Revue Magazine, February 2019

WEST MICHIGAN’S ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR 31 YEARS » FEBRUARY 2019

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INSIDE: DEALS & SPECIALS, FREE MUSIC, HARD SELTZER

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REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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* FEBRUARY 2 THE VERVE PIPE

FEBRUARY 1 DENNIS DEYOUNG

20 Monroe Live 2nd Birthday Celebration! w/ Brother Elsey

The Grand Illusion 40th Anniversary Album Tour

18+

FEBRUARY 8 IMPOSTERS IN EFFECT

FEBRUARY 15 CANDLEBOX

FEBRUARY 16 I LOVE THE 80S

FEBRUARY 23 PANAMA

MARCH 1 RUSSELL DICKERSON & CARLY PEARCE

MARCH 2 SWITCHFOOT

Beastie Boys Tribute

w/ To Whom It May

featuring Sixteen Candles

FEBRUARY 19 DROPKICK MURPHYS

w/ Booze and Glory, Lenny Lashley, Amigo The Devil

18+

*

* FEBRUARY 21 THE WALL LIVE EXTRAVAGANZA

FEBRUARY 22 LAITH AL-SAADI

The Greatest Floyd Show on Earth

Van Halen Tribute

Cure For The Winter Blues

* MARCH 14 QUINN XCII

MARCH 9 VINCE STAPLES

w/ Ashe, Christian French

w/ JPEG Mafia

APRIL 10 TESLA

MARCH 30 DEMETRI MARTIN

* MAY 5 CLASSIC DEEP PURPLE LIVE w/ Glenn Hughes

march 15 THE PUMP & DUMP SHOW

AUGUST 20 PAPA ROACH

w/ Asking Alexandria, Bad Wolves

march 20 THE MUSICAL BOX A Genesis Extravaganza

* MARCH 23 RANDY RAINBOW

MARCH 28 TAPE FACE

APRIL 20 ILIZA

MAY 3 MIDLAND

* APRIL 13 ROBIN TROWER

APRIL 17

SiriusXM Yacht Rock Radio Presents

YACHT ROCK REVUE

Get more info and see the full schedule at 20MonroeLive.com 20 Monroe Live Box Office Hours: Mon-Thurs: 12pm-6pm / Fri: 10am-6pm Weekends: event days only / Box office opens 2 hours prior to doors. (closed on non-show days)

* SEATED SHOW

11 OTTAWA AVE NW • DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS • 20MONROELIVE.COM 4 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

w/ Of Mice & Men, Badflower, Palisades

w/ Colony House, Tyson Motsenbocker

*

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18+

w/ Logan Mize

march 6 NOTHING MORE

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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Thursday, Feb. 14 Snowga, Snowshoeing, Relax at Rosa & Love on Ice

Friday & Saturday, Feb. 15 - 16 50+ Ice Sculptures, Walking Tours, Happy Hour at an Ice Bar, Paint the Park & Silent Disco

Sunday, Feb. 17 Human Hungry Hungry Hippos Tournament on Ice

More info at: www.downtowngr.org

TIME TO TURN

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FRIDAY, MARCH 22

SMOKEY ROBINSON SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Tickets available now at the FireKeepers Box Office or FireKeepersCasino.com.

Must be 21 or older. Tickets based on availability. Schedule subject to change.

FKCH-33245_Feb_Revue_9.25x10.indd 1

1/17/192019 4:58 PM REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY | 7

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WHAT’S INSIDE

February 2019 | Volume 31, Issue 2

SCENE: 10 12 16 18 37

Whats Going on Biz Beat Potshots De-Press-ed Style Notes

SOUNDS: 22

28

Local: Dual Album Release Show

SIGHTS: 21

Comedy: Janelle James

REVUE ARTS: 1A Visual arts, classical and jazz music,

theater, arts event previews and more.

(See the center of this issue)

THE CHEAP ISSUE 25 27 29 31 32 33 35

Introduction Happy Hour Daily Specials Cheap Eats Beer: Swill alternatives Free Music Shows Antique/Thrifting

DINING & DRINKING: 38

18

37

Hard Seltzer

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W

hen did everything get so dang expensive?

As restaurants, landlords and shops raise their prices year by year, you start to wonder what you can really afford. Cooking at home looks a little more enticing when your dinner bill with tip can easily hit $30 or more. I mean, I know quality ingredients are expensive, but does a plate of fries really need to cost $8?

We’re here to say, to shout even, “It doesn’t have to be this way!”

I’m not saying we revolt just yet, but it is indeed possible to have fun without going deep into debt. There are restaurants, bars and diners all around you that thrive on giving you a big bang for your buck, so you don’t have to put all your money where your mouth is. Plus, if you’re smart, even the fancy spots can have some sweet deals throughout the week.

In this Cheap Issue, we celebrate those places and encourage you to support your local economic eateries, generous bars, affordable resale stores and craft alternatives to your favorite lawnmower beers.

Also, in our effort to cover more local issues, we take a look at MLive’s recent decision to shut down its Advance Weeklies and On the Town. More and more, local news around the country seems to be taking blows as publishers tighten the belt in their own ways. Of course, there’s a difference between watching the budget and cutting it to ribbons.

W E S T M I C H I G A N ’ S E N T E RTA I N M E N T G U I D E

EDITORIAL Publisher Brian Edwards Associate Publisher Rich Tupica / rich@revueholding.com Editor Joe Boomgaard / joe@revuewm.com Managing Editor Josh Veal / josh@revuewm.com Copy Editor Claire Boomgaard DESIGN Kristi Kortman / kristi@revuewm.com Kaylee Van Tuinen / kaylee@revuewm.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Andy Balaskovitz Dana Casadei Elma Talundzic Eric Mitts Grant Kammer Jane Simons

Jack Raymond Kayla Sosa Kelly Brown Marla R. Miller Michaela Stock Missy Black

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Seth Thompson ADVERTISING / 616.608.6170 Rich Tupica / sales@revuewm.com Kelli Belanger / kelli@revuewm.com ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Dwayne Hoover / dwayne@revuewm.com

’Til next time,

DIGITAL EDITOR Josh Veal MINION Danata Paulino

Josh Veal, Managing Editor

UP COMING IS SUE S MARCH:

APRIL:

People make the world go ’round. We shine a spotlight on 10 fascinating citizens who are shaping the past, present and future of West Michigan.

Year by year, West Michigan’s food scene continues to grow. In this issue, we explore the top locally owned destinations for five-course meals, cheap eats and everything in between.

The People Issue

West Michigan Dining Guide

FIND US ONLINE! Website: revuewm.com Twitter: twitter.com/revuewm Facebook: facebook.com/revuewm Instagram: instagram.com/revuewm REVUE is published monthly by Revue Holding Company.

P.O. Box 1629, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1629 Office: 616.608.6170 / Fax: 616.608.6182 ©2019, Revue Holding Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part granted only by written permission of the publisher in accordance with our legal statement, fools.

ON THE COVER: The Cheap Issue Photographed by Seth Thompson, Styled by Kaylee Van Tuinen.

