hamstra said. “You have so many very talented people up there on stage just giving it their all.”
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m Saturday and Sunday with all shows at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. Tickets are $10 – $16. For more information, visit grct.org or call 616-222-6650.
Oliver Art Center (OAC) has established a permanent community creative space for young artists and their families to explore art in its various forms. OAC already hosts a lending library space on the top floor of the renovated Coast Guard Station.
The addition of the new creative space will allow visitors to peruse books on art, artists, and museums in addition to allowing exploration of artistic mediums through perpetual, self-guided art projects. The community space will be open all year during regular business hours and features comfortable seating for both adults and kids; books, puzzles, games geared to all ages; curated, self-guided art projects; and display space for budding young artists.
“This space will assist in helping an underserved part of the local population: parents with young, preschool age kids, as well as older kids,” said Mercedes Michalowski, OAC’s Executive Director. “The need for this space was born out of two free, art drop in days that OAC hosted earlier this year.”
Michalowski said that the first day hosted just over 20 kids and adults; the second day, about a month later hosted over 45. The parents of the younger children asked OAC to keep programs like the drop-in days going in the fall and winter when there are less opportunities to occupy younger children.
“We are very excited about this opportunity,” said Michalowski.
Oliver Art Center received a grant from the Grand Traverse Community Foundation Charlie and Linda Kehr Fund that is providing the funds to purchase furniture and other major initial needs for the room. Cash donations as well as material donations will be welcome as the space and program continues.
Oliver Art Center is located at 132 Coast Guard Rd., Frankfort, MI 49635.
The popular Brioso String Quartet will appear at the Street Performer Series in Downtown Holland tomorrow night from 6:30-8:30pm, performing songs from Bach to Bruno Mars.
Every Thursday night this summer, the sidewalks of Downtown Holland are filled with performing artists and groups from every background, including musicians, balloon twisters, jugglers, magicians, aerial acrobats, dancers, face painters and so much more! The Street Performer Series is free to attend and is sponsored by Gentex Corporation.
The Brioso String Quartet has been providing quality instrumental music in West Michigan for over 20 years. The quartet comprises violinists, Tammy Clark and Jennifer Tuinenga, with Laurie Van Ark on the viola and Ginger Vandenbrink on the cello. While regularly providing traditional string music at hundreds of wedding receptions and other private events, the quartet is well known for bringing a fun mix of both classical music and popular favorites to the Street Performer Series, delighting crowds with hits from the Beatles, popular Broadway tunes and more.
The concerts are free for the public and are located on 8th Street between Columbia and Pine Avenues; 8th Street will be closed to traffic for the event for crowd safety purposes.
Although the Series is free to attend, tipping the performers is highly encouraged. In addition to the exclusive event sponsor, Gentex Corporation, the Street Performer Series is also supported by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs through the Holland Area Arts Council.
Information about individual performers is available here.
Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) for the final Planetarium Double Feature showing of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium on Thursday, August 1.
Music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome.
The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission.
Tickets to the Planetarium Double Features will include both light shows, and are $8 for non-members, $4 for members. Tickets may be purchased at grpm.org or by calling 616.929.1700.
The Queen Light Show
New life is brought to the wildly popular classic rock light show format with an original production set to the music of Queen. Experience 10 of Queen’s greatest hits, including favorite like Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and You’re My Best Friend. The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love! is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint.
Dark Side: The Light Show
Experience Pink Floyd’s iconic album as never before in this one-of-a-kind light show, featuring stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences, and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound. Dark Side: The Light Show is a GRPM original production, first launched at the Chaffee Planetarium in Spring 2015.
Head to the Henderson Castle Aug. 16 for an amazing dinner as well as a comedy and illusion show by world renowned magician, “The Illusionist” Tom Coverly.
Your entertainer for the evening is one of the most-requested, clean adult entertainers in America. He has performed live for nearly 3 million people, has been seen on TV (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS), entertained numerous celebrities (including the entire cast of the Batman vs Superman movie) and has shared the stage with the biggest names in music like Skillet, Toby Mac, Korn, Pop Evil, Thompson Square, NF and Danny Gokey (of American Idol), just to name a few.
Get ready to laugh a lot and have your mind blown by magic tricks that you will never forget! For more information about The Illusionist, go to TomCoverly.com.
