Tag Archives: The Crane Wives

Snapshots: Wyoming and Kentwood news you need to know

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WKTV Staff

joanne@wktv.org

 

 

Quote of the Day

"Don't ever question the value of volunteers. Noah's Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals."  - Dave Gynn, an engineer out of the San Francisco Bay area.

 

A BIG Thanks

 

WKTV Volunteer of the Year was Charlie Kormanik

And WKTV values its volunteers, this year hosting a Brazilian-style barbecue at Johnson Park.

 

This year’s Volunteer of the Year was Charlie Kormanik who had more than 300 volunteer hours. Charlie travels almost 80 miles, one-way, from St. Joseph, Michigan, to participate in a number of WKTV programs. Thanks Charlie and to all our volunteers for another wonderful year. To see all the volunteers who were recognized at this year’s picnic, click here. To become volunteer, call 616-261-5700.

Song spinners

 

The Crane Wives performs July 26.

After making recent tour stops throughout the country, the band will be returning home to play at the Kentwood Summer Concert Series this Thursday.

 

Show time is set for 7p.m. at the lawn next to the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE. Click here for more.

 

 

 

Who’s counting?

 

After reporting the busiest June ever in its history, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport has 1,406,644 more to go to hit the three million passenger mark. At the rate things are going, we expect GFIA to land that goal soon. For more on the story, click here.

 

 

 

Be Involved and be informed

 

Stealing Mayor Jack Poll’s closing line for every Wyoming City Council meeting, WKTV reminds residents that the upcoming primary is Aug. 7 and there are a number of candidates seeking their party’s spot for the general election. In the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming, there are two Kent County Commission races, two Republicans for the 8th District and four Democratic in the 12th District.  For more, click here.

 

And today’s fun fact:

400

That is the number of meters of Lycra (an elastic polyurethane fiber or fabric) needed to make the costumes for the "Super Trooper" scene in the ABBA-inspired "Mamma Mia!" Don't believe us? Then check out the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre production this February and see for yourself.

Crane Wives return home for gig at Kentwood Summer Concert Series

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The Crane Wives performs July 26.

By Micah Cho, WKTV Intern

ken@wktv.org

 

The Crane Wives are set to take the stage on Kentwood City Hall’s lawn as part of the Kentwood Summer Concert Series on Thursday, July 26 at 7 p.m.

 

Made up of band members Dan Rickabus, Emilee Petersmark, Ben Zito and Kate Pillsbury, The Crane Wives got their start while attending college at Grand Valley State University.  Though the band has changed its sound over the years, listeners can expect to hear the mix of folk and indie pop in their music that gives them their unique sound.

 

“In Japanese folklore, the crane wife is a bird disguised as a woman who spins fine silks from her own feathers, until her identity is discovered,” according to the band’s website. “The Crane Wives spin fine songs from whole cloth, and you will never want the melodies to leave your head.”

 

After making recent tour stops throughout the country, the band will be returning home to play for the crowds that gave them their start.

 

“It’s special when we play back home,” Pillsbury told the WKTV Journal. “We’re incredibly thankful to the West Michigan community for being supportive of our art.”

 

Concert goers can expect to hear songs like “Here I Am”, which explores social injustices people face in urban communities. Listeners can also expect to hear songs from all four albums of the band’s seven-year career.

 

In addition to a variety of music, the Kentwood concerts offer a variety of food trucks at each concert offering food and beverages for purchase. Concert-goers are also encouraged to bring a blanket or their chair and are welcome to bring their own beer or wine.

 

The Kentwood Summer Concert Series offers free outdoor concerts until August. The final concert will provide music from Blue Soul Express on Aug. 2 at Kentwood City Hall located at 4900 Breton Road SE.

 

For more information on the City of Kentwood Summer Concert Series, visit here.

 

For more information about The Crane Wives, visit here.

 

The Crane Wives gets Kentwood’s Summer Concert Series off to a rockin’ start

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The Crane Wives opens the Kentwood Summer Concert Series tonight.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

The wait is over. The Kentwood Summer Concert Series kicks off tonight with a bang as the local favorite The Crane Wives take the stage at 7 p.m.

 

“Kentwood’s concert series offers something for the whole family,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo. “It’s a great opportunity to kick back, relax with your favorite snack or local craft beer and enjoy the show.”