TO ADVERTISE: Call (616) 608-6170 or email sales@revuewm.com. Space reservation is the 17th of the month before publication.

10 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

See more on page 25

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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WHAT’S GOING ON THIS MONTH | Compiled by Revue Staff

2/8 Found Footage Festival: Cherished Gems

UICA 2 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Feb. 8, 8 p.m., $16 uica.org Whether on the news, exercise tapes, infomercials or cable access shows, history is full of accidentally hilarious footage.

The Found Footage Festival collects those moments and presents them with live commentary and where-are-they-now updates by two comedians, Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett. Having recovered from a lawsuit after tricking morning news shows into thinking they were a legit strongman duo, “Chop & Steele” are ready to laugh it all off at this UICA screening.

WYCE 20th Annual Jammies Awards

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

The Intersection 133 Grandville., Grand Rapids Feb. 8, 5:30-11:30 p.m., free sectionlive.com

WYCE 88.1 FM is now two decades into highlighting amazing local music with the Jammies, a regional award showcase.

This year’s celebration includes 35 local bands playing across three stages at the Intersection. A wide variety of acts like Tunde Olaniran, Luke Winslow-King, Michigander and more are up for nomination and performing at the awards. It’s all available for free, but donations to both WYCE and Feeding America West Michigan are more than welcome.

2/9 Larry Joe Campbell & Friends

Frauenthal Center

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425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. $25+ frauenthal.org Cadillac-raised Larry Joe Campbell may be best known for his role as Andy on According to Jim, but he’s also a stellar comedian who loves improv and standup. With this show, Campbell’s bringing his friends along for a night of interactive improv and musical games. With Second City Alumni Ithamar Enriquez, Josh Funk and Trey Stone joining in, you’re getting four comedians for the price of one.

2/13 Galentine’s Day Comedy Showcase

Stella’s Lounge 53 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Feb. 13, 7:30-11:30 p.m., $10 facebook.com/stellaslounge Who needs a Valentine when you have your friends? Stella’s Lounge is hosting a special evening of “ladies celebrating ladies,” featuring local comedians like Sarah Jean Anderson, Kaira Williams, Dany Redwine and more. If you’re looking for relatable comedy to bring you and your gals together, this is the place to be. Plus, Stella’s is serving up specialty cocktails inspired by female comics.

2/14-17 World of Winter

state. On Thursday is Relax at Rosa, featuring free ice skating, food trucks, and a heated tent with acoustic music and games. Later that night, hit up Love on Ice for a romantic Valentine’s Day date or Snowshoe at the Park for a rare chance to snowshoe for free around Ah-Nab-Awen Park. Friday has a silent disco at the lot on Monroe, Saturday has “snowga,” and Saturday has Paint the Park and a Human Hungry Hungry Hippos tournament. For details head to DGRI’s website.

2/15 Grand Rapids Stout Challenge

7 Monks Taproom 740 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids Feb. 15, 5-10 p.m., $30 facebook.com/7monkstaproomgr Kicking off Beer Month GR is the first-ever Stout Challenge at 7 Monks Taproom. Ten local breweries will each present a stout, including City Built Brewing Co., Creston Brewery, Gravel Bottom and more. Then, participants become the judges, conducting a blind tasting of each beer and voting for their favorites. The ticket includes a custom taster glass, all the tastings and a greasy spoon burger from 7 Monks. Awards are presented at 10 p.m.

2/22-23 14th Annual Winter Beer Festival

Rosa Parks Circle 135 Monroe Center St. NW, Grand Rapids Feb. 14-17 downtowngr.org

Fifth Third Ballpark 4500 W. River Dr. NE, Comstock Park Feb. 22-23 mibeer.com

Sometimes, winter can get us a bit down, all that cold and gray. World of Winter is here to help us appreciate all the unique wintertime activities that just couldn’t happen in summer or a more southern

Brewers at Winter Beer Festival are upping their game every year. With more than 1,000 different craft beers to choose from, you’ll never be wanting for options. Bundle up, gather around the

The War and Treaty at St. Cecilia Music Center. COURTESY PHOTO fire pits and celebrate winter the way you were meant to: with a beer in hand.

Sunday tickets sare sold out, but Friday tickets are almost sure to be available.

2/23 Garage Sale Art Fair

Kalamazoo County Expo Center 2900 Lake St., Kalamazoo Feb. 23, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., $5 garagesaleartfair.com If you’re looking to dress up your walls with some spiffy art but your bank account hasn’t allowed it, this event is an “art fair with garage sale prices.” Nearly 150 artists gather every year to sell their overstock, seconds, odd pieces, supplies and more at this bargain art expo. Shop paintings, woodwork, photographs, ceramics, jewelry and more without breaking the bank.

Chris D’Elia

Kalamazoo State Theatre 404 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo Feb. 23, 8 p.m., $45 kazoostate.com

Chris D’Elia has blown up as a standup comic recently thanks to his latest special, Man on Fire, and his weekly podcast, Congratulations With Chris D’Elia. He’s coming to Kalamazoo with his new show, Follow the Leader, full of all-new material that’s quickly selling out venues around the country.

2/24 The War and Treaty St. Cecilia Music Center 24 Ransom NE, Grand Rapids Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m., $35 scmc-online.org

The duo known as The War and Treaty have had very eventful lives, for better or worse, and you can feel that in the married couple’s music. Together, they write roots and gospel-inspired songs that celebrate healing from pain and coming out of it with incredible joy, leading to hair-raising live shows that will leave you changed.

As singer Michael Trotter said in a Revue interview last year, “We’re going to remind you what it is to feel again.”n

FEBRUARY

BEER EVENTS HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 3-6PM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH GR Stout Challenge

(Tickets available online through Eventbrite)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH Arvon Brewing & Wax Wings Beer Dinner (Tickets available online through Eventbrite)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST Michigan's Dream Team

feat. Homes, Speciation, Transient, Watermark, and Barrel & Beam

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND Ellison & Stormcloud Brewing Tap Event

51 CRAFT BEER TAPS • GASTROPUB • FULL BAR

740 MICHIGAN ST NE • GRAND RAPIDS 7MONKSTAP.COM • 616.265.5417

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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ART HOP FRIDAYS STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

FEBRUARY 1 | 5 – 8 p.m. | Location: Museum

Life in the Mitten will feature Michigan stories.

Opening Friday with stories and songs from Robin Nott and Allison Downey, the fun continues on Saturday.

Special planetarium music light show! 7 p.m.

Pink Floyd’s The Wall, $3/person

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT EXHIBIT

FEBRUARY 1 | 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Location: Kalamazoo Valley CNM Galleries

KALAMAZOO FRETBOARD FESTIVAL KICKOFF

MARCH 1 | 5 – 9 p.m.

Stringed instrument makers, music lovers, and fans of all ages won’t want to miss the kickoff to this fourteenth annual festival with Shari Kane & Dave Steele. The Festival continues on Saturday with more performances and workshops!

