Category Archives: Entertainment

Gonzo’s Top 5: Summer is supposed to be fun any day of the week

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

I love being in downtown Grand Rapids on a Tuesday night when it feels like the weekend.

That’s what happened for the opening of Broadway GR’s “Mean Girls.” The city was buzzing with activity with people out and about for a variety of events, including a very funny show. More on that in a moment.

The truth is, as we get closer to the Fourth of July, summer is supposed to be fun, any day of the week.

If you’ve been reading my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal, I often talk about events Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But throughout the summer I’ll add other weekday events, too.

Here we go!

Gonzo’s Top 5

Whorled (courtesy)

5. Deos Ballet, Wholred at The Stray Cafe

Check out this cool collaboration event at 7 p.m. Friday (June 24) when Deos Contemporary Ballet performs featuring live music from award-winning band Whorled! Deos works to uplift artists through a culture focused on diversity, wellness and empathy by partnering with community-based organizations. And Whorled! – a recent winner of a Battle of the Bands competition at The Stray – offers a unique World Fusion sound with a blend of Celtic, bluegrass, French Café and jazz influences. There is no cover charge, but donations will be accepted. More info on The Stray Facebook event page. The Stray is located at 4253 Division Ave S Suite A, Wyoming.

The Soul Syndicate performs at The Ballpark Series and then heads over to the Kentwood Summer Concert series on June 30. (Soul Syndicate)

4. Ballpark Series: The Soul Syndicate, Shimmie Pearl

You will love this old, historic ballpark that dates back to 1937, and located on the West Side of Grand Rapids. The Ballpark Series at Sullivan (formerly Valley) Field is one of many events spearheaded by a group called Fans of Valley Field. On Friday (June 24) you can check out two great acts, The Soul Syndicate and Shimmie Pearl. In fact, we interviewed “classic soul, R&B and funk” band The Soul Syndicate earlier this month about shows in Wyoming and Kentwood. Founder and guitarist Mike Coon said their music is meant to keep your toes tapping and the young at heart dancing. “It’s a party!,” said Coon, who leads the 10-piece band through a long list of songs everyone knows and loves. “It’s a fun band. You don’t sit in chairs and watch us.” The show begins at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $15. Learn more on the Fans of Valley Field Facebook page.

By the way, The Soul Syndicate also performs Thursday (June 30) as part of the Kentwood Summer Concert series.

READ: Summer revs up with Kentwood concerts, farmers market combo

READ: The Soul Syndicate performs at Wyoming Concerts in the Park

3. Last Sundays Outdoor Market, Grand Rapids

Doing something on Sundays makes the weekend last so much longer! That’s why I love the concept of “Last Sundays,” which is a monthly outdoor market at Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids. It features a variety of local makers, vendors, farmers, food carts, samplings and more. It takes place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday (June 26) on the corner of Bridge Street and Seward Avenue. Other dates: July 31, Aug. 28 and Sept. 25. More info at https://www.bridgestreetmarket.com/blog/2021/6/3/last-sundays-outdoor-market.

2. Van Andel Arena

As I said earlier, the weekends are busy in downtown GR, especially when the Van Andel Arena is hosting big events.

  • On Saturday (June 25): It’s the Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson and Family, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Jason Isbell, Charley Crockett, Brittney Spencer and more. Doors open at 3 p.m. Particle Kid kicks it off at 3:50 p.m., followed by Brittney Spencer at 4:30 p.m.
  • On Sunday (June 26): The first-year Cheer Live 2022 stops in for a truly, one-of-a-kind live show from Emmy Award-winning Netflix docuseries “Cheer.” The live performance features 14-time National Champion coach and best-selling author, Monica Aldama alongside cheer stars such as Gabi Butler and Morgan Simianer. The show brings together fan favorites from the two most successful rival cheer programs in the country, Navarro College and Trinity Valley Community College.

More info on both shows at vanandelarena.com.

Get into the spirit when “Mean Girls” comes to DeVos Performance Hall next week. (Supplied)

1.”Mean Girls,” DeVos Performance Hall

Yes, I lived under a rock in the early 2000s. How else do you explain the fact that I never saw the popular 2004 film “Mean Girls”? Well, now I know what I missed: A truly hilarious, comedic and sometimes too-close-to-reality depiction of life in high school. Now an award-winning Broadway musical, “Mean Girls” opened Tuesday at DeVos Performance Hall as part of a national tour with performances through Sunday (June 26). Get all the details at https://broadwaygrandrapids.com/mean-girls. Earlier this week, WKTV Journal published my interview with Ann Arbor native Nadina Hassan, who plays the Queen Bee of Mean, Regina George, in the musical.

READ: Wearing pink, ‘Mean Girls’ take charge of the DeVos stage

Check out the full interview in my podcast “Then By All Means, Lead the Way.”

Listen to “Nadina Hassan says ‘Mean Girls’ is ‘pure joy'” on Spreaker.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Kalamazoo band next up on the Kentwood Summer Concert series

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

It sounds like a story from an old blues song.

A bunch of students from West Michigan University gather in the basement of a bar, cut their teeth with local players and touring musicians, stay friends, and keep playing nearly 20 years later.

Kalamazoo’s Out of Favor Boys take the state this Thursday for Kentwood Summer Concert series. (Supplied)

“We grew up, musically, hosting blues jams in Kalamazoo,” said Joel Krauss, one of the founding members of the Out of Favor Boys. “We’re rooted in that Chicago-style blues but we also have a lot of influences from rock, old soul and jam bands.”

Those roots of the Kalamazoo blues scene from the late 1990s and early 2000s have served them well. Today the lineup includes four of the original members, who moved to Kalamazoo from the east side of the state to go to school, but stayed here for jobs, their friendships and love of the blues.

The lineup includes: Krauss (vocals and guitars), Tony Sproul (saxophone, vocals), Tim Brouhard (bass), Tommy Ufkus (drums) and Dan Ouellette (guitar), who leads the band on calling out the songs each night.

The Out of Favor Boys perform Thursday (June 23) as part of the Kentwood Summer Music Series on the lawn behind City Hall. The concert is at 7 p.m. Admission is free. (See the lineup below.)

READ: Summer revs up with Kentwood concerts, farmers market combo

All concerts will be live streamed by WKTV Community Media. Watch the events live at: https://www.wktv.org/live25.html. If you miss a show you can watch it here at WKTV On Demand.

This year’s lineup includes

Playing in the basement of Mr. Wonderful’s back in the day (on the southside of Kalamazoo), the band had to rely on each other to learn their craft through “jam sessions,” said Tony Sproul.

“You had to be on your toes as much as possible,” he said, and that became almost “addictive.”

To this day, those jam sessions and knowing how to feed off each other on simple cues and gestures, has become an “accidental strong point” to the band’s longevity.

“For us…there is never a night that you’re bored or say, ‘Oh, I gotta play that song again?’ None of us ever have that moment. It stays fresh all the time.”

Today’s sound is a “mix of soul and funk and blues,” Sproul added.

“It’s danceable with a slight mix of funk and old soul, with a blues foundation that we have had over the years.”

The band has released four CDs of original music.

“I would say that (if you) look at them one at a time you’ll see quite a bit of growth between each of them. We started out really raw and live on our first CD,” Krauss said. 

The group has been together for almost 20 years, having released four CDs of original music. (Supplied)

“We actually recorded the whole thing in one night. And by the time you get to our last CD, which we released in 2017, you can see that we’ve become much more focused on writing solid songs. We’re starting to pull songs together for a new recording, which we’ll start working on later this year.”

Along with playing the clubs, the band has also played big festival stages.

“Community music events are sort of a nice middle ground for us – and we play a lot of these things across southern Michigan and into northern Indiana. People who come to these shows are there to hear music,” Krauss said.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to play our own songs to people who are there to listen. There can be some give and take between the band and the audience when everyone’s paying attention like that. Plus, they’re usually small enough that we have time to meet a lot of people between sets and after the show. We’ve made a lot of great connections and gotten a lot of great gigs from meeting people at shows like these.”

When they perform Thursday in Kentwood, fans can expect them to “play a mix of cover songs and original music.”

You’ll be sure to have a good time with familiar songs by some of their favorite blues artists such as Robert Cray, Tab Benoit, Larry McCray and Tommy Castro, Krauss said.

“We play some classic rock, some blues, some soul and give our crowds lots of opportunities to dance,” he added.

Learn more about the band https://outoffavorboys.com/.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Film Review: Seth Rogan’s ‘Superbad’ never gets old

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Movie Review, , ,

By Ethan Gough
WKTV Community Contributor

Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin; Jonah Hill as Seth; and Michael Cera as Evan. (Columbia Pictures)

It looks like this week is finally the week I’m right about a film that most people have probably seen. I guess it had to happen sometime. This article is about what is possibly the most iconic comedy film of the 2000s, a movie that catapulted its two leads into the spotlight, and established the now Oscar-winning Emma Stone as a bright new star to be reckoned with. This article is about the 2007 raunchy teen comedy Superbad.

This movie is a right of passage for every teenager in an American high school. It’s rare that a comedy that’s so unashamedly crass and immature successfully balances its juvenile sense of humor with genuine heart and poignancy. People may be attracted to this movie because of its edgy jokes and innuendo, but they return to it because of its likable characters and relatable story.

Superbad had been forming in the minds of its creators, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, since they were both teenagers. Its authenticity can be accredited to the fact that the two men based it on their own experiences of being seniors in Vancouver (a conclusion easily reached when you realize that the main characters are named after them). It’s those personal elements that distinguish Superbad from other thinly plotted, raunchy comedies of the 2000s. This movie wasn’t made by people who go by the “Adam Sandler Method” of hiring moderately prevalent comedians to stand in front of a camera and speak and act out nonsense. It was made by people who had a genuine story to tell and a message to share about growing up. Many of the film’s most memorable moments, such as the period blood on Seth’s leg and Mcclovin’s whole personality, apparently find their origins in the real lives of Rogen and Goldberg.

Seth and Goldberg clearly took a lot of their cues from past coming-of-age classics like American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused, but the screenplay doesn’t feel derivative. Neither of those movies chose to include a subplot that involves the dorky sidekick befriending two man-child police officers and causing more public endangerment than your average radical terrorist. On a more serious note, none of them were as adept in their approach to adolescent friendship. American Graffiti comes close, but that film is more about individual growth. Superbad, however, is all about how we grow through our relationships with our friends; and how that growth inevitably causes us to grow apart from each other. Seth and Evan are portrayed as having been friends their whole lives. They’ve been through everything together, and love each other despite the fact that their antics (mostly Seths) constantly derail their lives. That’s an incredibly sweet and relatable theme for a movie that’s mostly about three guys trying to score booze to impress some attractive girls that (for whatever reason?) already liked them anyway.

If nothing else, the film succeeds in what it sets out to do, it makes us laugh. I’ve seen it many times now and most of the scenes still send me into hysterics, even when I’m watching it by myself. I don’t love every movie that has Seth Rogen’s name attached to it. I find many of them to be subpar gross-out comedies with a few solid laughs and absolutely no brains, but this was clearly a very personal story for him and Goldberg, and that human element puts it above all the other entries in the genre.

Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.

‘American Idol’ contestant headlines Wyoming’s next Concert in the Park

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Our Cities, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

If you’re a fan of soul singers such as Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and Al Green, you’re going to love Nathan Walton & The Remedy.

Nathan Walton looks for to an evening of soul music at Wyoming’s Lamar Park. (Supplied)

“We play a lot of soul music, and soul covers. We got a pretty good size band….we’re just out to put on a good show for the community,” Walton said in an interview with WKTV Journal.

Walton and his rock ‘n’ roll soul band The Remedy will perform those songs – and may other covers – as part of Wyoming’s weekly concert series at 7 p.m. June 21 at Lamar Park. Admission is free.

The Tuesday night series continues through Aug. 2. See the list of shows below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.

If Walton’s name sounds familiar, maybe it’s because he was featured on TV’s “American Idol.”

The singer appeared on Season 3 of the ABC show, where he received a Golden Ticket and competed in Hollywood with talented vocalists from all over the country. Judge Lionel Richie called his voice “a cannon.”

Walton said his experience on “American Idol” in 2020 was “life changing.”

“It was incredible…for sure,” said Walton, who graduated in 2011 from Byron Center High School.  “A friend of mine encouraged me to audition, and I’m glad I did. The next I knew I was in L.A. and hanging out with Lionel Richie. I became a Top 60 singer in America, which was pretty awesome.”

Since then Walton has gained a local following.

He was the “Staff Pick” for Best Solo Musician in Revue Magazine’s “2021 Best of the West” issue.

According to Revue contributing editor, Eric Mitts:

Nathan Walton will perform with his group The Remedy on Tuesday. (Supplied)

“Walton has shone bright. Sure, his powerful, soulful vocals draw most of the attention, but it’s his prolifically diverse songwriting and passion behind the scenes that make him an increasingly major part of the music scene, and an artist everyone should know.”

He’s also proud of his band The Remedy, which put out an album last spring. The seven-piece band also includes a jazz vocalist.

In addition, he is known for assembling a “supergroup” of well-known local multi-instrumentalists called King Possum. And he regularly lends his powerful voice to bands like Stone Soup and the Broken Teeth, and with special guests at his Greyline Brewing residency.

He also serves as music director for Elevator a GoGo, a West Michigan-based platform to discover music, the spoken word, and performance artists from America and around the world.

As for his upcoming gig, he’s just hoping for good weather. His band is ready to go!

“We’re just thankful we could be playing for the community,” he said, “that’s really what we’re happy about. We’ll get out to see some friends and hopefully put on a good show.”