Multi-course dinner includes soup & salad, bread & butter, entree choice, and dessert du jour.
Shows are Aug. 16, 5:30-8:30pm or 2nd Show 7:30-10:30pm. Tickets $87.00/person available at hendersoncastle.com
Event tickets are non-refundable at time of purchase, and by purchasing tickets you agree to these terms. Event tickets will not be transferable within 48 hours of purchase. Events are sometimes held in our 3rd Floor Ballroom. Guests who may have difficulty walking up the stairs should contact the Castle in advance of ticket purchase. There is a set menu, however, we are able to make adjustments in advance. We will not take dinner orders during the event, so after you make reservations, please let us know of any dietary restrictions by calling the front desk at (269) 344-1827 or emailing us at info@hendersoncastle.com.
It was a need that gave birth to Greater Grand Rapids’ newest cultural enterprise, the Motherland House Concerts.
Mirabel Umenei, who goes by the stage name Myra Maimoh, os a musician from Cameroon. When she arrived in Grand Rapids seven years ago, she began “looking for places to perform, to showcase my art and I was finding it difficult to do that. I also was finding other musicians from Africa who were facing the same issues,” Umenei said during a recent Locally Entertaining podcast.
From the right, Netty BM, Ruben Ndjerareou, Beatrice Muriithi, and Miracle Umenei join host Joanne Bailey-Boorsma for the Locally Entertaining podcast. (WKTV)
Umenei believed that if the various musicians and artists came together, they could do something to showcase the talents of the people from Africa. Thus Motherland House Concerts was born.
“The Motherland House Concerts is a platform where we showcase African music, African art, African storytelling, poetry and sometimes we have food and wines from Africa,” she said.
This Saturday, July 27, the Motherland House Concerts will feature a Padiman Experience Event, which provides an intimate showcase of African music and poetry. Saturday’s event, which is from 6 – 8 p.m., will focus on Senegal, the home country of featured artist Netty BM. The show is at Rising Grinds Cafe, 1167 Madison Ave. SE with tickets $25/advance, $30/at the door. The Padiman Experience will take place every fourth Saturday of the month.
In September will be the Banin Experience which pairs food, wine, poetry and music together. Those concerts will be Sept. 6 and 7 from 6- 9 p.m . at Rising Grinds Cafe. Tickets are $130.
“We hope to show that Africa is huge,” Umenei said. “That Africa is diverse, but it is oh so much fun!”
In the self-stated biography of Hannah Rose and the GravesTones, they say the band is “a bold foray into the funky, rhythmic refrains of a foregone era … a cross pollination of funk, blues, and rock ’n’ roll with soul” — emphasis on “SOUL”.
Hannah Rose and the GravesTones (Facebook)
And anybody who has heard lead singer and front-woman Hannah Rose Graves knows she knows how to wail with soul — emphasis on ‘WAIL”.
The GravesTones will be offering up the soul, with Hannah Rose doing some wailing, as the Grand Rapids group takes the stage of the City of Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series Thursday, July 18, at 7 p.m.
In addition to Hannah Rose, the band members include Adam Marth on guitar and vocals, Calvin Allen on drums, Clifton Metcalf on organ and various keyboards of choice, and Nuri Tett on bass.
For a video of Hannah Rose and the GravesTones playing the song “Take It Slow” from a 2018 gig at Meijer Gardens, visit here.
WKTV will be covering the concert, and almost all of Kentwood’s concerts, replaying it on our community television Channel 25 — check out the WKTV schedule here — and also available on-demand. The replay schedule for this concert is: Tuesday, June 25, at 9 p.m., and Saturday, June, 29, at about 12:30 p.m. (after a Wyoming community concert).
Concert-goers are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair, and may also bring their own beer or wine.
The remaining lineup for Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series is as follows:
July 25 — The Crane Wives, described by someone as “female-fronted, harmony-driven folk-rock”; lets just say West Michigan is lucky they are taking a local break from their busy summer tour schedule. For more information visit here.
Aug. 8 — Melophobix, with “Cage Free” being not only the title of their latest release but also their funky musical outlook. For more information visit here.
All concerts will begin at 7 p.m. and conclude around 8:30 p.m. on the lawn behind Kentwood City Hall, located at 4900 Breton Ave. SE.
