Tag Archives: Listening Room

Gonzo’s Top 5: Comedy, baseball, and of course, Easter egg hunts

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By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer

Happy Easter, friends.

Yes, we have a few Easter Egg Hunts in the Top 5. But it also includes comedy, baseball and more!

What are you doing? Check out my Top 5, which you can find exclusively on WKTV Journal.

Gonzo’s Top 5

Pieces at The Listening Room

5. Pieces at The Listening Room

I love it when I see local kids doing well in music. I’m excited for guitarist Olin Cark in the trio Pieces. I knew him as a student in Comstock Park, and along with his friends Adam Ray on drums and Louie Leager on bass, they are touring nationally. Playing a blend of straight-ahead jazz, rock and avant-garde, Pieces has reached over 30,000 plays on Spotify for its debut album, “1A,” and has been featured on curated playlists such as State of Jazz and Jazz Today, according to its press materials. The trio performs with local act Normal Mode at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (April 16) at The Listening Room in Grand Rapids. More info on the venue’s Facebook event page.

4. Perrin Tap Takeover at Horrocks Market & Taproom

My local brewery makes a road trip to Kentwood today (April 15) for a tap takeover at Horrocks Market and Tavern. Hours are 4-7 p.m. But as regulars know, many of the beers will remain on tap throughout the weekend. If you’re planning a trip to Horrocks to buy Easter dinner items, now you have an extra reason to make a visit. Some of the beers include: Willow Wheat, Perrin Black NITRO, Pineapple Upside Down (Fruited IPA), Slingshot Sour IPA and Fiesta Coffee Cake (Barrel Aged Stout). I just tried the fiesta coffee cake, and it’s super tasty and a little boozy. Enjoy. More info on the Horrocks event page.

Comedian Rob Little

3. Rob Little at Golden Age

It’s been several years now that I’ve been able to hang out with comedian Rob Little. We actually judged a macaroni and cheese competition in Pinconning. Since then, the Bay City native has gone on to a very successful career. In fact, “Last Comic Standing” on NBC named him “The Happiest Comic in America.” He is an awesome guy, and a great comedian. Little performs two shows each night Friday and Saturday (April 15-16) at Golden Age, located on the upper level of Creston Brewing in Grand Rapids. For ticket availability and more information on the show, check out the Golden Age Facebook event page.

Let’s play ball with the West Michigan Whitecaps. (Supplied/West Michigan Whitecaps)

2. West Michigan Whitecaps

I had so much fun Tuesday at LMCU Ballpark where the West Michigan Whitecaps opened a new season against the Lansing Lugnuts. The fun continues through Easter Sunday with games each day. Fans can purchase $1 reserved tickets today. An Easter Egg hunt is planned after the game on Saturday. And $1 lawn seats, plus Kids Eat Free and Kids Run the Bases, are available on Sunday. Also, Crash has a special Easter Brunch in the Pepsi Stadium Club on Sunday. Those tickets are $44. Game times are 6:35 p.m. Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. See you there! More info at whitecapsbaseball.com.

1.Easter Egg Hunts

Many churches and organizations have Easter Egg Hunts this weekend. Find one and make memories with the kids. I recommend John Ball Park and Masonic Lodge in Grand Rapids. Both events begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. Typically there are two events, one for the little kids, and one for older kids.

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.

The Way Down Wanderers to bring new music, grass-fed comfort sounds to Listening Room

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The Way Down Wonderers. (Supplied/Keith Cotton)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

When you first read anything about the Midwest-bred The Way Down Wanderers, the line “somewhere on the spectrum between Old Crow Medicine Show and Mumford & Sons” often pops up.

And while the sounds of Old Crow, an Americana string band based in Nashville, and Mumford, a British folk rock band steeped in Americana, may be contradictory in some ways, there is that bluegrass-based heart-a-beating in both. And The Way Down Wanderers play the same tune but with a unique edge.

It will be all listening to the tune, and the vocal duo solos and harmonies of Austin Krause-Thompson and Colin Krause, when The Way Down Wanderers set up at Listening Room at Studio Park in Grand Rapids Friday, Oct. 29.