Learn more about Nathan Walton on his website nathanwaltonlive.com/.

Listen to tracks of his latest album at nathanwalton.hearnow.com.

Wyoming Concerts in Park 2022 are all at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park. Admission is free. More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.

Upcoming Concerts:

June 28 – Jordan Hamilton – Cellist 

July 12 – Randy McAllister – Blues and Soul 

July 19 – Monty Pride – Folk 

July 26 – Bernadette Kathryn – Country 

August 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Wearing pink, ‘Mean Girls’ take charge of the DeVos stage

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

“Mean Girl” rules: Regina, played by Nadina Hassan (second from right) lays down the rules. (Supplied)

“Mean Girls” is such an iconic movie that just about everyone has seen it or has heard lines from the film without even knowing it.

That’s what makes it so much fun.

Everyone can relate.

Whether it’s flashbacks to high school days or even in your current work environment, “Mean Girls” draws you in.

“This show is so relatable because every single person can see themselves in this show,”  said Ann Arbor native Nadina Hassan, who plays Regina George in the Broadway touring musical that stops June 21-26 at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids.

“You don’t even have to be a girl. …You find somebody that you relate to, that you may have been in high school or knew somebody in high school or even in your workplace now, you recognize these behaviors.

“Everyone leaves connecting with one or more of the characters.”

“Mean Girls” is a hilarious hit musical from an award- winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey – yes, that Tina Fey, from hit movies and the “30 Rock” TV show, as well as composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde”) and director Casey Nicolaw (“The Book of Mormon”).

It tells the story of Cady Heron, who grew up on the African savanna, but now has to adjust with life in suburban Illinois. She falls prey to a “trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung,” according to the show notes.

The hardest part for Cady is that she “has to navigate all these clicks,” Hassan said.

And her character is at the center of the “mean.”

“Regina is head of the Plastics and they basically rule the school….They are untouchables,” Hassan said. She is the “meanest of the mean girls.”

Get into the spirit when “Mean Girls” comes to DeVos Performance Hall June 21-26. (Supplied)

If you loved the movie, which was released in 2004 and starred Lindsay Lohan as Cady and Rachel McAdams as Regina, then you’ll love the musical, Hassan said.

All the classic lines from the movie “we keep in the show,” she added. “And we’ve updated things to include social media, which is a big part of our lives these days.”

Growing up in Ann Arbor, Hassan fell in love with theater while acting in productions at the Pioneer Theatre Guild and attending Skyline High School. After graduation she picked up her studies in theater performance at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, near Cleveland. She graduated in 2020.

“I’m glad I went away to college,” she said. Baldwin Wallace “is a small liberal arts university where you have no choice but to stay super focused. I feel I left college ready to take on this kind of job.”

She did some Regional theater, performing in “Tick, Tick… BOOM!” (Susan), “West Side Story” (Maria) and “Be More Chill” (Brooke).

But “Mean Girls” is her first major Broadway tour. She actually auditioned during the pandemic from her bedroom while in Ann Arbor.

She calls landing the gig “a dream come true.”

“I’m so lucky, I never expected this. It happened so fast,” Hassan said.

Her advice to those who are on the same path?

Stepping out on the DeVos Performance Hall stage is “Mean Girls.” (Supplied)

“I know it sounds cheesy, but doing material that you genuinely like performing makes all the difference,” she said. “It opens up a lot of creative avenues for you.”

Right now she loves being in her home state of Michigan where “Mean Girls” wraps up on Sunday at the Fischer Theatre in Detroit before heading to Grand Rapids.

Along with having family and friends come to almost every show, she was able to visit on her day off some of her favorite foodie places like Café Zola, Blank Slate Creamery and Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor.

“I brought back sandwiches for the cast,” she said.

It’s a great cast, she added, and people will enjoy the show.

“I can guarantee you will laugh, you will cry, and you will be cheering,” Hassan said. “It is the most fun you’ll have at a theater performance. It’s 2 ½ hours of straight joy. You will leave much happier than when you arrived.”

Listen to “Nadina Hassan says ‘Mean Girls’ is ‘pure joy'” on Spreaker.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Garden tour, the LPGA, and Juneteenth

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, Restaurants, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Most schools are out for the summer, which means families are looking for things to do with the kids. Maybe even things to do with dad, since it’s also Father’s Day on Sunday.

Well, you’re in luck! I have a few ideas – some for kids, some for adults – in my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

5. Beer & Brat Street Festival, Sparta

If you’re up for a little road trip to Sparta, this first-year event looks like a lot of fun. Presented by the Sparta Chamber, the Beer and Brat Street Festival is a two-day street party with games, live music, shopping and – you guessed it, beer and brats! Hours are 4-11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday. Learn more on the Sparta Chamber Facebook event page.

Heritage Hill Garden Tour will feature 10 private gardens and two organization gardens in this year’s event. (Supplied)

4. Heritage Hill Garden Tour, Grand Rapids

Take a pleasant walk along streets of Heritage Hill where 12 historic homes will open their gardens from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday (June 18).  “From showy displays in front gardens bursting with color to hidden gems waiting behind a home to warmly welcome guests, the possibilities of what a garden can be will inspire you,” according to press material.

On this self-guided tour, some of the gardens you will find include:

  1. President Gerald Ford’s boyhood back yard now filled with statuary and rare plantings.
  2. Wonderland over 40 years in the making that surrounds an enchanting home. 
  3. A serene and elegant backyard setting that includes a complete outdoor kitchen.
  4. A stately brick home perfectly surrounded by beautiful plantings.  
  5. A small but artfully designed garden that makes wise use of every space.
  6. A front yard garden that catches the eye of everyone who passes by.
  7. Free-flowing flower garden on Prospect Avenue that wears new colors for every season.
  8. Formal fountains galore surrounding a home on College Avenue.
  9. Peaceful natural water feature that accents a shade garden. 
  10. A sweet little garden on Paris Avenue.
  11.  Vibrant annuals and perennials at the Voigt House tended by volunteers.
  12.  Formal gardens at the Meyer May House that are reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture.

Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available for presale through midnight on June 17 at heritagehillweb.org.


More:Heritage Hill to host colorful garden tour this Saturday

Asian-Pacific Festival returns to downtown Grand Rapids this weekend. (Supplied)

3. Division Ave Arts & Culture Festival

Speaking of things to do with the family, this is perfect! According to WKTV contributing writer D.A. Reed, the Division Ave. Art & Culture Festival features “food and craft vendors, live music, Pacific Island dancers, interactive art, a colorful dragon parade, fun prize giveaways, and more.” She adds that several local Division Avenue businesses will be participating in the festival, including The Stray, Café Boba, Quest Fitness, and Natural Maya. A portion of 43rd Street will be closed down to accommodate the Festival. It is presented by the Division Avenue Business Association (DABA) and takes place from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday (June 18). Learn more on the Facebook Event page. Or read her story.

READ: Division Avenue hosts first annual festival on June 18

2. Meijer LPGA Classic

The LPGA Tour is back in Belmont for the eighth playing of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. All seven previous winners are in the field at Blythefield Country Club, including defending champion Nelly Korda, two-time winner Brooke Henderson and former world No. 1 So Yeon Ryu. In addition, foodies will delight in the new premium hospitality experience offered by J Brewers, is named in honor of the financier who purchased the land where Blythefield now stands. Located on the fourth fairway , J. Brewers will feature more than a 20,000-square-foot pavilion with elevated food and beverage pairings curated and prepared by local and minority-owned restaurants. Daily tickets for access to the J Brewers pavilion cost $75, but gives you front-row views of the on-course action, television viewing areas, great seats and all-you-can-eat access to food and beverage items, featuring local vendors and premium cocktails. General admission tickets are $10 Thursday through Sunday. Kids, ages 17 and under, will receive free admission with a ticketed adult. General admission tickets include general grounds access to the tournament, public viewing area and various Grand Taste viewing and concessions areas located throughout the course. The Golf Channel will show play from 3-6 p.m. Friday-Sunday. All the details of the Meijer LPGA Classic at meijerlpgaclassic.com.

1.Juneteenth Celebration

On June 19 we celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. But this weekend we celebrate and pay homage to African American freedom with celebrations throughout the area. Experience Grand Rapids has an extensive list, and our friends at WZZM also have a list that includes Muskegon Heights, Holland and virtual events.

A few of note locally:

John Ball Zoo is hosting Juneteenth Fest, which is a community BBQ with live music, food grilling, people dancing, kids playing, people shopping and hanging out. It takes place 2-7 p.m. Saturday (June 18). Admission is free.

Support local Black creatives and vendors at the Baxter Juneteenth Celebration  held June 18 in Joe Taylor Park . It’s all about family, food, fun, education, empowerment and entertainment.

The 2nd annual Justice 4 All Juneteenth Jam is Sunday at Rosa Parks Circle and includes live music, Black-owned food and business vendors, a graffiti art showcase and more. It is sponsored by the city and local African American apparel company Justice 4 All.

The 5th annual Grand Rapids Juneteenth Dundunba  at Dickinson Buffer Park begins with a parade and segues into an afternoon of live entertainment, raffle giveaways and more. June 19.

Enjoy food, fun and entertainment at two Juneteenth “pop-up” events: June 18 at Rosa Parks Circle and June 19  at Martin Luther King Park.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Musician Max Lockwood excited about returning to Kentwood

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Max Lockwood opens the Kentwood Summer Concert series on Thursday. (Photo by Pia Lu)

At an early age, singer/songwriter Max Lockwood knew the stage was his calling.

It came when he was on stage at his 8th grade talent show.

His band, The Wealthy Homeless, played an original song and Green Day cover.

“I was extremely excited for (the talent show), and I have been playing ever since as much as I can,” said the 32-year-old Lockwood.

He’s not joking.

At age 16 he was playing with the local band Sweet Japonic, and after two years of upright bass performance classes at DePaul University, the Wayland native took time off to tour with Michigan band the Ragbirds.

He eventually went back to school to get a creative writing/literature degree from the University of Michigan. His debut record, “Outrider,” served as his senior thesis at the University of Michigan for his degree in creative writing.

“I guess you could say that 50 percent of my lifetime has been playing professionally,” Lockwood told WKTV Journal. “…At this point I feel very comfortable and natural. I enjoy performing very much.”

Max Lockwood will be performing original music at Thursday’s concert. (Photo by Pia Lu)

Lockwood and his band will kick off the Kentwood Summer Music Series on Thursday (June 16) on the lawn behind City Hall. The concert is at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

READ: Summer revs up with Kentwood concerts, farmers market combo

All concerts will be live streamed by WKTV Community Media. Watch the events live at: https://www.wktv.org/live25.html. If you miss a show you can watch it here at WKTV On Demand.

Lockwood will perform his original music, which is “rooted in songcraft and heartfelt lyricism and bound with elements of rock and roll, folk and pop,” according to his website bio. 

His musicianship, songwriting and experience will shine through, whether playing original or cover songs.

Those originals explore the themes of “love, adversity and growth,” in a powerful voice, akin to the likes of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen.

In fact, he’ll play a couple new songs that were just released, including “Nothing to Fight” and “Lonely Gods.”

Both were recorded in Grand Rapids and feature many local musicians, including members of his side project band, The Insiders, a Tom Petty tribute band that he fronts.

He’s excited to return to Kentwood where he has performed with another band he used to front, psychedelic folk-rock band Big Dudee Roo.

“It’s fun, out on the lawn,” he said of the outdoor series. “Hopefully the weather will be great.”

The Max Lockwood Band consists of Max on guitar and vocals, Justin Dore on guitar, Eric O’Daly on bass and Daine Hammerly on drums.

Learn more about Max Lockwood, including new releases and tour schedules at https://www.maxlockwoodmusic.com/.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Artwork celebrating Grand Haven Music Fountain to be unveiled

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Grand Haven Musical Fountain has daily shows at dusk throughout the summer.

On Thursday June 23, the Grand Haven Musical Fountain Committee with the Friends of the Musical Fountain, Inc. will host the unveiling of a commemorative work honoring the 60-year history of Musical Fountain operations

The work was created by Chris LaPorte, a Grand Rapids based artist and 2010 winner of ArtPrize. As part of the Musical Fountain’s 60th anniversary fundraising efforts, prints and posters in varying sizes and formats will be on sale after the unveiling event (www.ghfountain.org/art).

“The Grand Haven Musical Fountain has been a summer spectacle destination for generations now. So many people have shared their family memories of enjoying the nightly show since I began the drawing, LaPorte said. “The Fountain itself is awesome. And, what the Fountain does and continues to do for the community is also amazing. Capturing the mutual experience of the community over decades is part of what I’m trying to capture with this drawing.”

A copy of the original work along with other artifacts from the Musical Fountain’s 60-year history will be on display in the Tri-Cities Museum window at 200 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven through August.  Because of limited space, parties interested in attending the unveiling should contact the Musical Fountain Committee at info@ghfountain.org.

The Grand Haven Musical Fountain is beloved landmark of the City of Grand Haven that presents a creatively synchronized combination of lights and water with popular musical selections. Free nightly shows occur at dusk from Memorial Day to Labor Day with weekend shows in May and September (www.ghfountain.org/showtimes). Fountain operations and maintenance are a joint effort of the City of Grand Haven and an all-volunteer Musical Fountain Committee.

The Friends of the Musical Fountain, Inc. is a newly formed non-profit organization [501 (c)(3)] committed to creating sustainable funding for the maintenance and future enhancements to the Fountain (www.ghfountain.org/friends).