KALAMAZOO VALLEY FACULTY SHOW

MARCH 1 | 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Location: Kalamazoo Valley CNM Galleries

FOODWAYS SYMPOSIUM

The Foods We Carried: Middle Eastern Foodways in Michigan APRIL 5 | 5 – 8 p.m. & APRIL 6 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Kick off Friday night with the keynote speakerand light food.

The symposium will continue Saturday at Kalamazoo Valley’s Culinary and Allied Health building.

ALUMNI ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

APRIL 5 | 5:30 - 8p.m.

Location: Kalamazoo Valley CNM Galleries

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

FREE GENERAL ADMISSION Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday + Holidays 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is operated

by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees

14 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

269.373.7990 | 800.772.3370 kalamazoomuseum.org

The Pub at Paddock. COURTESY PHOTO

WEST MICHIGAN

BIZ BEAT

A Roundup of Openings, Closings and other Local Business News

OPENED: Grand Rapids’ newest and perhaps only boutique plant shop opened at 1059 Wealthy St., behind Forty Acres Soul Kitchen. The Plant Parlor offers a range of potted plants for sale, as well as workshops, plant consultations and events. Have a terrarium that needs some TLC? The owners have you covered.

Here are three words that always go together: Liquor, food and gaming. That just so happens to be what the name of Kalamazoo’s only video game bar, LFG, stands for. The retro gaming lounge opened in the former Casa Bolero space at 116 Portage St. in downtown Kalamazoo. Play your favorite arcade games, board games or old school video game consoles while sipping on game-themed cocktails and munching gamethemed finger foods.

are those places in a mansion in Grand Rapids’ East Hills neighborhood? Of course not, peasant.

The former Mangiamo! and current Paddock Place special events venue opened at the end of January as The Pub at Paddock, featuring a full bar and pub eats. The Gilmore Collection spot at 1033 Lake Dr. SE in Grand Rapids will be open to the public on Tuesdays through Sundays, while also offering a venue for hosting parties and weddings.

Wildroast Coffee Co. opened early January in a renovated century-old building at 4035 Chicago Dr. SW in downtown Grandville. The cozy shop brews beans from Owosso-based roaster Foster Coffee Co., as well as offers a limited menu of croissants, sweets and sandwiches.

CLOSED: After three years in business, grilled cheese and tomato soup shop chain Tom + Chee has served its last bowl at 3060 44th St. SW in Grandville in an outlot in front of Cabela’s, near the RiverTown Mall. Apparently, Cabela’s shoppers aren’t in the mood to carb-load on soup and sandwich combos after bagging their best deals on ammunition and doe urine. For Tom + Chee, the move came as the company also closed locations in Lansing and Southeast Michigan. No soup for you, Michigan! n

Frankly, it’s about time West Michigan got a pegacorn-themed brewery. Guardian Brewing Co., which held its grand opening in January at 657 63rd St. in Saugatuck, features a range of in-house beers, including the Pegacorn Porter, Nahual Coffee Pale and Golden Phoenix IPA, plus guest taps from the best breweries in Michigan and beyond. The brewpub occupies the former Red Barn Theater and features an internationally inspired seasonal menu. Did we —Compiled by Joe Boomgaard mention they also plan to offer yurt rentals?

Many places offer a casual, fun environment to enjoy happy hour drinks and quality pub fare. But

If you have any closings, openings or other business news for REVUE, e-mail josh@revuewm.com.

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REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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Vegan Menu coming to all locations soon! ®

FEBRUARY 2019 A monthly roundup of marijuana news and notes.

S

eventy-two provisioning centers waiting on a state license to operate were ordered to close on Jan. 1, prompting anxious calls from medical marijuana patients looking for safe access to meds. The setback lasted two weeks before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stepped in to request an extension until March 31.

The Medical Marihuana Licensing Board (MMLB) unanimously agreed, allowing existing unlicensed businesses to stay open and also buy product from registered caregivers (instead of requiring the supply to come from state-licensed growing facilities).

The newly formed Michigan Cannabis Industry Association praised the move, but the uncertainty clearly shows a marijuana regulatory program still experiencing growing pains.

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

More than 100 retail cannabis stores are now operating statewide (the number once reached 300) as Bridge Magazine reports the Whitmer administration brings a new attitude toward the industry. It’s a welcome change for patient-rights supporters after enduring eight years of Bill Schuette and Rick Snyder.

16 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

Slowly but surely, the number of licensed medical facilities — which will be a prerequisite for recreational licenses — continues to grow. At its Jan. 16 meeting, the MMLB approved five additional licenses, bringing the total number of licensed facilities (growers, retail stores, testing facilities, transporters and processors) to 104. In West Michigan, provisioning centers have been approved in Battle Creek, Tekonsha, Kalamazoo, Breedsville and Bangor. The South Bend Tribune reports that the Niles City Council has also voted to allow up to four provisioning centers, pending state approval.

Still, dozens more communities aren’t putting out the welcome mat. MLive reported in early January that at least 80 communities have banned or plan to ban facilities following last year’s vote to legalize recreational marijuana.

According to MLive’s map, the city of Grand

Rapids is an island of support for licensed facilities, while all adjacent municipalities are moving to block them.

Meanwhile, state regulators are keeping a watchful eye on products reaching the market. The state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs issued four product recalls in January for medical cannabis that “failed laboratory testing.” The latest products recalled were sold at a Ypsilanti provisioning center. A statewide coalition representing testing labs has reportedly called on state officials to reverse a recent decision allowing for sales of untested products, which requires customers to sign a waiver.

On the legislative front, the state Bureau of Marijuana Regulation has published a handy guide of laws passed late last year affecting the industry. They include allowing certain licensees to handle and process industrial hemp and exempting some business owners from more rigorous financial background checks if they have a small ownership stake in the company.

Last month, we reported on some creative business ventures gifting recreational cannabis if customers purchased a bag of munchies. A Ypsilanti business is expanding on the concept while apparently promoting literacy. BlazeMichigan has a variety of packages ranging from $65 to $400 that includes pot gifts with the purchase of used books.

— Compiled by Andy Balaskovitz

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FEBRUARY 17, 2019 1:00 – 4:30 PM

LISTEN

Tom Cutts Yolonda Lavender Asamu Johnson and the Associates of the Blues The Gospel Believers

LEARN

Author Visit: Stephen Mack Jones Scenes from “The Meeting”

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MAIN LIBRARY 111 LIBRARY STREET NE 49503 Donate: 616.988.5399 or www.grplfoundation.org.

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

SCENE SOUNDS | SIGHTS | DINING

616.988.5400 WWW.GRPL.ORG/TASTEOFSOUL

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/// NEWS

DE-PRESS-ED MLive execs mum on layoffs as metro news coverage takes a hit

By Andy Balaskovitz

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

I

n the latest sign of grim economics for print journalism as publishers double down on popular clickbait “content” over hard news gathering, MLive Media Group will no longer publish its seven weekly papers covering suburban Grand Rapids.