The Way Down Wanderers album cover for More Like Tomorrow.

The band’s eclectic blend of roots-based sounds — from rock, folk and bluegrass, to elements of pop, jazz and classical and pop — are on full display on their latest record More Like Tomorrow, released on Sept. 10 on Soundly Music.

“I love it when the song itself dictates the sonic arrangement — the pop sensibilities or Americana we can throw in there,” Colin says in supplied material about the new release. “I think just allowing the song to exist as its own entity is really important.”

Many of the songs on More Like Tomorrow do seem to take on a life of their own, both musically and intellectually. There are stories of loss and empathy (“Codeine Rest and Loneliness”), self-improvement and acceptance (“The Wire” ), becoming a new parent (“Forever” & “Two Parts One Heart), addiction and self-forgiveness (“Parkside Drive”) the fragility of life (“Everything’s Made Out Of Sand”).

“I think more so on this record than ever, the songs are just more direct, with acute meanings in our own situations,” Austin says in supplied material. “Each’s song’s story is less broad. I think, at least for me, writing is definitely growing more and more personal.”

The Way Down Wonderers. (Supplied/Philip Hosticka)

But, like Mumford’s songs at their best, the deep thoughts are carefully wrapped in catchy, driving tunes with a wall of bluegrass/Americana sounds carrying them.

In addition to Austin (lead vocals, guitar, keys, mandolin) and Colin (lead vocals, mandolin, guitar, fiddle), the Peoria, Illinois-based quintet Way Down Wonderers include John Merikoski (drums, percussion, piano, backing vocals), Travis Kowalsly (banjo), and John Williams (electric and upright bass, backing vocals).

More Like Tomorrow is the follow up to The Way Down Wanderers’ acclaimed 2018 sophomore album illusions, which garnered high praise from The Associated Press, Rolling Stone Country and others. More Like Tomorrow was recorded and produced by David Schiffman (HAIM, Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave), who also produced illusions.

Visit here for tickets to the show at Listening Room and more information.

The Listening Room is a 200-seat intimate venue with top-notch sound equipment and in-seat services for drinks. It is located at Studio Park, 123 Ionia Ave, SW. Indoor shows require proof of COCID vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours, according to its website.

 

Local small entertainment venues still waiting on federal ‘Save our Stages’ assistance

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The pandemic shut down Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up and other small music venues in Michigan. The slow rollout of federal assistance is not helping them come back and fill the seats. (Seven Steps Up)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Three West Michigan “small stage” music venues — Listening Room and Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids and Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake — are moving ahead with scheduling a few nights of music in the coming weeks.

Listening Room is hosting concerts outside the “Room” on the Listening Lawn with its first inside stage concert currently set for Aug. 6 with Tobin Sprout, while Pyramid Scheme’s first live show will be Charles The Osprey + Cavalcade + Crooked Heart on July 10, and Seven Steps Up has scheduled Leigh Nash (of Sixpence None the Richer) for a July 22.

But as the venues begin to come back to life — and live shows return to their stages — after the pandemic shutdown, both had hoped to already have received promised federal financial support from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich. District 2), shown on the set of “WKTV Journal In Focus”. (WKTV)

That support has not shown up despite their being qualified and early applicants, WKTV has learned from both venues, and that delay has drawn the ire of local U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga. Last week, Rep. Huizenga, who represents both Wyoming and Kentwood, joined more than 200 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives in sending a letter to SBA administrator Isabel Guzman “urging immediate action to stabilize and improve the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant” program.

According to a statement from Rep. Huizenga’s office, the rollout of the SVOG program has been plagued by technical challenges and persistent delays. Since launching the program in April, the SBA has approved roughly 400 grants as of June 14 — despite receiving more than 14,000 applications. In the letter signed by Rep. Huizenga the SBA was urged to “expedite the release of relief funding to struggling venues across the country.”

And that expediting of the relief funding will come none-too-soon for Seven Steps Up and the other venues.