A free 60th Anniversary celebration is being held on Aug. 27 at the Lynne Sherwood Stadium and will include the debut of another water feature enhancement to the Fountain (www.ghfountain.org/60years)!

Film Review: Getting to know ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Movie Review, Recreation, , , , , , ,

By Ethan Gough
WKTV Community Contributor

Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, and Dianne Wiest in the 1986 Woody Allen film “Hannah and Her Sisters.” (Orion Pictures)

Perhaps for once I should write about a film that most people my age would find interesting… Nah, where would the fun in that be? Why review the latest Disney product masquerading as a real film when I can talk about a family dramedy that’s more than two decades old? So, without further ado, I present to you The Movies That Got Me Through High School.

Hannah and Her Sisters is a film that’s all about relationships. Not just familial relationships, nor romantic relationships like in other Woody Allen films; but also about our relationships with our religion, our past, our emotions, our mortality, and everything else that defines our lives.

Elliot (Michael Caine) is a married financial advisor who’s become infatuated with his wife (Mia Farrow) Hannah’s younger sister, Lee (Barbara Hershey). Lee is currently living with a much older (and much more world-weary) artist named Fredrick, who adores her, but is too cynical about life to provide her with true happiness and fulfillment. The third sister, Holly (Dianne Wiest), is even worse off in her life.  She’s a struggling actress who only got off cocaine a year ago, and her dependence on Hannah for both financial and emotional support has caused her to develop resentful feelings towards her. On the side, we have Mickey (Woody Allen) Hannah’s hypochondriac former husband who comes face to face with mortality when his doctor believes the mild hearing loss in his left ear might be a symptom of a brain tumor.

Michael Caine, with Mia Farrow, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the film “Hannah and Her Sisters.” (Orion Pictures)

The movie has a lot of fun jumping around to different characters and subplots. It’s much easier to make a movie that’s about everything when the plot is almost none existent. The title cards in between each segment add a novelistic sensibility to the work and make a movie that might come dangerously close to feeling convoluted and pointless into a very cohesive and meaningful work of art.

The screenplay is one of the richest ever written for the silver screen. Every piece of dialogue is as witty and true as it is character-revealing. The style is theatrical in the sense that you can tell the lines being spoken have been written out with great attention, but the actors instill them with so much life and raw emotion that it doesn’t occur to us that most people couldn’t talk like this even if they tried.

The performances in this movie are some of my absolute favorites. They’re the main reason I can’t stop watching the film over and over again. I’m addicted to them. I’m overwhelmed by how passionate and fully realized they are. Michael Cane is enjoyable in every movie he’s in, and Diane Weist is possibly the most adorable woman that has ever lived. The true stand out here however is Barbara Hershey, who is so enchanting that we fall just as helplessly in love with her as Elliot does. We are captivated by her not simply because she’s beautiful, which she most certainly is, but because she’s so real. There is not one scene with Hershey that doesn’t radiate emotional truth and vulnerability. We fall in love with her from the films opening shot and share Elliot’s desire to take care of her forever. Our affection is drawn to her like metal is drawn to a magnet.

Dianne Wiest, with Woody Allen, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Hannah and Her Sisters.” (Orion Pictures)

If there’s one central theme that I draw from the film it’s that we create most life complications ourselves. Whether we’re constantly going to the doctors to get a diagnosis for a disease we know we must have or are lusting after another person because the one we’re with feels too perfect, most of life’s problems originate (and hopefully resolve) in the mind.

There is another reason I find myself constantly coming back to this movie, it fills me with so much hope. This is apparently not the desired effect of the film, at least, not as far as Allen is concerned. It was his intention to make what he describes in various interviews as, “ a melancholy film.” but somewhere in the film’s conception, he turned it into a more optimistic piece. Personally, I couldn’t be happier to see him fall short of his original intentions. I like to walk away from a film feeling depressed as much as the next art-film fanatic, but too much of that can be draining. It’s a great pleasure to watch a movie that reminds me that we decide whether our lives are going to be happy and full of meaning or, sorrowful and unsatisfying.


Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.

Serita’s Black Rose brings the funk, more to Tuesday’s concert

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It was a chance meeting at lunch spot in Eastown that brought Serita Crowley and John Hayes together.

Discovering they both had a passion for music and after playing a few sessions together, the two local musicians not only became a couple but formed one of the area’s popular groups, Serita’s Black Rose.

Serita’s Black Rose, featuring John Hayes and Serita Crowley, will perform this Tuesday in Wyoming and on July 4 in the City of Kentwood. (Supplied)

The duo with its bandmates, bassist Robert Pace and drummer Mark Weymouth, will continue the music — or rather the funk — this Tuesday as they take the stage at Lamar Park, the second concert in the Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park series.

The popular local band will perform at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

A self-professed “Funkateer,” Crowley brings a raucous mix of funk, rock, blues, neo-soul, and Americana to the stage, according to the Serita’s Black Rose website. In fact, her voice his probably recognizable to many as she has done voices overs along with performed in the musicals “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Hair.”

As a duo, Hayes and Crowley perform many of the timeless classics of the 1960s and 1970s, although in a recent February 2022 article from Local Spins, Crowley said the band’s focus has been on a specific style: the blues.

“Blues music is a genre that we can focus on. It’s an accessible market for us to do really well in. I mean, blues is at the root of everything,” she told Local Spins.

The pandemic offered the duo a chance to work on new song ideas with a new release expected sometime down the road. 

For now, Serita’s Black Rose has been busy performing. Last summer, the group opened for the classic rock band Kansas at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and its 80-plus gigs a year have the members traveling much of Michigan from Wyoming and Kentwood areas to Mackinaw Island.

Serita Crowley is know for her amazing vocal range. (Supplied)

No sweat if you miss Serita’s Black Rose’s performance on Tuesday. The group has a number of local performances scheduled including being part of the City of Kentwood’s Fourth of July celebration line-up. (That performance is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.)

For more about the group, visit www.seritasblackrose.com.

Wyoming Concerts in Park 2022 are all at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW. More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.

The rest of the Wyoming Concerts in the Park line up is:

June 21 – Nathan Walton Band – Soul, Rock 

June 28 – Jordan Hamilton – Cellist 

July 12 – Randy McAllister – Blues and Soul 

July 19 – Monty Pride – Folk 

July 26 – Bernadette Kathryn – Country 

Aug. 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)

‘Star Wars’ author, Grand Rapids native set to release memoir trilogy

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Our Cities, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributing Writer

Having sold two million Star Wars books for kids (Darth Vader and Son and Jedi Academy) and considered a pioneer of 21st-century graphic memoir, award-winning author and Grand Rapids native Jeffrey Brown is inviting readers to explore the intimate and timeless tales that first launched his career.

Arthur Jeffery Brown (Supplied)

Loved And Lost: A Relationship Trilogy, produced by Top Shelf Productions, is set to debut Tuesday, June 14. These three honest and adult-oriented memoirs, written 20 years ago and now compiled into one work, capture timeless insights into love, intimacy, and vulnerability that make them authentic and relatable to readers.

“(I wanted) to make work that expressed whatI was feeling,” Jeffrey Brown told WKTV in a recent interview. Creating works that related to everyday life was important to Brown. “I thought to myself: The complete opposite of something super-conceptual would be to write something about real life and be as brutally honest as I could possibly write.”

While attending the School of the Art Institute, Brown began doodling comics in his sketchbooks about everyday awkward moments. “There was something about making those that felt very full-filling,” Brown said. The author went on to say that those comics, when he showed them to friends and family, were what seemed to connect with people.

Brown began recording his memories of a recent long-distant relationship in a sketchbook, revealing the emotional frailty of young lovers in writing and art. That first book, Clumsy, struck a chord with readers and prompted Brown to create his second and third graphic memoirs, titled Unlikely and Any Easy Intimacy.

The response to his work, Brown revealed, was unexpected. “These things I was writing about were more universal than I realized,” said Brown. “It’s comforting to know that other people can read something and tell you, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been there,’ and appreciate that you’ve been there too. It’s a two-way street of connecting with readers.”

Putting himself in a vulnerable position by divulging aspects of his personal life didn’t come easily but was worth it to Brown. “As an artist, I’m trusting people with myself, with my stories,” Brown said. “By and large, that trust is rewarded. I find that when someone opens up and is vulnerable, people’s instinct…is to be empathetic and return that vulnerability with their own vulnerability.”

Collected into one volume for the first time, Love And Lost: A Relationship Trilogy reminds readers of real life joy, heartbreak, and humor that marks every life.

Brown revealed that he is curious to see what readers think of the memoirs 20 years after they were written. “It’s interesting to look back. Obviously,the world is very different,” Brown said, “but hopefully there’s still something in there for people to find value in.”

Over the last 20 years, the author and artist has released numerous titles and won several awards, including the Ignatz Awardin 2003 in the category of Outstanding Mini-Comic for I Am Going To Be Small, and back-to-back Eisner Awardsin the category of Best Humor Publication for Darth Vader And Son (2013) and Vader’s Little Princess (2014).

When asked what is next for the author, Brown said that he does have a few projects in the works, but that he has also begun an epic fantasy adventure book, something he has always wanted do. “I try not to overthink how I’m approaching things and just follow what I feel like I what I want to make next,” said Brown. 

To find out more about author and artist Jeffrey Brown, click here: Jeffrey Brown Comics. To order a copy of Loved And Lost: A Relationship Trilogy, click here: Top Shelf Productions.

Rare, unique automobiles on display Saturday at Downtown Market

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Local Food, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

By WKTV Journal
joanne@wktv.org

Cars & Coffee Grand Rapids returns to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market for the seventh year, hosting the season’s first event on Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Cars and Coffee returns to the Grand Rapids Downtown Market on Saturday. (Supplied)

Show cars will be in the Downtown Market parking lot adjacent to Ionia Avenue, and under the covered Market Shed. Spectators can stroll through the impressive array of automobiles from around the region during the event.

Vehicles on display will include sports cars, exotics, tuners, muscle cars and classics.

The Downtown Market will be open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturday for a variety of food and beverage options from Market Hall merchants. Parking is available on-site, and in the nearby McConnell Ave. lot during the event.

Blind Boys of Alabama opens Gardens concerts on Sunday

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Our Cities, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Eric “Ricky” McKinnie was only four years old when he met The Blind Boys of Alabama. His mother was in a gospel group, and he had a chance to meet the legendary Clarence Fountain and other original members on the road.

The Blind Boys of Alabama perform with Marc Cohn on Sunday, June 12. (Supplied)

“I never knew that one day I would be part of The Blind Boys,” said the soft spoken singer, who joined the group as a drummer and road manager 34 years ago.

Today his band backs up The Blind Boys of Alabama, a Grammy award-winning and pioneering gospel group that began in 1939 that is revered in the industry. Over the decades it has appeared on recordings with many artists, including Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Marc Cohn and others.

They help kick off another magical season of concerts on Sunday (June 12) at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. The band opens for good friend Marc Cohn, who recorded an album with the Blind Boys in 2019.

McKinnie said they will play about a 75-minute of Gospel standards and some of their best-known songs, before giving way to Cohn. They might even join him on a song or two.

“We had the opportunity to meet Marc a few years ago; we got together, we did some recordings, we did some tours…it’s good to be back again,” said McKinnie in a phone call with WKTV Journal. “It’s just like family.”

The collaborative album with Cohn, titled “Work to Do,” features new and older material, including Cohn’s best known hit “Walking in Memphis,” as well the Blind Boys’ version of “Amazing Grace.”

McKinnie said it’s a special relationship with Cohn. They love him because he’s “an exceptional singer and keyboard player,” but more so because he’s a good person.

“He’s genuine,” McKinnie said. “What you see is what it is. He doesn’t change. We like his style. He’s just a good guy.”

Cohn said of the venerated gospel group:

“My collaboration with the Blind Boys of Alabama has been a thrilling chapter in my musical life,” he said in a release. “We’ve performed dozens of shows together and I was honored to co-write three songs for their previous album. Now, with the release of our new album, my early love and feeling for gospel music has come full circle. It was wonderful to both write new songs with their heavenly voices in mind, and to capture the joy that they bring to some of my older songs in a live setting.”

The Blind Boys have had a changing roster of musicians over its history, but got their name because a majority of the singers were vision impaired. McKinnie lost his eyesight to glaucoma in 1975.

Marc Cohn along with the Blind Boys of Alabama will kick off the Meijer Gardens concert series on Sunday. (Supplied)

The collaborations and accolades grew over the years and led to some prestigious awards, including five Grammy awards, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The group also was invited to the White House during the Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

McKinnie said “it’s always a privilege” to play for dignitaries and collaborate with other artists because “it’s good to know that someone likes your music and that someone cares.”

Performing songs “that reach the heart” has been a big part of their success, as well as their mission, he said.

“Throughout the years the Blind Boys have always tried to let people know that they are important,” he said.

“They show people that a disability doesn’t have to be a handicap because we learn that it’s not about what you can’t do that’s important, it’s about what you do. A handicap is a limitation, and we all have limitations.”

Most of all, the Atlanta native said, fans can expect to have a good time at Meijer Gardens when he takes the stage to perform with founding member Jimmy Carter, as well as Joey Williams, Ben Moore and Paul Beasley.

“We’re going to sing some songs that will make you feel good, if you feel bad, and we’re going to have you clap your hands and do a little dance. We’re going to have a great ol’ time when we get there,” McKinnie said.