 

The annual concert series is every Thursday from 7 – 8:30 p.m. on the lawn located behind the Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Rd. SE. Concert-goers can bring their own food and drinks or sample from food trucks, such as Patty Matters, Moochies Dream Cream, Doughrunts, and B.D.’s BBQ.

 

“We have a few different food trucks this year,” said Laura Barbrick, the marketing and events coordinator for the Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department. The series also is part of the Kentwood’s 50th Anniversary celebration, which kicked off in February and continues throughout the year. In fact, the week after the Summer Concert Series ends, the city will host the Kentwood 50th Anniversary community celebration Aug. 11 and 12.

 

This year’s Summer Outdoor Concert Series has an impressive line up with female-fronted, harmony-driven folk-rock/pop group The Crane Wives starting the series off. From murky origins in Chinese restaurants, high school ska bands, and dorm room jam sessions, the band came together in 2010. Since then, the group has won seven “Jammie” awards from WYCE; Best Folk/Country song winner from ArtPrize 2012; and the group’s song “High Horse” was selected as one of the “Entries We Love” from NPR Tiny Desk Contest in 2017.

 

The group has released four albums including the dual set “Coyote Stories” (2015) and “Foxlore” (2016), plus a series of new singles in 2017.

 

The Crane Wives includes founders Kate Pillsbury, guitars and vocals, and Emilee Petersmark, guitars, banjo, and vocals, along with Dan Rickabus, drums and harmony vocals, and Ben Zito, bass.

 

The rest of the Summer Concert Series includes June 22 Tom Cutts & Friends; July 13 The Mainstays; July 20 Look Out Lincoln; July 27 The Tomas Esparza Blues Band; and Aug. 3 May Erlewine.

 

For more information on the concert series, visit www.yourkprd.org.

Celebrating all things local at the LocalFirst Street Party

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Local music, local food, and of course local beer, will once again be part of the annual LocalFirst Street Party set for June 3.

 

The 14th annual LocalFirst Street Party will run from 3 p.m. – midnight in the parking lot near Bistro Bella Vita, 44 Grandville Ave. SW, in downtown Grand Rapids.

 

“The Local First Street Party celebrates the vibrant and diverse local talent we have in Michigan,” said LocalFirst President Elissa Hillary. “From the music and performers to the food and beverage, it’s all evidence that the work we do is supporting and bringing together a strong community.”

 

New to this year’s event is an expanded kids area with the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum and Sanctuary Folk Art providing programming. Also the Happy Henna will be providing Henna tattoos and there will be an interactive photo booth by Smitten Booth.

 

Of course, if you are crafty, there will be lots of sidewalk chalk available to decorate the streets. Also returning to this year’s event with activities for everyone are 61Syx Technique Street Dance Academy, Audacious Hoops, and AM Yoga.

 

If you are looking to bust a groove, local groups such as The Crane Wives, Molly Bouwsma-Schultz & Friends, Cabildo, Convotronics, JRob & Bedrock: The Foundation, Hollywood Makeout, and Wealthy & Diamond will be providing the music to do just that.

 

Of course food is always on the mind whenever attending the LocalFirst Street Party and there will be plenty of it from a number of local restaurants and food trucks. This year’s line up includes A Moveable Feast, Love’s Ice Cream, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, The Maine Dish, Patty Matters, What the Truck, Twisted Rooster, Grand Rapids Pizza and Delivery, The Candied Yam and Malamiah Juice Bar.

 

And of course, you have to have something to wash it all down with and local favorites as Founders, Brewery Vivant, Mitten Brewing Company, Farmhaus, and Cider Company will all be on hand providing a range of local beverages to choose from. There also will be free water from Gordon Water.

 

“We are so grateful for all the support we receive of over 50 sponsors and community partners,” Hillary said. “The Street Party is one of the biggest ways we have to show off what local ownership and collaboration means for West Michigan.”

 

For more information and updates on the event, visit localfirst.com or follow #LFStreetParty.

Music, movies, food — Kentwood has it all for its Summer Entertainment Series

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The Crane Wives opens the Kentwood Summer Concert Series tonight.
The Crane Wives opens the Kentwood Summer Concert Series tonight.