The decision to cease publishing the Advance Weeklies creates a hole in metro news coverage for the state’s second-largest city, although MLive executives have issued vague promises to maintain reporting with existing staff. Coverage will most likely be backfilled with occasional stories, social media and public relations.

The move results in 19 layoffs, including four reporters, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous. Three of the four reporters — Madison Bennett, Cathy Runyon and Logan T. Hansen — confirmed they would no longer be with the company after Jan. 22. Other staffers included in the layoffs were photographers, editors and distribution and sales staff, the source said.

MLive executives are staying mum on the changes, declining to comment on a series of Revue’s questions and referring us to a Jan. 8 article on MLive. In that story, MLive President Dan Gaydou says the decision to stop publishing the weeklies was economic, citing publishing costs. He declined to tell his own reporter how many layoffs were included.

18 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

“Here’s yet another example of less local “I don’t really want to make additional information that people might be genuinely comments,” Gaydou told Revue when interested in,” said Len O’Kelly, a multimereached by phone.

In addition to ending Advance Weeklies, dia journalism professor at Grand Valley On the Town entertainment guide will cease pub- State University. “I saw we’ll get more of lication in February. Also starting in February, Michigan’s Best, so MLive can continue residents who received Advance Weeklies will re- their search for the greatest hot dog in the ceive a print version of MLive’s “Michigan’s Best,” state, because that’s important. We definitely need that.” which includes two reporters’ gastric-punishing In a Jan. 16 email to Vice President of searches for the state’s best hamburgers, pizza, Content John Hiner and Senior Director of sandwiches or pot munchies.

News Kelly Frick, Gaydou wrote that he was “These changes reflect the popularity of Michigan’s Best features and a desire to “perplexed why (Revue) cares” about the layoffs.

O’Kelly says the move is one more axe celebrate our communities and highlight ever-shrinking local coverage. the best that each has to offer,” Gaydou “One thing I discuss with students all the said in the MLive article.

Without providing additional detail, time is what’s going on in local communities and local government is so important. We get Gaydou said MLive’s coverage of outlying so caught up in state and national politics communities will continue.

“We remain committed to our core mis- while what’s affecting us most is what’s in our own backyard,” he said. sion of producing great local news and will The coverage “won’t get picked up,” he continue to cover these communities on added. “I’d be real surprised if this didn’t MLive.com as well as in The Grand Rapids somehow backfire on MLive.”

Press print editions,” he said.

Local media experts aren’t so sure.

Reporters at MLive’s Grand Rapids newsWHAT IS MLIVE? room — who are separate from and rarely The Advance Weeklies are based in Walker interact with the Advance Weeklies in Walker and include seven publications covering — are being asked to pick up the slack, tracking metro Grand Rapids, including Cedar local governments in greater Grand Rapids Springs, Sparta, Allendale, Hudsonville, that previously took four reporters.

Ada, Caledonia and Wayland. Advance

“WE’LL GET MORE OF MICHIGAN’S BEST, SO MLIVE CAN CONTINUE THEIR SEARCH FOR THE GREATEST HOT DOG IN THE STATE, BECAUSE THAT’S IMPORTANT. WE DEFINITELY NEED THAT.” LEN O’KELLY, GVSU PROFESSOR

SCENE SOUNDS | SIGHTS | DINING

in recent years for the apparent shift to stories — including high school sports coverage — are fed into MLive.com’s “com- broader coverage that’s popular with readers. munity” section. It’s unclear what effects That shift also has coincided with the layoffs will have on local sports and several waves of layoffs. In January 2015, schools coverage.

In addition to print advertising, MLive laid off veterans Meegan Holland Advance Weeklies also published public and John Barnes, who oversaw the Lansing notices and classifieds, presumably as ad- bureau and coordinated statewide projects, respectively. A year later in January 2016, ditional revenue streams.

MLive Media Group is a subsidiary of MLive cut 29 jobs statewide in what it the New York-based Advance Publications characterized as a “restructuring” to focus on statewide investigative projects, “video empire, which also owns Conde Nast (The New Yorker, Vogue, Vanity Fair) and is head- storytelling,” and “emerging social media ed by the Newhouse family. MLive is one channels and audiences,” Hiner said at the time. of the state’s biggest news outlets and acts “I don’t know what their constraints as an online portal for the Advance-owned Grand Rapids Press, Muskegon Chronicle, and losses are, but I also know huge losses tend not to happen overnight in this inBay City Times, Flint Journal, Jackson Citizen dustry,” O’Kelly said of the recent layoffs Patriot, Saginaw News and Kalamazoo in Grand Rapids. “Long term, this is going Gazette. Advance operates similar models to MLive in Alabama, Ohio, New Jersey to be very damaging to the health of their paper.” and Oregon.

Advance Publications generated $2.2 billion in revenue in 2017, according to a ‘BAD NEWS’ report from Forbes.

For Gaines Township Supervisor Robert However, MLive Media Group is DeWard, the setbacks from MLive’s not just a news organization, but also layoffs are twofold. Not only is it a loss functions as an advertising agency that for local reporting, but municipalities provides full-service marketing.

“At what point are they going to have also are required by state law to publish to solely rely on that because they’re not various public notices in a newspaper of selling a single newspaper? ” O’Kelly “general circulation,” a requirement that the Advance Weeklies met. wondered. “I see what they’re trying to “This was bad news for townships. In do in terms of revenue, but I think it’s a very dangerous strategy. If you completely addition, the cost of publishing in the forget the product that brought you into Advance was one-third of the cost to publish in the Grand Rapids Press,” DeWard the forefront initially, you stop being said in an email. “Of course the other conanything to anyone.”

The role of local reporting in MLive’s cern is the possible lack of local reporting. long-term revenue vision remains unclear, The Advance had done an excellent job of reporting local government activities and although the company has faced criticism local school activities. They had very good reporters and presented human interest stories about township residents and about township activities. We are hoping that the GR Press will consider a local newspaper published weekly that could be included in their Sunday edition.”

Mary Ann Sabo, who started as an Advance Weekly copy editor and became a Grand Rapids Press business reporter from 1995-1999, now runs Sabo PR in Grand Rapids.

“We’re really disappointed that MLive has made the decision. While I sincerely understand the financial realities of the media these days, Advance Weeklies have

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 LEN O'KELLY. COURTESY PHOTO

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ADVANCE WEEKLIES CIRCULATION

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served a valuable spot in our community for decades,” she said.

Her f irm provides communications for suburban Grand Rapids municipalities including Kentwood, Cascade, Plainfield, Wyoming and East Grand Rapids. In that role, Sabo’s team supplies residents with information that may not raise interest from local reporters.

“The reality is over the last five to 10 years, all media are changing in our market,” Sabo said. “As that is happening with our municipalities and other clients, we’ve had to work to develop alternative means of getting information out.”

Social media helps fill that void relatively cheaply, but O’Kelly worries that relying on it as a news outlet further encapsulates readers inside their own information bubble.