Tickets are still available for the Marc Cohn + Blind Boys of Alabama, which are $52/public and $50 member. Many of the Meijer Garden shows are sold out. Shows with tickets available are:

June 24 – Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown featuring Tank and the Tan Bangas, Big Freedia, Cyril Nevil: The Uptown Ruler, George Porter Jr. and Dumpstaphunk (performing the music of The Meters and the The Soul Rebels, $93/member, $95/public

June 27 – Bluegrass Happening featuring Bela Fleck & My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush & The Jerry Douglas Band, $65/member, $67/public

July 6 – Corinne Bailey Rae with The War & Treaty, $53/member, $55/public

July 15 – Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, $68/member, $70/public

July 20 – Rick Springfield with the Grand Rapids Symphony, $75/member, $77/public

July 21 – Buddy Guy + John Hiatt, $80/member, $82/public

July 28 – Arturo Sandoval with the Grand Rapids Symphony, $53/member, $55/public

Aug. 4 – Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Nicole Atkins, $102/member, $104/public

Aug. 10 – The Dead South with Tejon Street Corner Thieves, $51/member, $53/public

Sept. 12 – Australian Pink Floyd, $61/member, $63/public

Sept. 16 – She & Him, $72/presale, $75/,member, $77/public

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Tickets still remain for 12 of this season’s 33 concerts, including opening night with Marc Cohn and The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Learn more at https://www.meijergardens.org/calendar/summer-concerts-at-meijer-gardens/

Gonzo’s Top 5: Asian-Pacific Festival, Frozen Jr., Bridge Blast, and so much more

Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Our Cities, Recreation, Restaurants, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

It’s another weekend, and another festival in downtown Grand Rapids.

Back is the Asian-Pacific Festival at Calder Plaza, which offers great food, entertainment and even educational workshops.

Obviously it will be in my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

What else makes my list? Read on.

Gonzo’s Top 5

“Frozen Jr.” will be at Byron Center’s Van Singel Fine Arts this weekend. (Supplied)

5. “Frozen Jr.,” Byron Center

Based on the 2018 Broadway musical, “Frozen Jr.” brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life this weekend at the Van Singel Fine Arts Center in Byron Center. The show features all of the classic and memorable songs from the animated film, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday (June 10-11), with a special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. More information at www.vsfac.com.

Fulton Street Artisans Market returns on Sunday and runs through September.

4. Fulton Street Artisans Market

For nearly two decades, the Fulton Street Artisans Market has been a great place for Michigan makers and artists to sell their goods and share their passions with the local community. Not only do you get an opportunity to buy handmade goods and artwork, but you also get to interact and learn about the creative processes. It kicks off this weekend, and continues Sundays through September at the Fulton Street Market in Grand Rapids. Hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. More information on the Facebook Event page. 

Traditional Irish music at The Stray on Saturday. (Supplied)

3. Grand Rapids Irish Traditional Session at The Stray

One of our favorite local hangouts, The Stray, is having an Irish Traditional Session at 7 p.m. Saturday where you can enjoy a pint while listening to a collective of local musicians play traditional Irish folk music. All ages are welcomed. Admission is free. Tips are ALWAYS encouraged. More information is available at https://www.thestraycafe.com/ or on the Facebook Event page. Other acts this weekend: Chris Bursley, Jordan Hamilton and Normal Mode (7:30 p.m. Friday); and Big Band Nouveau (5 p.m. Sunday). The Stray is located at 4253 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids.

2. Bridge Blast 2022

If you’re headed downtown for this weekend’s Asian-Pacific Festival, you might want to stop by City Built Brewing Co. for an outdoor festival with live music, food and great beer. Bridge Blast celebrates the five-year anniversary of one of the best breweries in West Michigan. Along with several City Built beers, the festival features 12 Michigan breweries right on the Sixth Street Bridge. Admission is free to the general public. Bridge Blast is from 3-11 p.m. Saturday (June 11). Learn more on the Facebook Event page.

Asian-Pacific Festival returns to downtown Grand Rapids this weekend. (Supplied)


1. Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival 2022

I remember the very first Asian-Pacfic Festival in Grand Rapids, and thought: “This is so needed in our West Michigan community.” Now, six years later, it’s even more important than ever that we support each other as we learn about ALL the cultures that make us a special place to live, work and play. This weekend you can experience 40-plus diverse food and merchandise vendors, as well as entertainment and workshops. All are dedicated to immersive experiences to learn about the Pacific Island, South Asian and Hmong communities. Organizers said: “Start the day with morning yoga. Then visit our massive selection of diverse cuisine that will delight foodies…plus festival-only craft beers and cocktails.” The two day festival is 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday (June 10-11) at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids.  See you there! Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/grasianfoundation.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre launches innovative education initiative

Entertainment, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Recreation, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre will host a new Young Artist Studio program which will start this fall. (Supplied)

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre announced its new Young Artist Studio program on Wednesday. The new program, which will provide comprehensive professional theatre training for young artists in West Michigan, is the first of its kind in the region.

Civic Theatre’s Young Artist Studio is a ten-month intensive training program which provides experienced mentorship, advanced training, and growth opportunities for young artists in grades 7-12 who are considering a career in theatre performance or production.

“We are so thrilled to be bringing this innovative program to our West Michigan community,” said Civic Theatre Artistic Director Allyson Paris. “There are very few formal training opportunities for young people in our area who are interested in a career in the Theatre Arts. The Studio program will help to fill that void – and will open a new world of possibilities to students who are considering theatre as a career.”

In its inaugural year for 2022/23, the Young Artist Studio will include the following elements:

  • A personal mentor who will meet with students regularly to discuss their goals (andformulate plans to achieve them).
  • Advanced classes curated to the needs and goals of students in the program.
  • Master classes with industry professionals
  • Field trips to see college and professional productions
  • Unique performance opportunities for students in the program
  • Leadership opportunities at Grand Rapids Civic TheatreCivic Theatre encourages any interested and highly-motivated students to apply for the program, regardless of economic status. The Theatre will be offering need-based scholarships by application and pursing a scholarship will not affect students’ acceptance into the program.“Civic firmly believes that anyone should have the opportunity to pursue a career in our industry,” said Paris. “Socioeconomic barriers shouldn’t prevent students with a passion for the theatre arts from pursuing a career in the field.”Auditions and interviews for the 2022/23 Young Artist Studio will be held in mid-July, and the program will begin in September. Interested students and their families can find more infordmation about the program and how to apply at www.grct.org/young-artist-studio.

Film review: Classic coming-of-age film ‘The Graduate’ revisited

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Movie Review, Recreation, , ,

By Ethan Gough
WKTV Community Contributor

“The Graduate” has become a classic. (Embassy Pictures/United Artists)

Editor’s Note: The second installment in The Movies that Got Me Through High School. To check out the first installment, click here.

No movie captures what it’s like to feel lost in the world like the timeless coming-of-age classic “The Graduate.” We become a part of these characters’ lives for just a little less than two hours, and not a moment of that time passes by without us feeling their confusion, anger, emptiness, and above all regret. That being said, the film doesn’t come off as “angsty” or — though I don’t like to use this word —  pretentious. Director Mike Nichols knew exactly what he wanted to do with this story, and he executes that vision in a way that’s never condescending or preachy. There are no big speeches, no major revelations, or even internal discoveries. When the end credits roll our main character Benjamin Braddock is still in the exact same mental state he was in at the film’s beginning. He has no idea what his future holds and he feels completely unprepared to face whatever it may be.

Dustin Hoffman stars as Benjamin, a college graduate who’s just a little worried about his future. Every adult in his life — not just his parents, but his parents’ friends as well — have high expectations for him. In a brilliant long take, we follow Benjamin as he walks around his crowded graduation party and awkwardly interacts with the guest. They ask him questions about his time in school, his love life, what his future plans are, and one even tries to offer him a career in “plastics.” There is one older person in Benjamin’s life who isn’t very concerned with those matters. That person is Mrs. Robinson; a miserable and seductive married woman with whom Benjamin begins having an affair. Things seem complicated enough, but the plot thickens when Benjamin falls in love with Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, Elain. The drama that unfolds is accompanied by a now iconic (and often parodied) soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkle and elevated by career-best performances by Hoffman, Ann Bancroft (as Mrs. Robinson), and Murray Hamilton (as Mr. Robinson).

The element of the story that I find most relatable is that the middle-aged, out-of-touch, adults (many of whom don’t seem to have their own lives together) constantly act as if they know more about what Benjamin’s life should be than he does. He’s spent his entire life trying to conform to the cultural image of a productive young adult, and as a result, he doesn’t really know himself. It is this internal conflict that causes him to act out and jump into a relationship with the wife of his father’s business partner. He’s so desperate to find something different in his boring and empty life that Mrs. Robinson doesn’t have to try very hard to seduce him (side note: Ann Bancroft likely never had to try hard to seduce anyone).

 Like in life, most of the film’s conflict can be found in the characters inability to communicate with each other as well as their powerlessness to improve their situation. Benjamin feels lost and disconnected, Mrs. Robinson is stuck in a loveless marriage, and Mr. Robinson is too busy grappling with the passing of his youth to act on his wife’s dissatisfaction. The dialogue between the characters is layered with innuendo and indirectness as if speaking their minds is a violation of correct human interactions. The only moment in the movie in which Benjamin expresses himself freely is when he’s talking to Elain at a drive thru.  It is a quote that I think perfectly captures the feelings and ideas that generations of young people have been having for as long as humans have lived in a civilized and structured society. “It’s like I was playing some kind of game, but the rules don’t make any sense to me. They’re being made up by all the wrong people. I mean no one makes them up. They seem to make themselves up.”

Here lies the major theme of the whole film. We people, with all our institutions, job titles, and class division have turned life into a game; and in this game, the people who play by the rules manage to barely get by, and those who don’t become lost in a state of disconnect and uncertainty.

Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.

Ice cream launched for National Ice Tea Day

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

McAlister’s Deli and Creamalicious join forces for a Sweet Tea Ice Cream. (Supplied)

To celebrate National Iced Tea Day, which is Friday, June 10, McAlister’s Deli has teamed up with Creamalicious to offer the deli’s famous sweet tea as an ice cream.

The limited edition pint transforms the beverage into a rich, velvety ice cream featuring notes of sugar cookie and lemon swirls. 

“We are thrilled to put such a fun twist on our most iconic menu item and allow fans the opportunity to experience their favorite Sweet Tea in a new way,” said MacAlister’s Deli Executive Chef Courtney Bufford. “With Creamalicious being known for transforming blissful Southern recipes into ice cream, we knew they were the perfect partner to collaborate on a unique confection out of our Famous Sweet Tea.”

Staring June 10, consumers can purchase a pint for $7.99 at participating McAlister’s Deli’s. The Wyoming McAlister’s Deli, located at  a 2380 Health Dr. SW, which is near the University of Michigan Health – West hospital, has indicated it plans to be offering the sweet treat.

The limited-edition flavor also will be available through the Creamalicious website while supplies last. 

Wyoming Concerts in the Park returns June 7

Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

The Soul Syndicate kicks off the Wyoming Concert series on Tuesday, June 7. (Supplied)

The Wyoming Concerts in the Park kicks off with Soul Syndicate, which is one of the most recognizable bands in the area known for its horn section that cranks out classic soul, R&B and funk tunes meant to keep those toes tapping and the young at heart dancing.

“It’s a party!,” said founder and guitarist Mike Coon, who leads a 10-piece band through a long list of songs everyone knows and loves. “It’s a fun band. You don’t sit in chairs and watch us.”

Soul Syndicate opens the Wyoming weekly concert series at 7 p.m. June 7 at Lamar Park. Admission is free.

The Tuesday night series continues through Aug. 2. See the list of shows below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.

Coon said performing in front of fans at outdoor concerts like Wyoming, Meijer Gardens (June 28) and Kentwood (June 30) really brings out a wide range of ages. That’s the great thing about these classic songs by Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, KC and Sunshine Band and Chicago, he said, everyone knows them.

“These songs seem to transcend over a lot of ages, particularly in the outdoor shows like Kentwood and Wyoming where you got, literally, all ages,” Coon said.

Younger people know these songs from parents and grandparents or they’ve heard them in advertisements.

The Soul Syndicate performs at the Frederick Meijer Gardens June 28 followed by a summer performance at Kentwood on June 30. (Supplied)

“The younger people are like ‘Yeah, I know that song,” he said. “And the older people remember it when it was on the charts.”

“These songs just sort of resonate…. Nobody is hearing that old classic rock song that’s been in their head for 30 years. (Our show) is different. It’s refreshing.”

That was the goal when the band started in 2013. Even though the beginnings of the band had started, it was the urging of friend Juliet Dragos of WZZM-TV (Channel 13) who reached out to Coon, asking if he could put a group together for a Special Olympics event.

From there they started doing special events, corporate shows, outdoor festivals and casinos.

The premise has always been the same: To entertain crowds with music they know and love and keep them dancing and clapping along.

Their popularity took off because not a lot of bands had horn sections playing these classic songs, he said.

“I couldn’t think of anybody that really did that,” Coon said. “A lot of other bands had one Stevie Wonder song in their set. We had four of them. It set us apart, and the horns made it snap.”

The group consists of: Mike Coon, guitar; Tom Taylor, drums; Katie Sarb, vocals and backup; Matt Fouts, bass; John Neil, keyboards; Tim DenBesten, trumpet (horn leader); Nate Hansen, sax; Jeff Carroll, trombone; and Colin Tobin, lead vocalist.

They also have a couple other musicians who play sax and rotate through the band, Coon said.

They perform about 50 shows a year, which might not seem like a lot, but Coon emphasized that they’re not a “tavern band.”

