Live Music is coming back to the Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College. The center is planning a drive-in concert series to be held in the Grand Upton Hall parking lot starting on August 9. There will be four concerts with each featuring three local or regional acts spanning a wide variety of genres. Mendel Center Director Mike Nadolski says organizers explored several options and decided the parking lots surrounding the facility would lend themselves perfectly to hosting drive-in concerts. He says they “knew we had to make this happen for our community.” Each concert will feature multiple performers, including Jenna Mammina, Bryan Lubeck, The Big Payback, and many more. 100 tickets will be available for each show, and a ticket provides admission for one vehicle of up to six people and includes two parking spaces, one of which is a personal tailgate area to promote social distancing. You can get tickets at TheMendelCenter.com.
The series lineup includes:
Sunday, August 9
Gates open at 5 pm; music starts at 6 pm
Jenna Mammina
Recognized as one of the leading women of jazz/pop crossover for three years in a row by Jazziz Magazine, Jenna Mammina’s live performances capture her audiences and hold them like butterflies in the palm of her hand. “Jenna could sing a page from the phone book and make it sound like her own private piece of the sky,” writes Grapevine Culture critic Kimberlye Gold.
The Andrew Fisher Quartet
The Andrew Fisher Quartet is a neo-soul jazz group from right here in southwest Michigan. The group specializes in blending traditional genres such as soul, funk, R&B, Mowtown, and more while using the language of improvisation and jazz. Since its inception in 2015, AFQ showcases the unique talents of its members on well-known songs as well as on original music from their 2019 EP.
Doc Revolver
Doctors and engineers by day, musicians by night, Doc Revolver is as eclectic as the music they play. You’ll be sure to recognize some of the songs they cover, spanning multiple genres including rock, pop, alternative, indie, and the occasional country song.
Saturday, August 22
Gates open at 2 pm; music starts at 3 pm
Bryan Lubeck
Bryan Lubeck’s live shows are his forte with his high-energy, fiery Spanish guitar and smooth urban grooves. His latest album Tuscan Sky has spent more than 14 weeks on the various adult contemporary instrumental charts. Bryan has been named as a Critics’ Choice by Billboard Magazine and has recorded with five Grammy Award winners and performed with 12 Grammy Award nominees and winners.
Sypian Family Band
With a bluesy, jazzy, rock-n-roll vibe infused with a chemistry that only comes from family bonds, This Sypian Family Band plays a slate of original tunes that stir the soul, accompanied by rockin’ covers to get you movin’. This close-knit group of family and long-time friends has an eclectic sound with influences ranging from British Invasion to ‘90s alternative and everything in between.
Dan Maxon
Dan Maxon is a local singer/songwriter and guitarist. He was raised under all manner of musical influences, finding a particular fondness for rock, folk, and jazz. He channels these genres through his own intimate, acoustic style.
Saturday, September 19
Gates open at 5 pm; music starts at 6 pm
The Big Payback
The Big Payback is an award-winning jazz-rock band featuring the soulful vocals of Leah Isabel Tirado and a smoking horn section. Mixing “ambitious original tunes that challenge even the most talented instrumentalists” (La Crosse Tribune) with classic covers, the band’s live show never fails to get the crowd moving.
Sankofa
Sankofa is a group of local musicians from Benton Harbor who love and respect the emotions that develop when good, deeply felt music is played. They have performed on many stages for the past five years, playing an eclectic mix of Old and New Soul, Funk, Jazz, R&B and Hip Hop.
Siusan O’Rourke & Zig Zeitler
They opened The Mendel Center’s Remotely Interested online series. Now, they’ll be with us in person! Together, this husband and wife duo has been 3-time committee nominated by the Irish Music Association for Top Duo internationally. Their CD “Chance the Arm” was named Celtic Album of the Year in 2014 by Irish radio, Celtic Echoes.
Sunday, September 27
Gates open at 5 pm; music starts at 6 pm
Alex & Erin
Alex Holycross (The Native Howl) and Erin Zindle (Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds) have joined forces, from vastly different musical backgrounds, to perform as a new duo. Their fresh sound, dubbed ‘Outlaw Americana’, splices Alex’s heavier bluegrass/metal style with Erin’s sultry songwriter/world music influences. The guitar/fiddle driven performance showcases a new take on story-telling by drawing lyrical parallels between folklore and the current state of the world.
John Latini
New York native and longtime Michigan resident John Latini, a 3-time Detroit Blues Champion, is a dynamic performing force to be reckoned with. This engaging musician is a celebrated songwriter who connects with fans across many demographics. Latini’s muscular, rockin’ blues grabs you by the throat from the get-go and won’t let go.
Mike Talbot
Mike is considered a master vocalist, guitarist, and pianist, as well as a prolific and innovative songwriter. His performance history, spanning three decades and totally over 30,000 hours, includes a wide range of gigs, from local haunts to headlining concerts.