Share the story
The great outdoors still dominates concert listings as the most popular and safest places to enjoy live music in late July. Check out this week’s guide to live music at Local Spins.
Blues on the Piazza: Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues perform Thursday. (Courtesy Photo)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to changing conditions and unexpected closures, check with the restaurants or venues on this list before you make plans to attend a show to make sure they’re still open. Have a show to add to this week’s listings? Email date, time, artist and venue to liz@localspins.com. SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK’S CONCERT LISTINGS.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan’s music scene
It’s all about the great outdoors.
With concerns about the coronavirus continuing, the most popular — and safest way — to present and enjoy live music has focused on open-air settings: lawns, patios, decks, streets, alleys, parking lots, even drive-in shows.
And this week, to close out July, there’s much of the same, with Christopher Andrus playing the second show in the Comprehensive Therapy Center’s Driveway Concert Series on Tuesday, Funkle Jesse playing the first show in the “Farm Concert Series” at Ed Dunneback & Girls Fruit Farm, 3025 6 Mile Road NW, in Grand Rapids and Samantha Cooper & Elisabeth Pixley-Fink for “Beats on Bates” in Kalamazoo on Wednesday, and Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues (with Hannah Rose Graves opening) revving up “Listening Lawn” on the Studio Park piazza in downtown Grand Rapids on Thursday.
Funkle Jesse (Courtesy Photo)
The Farm Concert Series shows will take place in the field south of the barns at Ed Dunneback & Girls Fruit Farm, with attendees asked to bring their own seating or blanket. Staff will monitor the seating area to ensure social-distancing and ticket sales are limited to 250. Get tickets and info here.
Of course, despite some cancellations, a fair number of free community concerts are still taking place from Allegan to Kentwood, with a full list of shows in Local Spins’ Free Outdoor Community Concerts 2020 listing here.
Check out this week’s concert guide below. Also, Michigan artists and festivals continue to lean on live-stream performances that allow fans to experience music from the safety of their own homes. Find some of those online here.
As usual, we encourage those attending in-person concerts to wear masks, social-distance, wash their hands and follow guidelines as recommended by health officials. (Purchase a Local Spins bandana/face covering here and help Local Spins keep rolling: Local Spins Gift Shop.)
If your business or your band has a live, in-person performance to add to this concert listing, email the information to john@localspins.com.
THE NOT-SO-BIG LIST CONCERT GUIDE (July 27-Aug. 2)
MONDAY
• Great Scott Band outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Monday
TUESDAY
• Hazy Past outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• The New Standard jazz jam at Dee Lite, 24 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• Don Middlebrook & The Pearl Divers playing “Music in the Park” at Rosewood Park in Jenison, 6 p.m. Tuesday
• Taylor & DeMarr at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• The Adams Family playing “Concerts in the Park” at the Allendale Community Park Bandshell, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Christopher Andrus playing the “Driveway Concert Series” in Grand Rapids Township, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (Get details, directions and register online here.)
WEDNESDAY
• Jedi Mind Trip playing “Gun Lake Live” at Bay Pointe Inn near Gun Lake, 5 p.m. Wednesday
• Samantha Cooper & Elisabeth Pixley-Fink at Bates Alley for “Beats on Bates” in Kalamazoo, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday
• Blue Jay Bridge outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Wednesday
• Six Gun Report at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
• Funkle Jesse playing the “Farm Concert Series” at Ed Dunneback & Girls Fruit Farm, 3025 6 Mile Road NW in Grand Rapids, 7 p.m. Wednesday ($10 admission; details here.)
THURSDAY
• Melophobix playing Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, noon Thursday
• StrumbleHead outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Thursday
• Brandon Ward playing the Kirby House, 2 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 6 p.m. Thursday
• Tony Halchak at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, 6:30 p.m. Thursday
• Lare Williams & New Direction playing Cutlerville’s “Sounds of Summer” at Cutler Park, 6701 Cutler Park Dr., 7 p.m. Thursday
• Coty Bouchard playing at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Crooked Root playing the Kentwoood Summer Concerts series behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Road SE in Kentwood, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Planet D Nonet playing the Rotary Performing Arts Pavilion, 100 S. Lake St., Cadillac, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Sam’s Swing Band playing “Dancing Into the Sunset” at the Pomona Park Bandshell in Fruitport, 7 p.m. Thursday
• Asamu Johnson & The Associates of the Blues, with Hannah Rose & Friends, playing the “Listening Lawn” series on the piazza at Studio Park outside Listening Room at Oakes Street and Ionia Avenue SW in downtown Grand Rapids, 8 p.m. Thursday, $35. (Get details online here.)
FRIDAY
• Strings and Things playing the “Pocket Park Music Series” in downtown Big Rapids, noon Friday
• Bryan Scott Hammond playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 5 p.m. Friday
• Oxymorons outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Friday
• Dave & Connie D playing Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 6 p.m. Friday
• The Skeletones playing the “Riverbank Music Series” at DDA New Amphitheater in Lions Sesquicentennial Park at 91 E. Main St. in Middleville, 6:30 p.m. Friday
• U’Neek at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Friday
• Kindred at Smash Wine Bar & Bistro, 415 W. Western Ave. in Muskegon, 8 p.m. Friday
• Borrowed Time playing the Kirby House, 2 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 8:30 p.m. Friday
SATURDAY
• Randy Johnson playing outdoors at Sandy Point Beach House, 7175 Lakeshore Drive in West Olive, 5 p.m. Saturday
• Right Side Up outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Saturday
• Bryan & Cory playing Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 6 p.m. Saturday
• PRIM at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 7 p.m. Saturday
• Andy Paul playing “Good Times at the Gazebo” at the gazebo in downtown Allegan, 7 p.m. Saturday
• John Shea Trio playing Noto’s Old World Italian Dining, 6600 28th St. SE, 6:30 p.m. Saturday (Call for reservations)
• Joni Norwood at Smash Wine Bar & Bistro, 415 W. Western Ave. in Muskegon, 8 p.m. Saturday
• Chris Clayton playing the Kirby House, 2 Washington Ave. in Grand Haven, 8:30 p.m. Saturday
SUNDAY
• Drew Hale at Cedar Springs Brewing in downtown Cedar Springs, noon Sunday
• Lynn & The Moonshine Runners at Burl & Sprig, 500 W. Western Ave. Suite 200 in Muskegon, 2 p.m. Sunday
• Rebekah Rhys playing “Singer-Songwriter Sundays” at Borrowed Time, 22 E. Center St. in Douglas, 2 p.m. Sunday
• Outer Vibe playing Bronson Park in Kalamazoo for “Concerts in the Park,” 4 p.m. Sunday
• Round Brown Suitcase outdoors at The Score, 5301 Northland Dr. NE in Grand Rapids, 6 p.m. Sunday
Have a show to add to the Not-So-Big-List? Email john@localspins.com.
Copyright 2020, Spins on Music LLC