“We’re all pros.” he said. “No matter the venue we’re given we seem to be able to adapt quickly and make it work.”

But it’s the horn section that really distinguishes the band from others.

“When they’re all in sync it adds that energy to the show, and the audience really responds to them,” Coon said.

“Everybody in the band is an accomplished soloist. Anybody, whether keyboards, bass, drums, anybody in the section can step up and rip your head off on a solo….When the horns  are on and in sync, it just blows your hair back. It’s cool.”

Learn more about Soul Syndicate and see a list of shows at https://www.thesoulsyndicate.com/shows.

Wyoming Concerts in Park 2022 are all at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park. Admission is free. More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.

Concerts Lineup

June 7 – Soul Syndicate – Covers – Rock 

June 14 – Serita’s Black Rose – Funk, Rock, Blues 

June 21 – Nathan Walton Band – Soul, Rock 

June 28 – Jordan Hamilton – Cellist 

July 12 – Randy McAllister – Blues and Soul 

July 19 – Monty Pride – Folk 

July 26 – Bernadette Kathryn – Country 

August 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Festival, food trucks, and lots of music

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

It’s Festival weekend!

And I’m so excited for the return of Festival of the Arts in downtown Grand Rapids. It’s one of the first major events I experienced when I moved to the area more than 30 years ago, and it showed me that West Michigan cares about the arts, and its children.

Plus, the food is great!

Obviously Festival will make it into my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

What else makes my list? Read on.

Gonzo’s Top 5

Sunday Night Funnies’ Kingpin of Comedy starts June 5. (Courtesy)

5. Sunday Night Funnies – Spectrum Entertainment Complex

The return of the “Kingpin of Comedy” stand-up comedy competition begins Sunday, June 5, at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex. It will continue all summer (and fall), with the finals on Oct. 9. The winner of the competition will win $500 in cash, a Kingpin bowling pin trophy, a customized bowling shirt, and the opportunity to close at the Sunday Night Funnies LaughFest show in 2023. A presentation is planned with the mayor of Wyoming declaring the winner as “the funniest person in town.” Additional prizes also will be awarded from the Spectrum Entertainment Complex, Craig’s Cruisers, the Listening Room and Gilda’s Club’s LaughFest. At this weekend’s show, doors open at 7:30 p.m., followed by the show at 8:30 p.m.  Admission is free. The Spectrum Entertainment Complex is located at 5656 Clyde Park Ave. SW, in Wyoming. More details on the Sunday Night Funnies Facebook page.

Saladino Smise will be part at the Kentwood Food Truck. (supplied)

4. Kick-Off to Summer Food Truck Festival

It’s a beautiful weekend to experience 30 food trucks, live music, a beer tent and more at this year’s Food Truck Festival in Kentwood. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday (June 4)  at Kentwood City Hall and the Kent District Library – Richard L. Root/Kentwood Branch at 4950 Breton Rd. SE.

 

SCHEDULE
11:00am – 8:00pm  Food Trucks serving and Beer Tent open
11:00am-12:30pm  Downtown Authority
12:30 – 2:30pm  DJ Snax
2:30 – 4:00pm  MOLLY
4:00 – 6:00pm  DJ Snax
6:00 – 8:00pm  Azz-Izz Band

More details at https://www.kentwood.us/events_detail_T53_R88.php

Home Free performs June 5. (Supplied)

3. Concerts

Festival of the Arts is not the only thing going on this weekend in downtown Grand Rapids. Rock band Modest Mouse (“Float On”) performs at 7 p.m. Friday (June 3) at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. A few tickets remain starting at $50 general admission. More details at concerts.livenation.com. Also, American country a cappella group Home Free performs at 8 p.m. Sunday (June 5) at DeVos Performance Hall. The group competed in and won the fourth season of “The Sing-Off” on NBC-TV in 2013. Ticket information at devosperformancehall.com.

pxhere.com

2. Camp Greensky Music Festival 

It’s back! America’s favorite Bluegrass music festival led by Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass returns with a great lineup. Performances continue today and Saturday (June 3-4) at Shagbark Farm in Caledonia. The schedule includes:

FRIDAY

  • Dave Bruzza—12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • Luke Winslow King—2-3 p.m.
  • Wayword Sons—3:30-4:30 p.m.
    Peter Rowan—5-6:15 p.m.
  • Sammy Rae & the Friends—6:45-8:15 p.m.
  • Greensky Bluegrass—8:45-11:45 p.m.

SATURDAY

  • phoffman—12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • Jon Stickley Trio—1:45-2:45 p.m.
  • TK & the Holy Know Nothings—3-4 p.m.
  • Steve Kimock and Friends—4:35-5:45 p.m.
  • Little Feat—6:15-8:15 p.m.
  • Greensky Bluegrass—8:45-11:45 p.m.

More information at campgreensky.com.

1.Festival of the Arts

It’s known as one of the largest all-volunteer festivals in the country. And it’s a huge part of West Michigan culture. If you’re new to the area, this is the place to be for local acts such as youth ballet and rock bands to local charities raising money through ethnic food booths. It takes up several stages and food booths spread out on downtown streets to make it happen. Festival of the Arts has been known to bring in as many as 300,000 people over the course of three days (June 3-5). This year should be a return to those big crowds. Enjoy. More information at https://festivalgr.org/.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Film Review: How a 1930s romantic comedy impacted a 2022 high school grad

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Movie Review, Recreation, , , , ,

By Ethan Gough
WKTV Community Contributor

One of the first romantic comedies was the 1934 “It Happened One Night,” directed by Frank Capra.

After four long years of lackluster classes, tedious tests, and Michelle Obama-approved school lunches, I have come to the conclusion that the fondest memories I have of high school consist of the fleeting moments after school hours when I wasn’t being thoroughly “educated,” but instead I was letting myself slip away into the comforting world of cinema. I watched a lot of movies during those moments, and as a result, I have a lot of movies to talk about, and not one piece of homework turned in on time. Is there really a better remedy to this dilemma than to write a series of articles covering the various films that got me through my arduous high school experience? Not when you love movies as much as I do! So, throughout the summer, I shall be presenting you “The Movies That Got Me Through High School!”

It Happened One Night

Why choose to write about a cheesy 1930s  romantic comedy for your first entry on a list of films that got you through high school? How is that relevant to your life? On a more important note, how is it relevant to the lives of your readers?

Those are both legitimate questions. Here’s my attempt at answering them.

It Happened One Night is about a spoiled heiress named Ellie Andrews who runs away from her controlling father after he attempts to have her marriage to a famous – but clearly phony – aviator named King Westly annulled. Determined to be with her husband, Ellie disguises herself as a commoner and hops on a bus to New York. Along the way, she meets Peter Warn, a smart-mouth journalist who decides to help Ellie on her journey in exchange for her headline-making story. At first, their opposite personalities clash. Peter is repulsed by Ellie’s privileged upbringing and lack of street smarts, and Ellie is completely taken aback by Peter’s blunt sarcasm and bullying personality. As you might have guessed, the two eventually get to know each other more and end up falling in love.

The film is by the legendary Italian-born American director Frank Capra, who possessed a unique quality that no filmmaker has managed to successfully imitate. Movies like It’s A Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, and Mr. Deeds, are not just great escapist entertainment. They are individual works of art that all share one central theme, people need each other. Despite how different we perceive ourselves to be from one another (because of our class, experiences, or intelligence) we are all human, and that makes us the same.

It Happened One Night delivers this message through its main characters. It’s easy to pass off their dynamic as predictable or cliche, especially when you consider that almost every movie ever made with a love story has used it, but to do this is to ignore the fact that this movie was released at a time when the cinema hadn’t even reached middle age. Watching these two leads go from hating each other to being unable to live without one another will cause anyone to come dangerously close to becoming a romantic. 

The famous coffee-donut-dunking scene in “It Happened One Night.” (Columbia Pictures)

I never feel bad after watching this movie. Its purpose is to make the audience feel warm and happy by any means necessary. This is likely why everyone involved in making the film thought it would be a flop. Both the leads, Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, didn’t want to be in the movie. The pampered Hollywood A-listers were not used to filming at real-life locations, which is really the only practical way to shoot a movie that mostly takes place during a bus trip to New York. On top of that, Columbia Pictures didn’t think the film had any chance of attracting a large audience and made very little effort to advertise it. Against all odds and expectations, this simple love story managed to take home five Academy Awards (including Best Picture, and Gables only win for Best Actor) and is remembered as the film that kicked off the classic romantic comedy setup that we still see to this day (some may argue that’s a curse, but those are the same people who dislike Star Wars because it caused, “the death of cinema”).

I’ve watched at least one scene from this movie every month since I first saw it two years ago at the beginning of my sophomore year, just a few months before Covid 19 would enter the country and change everything. The simplicity of the story and the theme of becoming your best self through love has always resonated with me. In life, the people we are most different from generally aren’t the people we are attracted to; but, in the world of cinema, a spoiled rich girl really can find something to love about a poor journalist with nothing to offer her but lessons on how to properly dunk a donut into a cup of coffee or hitch a ride from a complete stranger. There’s something so sweet about that notion, and it makes this charming little black and white screwball comedy impossible to resist. After years of countless rewatches it still never fails to tug at my heartstrings and make me see the world through a lens tinted with hope and optimism.

Ethan Gough is an Independent filmmaker and film critic pursuing his passion for cinema at Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan this fall. He received the award for Best Live Action Short at the 2020 Kent County Teen Film Festival for his film Summer Days. He had two films in the 2022 Kent County Teen Film Festival, Bros Night and Alone. Ethan also written from Reel Rundown and Hub Pages.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Hot rods, African food, and the Sistine Chapel

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

It’s Memorial Day weekend!

That means it’s the unofficial start of summer. Who’s ready? I know I am.

Let’s take a look at some of things to do this weekend in my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Oh, and don’t forget the Grand Rapids Memorial Day Parade is at 10 a.m. Monday. More info at uvckc.org. The Wyoming ceremony is at 7 p.m. Monday. More information on the Facebook Event page.

Gonzo’s Top 5

5. Spring Wildflower Walk at Blandford Nature Center

This is a great time to discover nature, and also learn more about our Michigan spring wildflowers, also known as spring ephemerals. This weekend you can check them out on a special wildflower walk from 1-2 p.m. Saturday (May 28) at Blandford Nature Center, 1715 Hillburn Ave NW. According to the event page: “These flowers take advantage of the sun-lit and moisture-rich woodlands to bloom quickly and to go seed in order to ensure their survival until next year. Join Julie Batty, our Land Stewardship Manager, and she leads a walk along the trails of Blandford to seek out some of these flowers before the forest shades over for the summer and they disappear again until next spring.” Cost is $7 for members and $10 for non members. This is an outdoor event. More information on the Blandford Nature Facebook event page.

4. African Market Michigan in Kentwood

Have you been looking for an opportunity to taste authentic African food? This weekend check out African Market Michigan, which will be serving African food and selling African clothing/jewelry all weekend. The pop-up restaurant will be open from noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday (May 28-30) at The Social Suite and Rental, 5528 Division Ave S, in Kentwood. Don’t wait too late in the day because they could sell out before 5 p.m. Learn more on the Taste of Africa Michigan Facebook page.

3. Memorial Day Celebration at Berlin Raceway

It’s always a fun time at the Berlin Raceway in Marne. The racing continues this weekend with some special events, and fireworks! On the schedule is the second and final Money in the Bank qualifier for the Budweiser Super Late Models, plus a 50 Lap feature for the Model Coverall Service, Inc. Limited Late Models. On the track they’ll also have the Coors Light Sportsman and the Good Humor Mini Wedges. As always, kids 15 and under are free. Also, military, veterans and seniors 65+ are admitted free. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at berlinraceway.com.

2. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition

In case you have not heard, the Gerald R. Ford Museum has a special exhibition dedicated to artist Michelangelo, known for his famous fresco “the creation of man” and his work on the Sistine Chapel. With special expertise and care, the ceiling paintings from the Sistine Chapel have been reproduced with licensed high definition photos. They are on display now through Oct. 22. According to the Ford Museum website: “While visitors to the Vatican Museums in Rome can marvel at these frescoes only from afar, ‘Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition’ now offers the opportunity to observe these masterpieces close up, in the form of reproductions.” After centuries of use, the paintings in the Chapel had become covered in such a thick layer of dust and soot, according to press materials, “and as a result of this deterioration the brilliance of the original luminous colors had all but disappeared.” This exhibition brings an entirely new perspective to this work by Michelangelo and acts as a form of art in its own right. Learn more at https://chapelsistine.com/exhibits/grand-rapids/.

1.Fulton Street Farmers Market, Friday, Saturday | 8AM-2PM, 1145 Fulton St E Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids’ oldest Farmers Market, operating since 1922, is back for another summer season. The Fulton Street Farmers Market features 118 outdoor booths and additional space for indoor booths. The market hosts an assortment of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, hand-crafted food items, and unique artisan products year-round. The summer season is underway now with expanded hours and days, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The Fulton Street Farmers Market is located at 1145 Fulton St. SE. Learn more at fultonstreetmarket.org. The Fulton Street Artisans Market opens June 12.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Sunday Night Funnies Kingpin of Comedy competition returns

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Restaurants, Upcoming Events, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Sunday Night Funnies popular Kingpin of Comedy competition starts back on Sunday, June 5. (SNF)

Starting Sunday, June 5, and running through Sunday, Oct. 9, the Sunday Night Funnies stand-up comedy show will hold its fourth annual standup comedy competition the Kingpin of Comedy at The Spectrum Entertainment Complex.