“The portal opened officially on April 26 at noon and we submitted our application at 3:01p.m.,” Michelle Hanks, co-owner of Seven Steps Up, said to WKTV. “To date we have not had a response, although about a week ago it changed from Application Submitted to Pending Final Review. (On June 25, that status was upgraded to ‘Approved”) … But we have no timeline for funding.”

Quinn Mathews, general manager of Listening Room, also is still in the dark about its application — so the venue is moving forward while it waits.

Tami VandenBerg of Pyramid Scheme said they applied for the SVOG grant “in April. We have been in ‘under review’ status for several weeks now… .  Hoping to hear of an approval soon.”

Michelle and Gary Hanks, owners and mangers of Seven Steps Up. (WKTV)

“Yes, we applied and we have yet to hear anything,” Mathews said to WKTV. “But we are producing concerts outside in our Studio Park Piazza all summer and we’ll be adding indoors as well here soon. We have a busy lineup for late summer and into the fall.”

The delay is of particular difficulty for Hanks and Seven Steps Up as it struggled to get back to business.

“We know we are eligible, and we are stuck without it. We can’t move forward,” she said. “We can’t, at this point, decide to quit because if we do we will owe tens of thousands of dollars for grants we have accepted under the condition that we certify we plan to reopen. We can’t hire employees. We can’t start up basic services or purchase basic supplies. Or fix our broken sign. Or deal with the hundreds of other decisions we have to make daily with absolutely no clue what to do.

“It’s a nightmare every day and the money is sitting there while venues go out of business. I don’t think it can be called emergency assistance now that it has been almost seven months since the legislation was passed.”

And for Rep. Huizenga, that delay is just unacceptable.

“It’s been six months since Congress created the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program to help some of the hardest hit small businesses in the nation,” Rep. Huizenga said in supplied material. “The Small Business Administration’s inability to properly administer the funding in a timely manner is completely unacceptable. The more time that passes due to bureaucratic inaction, the more small concert venues will close their doors for good.”

The letter which Rep. Huizenga signed points out “These small businesses not only provide good jobs and contribute economically to our local communities, they contribute to the spirit and local culture as well.”

For an up-to-date schedule at Seven Steps Up concerts, visit sevenstepsup.com.

For an up-to-date schedule of Listening Room concerts, both on the lawn and, soon, inside, visit listeningroomgr.com.

GR’s Listening Room’s intimate sound space attracting talent local and national

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The Listening Room is attracting artists, plugged-in and unplugged, to Grand Rapids. (Supplied/Listening Room)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

Its almost universal: music fans, and artists, love an intimate sound space, one where the audience truly becomes part of the music and the artist can make a visceral connection with the audience. Listening Room, one of Grand Rapids newest music houses, is rapidly becoming known as one of those music venues.

Listening Room, which opened late last year and is located at Studio Park at 123 Ionia Ave SW, has already build a reputation with local audiences as a “jazz club” in the classic style, a folk stage where an un-amplified guitar and voice can be heard and appreciated, a place where up-and-coming bands can fill the house as they hone their sonic skills.

The “Room” is also getting known by national touring acts as a place to unwind if not unplug from the impersonal stadium and festival stages, and get back in contact with the audience — Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Los Lobos and Loudon Wainwright III are only three scheduled examples.

The reasons for the venue’s buzz — with national acts and local audiences — are several fold, according to Quinn Mathews, general manager and talent buyer for the Listening Room.

Los Lobos an their acoustic tour line-up. (Supplied)

“We’re lucky to not only be situated between the cities of Detroit and Chicago, but situated between very well known venues on the east side of Michigan and in Chicago, for instance The Ark in Ann Arbor and City Winery in Chicago,” Mathews said to WKTV about his booking national acts.

“The artists agencies in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles have been sending talent around here for years. … Grand Rapids, as a city, is really growing and making national news. People are here, music fans are here, the artists and agents know it.”