This summer, Kentwood has got it all the bases covers – music, movies, food – with its Summer Entertainment Series set to kick off tonight with the wildly popular Grand Rapids-based The Crane Wives. The concert is set to start at 7 p.m. behind Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave. SE

 

“I think we did pretty well this year,” said Kentwood Parks and Recreation Marketing/Events Coordinator Laura Barbrick, as she looked over the 2016 line up. “We really targeted toward a younger crowd, kind of varying it with what is popular right now.”

 

Locally, no group could be as popular with the younger crowd as The Crane Wives. The local indie-folk band, which includes founders Kate Pillsbury ad Emilee Petersmark along with Dan Rickabus and Ben Zito, had a huge 2015 with the release of its album “Coyote Stories,” which earned the group another Jammie, and the opportunity to open for the Avett Brothers at ArtPrize. The group recently released “Foxlore,” it’s sister record to the “Coyote Stories.”

 

Rockabilly/honky tonk band Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys is June 14.
Rockabilly/honky tonk band Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys perform July 14.

According to John Sinkevics from localspins.com “Foxlore” certainly represents another bold step forward for this ultra-likable and increasingly popular Michigan act. “Down the River” even features a drum solo of sorts, buoyed by a throbbing, jam-band vibe. That’s followed closely by the airy and atmospheric “Ribs,” with an almost-jazzy milieu, morphing into the slow-cooking, uber-psychedelic, banjo-and-strings balladry of “Can’t Go Back” and the old-timey, clarinet-fueled swing of “Curses.”

 

The rest of Kentwood Summer Entertainment Series musical line up includes Tailshaker, June 16; Vox Vidorra, June 30; Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, July 14; Big foot Buffalo, July 28, and The Accidentals, Aug. 11.

 

But the Kentwood Summer Entertaiment Series isn’t just about music. The city has combined it with its Movie in the Park programs starting with “Back to the Future” June 23; followed by “Frozen” July 21 and wrapping up Aug. 4 with “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

 

“In the past, the Movies in the Park have been at Pinewood but it seemed a little bit separated from the other pubic events,” Barbrick said. “So we decided to bring it out to the same venue as the concert series.

 

Because of the music line-up and movie selections, it was decided the series needed more space so it was moved to the lawn area behind city hall. This also provided another opportunity in bringing in local food trucks to the event.

 

“We really wanted the food truck operators to know that they are welcomed at our events and it provides an easy way for guests to grab dinner, dessert, or coffee to enjoy during a concert or later for a movie,” Barbrick said.

 

Food trucks will vary but the ones lined up for this year’s event include Gettin’ Fresh, A Moveable Feast, Daddy Pete’s BBQ, What the Truck and River City Cup and Cake.

 

“With the new venue, several headlining acts, fun family movies, and food trucks, we anticipate this year’s crowds to be the largest to date,” said Parks and Recreation Director Val Romeo. Guests are invited to bring a blanket or chair, kick back and relax with a favorite snack, local craft beer or wine and enjoy the show.

 

For more information, visit the City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department Facebook page or their website at www.yourkprd.org.

Where can you see The Verve Pipe for free? Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park

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When Brandon Simmons began working with the Wyoming Concerts in the Park series six years ago, he saw a lot of potential for growth.

 

“I was coming from Muskegon’s Summer Celebration and had worked on Milwaukee’s SummerFest, so I knew Wyoming had something that could really be built upon,” Simmons said.

 

This year, the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission not only booked a record number of bands, 14, but has pulled in several that have toured regionally and nationally. Headlining it all is West Michigan’s The Verve Pipe, kicking off the series May 31.

 

“This is The Verve Pipe’s only free show all year,” Simmons said.

 

The Verve Pipe formed in 1992 and is best known for the song “The Freshman,” which peeked at No. 5 in the Billboard Top 100, along with “Photograph” and “Colorful,” the ballad from the film “Rock Star” starring Mark Walhberg.

 

In addition to their success on radio, TV and film, sold-out concert dates throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia, features in Spin and Rolling Stone and videos on MTV and VH1, the band have made numerous television appearances, including “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and “Late Night With David Letterman.”

 

After an eight year hiatus, The Verve Pipe were approached to submit an original song for a compilation album of children’s music. That session inspired “A Family Album,” their critically acclaimed introduction to the world of children’s music, as well as their follow up release, “Are We There Yet?.” Both albums contain music intended for the entire family, with fun and inventive lyrics set to the memorable melodies the band is known for.