“This is a blatant rip-off of the Funniest Person in Grand Rapids contest that Dr. Grins use to run”, says Brian B. (Brian Borbot), creator & MC of the Sunday Night Funnies. Brian is referring to the successful annual event at Dr. Grins the former comedy club that was 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 the funniest person in Wyoming!” he said.

Besides the $500 cash there are also prizes from Wyoming businesses Spectrum Entertainment Complex (where the event is hosted) along with their next-door neighbor Craig’s Cruisers, live entertainment venue the Listening Room and Gilda’s Club’s LaughFest. The winner will also receive a Kingpin bowling pin trophy, a customized bowling shirt, and the opportunity to close at the Sunday Night Funnies LaughFest show in 2023. The total prize package is close to $1,000 in value! There will also a presentation from the Mayor of Wyoming declaring the winner the funniest person in town!

“Great idea, I’m on board with that,” said Spectrum Lanes Jr. Partner/Operations Mike Eaton.

Local band Whorled starts off year with being crowned first Battle of the Bands winner

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Whorled won the March Battle of the Bands at The Stray. (courtesy)

Playing a style of music they call “World folk” has paid off for Whorled.

The critical praise has been huge, and the band won a Battle of the Bands in March at The Stray Café in Grand Rapids.

Local Spins recently described Whorled (pronounced “world”) as follows:

“The world folk band stole the stage with a set that was less of a performance and more of an experience. Many of its songs weaved through various genres — starting as an Irish highland tune, then transitioning to a traditional Japanese song and ending with a bluegrass swing.”

That makes sense when you consider the trio draws from celtic, gypsy jazz, Brazilian, bluegrass and classical influences, said Thom Jayne of Whorled. The group is known for playing a variety of instruments, including violin, accordion, guitar, banjo, whistles, and occasionally a didgeridoo, which is a wind instrument.

The band also consists of multi-instrumentalist Keala Venema and accordionist Marika Venema.

Jayne answered a few questions from WKTV.

WKTV Journal: How did you come up with your band’s name?

Jayne: The name signifies the diverse backgrounds and musical influences that each of us bring to create our signature “Whorled” sound.

WKTV: When did you form?

Jayne: 2020. We formed during the Covid period and have only been playing out in public during the past year.

WKTV: What do you hope to accomplish with your music?

Jayne: To create a unique sound that is both true to the traditions that we draw from and also to integrate them together in fresh ways.

WKTV: Has it been easy or difficult to break into the West Michigan music scene?

Jayne: We’re just starting out, so still finding out.

WKTV: What makes you stand out, outside of playing all those instruments?

Jayne: We have a strictly Celtic set, but most of our material features a variety of styles sprinkled with spontaneous improvisation so that no two Whorled shows are the same. Our show is high-energy, good-feeling, and crowd-interactive.

Upcoming Performances:

We’re playing at Meijer Gardens on July 12, opening for the Accidentals at the Saugatuck Jump into Summer Festival on June 17, and are being featured in the Sparta Irish Music Festival on August 12-13.

Learn more about the band at https://www.whorledband.com/videos.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

They’re back! Food truck season starts this weekend

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, Restaurants, , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Kool Breze is part of the kick off to Food Truck season in West Michigan, which begins with tonight’s first of Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids. (supplied)

Variety. Aromas. Excitement.

Food trucks and festivals make the perfect match, just like mustard on a hot dog. (Let’s not talk about ketchup.)

Food truck owners in 2022 are more than county fair concessionaires, offering fries, hot dogs and cotton candy. Today foodies will find gourmet pretzels, mouthwatering BBQ, burritos, pizza, and on and on.

What’s not to love?

“People like variety. People love to meet and greet and grab a bite to eat,” said Steven McGhee of the Kool Breze food truck with a menu of slushies, soft serve ice cream and a variety of decadent desserts.

Kool Breze is part of the kick off to Food Truck season in West Michigan, which begins with tonight’s first of Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids. The series will continue every Friday night through Sept. 2.

See WKTV’s list below of local Food Truck events. Know more? Email me: michigangonzo@gmail.com.

On Sunday, the Grand Rapids Food Truck Association (GRFTA) partnered with Downtown Grand Rapids, GR8 Food Trucks and others to put together Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival, a fourth-year event making its debut at Calder Plaza. It runs from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, May 22.

Waffle Nachos! Get them this Friday at GR8 Food Truck Fridays and Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival at Calder Plaza.Taste Buds- Kitchen Connects, LLC (John D. Gonzalez)

It will be a grand celebration, said organizers, because food trucks are so much fun.

“ Food trucks are a culture,” said Rock Dandeneau, owner of Pressed In Time Food Truck and president of GRFTA.

“Many large cities have grown the street food scene into a start or incubator for brick and mortar. It is a way to test out foods and concepts. It also is a great way to start a small business and understand the logistics of running a business.”

Overall, he said “food trucks are artistic in nature from its concept, menu offerings and even art designs on the trucks.”

GRFTA, which formed in 2016, is a great resource for those who want to get into the business or just find out where to find food trucks all over the area.

“(We) formed to improve business conditions for food trucks, promote the economic contributions of  the food truck industry to the region,” said Lauren D’Angelo, Vice President, GRFTA.

“We also try to provide educational resources to food trucks and we provide a mechanism of education and exchange information between food truck owners.”

In fact, they have worked with MSU extension to put together a food truck startup course, which is now available online.

Each Food Truck has a story, too.

Take Saladino Smoke, a BBQ food truck owned by Mike and Katie Saladino, for example.

Saladino Smise will be part of the May 22 Roll ‘N Out Food Truck Fest. (supplied)

In order to spend more time with their two boys (Joey and Anthony) during those busy school years, they started cooking for their teammates and families before games and matches.

“One thing led to another and we ended up running the high school concession stands for a number of years,” they said.

It became a full time job for the family.

“We both lost our jobs during the pandemic and thankfully our food truck business saved us,” Katie said.

They BBQ the “old school way” – low and slow with traditional wood fired pits and grills, using oak, cherry, apple and mesquite woods.

”We are family driven and committed to delivering the best quality, fun filled event for you,” they said.

Some popular food truck gatherings:

Food Truck Friday, May 20 (thru Sept. 2), Riverside Park in Grand Rapids; https://www.facebook.com/GR8FoodTruckFridays/

It’s the 6th season of Food Truck Fridays at Riverside Park, north of downtown Grand Rapids. You can see the event from the road. It is located by the Guild St. entrance. This grassroots event has continued to thrive year after year. It offers a great blend of fan favorites as well as plenty of new food trucks for everyone to try. Organizers also have increased the amount of offerings to help with lines and will have a larger footprint to provide more social distancing.

New features include a Frequent Fridays Card that will offer you the chance to win prizes based on how many FTF you frequent.

Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival, May 22 (11am-8pm) Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids; https://www.facebook.com/events/1124456104989269

The Grand Rapids Food Truck Association (GRFTA), will host the 4th annual Roll’N Out Food Truck Fest on Sunday, May 22nd on Ottawa Avenue and Calder Plaza. Up to 38 food trucks and trailers will participate, making the event one of Grand Rapids’ largest food truck rallys.

In addition to the food trucks lining both sides of Ottawa Avenue , the 4th annual Roll’N Out Food Truck Fest will feature:

• Picnic space in Calder Plaza (bring a blanket to enjoy food truck fare and music!)

• Food Truck Certificate Giveaways leading up to the event.

• Entertainment from the Calder Plaza stage.

• Community Partner areas providing complimentary family-friendly activities.

• Live entertainment throughout the day!

Lovies Food Truck at Horrocks, May 28; Horrocks Market Tavern in Kentwood;

Live, Laugh, Lovies! Grand Rapids Diner on wheels will be parking in the Beer Garden at Horrocks.

 

Food Truck Summer Series, June 1; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Viewing Park at G.R. Ford Airport;

June’s featured trucks are Bigfoot Burger, Kool Breze, El Jalapeno, Kosher Falafel and Saladino Smoke. Expect tasty food and airplane viewing.

Kentwood Food Truck Festival, June 4 and Sept. 17; 11am-8pm, Kentwood City Hall;

Back for its 5th year, located on the campus of Kentwood City Hall and the Kent District Library – Richard L. Root/Kentwood Branch. Kentwood’s Food Truck Festival is one of West Michigan’s largest food truck events. It features 20-30 different food trucks and live music all day, as well as a beer tent featuring many local favorites.

Los Jalapenos is a food trailer serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Will be at Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival (supplied)

Food Truck Frenzy!  June 9, July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8, Sparta’s Town Square in Sparta;

Thursdays on the Square is hosting Food Truck Frenzy. The Facebook page plans to update the food trucks coming, their menus and other details like live bands and more.

Bridge Street Market; Fridays, June 10-Sept. 2, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Food trucks take over the West Side with the help of Stockbridge Business Association and the Bridge St. Market. The corner lot of Bridge St and Stocking/Lexington Ave will play host to four food trucks every Friday beginning June 10.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Food trucks, carnival, barbecue and beer

Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Happy Food Truck weekend!

Two major events are planning for local foodies who love a good food truck.

Today begins Food Truck Friday at Riverside Park, and then Sunday is the first time Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids will host Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival.

Both of those events make it into my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal. What else is going on this weekend? Read on!

Gonzo’s Top 5

5. LMCU Ballpark Carnival

Nothing says summer like a carnival. Our friends at Skerbeck Entertainment Group always do a great job. You’ll find one today through Sunday at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park. More details by clicking here. By the way, don’t forget that the Whitecaps are in action, too. Play ball! More details at whitecapsbaseball.com.

Waffle Nachos! Get them this Friday at GR8 Food Truck Fridays and Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival at Calder Plaza.Taste Buds- Kitchen Connects, LLC (John D. Gonzalez)

4. Food Trucks

As I mentioned, it’s a busy weekend for food truck lovers as two major events take place.

Food Truck Fridays, 5-9 p.m. this summer beginning May 20 through Sept. 2 at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids features anywhere from 12-17 trucks each week. In its 6th season on the north side of Grand Rapids you can expect some of the area’s best-loved food trucks, as well as new ones, too. New this year is a Frequent Fridays Card that will offer you the chance to win prizes based on how many FTF you frequent. More details at https://www.facebook.com/GR8FoodTruckFridays/.

Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Sunday (May 22) at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids, will feature up to 38 food trucks and trailers, making the event one of Grand Rapids’ largest food truck rallys. Music, entertainment, giveaways and a picnic area (bring your blankets) will make this event a lot of fun. More details at https://www.facebook.com/events/1124456104989269.

3. Van Andel Arena

Two events are planned. More info on both shows at www.vanandelarena.com.

WWE Smackdown is at 7:45 p.m. Friday (May 20). Raw Tag Team Champions RK Bro take on Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Usos, in a Tag Team Title Unification Match. Of course, that’s just the highlight. It’s always a full card of entertainment.

All Star Legends of Hip Hop, with Juvenile, Scarface, Trina, MJG, Eightball, Trick Daddy, and DJ Quik, perform at 8 p.m. Saturday (May 21). It’s time to go Old School!

2. ALEgan Beer BBQ and Blues Fest

Looking for a beer and blues festival this weekend? The ALEgan Beer and Blues Fest features five BBQ vendors and live blues music from 2-7 p.m. Saturday (May 21) at the Allegan County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $45, which gives you 15 tickets for 4 oz. beer samples and five tickets for food samples. All festival attendees must be 21 or older to enter. More info at https://aleganbeerbbqandbluesfest.rsvpify.com/.

The breweries:

  • Tantrick Brewing Co. (Allegan, MI)
  • Schaendorf Brewing Co (featured in a Collaboration Brew with Tantrick Brewing Co.)
  • Waypost (Fennville)
  • OpenRoad Brewery (Wayland)
  • Rusty Rocket (Pullman)
  • Paw Paw Brewing Co. (Paw Paw)
  • Burzurk Brewing Company (Grand Haven)
  • Murray St. Brewing (Mattawan)
  • Presidential Brewing (Portage)
  • One Well Brewery (Kalamazoo)
  • Bier Distillery (Comstock Park)
  • Distant Whistle (Vicksburg)
  • Handmap Brewing (Battle Creek)
  • Three Blondes (South Haven)
  • Final Gravity (Decatur)
  • Harbor Light (South Haven)

Amy Sherman, John Sinkevics, and John Gonzalez. (John Gonzalez)

1.Local Spins Fest

Have you had a chance to attend one of the shows this week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of LocalSpins.com? We did a story on founder John Sinkevics earlier this week on WKTV Journal with a list of his shows and a special Local Spinsation Ale at Rockford Brewing Company.

READ: A leap of faith started music source Local Spins, which marks its 10th anniversary

Show on tap this weekend: 

  • FRIDAY, MAY 20 (Early Show) – Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill: Blues Night with Jake Kershaw and Hank Mowery & The Hawktones, 7 p.m., $10, tickets available online here.
  •  FRIDAY, MAY 20 (Late Show) – The Intersection: Desmond Jones and The Legal Immigrants at Elevation, 9 p.m., $10, tickets on sale now at sectionlive.com.
  • SATURDAY, MAY 21 – LOCAL SPINS FEST AT STUDIO PARK (Downtown Grand Rapids)

2 p.m. – Doors open

3 p.m. – DJ SuperDre

4 p.m. – Cabildo

5 p.m. – Hannah Rose Graves

6 p.m. – Full Cord

7 p.m. – Public Access (wsg Emilee Petersmark of The Crane Wives)

8:30 p.m. – The Accidentals

Refreshments, merchandise and sponsor booths will be part of the event. General admission tickets are$20 and on sale now at listeningroomgr.com.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Grand Rapids Art Museum features works from its Keeler Collection

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local History, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Works from the Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler Collection will be featured in an exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. (supplied)

The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) has opened An Extraordinary Legacy: The Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler Collection, an exhibition of 65 works of modern and contemporary art at GRAM. Running through Oct. 8, the exhibition celebrates the transformative gift of art given to the given to the Museum from the Keeler Collection between 1976 and 2021, and includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints.