While having national acts stopping by is great, Matthews is just as happy with the steady bookings of local acts … such as The Crane Wives on Feb. 28 and Mid Life Crisis on March 23, to name only two.

The Crane Wives (Facebook)

“This was extremely important to me, to have local, regional, national, and international talent. To have music 4 to 5 if not 6 to 7 nights a week,” he said. “Some nights are free or $5 or $10, some nights have international touring acts with tickets $40-$50. I wanted everyone to feel welcome, not to just book one style for one type of audience.

 

“There was a weekend a few weeks ago where Friday night was Hip Hop, Saturday night was Jazz, and Sunday night was local songwriters. … It was so great to see the place packed out each night with different people in our community.”

And, after all, a 200-seat venue known for as a music “listening room” is clearly focused on the audience experience.

“I think we’re in an interesting time with music in so many ways,” Matthews said. “The industry really changed in the early 2000’s, music became so easily accessible.  Everyone listens to music all the time, it’s easy. You can listen for free within seconds. I always laugh in the grocery store walking around, there will be a kid, 12-years-old, with earbuds in listening to music on one aisle. The next aisle, a 85-year-old with earbuds in.

“Everyone is listening. The trick is do they attend concerts? Many more people are downloading and streaming music, but does that translate to ticket sales for live music?  Sure Elton John and Bruce Springsteen sell out arenas, but who attends concerts in rock clubs, coffee shops, breweries, etc?

“I think whether I agree with it or not there seems to need to be another factor for folks to attend a concert. … We wanted to build a place that was comfortable, seated, nice atmosphere, like the old jazz clubs, servers bringing you bourbon, etc., a place that feels really great even before the music starts.”

For more information on all concerts at Listening Room, visit listeningroomGR.com or call 616-900-9500.

After sellout opening, jazzy Robin Connell Trio and guest returns to Listening Room on Feb. 6

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Jazz night at the Listening Room with members of the Robin Connell Trio, from January 2020. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

After an opening-night sellout of local jazz with the Robin Connell Trio at the Listening Room, one of Grand Rapids newest music venues, Quinn Mathews, general manager of the venue, reportedly said “It looks like the Listening Room will be booking more jazz.”

Sweet music to local jazz fans, indeed.
 

The next date with the Robin Connell Trio — this time with guest multi-instrumentalist Ivan Akansiima — at Listening Room, a 200-seat venue located at Studio Park at 123 Ionia Ave SW, will be Thursday, Feb. 6.

“I’ve enjoyed all the opportunities I’ve had to play music with this marvelous person/musician,” Connell said of Akansiima, in supplied material. The “night of music that will include original tunes, jazz standards, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, and African gems such as ‘Pata Pata’.”

Multi-instrumentalist Ivan Akansiima. (Supplied by the artist)

Akansiima, according to his website, is a mutt-instrumentalist, Christian faith worship leader, jazz musician, composer, arranger, producer, instructor, and researcher from Uganda East Africa. He holds a bachelors degree in music from Hope College and a masters degree in jazz studies from Western Michigan University. He has performed professionally for more than 15 years in 40 countries, but continues to actively play and participate in the local Michigan music scene.

My “music is rooted in Ugandan folk music traditions, Jazz, Gospel, classical, Caribbean, Afro fusion music, etc.,” he says in his website.

The jazz nights start at 7:30 p.m., with doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12, with open seating, drinks available for purchase, and a parking garage attached — “So no outdoor hassle (park on 2nd floor to walk right in),” we are told.

We are also told the January jazz night turned away people at the door, so buy your tickets early or at-least arrive early.

Connell’s “house trio” will usually include Rob Hartman on bass and Keith Hall on the drums. Future guest artists include vocalist Mary Rademacher on March 7, Carl Cafagna on woodwinds on April 1, and the Paul Brewer septet on May 31.

For more information on the jazz series and all concerts at The Listening Room, visit listeningroomGR.com or call 616-900-9500. For more information on the show, visit here. For more info on Ivan Akansiima, visit ivanskansiima.com. For more information on Robin Connell, visit robinconnell.com.