The Pew Research Center reported late last year that — for the first time — social media surpassed print newspapers as a news source in the U.S. The report noted 20 percent of people get news from social media versus 16 percent from print.

Moreover, municipalities are less likely to do much beyond self-promotion let alone discuss contentious issues, like the resignation of a shared f ire chief in three outlying communities the Advance covered in January.

“Because I’ve been on both sides of the desk as a reporter and a communications professional, there’s a need to have a healthy, robust Fourth Estate,” Sabo said. “I want (reporters) out there doing their job. Tell me the things I need to know about.”

PICKING UP THE SLACK? 1 2

NORTHEAST

Cedar Springs, Rockford, Belmont

NORTHWEST

Sparta, Conklin, Comstock Park, Coopersville, Marne, Walker, Standale, West Side Grand Rapids

3

CADENCE

4

GRAND VALLEY

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SOUTH EAST

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PENASEEGLOBE

NE Grand Rapids, Forest Hills, Ada, East Grand Rapids, Cascade

Alendale, Standale, Jenison, Grandville, Hudsonville, Jamestown

Kentwood, Cutlerville, Dutton, Caledonia

Wyoming, Byron Center

Moline, Burnips, Dorr, Hopkins, Wayland, Bradley, Gun Lake, Shelbyville, Martin

20 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

While outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post increased digital subscriptions after the 2016 election, the print industry in general is in crisis. Advertising revenue and circulation have spiraled downward since the late 1990s. Meanwhile, newspaper employment, including reporters, editors and photographers, has dropped 45 percent since 2004, according to the Pew Research Center.

In early January, Digital First Media — which owns dozens of U.S. newspapers and is known for slashing local budgets after acquisitions — proposed a $1.4 billion deal for Gannett, which owns several major-market papers, including the Detroit Free Press. The attempted takeover has raised concerns about consolidating Detroit’s two newspapers that currently operate under a joint operating agreement.

Meanwhile, MLive’s not the only local outlet facing an uncertain future. A planned merger between television giants Nexstar and Tribune Broadcasting could affect lo-

MARY ANN SABO. COURTESY PHOTO

cal TV stations WOOD-TV8 and WXMI FOX 17, which are owned by Nexstar and Tribune, respectively. That merger is subject to federal regulatory approval, and corporate officials declined to comment.

As Revue sister publication MiBiz reported in December, the Grand Rapids Community Media Center also could face millions in lost revenue from franchise fees when new Federal Communication Com m ission r u les t a ke ef fec t . T he Community Media Center oversees public access TV channels as well as the online citizen journalism initiative known as The Rapidian.

CMC Executive Director Linda Gellasch says while The Rapidian is separate from the CMC’s operations, losing franchise fees “will have a little damaging effect” on the publication. The Rapidian has two staffers who provide journalistic guidance to contributors in the community.

“The further closure of publications makes The Rapidian more relevant than ever,” Gellasch said.

She also is planning an upcoming writer and reader survey for The Rapidian, although its coverage territory is just the city of Grand Rapids and adjacent municipalities.

“It’s a good time for us to take the temperature of what the community is experiencing and really finding the largest need for (in our coverage),” she said.

The MLive layoffs are concerning for Gellasch and others because no one else was regularly covering township boards and city councils in suburban areas.

“It’s a sad loss,” Gellasch said of the end of the Advance Weeklies. “It was one more foothold in providing the community with information. We’ve just seen journalism take a dive to the degree that we can’t tell what’s news and what isn’t.”n

FEBRUARY 2019 REVUEWM.COM/ARTS

FREE

ART-CLECTIC Muskegon Museum of Art opens three exhibits in one month SEE PAGE 8A. STORY BY MARLA MILLER.

PAGE

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PAGE HEAR THE MAGIC Fantasia at Battle Creek Symphony

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PAGE ART ALL AROUND Restaurants can be galleries too

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HERE WE GO Mamma Mia! comes to GR Civic Theatre

C A M E R O N M AC K I N T O S H PRESENTS

B O U B L I L & S C H Ö N B E R G ’S

MARCH 12-17

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[Music]

Music & Magic

Publisher Brian Edwards

Battle Creek Symphony brings Fantasia back to the stage

Associate Publisher Rich Tupica Editor Joe Boomgaard / joe@revuewm.com Managing Editor Josh Veal / josh@revuewm.com

BY JANE SIMONS

Design Kristi Kortman / kristi@revuewm.com Kaylee Van Tuinen / kaylee@revuewm.com

Under the baton of Anne Harrigan, the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra will take the audience at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium to Bald Mountain, the Pines of Rome and beyond with the Walt Disney classic Fantasia.

Harrigan, artistic director and BCSO director, said the opening song, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Sebastian Bach, will feature organist Karl Schrock, adjunct professor of organ at Western Michigan University. The organ Schrock is playing was the last showcase organ built by Ernest Martin Skinner, one of America’s best-known pipe organ builders, for Kellogg Auditorium in the early 1930s.

“The organ and the orchestra will go back and forth, and people will be able to hear the 4,000 pipes of the Skinner organ,” Harrigan said. “Then we’ll go into the best-known pieces, such as Night on Bald Mountain, which is wonderful, spooky music often synonymous with Halloween. It really drives the imagination.”

Copyright restrictions prevent the use of images from the movie during the symphony’s performance, but Harrigan said the music allows the audience to conjure up their own interpretations.

The first half of the concert ends with a performance of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. The second half features the Pines of Rome, a four-movement symphonic poem for orchestra that was featured in the movie’s sequel, Fantasia 2000.

Harrigan said this part of the movie takes place in a park where children are playing. The four movements include Pines Near a Catacomb and Pines of the Nightingale, culminating with Pines of the Appian Way, which is famous for the images it conjures of soldiers marching.

“The music gets louder and louder and louder. It’s actually the reason I picked that program because I love that piece that much,” Harrigan said. “I picked my favorite

Contributing Writers: Jane Simons Kayla Sosa Dana Casadei Marla Miller

FIND US ONLINE:

Anne Harrigan. COURTESY PHOTO

ones and thought the audience was going to love them too.”

The staying power of the movie has plenty to do with music that a lot of people can relate to from their childhoods, according to Harrigan.

“I had a woman who had attended the premiere performance in Philadelphia in 1940 come up to me and give me the program book from that performance,” she said. “It would not be as iconic as it is without thinking of Mickey Mouse, the sorcerer, the water and the broom.”

The hugely successful Fantasia came about after a chance meeting between composer Leopold Stokowski and Walt Disney at a restaurant in Los Angeles.

Stokowski told Disney that he had always wanted to put animation and music together, and Fantasia was brought to life along with a major launch for Mickey Mouse with the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Although this is the fourth time Harrigan has conducted this particular program, it is her first with the BCSO. “The quality of the writing and the drastic nature of the storytelling really send imagination to flights of fancy and that’s the way they use the orchestra,” Harrigan said. “We have 70 musicians onstage and different, colorful percussion and woodwinds. All of the composers knew how to make use of all of the instruments an orchestra has to make it interesting.”