“The Grand Rapids Art Museum is thrilled to celebrate the profound impact of Miner and Mary Ann Keeler on the Museum, and on the city of Grand Rapids, with An Extraordinary Legacy,” said GRAM Advancement Director Elly Barnette-Dawson. “From its inception, the Museum’s permanent collection has grown primarily through the generosity of individual donors. This dynamic gift from the Keelers ensures our community has access to these cherished works of art for generations to come.”



The Keelers’ artistic legacy is built upon their civic and institutional involvement, as well as their personal art collecting. Miner and Mary Ann Keeler had the vision to make art accessible to all in Grand Rapids and were pivotal supporters of downtown revitalization and many local cultural organizations. The couple was central to bringing Alexander Calder’s sculpture, La Grande Vitesse, to downtown Grand Rapids in 1969, as well as the kinetic sculpture Motu Viget, by Mark di Suvero in 1977, and Alexis Smith’s The Grand to DeVos Hall in 1983.



An Extraordinary Legacy is focused on artists who emerged as artistic leaders between 1940 and 1990, a vibrant period in American and European art. The artists represented in the exhibition include Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Diego Rivera, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Nevelson, Mark di Suvero, Andy Warhol, Janet Fish, and Alexis Smith.



An Extraordinary Legacy is divided into three sections: Sculpture and Sculptors’ Works on Paper explores the significance of sculpture and sculptors in the Keelers’ lives and advocacy. European Modern Masters shares works that illuminate important art historical movements including Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism. American Art: From Representation to Abstraction (and Back Again) spans the years 1921 to 1995, focusing on the dynamic tension between realism and abstraction in American art. 

Paddle Antrim hosts kick off to the paddling season

Entertainment, Environment, Great Lakes, Kids Activities, Sports, Travel, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Paddle Antrim kicks off the season with its June 2 event. (Supplied)

Paddle Antrim will kick-off the paddling season on the Chain of Lakes Water Trail with a special community paddle and gathering in Elk Rapids with Short’s Brewing Company.

On Thursday, June 2, Paddle Antrim and Short’s Brewing Company invite the community for a community paddle on Elk River launching from Elk Rapids Rotary Park followed by a gathering just up the road at the Short’s Pull Barn.

This special gathering is the celebration of the upcoming season on Northern Michigan’s only state designated water trail. A community paddle will take place from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. on Elk River followed by a gathering featuring live music, food trucks, and beverages at Short’s Pull Barn.

“In addition to this event, Paddle Antrim is thrilled to offer programming all season long. “After a couple years of uncertainty, we are thrilled to bring back our programming in full force this summer,” said Deana Jerdee, executive director of Paddle Antrim. “Our classes and community paddles are great ways for paddlers to connect with each other and the water in a fun and educational way.”

Paddle Antrim will host 15 kayaking classes for both adults and children. (supplied)

The non-profit organization will host seven community paddles, 15 kayaking classes, four stewardship classes and the beloved three-day Paddle Antrim Festival.

Community paddles are free and open to the public. These relaxed hour-long paddles take place along different sections of the Chain of Lakes and all paddlers are welcome – canoes, kayaks, and stand up paddle boards. Paddlers are responsible for bringing their own paddle craft and personal flotation devices (life jackets) must always be worn when out on the water.

 

Adult classes teach paddlers the basics of paddling all types of kayaks in a fun and safe way. These classes are great for beginners but anyone who has never received formal instruction will benefit. Kids’ classes are a great way to introduce your child to the sport of kayaking. Designed with fun and water safety as primary goals, these classes teach students through a variety of games and exploration. All classes are taught by American Canoe Association (ACA) certified instructors.

 

Paddle Antrim has partnered with Grass River Natural Area, Tipp of the Mitt Watershed Council, Little Traverse Conservancy, Kalkaska Conservation District, Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy, and CAKE CISMA to offer four stewardship classes in three different counties in Northern Michigan – Antrim, Charlevoix and Kalkaska. These classes train paddlers to identify and report invasive species while preventing their spread.

The Paddle Antrim Festival will take place Sept. 15 -17. Sponsored by Short’s Brewing Company, the Festival is a celebration of the waterways with two days of paddling and three days of community events.

 

For more information on all the Paddle Antrim events and classes visit www.paddleantrim.com/events. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

A leap of faith started music source Local Spins, which marks its 10th anniversary

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Business, Local Faces, Recreation, , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Amy Sherman, John Sinkevics, and John Gonzalez. (John Gonzalez)

Ten years ago, John Sinkevics took a leap of faith.

As the former music critic for The Grand Rapids Press, he knew there was a “robust” music scene in West Michigan, and he also knew he had the connections, credibility and drive to build a website dedicated to music news, interviews, album releases and concert coverage.

He started LocalSpins.com, which this week is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a series of seven shows over six days.

Sinkevics, who is based in Rockford, and also performs with his band the Honeytones with another Press alum, former religion editor and features writer Charley Honey, said starting the website was a pretty scary endeavor.

“When I started this it was like jumping off a cliff,” he said on our radio show and podcast Behind the Mitten, which aired this weekend. (Listen to the whole show below or here.)

But he also had support from the local music community, including musicians and venues such as Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill and The Intersection. “They spurred me on,” he said.

It was the scene’s quality of music that also made him confident he could start something new in West Michigan.

“I knew this music scene was a robust scene. It was growing. It had incredible talent from Traverse City to Kalamazoo to the Lakeshore to Grand Rapids, and it really felt good. I knew there was something happening here that needed to be covered.”

It didn’t take long before he was hiring photographers, freelance writers and other journalists to help him out.

The line up for the celebration. (John Gonzalez)

“Before you knew I was careening along at 60-70 hours a week, just making it happen. But because there was so much to cover and there was so much beautiful music being made here that it paid off in the long run.”

The pandemic changed things for musicians, obviously, who didn’t have venues or crowds to support them. That also had an impact on publications like Local Spins.

“A lot of readers stepped up and before you knew it I could still keep things rolling, and we found ways to cover the albums that were being released,” he said. “Musicians didn’t stop, they just couldn’t perform live.

“Now we’ve reached that 10-year milestone…, I’m ready to celebrate.”

In addition to the series of upcoming concerts, Local Spins has special merchandise to commemorate the anniversary and a collaboration beer release with Rockford Brewing Company called the Local Spinsation Ale. It’s on tap now.

Get more details at LocalSpins.com.

Local Spins Fest concerts are through May 21. Details provided by LocalSpins.com:

• TUESDAY, MAY 17 – Listening Room: A special Local Spins edition of “Songtellers, Stories & Songs” hosted by Nicholas James Thomasma with rock multi-instrumentalist Patty PerShayla, hip hop cellist Jordan Hamilton, punk rock guitarist Julio Gomez and singer-songwriter Eric Engblade, 7 p.m., $10, tickets on sale here.

• WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 – SpeakEZ Lounge: Earth Radio and the return of The Concussions, 8 p.m., free. Donations accepted.

• THURSDAY, MAY 19 – The Pyramid Scheme: Local Spins 10th Anniversary Hip Hop Showcase with Les Creatif, J. Rob & Bedrock and Wuzee & Samil, 8 p.m., $8 advance, available online here.

• FRIDAY, MAY 20 (Early Show) – Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill: Blues Night with Jake Kershaw and Hank Mowery & The Hawktones, 7 p.m., $10, tickets available online here.

The Accidentials perform May 21. (Photo by B. Hockensmith Photography)

• FRIDAY, MAY 20 (Late Show) – The Intersection: Desmond Jones and The Legal Immigrants at Elevation, 9 p.m., $10, tickets on sale now at sectionlive.com.

• SATURDAY, MAY 21 – LOCAL SPINS FEST AT STUDIO PARK (Downtown Grand Rapids)

2 p.m. – Doors open

3 p.m. – DJ SuperDre

4 p.m. – Cabildo

5 p.m. – Hannah Rose Graves

6 p.m. – Full Cord

7 p.m. – Public Access (wsg Emilee Petersmark of The Crane Wives)

8:30 p.m. – The Accidentals

Refreshments, merchandise and sponsor booths will be part of the event. General admission tickets are just $20 and on sale now at listeningroomgr.com.

Behind the Mitten

Listen to me and co-host Amy Sherman talk to John Sinkevics about his 10-year anniversary, as well the summer outdoor music concert season across West Michigan. We also learn more about Rockford Brewing Company through general manager Matt Valleau.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Summer festivals predicted to be in full swing this season

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Recreation, , , ,

By Jada Penn
Capital News Service

LANSING — Sunny skies, concerts, food and fun will be happening in Traverse City, Grand Rapids and other Michigan communities as festivals return this year after cancellations and limitations in the previous two years due to COVID-19.

Among the summer festivals returning this year is the Asian-Pacific Festival on June 10-11. (Supplied)

The National Cherry Festival is returning to downtown Traverse City July 2-9 and will mark its 96-year anniversary.

It celebrates cherries in Northern Michigan, which produces 70% of the nation’s cherries, according to executive director Kat Paye.

In 2020, the festival was canceled due to COVID-19, and in 2021 some events were changed, such as having smaller concerts and a drive-through parade, while its usual air show was canceled.

This year, visitors can look forward to the Community Royale Parade and Cherry Royale Parade, eight concerts, two air shows and 150 events.

Paye said the main focus of the festival is always the agriculture of cherries.

“We have a pie-eating contest and you can get cherry pie flurries at our ice cream tent in order to taste the harvest,” Paye said.

Mike Szukhent, the president of Michigan Festivals and Events Association, said festivals and other events ran at a 30% rate in 2021, while this year the association expects close to a 100% rate.

Szukhent said he spoke with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who said there won’t be any restrictions this year so festivals and events can go back to normal scheduling.

 

“We’re looking at 2022 being a major uptick because there aren’t any regulations or restrictions prohibiting festivals,” Szukhent said.

Among them is the Asian-Pacific Festival on June 10-11 and Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival May 22, both in Grand Rapids.

The Asian-Pacific Festival was canceled in 2020 and took place on a restricted basis as a smaller event in 2021.

Food trucks return Rock ‘N Out Food Truck Festival May 22. (WKTV)

Festival director Mai Thao said organizers this year are anticipating the biggest turnout ever and people are ready to continue the free celebration in a safe and COVID-friendly environment.

Friday night will be dedicated to Pacific Islander Night and Saturday is Hmong night, according to Thao.

Meanwhile, the Grand Rapids Food Truck Association expects more than 35 participants in its Roll’N Out Food Truck Festival after cancellations in 2020 and 2021, according to Lauren D’Angelo, the association’s vice president.

“We are excited to get all of the food trucks together in Grand Rapids and celebrate the food truck culture and growth,” D’Angelo said.

“We want everyone to come out, try new things and check out all the new food trucks in the area. We hope everyone leaves with a full tummy and great experience,” she said.

For more information on summer festivals, go to www.michiganfun.com.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Sting, Star Wars, Storytelling and Tulip Time

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

It’s been a heck of a week!

We celebrated Star Wars Day and Cinco de Mayo, which were so much fun. And this weekend is the beginning of a beautiful stretch of weather as the forecast calls for 80-degrees next week.

We may as well keep the party going.

Lucky are the hundreds who will be attending this weekend’s sold out Taco & Tequila Festival at LMCU Ballpark. I was just asked to be a judge, so you know I’ll be having a good time.

What else is going on? Let’s run down my Top 5 picks, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Gonzo’s Top 5

The Stray Cafe, located at 4253 Division Ave., Wyoming, is where the WKTV Voices’ Storytelling Project will take place on Feb. 24. (Supplied)

5. WKTV Voices Storytelling Night at The Stray Café

Do you love stories? Hanging out with friends? Meeting new people? Tonight is the return of the WKTV Voices Storytelling Night at The Stray Café in Grand Rapids. We have several people already signed up to tell their story. In 6 minutes they will share a tidbit about their lives. It could be funny, inspiring or compelling. It’s up to the storyteller. We’re also taking last-minute signups at the event. It’s free to attend. Come on out. I’ll be there. The event begins at 7 tonight (May 6) at The Stray, 4253 Division Ave S Suite A. More info at https://wktvvoices.org/voices-storytelling-at-the-stray/.

Brooks & Dunn perform at Van Andel Arena. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

4. Van Andel Arena Concerts

Two big shows are on tap this weekend:

Brooks & Dunn return tonight (May 6) with a boot, scootin’ boogie good time with opening acts Jon Pardi and Tyler Booth. With 20 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1991, you’ll know all the songs, including “Believe,” “My Maria,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” and many more.

Sting is back for a show on Saturday (May 7) with special guest Joe Sumner. I’m not sure what to say. It’s Sting! That means every song is memorable. According to press material, Sting’s “’My Songs’ concert is an exuberant and dynamic show featuring his most beloved songs written throughout the 17-time Grammy Award winner’s illustrious career, both with The Police and as a solo artist.” That also means classics such as “Fields of Gold,” “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Message In A Bottle” and many more.

Learn more about each show at www.vanandelarena.com.