 

In 2014, The Verve Pipe released their first rock album in more than 13 years with “Overboard,” a collection of ten new songs including “Crash Landing,” “Hit and Run,” and the haunting title track “Overboard.”

 

The May 31 show will be a mixture of the band’s hit tunes and family friendly music since the concert is on “Kids First Day.” The concert is set for 7 p.m. at Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW.

 

The Wyoming Concerts in the Park run every Tuesday through Aug. 2 and then wraps up with the Saturday event the Music & More Fest. Running from 4 – 11 p.m., the free event will feature a kid’s Home Run Derby, local food options, and a beer/wine/cider tent. Three bands will perform, headlined by the country-rock group Gunnar & The Grizzley Boys. The Grand Rapids Film Festival will show a movie at dusk on a giant inflatable screen to close out the event.

 

Simmons said another popular concert is June 28, which will be the 4th annual “WY-FI,” the official Wyoming fireworks event. “We are expecting about 10,000 people in attendance,” Simmons said. The concert features two bands, Trilogy and Grand Rapids high-energy rock band The Outer Vibe.

 

The rest of the concert line-up includes: rock and blues group Big Boss Blues June 7; rockabilly/honky tonk Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys June 14; country group Kari Lynch Band June 21; Kentwood Community Church’s Gospel Band July 5; indie rock and folk show The Legal Immigrants July 12; country rock group Jared Knox July 19; folk band The Crane Wives July 26; and Grupo Viento Aug. 2 for National Night Out.

 

Simmons said the local food truck Goodwill Blue Spoon will be on hand at the concerts. “This truck is a little different in that being part of Goodwill, it provides training and jobs to those in need,” he said, adding the series is excited to have the truck at this year’s event.

 

All concerts, unless noted, start at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park. All the concerts will air on WKTV 25 Wednesdays at 5 p.m. and again Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. For all details and up-to-date information, visit www.wyomingcec.org or www.facebook.com/wyomingcec.

Partial lineup for the Wyoming Concerts in the Parks released

Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Non-Profits, Our Cities, Recreation, Senior Living, Upcoming Events, , , ,
Kalamazoo's Big Boss Blues makes its first Concerts in the Park appearance this year.
Kalamazoo’s Big Boss Blues makes its first Concerts in the Park appearance this year.

After that brief encounter of chilly weather this past week, about everyone’s thoughts have turned to warmer weather. Well here’s something to warm you up: there is only 105 days before Wyoming’s Concerts in the Park returns to Lamar Park.

 

O.K., so it is a little more than three months, but to put together a 10-week concert series, the planning has to start almost when the last series ended. The Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission, which oversees the series, has been hard at work, lining up the performers for the 2016 Concerts in the Park and even have begun releasing a few teasers as to who is coming on the Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.

 

“We like to say that we are continuing the tradition of good entertainment at Lamar Park,” said Brandon Simmons, who is on the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission. Simmons is referring to Lamar Park’s history of hosting the rodeo at Fort Wyoming which was located at Lamar Park. The site also was host to numerous concerts featuring Bob Hope, The Oakridge Boys, Crystal Gale, and Huey Lewis & the News.

 

The Concerts in the Park series has done well attracting some of the most popular regional stars with this year’s line-up including the very popular folk/rock band The Crane Wives, Kalamazoo’s Big Boss Blues, Grand Rapids honky tonk group Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, rock ‘n’ roll group Foolish Plezyer, country group Kari Lynch Band, Tejano/Mexican/Conjunto music group Grupo Viento and The Legal Immigrants.

 

According to Simmons, more than 10,000 people were in attendance to last year’s fireworks show, always the Tuesday before July 4. This year’s fireworks will be on June 28 and feature two bands, one of which is Foolish Plezyer.

 

A total of 11 groups will perform over the 10 weeks. Simmons said the complete lineup should be available in March and that there is some big news to this year’s concert series, so make sure to be checking the series’ Facebook page and WKTV’s Wyoming/Kentwood NOW.

 

Also, the Wyoming Community Enrichment Commission hosts the Music & More August event designed to give residents a last summer hurrah with three concerts, food dancing games and activities all in one night. For more on the August event, click here to visit its Facebook page.

 

Concerts in the Park is free. Lamar Park is located at 2561 Porter St. SW.