The orchestra will be joined onstage

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FANTASIA For advertising, subscription, and distribution inquiries, e-mail: Rich Tupica sales@revuewm.com

W.K. Kellogg Auditorium 50 W. Van Buren St., Battle Creek March 2, 7:30 p.m. yourmusiccenter.com

by Levi Powe, a 17-year-old cello player from Tucson, Ariz., who bested eight other semifinalists in February to win the coveted Sphinx Competition in Detroit. The competition is sponsored by the Sphinx Organization, a nonprofit based in Detroit dedicated to the development of young Black and Latino classical musicians.

Powe also will join symphony musicians for two performances specifically for area high school students.

Harrigan said she’s looking forward to conducting each of the three performances and hopes to see families represented in the audience for Fantasia.

“It’s very accessible and very colorful, and this is why these pieces were chosen in the first place,” Harrigan said. “It’s a series of short pieces, which is always a good way to introduce children to the symphony. The concert is also a little bit shorter, because we do want to encourage families.”■

REVUE is published monthly by Revue Holding Company.

P.O. Box 1629, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1629 Office: 616.608.6170 / Fax: 616.608.6182 ©2019 Revue Holding Company. All rights reserved.

ON THE COVER:

ART-CLECTIC Muskegon Museum of Art spotlights a prolific illustrator, early Americana paintings and vintage puzzles

See more on page 8A

REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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s’ Artist

019 2 m u For presents

Saturday March 16, 2019 7:30 p.m.

M ISS EXPR ION ESS

Dale B. Lake Auditorium at the Texas Township Campus Kalamazoo Valley Community College Tickets Cost $15 To untangle topics so knotted, Prophet uses only the most essential language: little else but whip-smart one-liners, a guitar in each channel and a backbeat. There are glimpses in the rear-view mirror of American rock ‘n roll – names like Eddie Cochran and an instinct for lean guitar tunes – but the meat’s fresh. There’s everything from the capitalist hustle and the immigrant struggle to the impulse to forget it all with a lusty Saturday night.

Tickets available through the Texas Township Campus bookstore, 269.488.4030, by contacting Dave Posther at 269.488.4476 or at www.kvcc.edu/artistsforum.

Partially funded by The Gilmore Foundation, The Harold and Grace Upjohn Foundation, and Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

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A week-long journey guided by J.S. Bach in some of Grand Rapids' most beautiful churches.

BACH

PASS

Order today!

$40

Students $20

Access to all 10 Bach Festival programs for only $40!

Full single ticket value $86

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GRSymphony.org/BachFest

[Music]

Good Vibrations

Joey DeFrancesco brings his Hammond to St. Cecilia

BY GRANT KAMMER

Joey DeFrancesco, a thirdgeneration jazz musician, has been perfecting his unique blend of jazz, soul and blues for more than 40 years. Born in Philadelphia, DeFrancesco got his start on the organ at age four and began playing shows at five when his dad, “Papa” John DeFrancesco, invited him to sit in on sets.

By age 10, he was playing with bands opening for legendary acts like B. B. King and Wynton Marsalis. At 16, he signed his first record contract with Columbia, joined Miles Davis’ band for a European tour, and, inspired by Davis, picked up the trumpet himself. By 18, he had already founded his own band, cut a few albums, and took the first steps of his long and successful music career. His is a life shaped and molded by the beauty of music. For DeFrancesco, “It’s music that makes everything better.”

Speaking with DeFrancesco, it’s clear all of his experiences, including these opportunities, deeply inform his work and process. For someone whose entire life has seemingly revolved around jazz, DeFrancesco describes music as something akin to a spiritual experience. His process involves distilling these experiences into sound, transmuting emotion into music.

“It’s about being in touch with your surroundings: what’s happening, the world, the universe and letting that flow through you. When the music flows through you, it’s a direct conduit for all of those things, ” DeFrancesco said.

He consistently emphasizes taking in what he’s experiencing in that moment to create his work, but there’s also a focus on

pushing the genre beyond where it’s been.

“I have to move forward,” said DeFrancesco in reference to his evolving sound.

And move forward he has, releasing more than 30 records and innovating while simultaneously remaining connected to his traditional jazz roots.

As an organist, it’s understandable why DeFrancesco is a self-described “strong believer in tradition.”

“You have to have a basis,” he said. “It’s like a language. It’s like learning how to speak. You learn a vocabulary.”

Without that commonality, it can be difficult to communicate musically, for audiences to tune in to his message of connectedness and unity. But while he respects tradition, DeFrancesco emphasized that perhaps more important is the need to stay true to oneself.

“Once you get the technique, then you’re free,” he said.

That freedom bought by refining technique has certainly earned DeFrancesco his Grammy nominations, a mark on jazz history and a sound of his own.

For musicians like DeFrancesco, using old school instrumentation or playing classic songs doesn’t stop them from taking a modern approach, and audiences have responded positively. His career represents a living, thriving connection to the jazz legends of old, and his choice to stay true to his roots and play the organ has helped inspire a renaissance of sorts around the instrument.

St. Cecilia Music Center’s Executive Director Cathy Holbrook thinks his group’s sound “is bound to have guests swinging in their seats.”

“Their amazing jazz, blues, soul sound will really speak to the hearts of true jazz lovers and it’s something different than we have featured in the past, with Joey on the Hammond B3 Organ,” Holbrook said.

Jazz fans and organ aficionados would be wise to check out St. Cecilia’s Jazz Spectacular on Feb. 7, as DeFrancesco and his quartet, The People, will be performing songs from his Grammy-nominated 2017 release, Project Freedom.

The intimate atmosphere of St. Cecil-

Joey DeFrancesco. COURTESY PHOTO

ia offers advantages beyond the warm sound of the theater — after the performance, DeFrancesco is set to appear in an after-concert reception, available to all attendants.

With DeFrancesco on the keys, fans can expect a spiritual experience with his unique, yet classic organ sound, a few trumpet selections, and maybe a song or two from his upcoming March 1 release.

DeFrancesco himself is looking forward to “an evening of a lot of energy and good vibes.” ■

JOEY DEFRANCESCO St. Cecilia Music Center 24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m. scmc-online.org

REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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EXPERIENCE IT ALL! TICKETS ON SALE

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FEBRUARY 8 Pop Fiction

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The Frauenthal Center presents

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muskegoncivictheatre.org The Women of Lockerbie is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Tickets: FRAUENTHAL.ORG STARTICKETS.COM Box Office: 231.727.8001 ENTERTAINMENT

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SPECIAL EVENTS

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EVENT HOSTING

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OFFICE LEASING

[MUSIC]

PREVIEW

With the start of the new year comes multiple concerts to check out, many of them featuring the piano. If classical piano isn’t something you enjoy — to which I say, maybe broaden your horizons — there’s also an exceptional jazz trumpeter who does a heartfelt tribute to one of the greats. Or if supporting young, local musicians is more your jam, stop by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra this month, where the 2018 Stulberg International String Competition gold medalist will make her KSO debut. BY DANA CASADEI

FONTANA CHAMBER ARTS 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 200, Kalamazoo, fontanachamberarts.org, (269) 382-7774

CURTIS ON TOUR, Feb. 22, $30+ Rising stars from the prestigious Philadelphia music conservatory, Curtis Institute of Music, will spend an evening in Kalamazoo as part of the school’s Curtis on Tour. The tour — which began in 2008 — has done more than 200 concerts, with students, facility and alumni performing in more than 90 cities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. This evening’s performance will include operatic and American songbook selections, and Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes, one of his most beloved pieces.

KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ish maze before a certain someone “who shall not be named” shows up. The GRS will perform Patrick Doyle’s magical score while the film plays in high-definition on a 40-foot screen.

TCHAIKOVSKY FESTIVAL, Feb. 8-9, $18+ CELEBRATION OF SOUL, Feb. 16, $150 SYMPHONY WITH SOUL FEATURING BLACK VIOLIN, Feb. 16, $18+

THE ROMANTIC CONCERT: BELLA ITALIA!, Feb. 22, $26+

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA,

THE PHANTOM OF THE ORCHESTRA, Feb. 10, $5

CHORAL FANTASY, Feb. 1, $24+

Inspector Jones is on the hunt. For what exactly? To uncover who is behind the scheme to silence the orchestra once and for all. This family-friendly adventure will take guests on an orchestral journey as Inspector Jones tries to close the case. Or maybe he’ll find a mystery phantom who has no plans of leaving the Chenery Auditorium. There’s only one way to find out.

Italian pianist Alessio Bax has appeared with more than 100 orchestras and will join the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra, as will the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids. The evening features three pieces, Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” Mozart’s “Piano Concerto no.24” and Beethoven’s “Fantasia, Piano Chorus & Orchestra, op. 80 (Choral Fantasy).” Supposedly, when Beethoven heard Mozart’s concerto, he said, “We shall never be able to do anything like that.” That’s humility.

HARRY POTTER & THE GOBLET OF FIRE, Feb. 1-2, $46+ The GRS brings back its Film Concert Series with the best Harry Potter film. (Yeah, we said it.) For those who don’t know, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire follows the titular character after he’s mysteriously entered into the Triwizard Tournament, a competition between three wizarding schools. He must battle dragons and water demons, and travel through a hell-

24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, scmc-online.org, (616) 459-2224

JOEY DEFRANCESCO, Feb. 7, $35+ BÉLA FLECK & ABIGAIL WASHBURN. Feb. 9, $45+

THE WAR AND TREATY, Feb. 24, $30+ THE MILK CARTON KIDS, Feb. 28, $40+

THE GILMORE KEYBOARD FESTIVAL Wellspring Theater, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 101, Kalamazoo, thegilmore.org, (269) 342-1166 Zhang Zuo, coming to the Gilmore Keyboard Festival. COURTESY PHOTO

ZHANG ZUO, Feb. 10, $25 At just age five, Zhang Zuo (who also goes by Zee Zee) was sent to Germany to begin her musical training, which clearly paid off. By the time she came back to her native China, the young pianist quickly became one of the most sought-after in the country, resulting in collaborations with leading Chinese orchestras she still works with today. Zuo went on to complete her piano studies with Dan Zhao Yi at

the Shenzhen Arts School before being invited to work under the guidance of Nelita True at the Eastman School of Music. Then she went off to Juilliard, where she received the Petschek Piano Award. All that has culminated in her becoming one of the Gilmore’s Rising Star performers, and this spring, her first album will be released.

Feb. 22, $16

360 W. Western Ave. #200, Muskegon, westmichigansymphony.org, (231) 726-3231

300 Ottawa NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org, (616) 454-9451 ext. 4

ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER

THE ROMANTIC COFFEE CONCERT,

359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 100, Kalamazoo kalamazoosymphony.com, (269) 349-7759

GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY

the world, including the Metropolitan Opera.

Backing him is award-winning Sri Lankan pianist Rohan De Silva, who regularly partners with other musicians of extraordinary talent.

OPERA GRAND RAPIDS Betty Van Andel Opera Center 1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids operagr.org

AN EVENING WITH SEAN PANIKKAR, Feb. 7, $25 Through its Opera Unlimited Series, the organization is working to broaden the scope of opera in the community, emphasizing diversity and inclusion. The American-Sri Lankan Sean Panikkar is here to kick that off with his beautiful tenor voice. Panikkar’s becoming known as a rising star, appearing with operas all around

NOW AT THE KIA The Expressionist Figure through May 5 Leading artists of the mid-20th century, including important women painters, push back against abstraction by reintroducing the figure.

Mary Abbott, Untitled, c. 1955, oil on canvas.

Courtesy of McCormick Gallery, Chicago

Watanabe: Print Envoy through March 10 Evocative and colorful representations of Japanese life by a master publisher and promoter of 20th-century printmaking done with ancient techniques and collaboration by designers, woodblock cutters, and printmakers.

Ohara Shoson, Snow on Willow Bridge, ca. 1920-30, color woodcut. Bequest of John H.Van Vleck, courtesy of the Chazen Museum of Art

KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS 435 W. South Street

269/349-7775

kiarts.org

REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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[VISUAL ARTS]

Art-clectic

Muskegon Museum of Art spotlights a prolific illustrator, early Americana paintings and vintage puzzles

BY MARLA MILLER

feeling dumb and teased in school, racism and diversity, a fear of public speaking, and being in a class of quirky misfits. The poignant messages, honest and sometimes uncomfortable to confront, remain relevant today and recognize the influential role of a great educator.

“She really has great empathy for students who struggle and were bullied,” Mott said. “Some of them have some pretty deep messages.”

conversation, touring exhibits like this one allow the DIA to show work that may not be out all the time, turning on audiences all over to its collection, Mott said.

from the Manoogian Collection,

displays a variety of late 19th century and early 20th century puzzles framed and hung on the wall. Upon closer inspection, viewers can see puzzle pieces that lack the smooth, interlocking edges of modern versions. Some are cut into straight-edged rectangles, others dramatically different in size, and many have unique “figure” pieces in the shape of dogs, keys, circles, hearts, butterflies and clovers.

“The shapes are pretty easy to spot once you get looking,” said Art Martin, MMA’s senior curator and director of collections and exhibitions.

The pieces meld together to depict common scenes, including dogs, landscapes, ships, and also some golden-era type illustrations of pirates and knights.

The MMA exhibit highlights the heyday of the puzzle, sparked by manufacturers across Europe and the United States marketing them as toys for children and adults, teaching aides, advertisements and promotional gimmicks.

“There was no Google,” Mott said. “It was probably a great way for people to explore different places and scenes and ideas.”

On display to the public for the first

Accomplished Michigan author and illustrator In Pieces: The Art of Vintage Patricia Polacco was once Puzzles, Feb. 14-April 21 a little girl, Trisha, who As art, vintage puzzles reveal the design capabilities and technology of the time saw jumbled words on the and the images that informed peoples’ page and struggled with everyday lives.