3. Star Wars Day at John Ball Zoo

Good news, “Star Wars” Fans. Even if you forgot to wear your favorite shirt on May the 4th (I know two people who did that), you can still celebrate this weekend with a special event on Saturday (May 7) at John Ball Park Zoo in Grand Rapids. Organizers said: “Dress as your favorite character from the Star Wars saga to come learn about the creatures in our galaxy and if you’re lucky, you might just see Luke Skywalker roaming the Zoo.” Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. for Star Wars Day at the Zoo! More info at https://www.jbzoo.org/starwarsday.

2. Tulip Time Festival

It’s time to celebrate Dutch heritage, and tulips, in Holland as Tulip Time returns over eight days with activities in different locations, most within a 4-mile radius of downtown Holland. Tulips can be seen for no charge in public parks and along downtown streets. Overall, more than six million tulips are blooming throughout the city and area attractions. Several ticketed events also are planned, too. Plus, they have parades! To see a complete schedule go to https://www.tuliptime.com/. It runs through May 15.


Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan Hansen and the North American touring company of “Dear Evan Hansen.” (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

1.“Dear Evan Hansen”

Yes, it’s contemporary, which means references to social media, viral videos, the Internet, chats, etc. But to me, this show is about the basic human nature to be loved, needed and valued as a person. It’s the story about a teenager, Evan Hansen, who doesn’t fit in at school or at home. He struggles mightily. And he gets caught up in a spiral of events that could be his breaking point. In an interview with Meghan Distel of Broadway Grand Rapids, which is presenting the show through Sunday (May 8) at DeVos Performance Hall, she said the musical drama has a “lasting impact” on you. She’s spot on. Even if you can’t attend, find someone who did. Do some research. Stream it on TV. Someone out there needs you. It could be you. Learn more about the show at broadwaygrandrapids.com.

READ: Find why Broadway’s latest sensation has resonated with so many

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Empowering messages through music, meet the Epitones

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, Upcoming Events, West Michigan, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

The Epitones was one of three finalists in The Stray Cafe’s first Battle of the Bands competition held in March. (Courtesy/The Stray Cafe)

Original music should tell a story in a “unique way,” says drummer Matt DeRuiter of the Epitones.

“We strive to share empowering messages and love through our music, along with creating an environment for people to express themselves while listening,” he says in a recent email to WKTV Journal.

His band was one of the three finalists in a recent Battle of the Band competition at The Stray Café located in Wyoming.

Influenced heavily by Pink Floyd and Umphrey’s McGee, DeRuiter says the self-taught trio from Grand Rapids describe their sound as “Psychedelic Rock.” The group also includes lead guitarist/vocalist Chris Gill and bassist Colin Darling.

DeRuiter answered a few other questions about the band.

WKTV Journal: How did the band get its name?

DeRuiter:  We spent quite a long time trying to settle on a name and decided on this as both of our guitarists are tone junkies, continue to experiment with new techniques and tones, and are consistently refining their sound. We got the idea from “Epic Tones” and then combined it to be Epitones.

WKTV: How did you get together?

DeRuiter: We formed as a three-piece in 2018, though we have all been friends playing together on and off casually and in different projects since 2012.

WKTV: What are the band’s goals?

The Epitones formed in 2018. (Courtesy/The Stray Cafe)

DeRuiter: We hope to wrap up a few singles this year and to continue playing larger shows. This is our first year playing festivals such as Cowpie, so we hope to continue playing more festivals, new venues, and to work with bigger bands in the area.

WKTV: How do you describe the West Michigan music scene?

DeRuiter: Being relatively new to the scene it has been somewhat difficult to gain traction, especially during Covid. Though as we continue to play more shows we have gained a steady following and are starting to get some more recognition as a band. This Battle of The Bands was a great way to share our music and network with fellow musicians.

Upcoming Performances:

Playing at the Deck in Muskegon June 26 and July 24, playing Dunesville Music Festival, Cowpie Music Festival, and Walk the Beat in Grand Haven.

Learn more about the band on its Facebook Page.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Find why Broadway’s latest sensation has resonated with so many

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan Hansen and the North American touring company of “Dear Evan Hansen.” (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – When a show comes to town with six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, you know the local theater community will be excited.

But “Dear Evan Hansen” is more than your average “theater show.”

It’s a contemporary play in theme and message with an ability to reach a wide section of audiences, said Meghan Distel, the new president & CEO of Broadway Grand Rapids.

“It has impacted so many people around the world because its message touches so many, so deeply,” Distel said. “We’re really excited about it. It has such a huge fan base. It’s a highlight of the season for sure.”

Less than 2,000 tickets remain for the eight performances over six days (May 3-8) at DeVos Performance Hall as part of the current Broadway Grand Rapids season. But there are tickets availab;e for all shows, she said.

Also, it was announced last week that $25 lottery tickets will be offered digitally to fans. The digital lottery will begin accepting entries today for all performances until 9 a.m. local time the day before the performance. Fans who have been selected will be notified daily via email and can then purchase up to two (2) tickets at $25 each. More details are available at www.luckyseat.com/dearevanhansen.

The show is described as a “deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.” Through powerful music and lyrics, it puts a spotlight on mental health and grief.

Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan Hansen and Jessica E.-Sherman-as Heidi Hansen. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

It tells the story of Evan Hansen, who is an anxiety-ridden high school senior, who is tasked by his therapist to write letters to himself in an effort to boost his self-confidence.

“At the end of the day we all struggle with moments of fitting in, and we have moments of sometimes doing the right thing,” said Distel, adding that the show’s strength is showing the  “human side” of life.

And we see it from many different angles, Distel said, including the parent perspective because “there is no guide book for this…Parenting is a tough business.”

It’s a show for everyone struggling through the digital age.

“It’s all what we’re dealing with today, in terms of the world we live in and how we connect to each other,” Distel said. “People will find pieces they connect with,…it’s something that stays with you.”

The music is great, she added. The cast is powerful, too.

“It’s an intimate show,” she said. “People will walk away profoundly impacted.”

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Music, baseball, and a vintage market

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Business, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Sports, Upcoming Events, , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

I’m so excited for May, which officially begins on Sunday.

Why?

May flowers, of course, and the return of Tulip Time in Holland (May 7-15). Also, next Friday (May 6) is another WKTV Voices Storytelling Night at The Stray in Grand Rapids. You can still sign up today if you want to be on stage to tell your story. More info at https://wktvvoices.org/voices-storytelling-at-the-stray/.

Not to mention, May is great for fans of “Star Wars” (May the 4th Be With You), Mexican food lovers (Cinco de Mayo) and moms everywhere (Mother’s Day is May 8). It’s a busy month.

Now, let’s get back to this weekend, and my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Gonzo’s Top 5

Mega 80’s returns to Grand Rapids this Saturday. (Facebook)

5. Concerts & Shows

Some shows for music fans:

Sevendust performs tonight (April 29) at GLC Live at 20 Monroe in Grand Rapids. https://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZ917AGpf/glc-live-at-20-monroe-events

 La Adictiva and Pancho Barraza perform at 9 p.m. Saturday (April 30) at the DeltaPlex Arena in Walker; www.deltaplex.com.

Chris Franjola Live is Saturday (April 30) at The Listening Room in Grand Rapids; https://www.facebook.com/events/2023011271215239/

And one of my faves, Mega 80’s, returns for a show Saturday (April 30) at The Intersection in Grand Rapids; www.sectionlive.com

The West Michigan Whitecaps will in the newly named LMCU Ballpark this season. (Supplied/West Michigan Whitecaps)

4. West Michigan Whitecaps

The High A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers is off to a slow start with a record of 7-11 going into tonight’s three-game weekend homestand. But, you know what, it’s always a fun time at LMCU Ballpark! Tonight (April 29) is $1 reserved seats night. On Saturday popcorn is $1. And on Sunday it’s Family Sunday where kids play catch on the field and run the bases after the game. You can’t beat that. We just hope it doesn’t rain. Tonight’s game is at 6:35 p.m. Weekend games are at 2 p.m. More details at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

3. Thornapple Arts Council Jazz Festival

The 18th Annual TAC Jazz Festival continues today and Saturday in downtown Hastings with free performances by student groups, combos and adult groups all around town. In the evenings, head to larger venues for featured headlining performances. Check out the schedule at https://thornapplearts.org/jazzfest/.

The cast of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Kinky Boots.” (Grand Rapids Civic Theatre)

2. “Kinky Boots” at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

Based on the 2005 British film “Kinky Boots,” the musical tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits a shoe factory and forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen, Lola, to produce a line of high-heeled boots and save the business. In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all. The show features music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein. Performances are tonight (April 29) through May 22 at Grand Rapids Civic Theater in Grand Rapids. More details at www.grct.org.

Vintage at the Zoo at the Downtown Market this weekend. (Vintage at the Zoo)

1.Vintage and Handmade Marketplace

Vintage in the Zoo Market is headed to Grand Rapids for its sixth season with a vintage and handmade marketplace at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market. The event features more than 50 vendors with true vintage clothing, accessories, home goods and furniture from creative artists, designers and makers from all over the region. The event is from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday (May 1). More details on the event Facebook page.

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe weekend.


John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Gonzo’s Top 5: Theatre, rock ‘n’ roll, a book sale, and a party with Quillbur

Citizen Journalism, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Going Local, Gonzo's Top 5, Local Entertainment, Local Faces, Recreation, , , , , , , ,

By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Finally it feels like Spring, and just in time for Earth Day.

 

This weekend’s Top 5 includes theater, rock ‘n’ roll, a book sale and a special Earth Day Party with Quillbur?

Want to learn more? Check out my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Gonzo’s Top 5

Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish (Courtesy Photo/Paul Jensen)

Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish

Grand Rapids rock, blues and rockabilly duo Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, celebrates the release of a new album with a show Saturday at Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids. The new, self-titled album “is quite different from other releases as it has more instruments and attitude,” Jesse Ray said in an interview on John Sinkevics’ localspins.com. “Where (2016’s) ‘Angry’ was just angry for the sake of a young man’s anger, the new record is more complicated and emotional with the occasional outburst.” The bill also includes Patty PerShayla & The Mayhaps and The Local Commuters. Tickets are $15 and available online. Doors open at 7 p.m. More info on the Facebook event page.

Van Andel Arena

Downtown Grand Rapids is going to be busy this weekend with a couple big shows at Van Andel Arena. Comedian Katt Williams ( “The House Next Door; Meet the Blacks 2,” “Meet the Blacks”) performs at 8 p.m. Saturday (April 23) and rock band Shinedown performs at 7 p.m. Sunday (April 24). More details at vanandelarena.com.

Both KDL Kenwood and Wyoming libraries are hosting book sales this Saturday.

Friends of the Library Used Book Sale

The Kent District Library Kentwood Branch and Wyoming Branch both feature book sales from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday (April 23) where book enthusiasts will find bargains galore. The Kentwood Branch is located at 4950 Breton SE. The Wyoming Branch is located at 3350 Michael Ave. SW. More details at kdl.org.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Master Arts Theatre in Grand Rapids is presenting “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” with shows April 21-23, April 28-30 and May 5-7. Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz. According to Master Arts, “Peter Parnell’s new book embraces story theatre and features verbatim passages from Hugo’s gothic novel.” Learn more at www.masterarts.org.

Blandford Nature Center hosts a birthday party for Quillber, a North American Porcupine. (Supplied)

Blandford Nature Center – Earth Day

As part of Earth Day Week, Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids is having a Birthday Party for two of its wildlife ambassadors – Archimedes, who is a long-eared owl, and Quillber, a North American Porcupine. In a program from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, you’ll hear their stories and learn about what makes each of them special. Organizers said you can “snap a close-up of silly Archimedes before heading out on the trails to take Quillber for a birthday stroll through the woods.” Admission is free this month to Blandford, but admission to the party is $7 for members, $10 for non-members and free to those ages 2 and younger. You can register at https://www.blandfordnaturecenter.org/events/earth-day-birthdays/?occurrence=2022-04-23.

Blandford Nature Center is located at 1715 Hillburn Ave NW. Learn more about Blandford nature trails an http://blandfordnaturecenter.org/

That’s it for now.

As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Have a great, safe Easter weekend.

John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.

Celebrating Velociraptor Day with a look ahead to a dinosaur exhibit

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Recreation, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Dinosaur and Dragon Stroll comes to the DeltaPlex June 4 and 5. (Supplied)

As one of my exchange students said recently, there is a day for about everything. Today, April 18, is National Velociraptor Awareness Day.

We’re not sure why anyone needs to be aware of these creatures since they lived 73 million years ago and mostly lived on Asian continents, but after some research, we discovered that velociraptors have been wrongly depicted in such movies as “Jurassic Park.” So let’s dispel the myths.

According to National Today, velociraptors did not stand seven feet tall, but were 6.5 feet long and about two feet tall from the hips. They also were not scaly or reptilian looking but resembled more of a turkey dinosaur as they has feathers and wings. Still, they were a ferocious predator with sharp teeth and three-inch-long curved claws on its back feet. Paleontologists have deducted that a velociraptors would stab its victim in the gut and then withdraw to a safe distance letting the creature bleed to death.

So while today is the National Velociraptor Awareness Day, you won’t be able to see one (a replica) four about six weeks when the Dino and Dragon Stroll comes to the DeltaPlex on June 4 and 5. In this interactive walk-through experience, guests will see a range of dinosaurs, from velociraptors to T-Rexes, from babies to life-size.

Tickets for the Dino and Drago Stroll are $30 and available by visiting dinostroll.com.