In Pieces: The Art of Vintage Puzzles American Spectacle: Paintings reading in school.

Her autobiographical book, Thank you, Mr. Falker, pays tribute to the special teacher who recognized her artistic abilities — and her dyslexia — and helped her succeed.

A+ for Educators: Illustrations by Patricia Polacco highlights several of Polacco’s books that honor educators who made a difference in her life. In a broader sense, this special exhibit organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art also celebrates the important work of educators everywhere who inspire and encourage their students.

“Each of us has that teacher that really moved us and helped us and changed us and allowed us to grow and become who we are,” said Catherine Mott, MMA’s assistant director.

Every winter, the museum features a book illustrator and original art from the books to show students how art becomes part of a story. A+ for Educators highlights sketches and illustrations from Thank you, Mr. Falker; An A from Miss Keller; The Art of Miss Chew and more.

Each book weaves in stories and obstacles Polacco encountered in her childhood:

Feb. 14-April 28 Including circus spectacles and Pictured Rocks, a touring exhibition from Detroit Institute of Arts’ Manoogian Collection moves into the Operhall Gallery in mid February.

The exhibit includes 11 paintings from the late 19th century and early 20th century that highlight American life, culture and identity. American Spectacle explores the work of American painters as they capture “competing visions of American culture and identity in works of art that remain relevant today,” according to the DIA. There are images of America’s most iconic attractions, including Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Queen Mary coming into New York harbor, and “a really cool one of Pictured Rocks” by Thomas Moran, Mott said.

“It’s that idea of Manifest Destiny, moving west, highlighting things Americans were drawn to or used as propaganda,” she said. “(They’re) things that really are iconic America.”

Besides promoting collaboration and

time, the puzzles belonged to the late Andre Aerné of Charlevoix. He avidly collected puzzles, stamps, ceramics and art, and the MMA hosted an exhibition of Aerné’s Clarice Cliff ceramics in 2010. The puzzles came from his estate, donated in its entirety to the MMA. “Sometimes you come across these people with these really unique, eccentric collections; it’s an art form in and of itself,” Mott said. “It’s something very different but also celebrating the art of collecting.” ■

MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART 296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org, (231) 720-2570 SONS: Seeing the Modern African American Male, Through March 10 Ad Man: Joseph Grey II, Through March 10, 2019 A+ for Educators: Illustrations

by Patricia Polacco, Jan. 31-May 12 American Spectacle: Paintings from the Manoogian Collection, Feb. 14-April 28 In Pieces: The Art of Vintage Puzzles, Feb. 14-April 21

From left to right: American Circus in Brittany. COURTESY IMAGE. A+ for Educators: Illustrations by Patricia Polacco. COURTESY IMAGE. In Pieces: The Art of Vintage Puzzles. COURTESY IMAGE.

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Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid designed the MSU Broad Museum with no right angles and an appearance that constantly changes as visitors move around its exterior and through its interior.

Photo: Eat Pomegranate Photography

IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU, WEST MICHIGAN. A LETTER FROM THE MSU BROAD ART MUSEUM IN EAST LANSING

P

ritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid once said, “there are 360 degrees, so why stick to just one?” She applied that attitude literally in the design of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (MSU Broad), but since we opened in 2012, we’ve sought to utilize every angle in an effort to push the boundaries of what a museum can be.

Angles are all about perspective. Each time you view a work of art, your identity shapes the way you see it. Your background, your interests, your upbringing—everything that makes you who you are plays a role. Centrally located right in the heart of East Lansing, we invite you to bring your own unique angle to the MSU Broad. We’re a dynamic contemporary art museum that proudly serves as both a teaching institution and a cultural hub for our beloved state of Michigan, and we can’t wait to meet you.

Through a rotation of exhibitions featuring local, national, and international artists and a permanent collection of nearly 8,000 works, the MSU Broad seeks to provide increased access to art which inspires

curiosity, lifelong learning, and civic universities in the world, Michigan engagement with issues of local rel- State University provides a frameevance and global concern. work for the MSU Broad to bring You’re invited to visit this space exhibitions that encourage quesand engage with it in ways that are tioning, inspire critical thinking, and right for you. Beyond its galleries, the foster interdisciplinary collaboration MSU Broad acts as a gathering space, with creative minds and experts nestled right at the gateway between across campus. Come experience campus and community. Enjoy a vis- exhibitions that explore how artistic it to the café, where you can sip your processes can help us better undercoffee surrounded by an stand our world. We’ve abundance of natural light partnered with artists that filters through angular and campus resources to ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD windows. Shop an eclectic address themes such as ART MUSEUM AT mix of goods at our store, sustainability, land rights, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY where the proceeds go advances in technology, (MSU Broad) back into supporting the and complex scientific museum. Engage in an phenomena through the 547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing extensive variety of prolens of creativity.

(517) 884-4800 grams and events ranging Above all, the MSU broadmuseum.msu.edu from Family Days to onBroad is an engaged site yoga, library partnerpublic institution that priships to live performances. oritizes serving its comThere are countless unique ways to exmunity. This is at the core of what we perience the MSU Broad. do—and because we feel so strongly Located on the campus of Michabout providing access to meaningigan State University, the MSU Broad ful art experiences, admission to the connects the students and the genMSU Broad is always free. eral public to art in ways that serve Multiple angles make up our exterior, the university’s mission to advance but that’s equally true for what’s inside the common good in uncommon too. Plan your trip to the MSU Broad toways. As one of the top research day at broadmuseum.msu.edu.

A visitor engages with work by Sissel Tolaas, on view now in the exhibition MATTER(S) matter(s) at the MSU Broad. Tolaas replicated real smells from a neighborhood in southwest Detroit to investigate how smell is the sense most closely linked with memory.

Photo: Aaron Word/MSU Broad

SPONSORED CONTENT REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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| REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019

[VISUAL ARTS]

In Bloom

Red Lotus Center for the Arts showcases local artists, promotes community

BY MARLA R. MILLER

When artist Tanya Tice couldn’t find a piece of art to hang above her couch in her price range, she went out to the store, bought some canvas and paint and “went to town.”

Soon, friends started requesting paintings and encouraged her to submit art to Red Lotus Center for the Arts in downtown Muskegon.

Located in the historic Century Club building, Red Lotus is part art gallery, part community arts center, providing artists with diverse backgrounds a place to show and sell their work. The gallery includes changing exhibits every four to six weeks, unique gifts made by local artists, concerts, performance events, art receptions, classes and venue rentals.

“I think Red Lotus is a very important thing in Muskegon,” said Tice, who now serves on the board and regularly sells her artwork there. “Not only does it give local artists an outlet, but it also lets the public know art isn’t just for the very rich.

Art is for everyone.”

It’s a place where the work of housewives and self-taught painters like Tice hang beside Kendall College graduate and Pakistan native Aziza Abbasi and recognizable names such as Jon Workman, Fred Reinecke and Stacy Niedzwiecki.

“That is the beauty of Red Lotus, we’re not snotty,” said Heidi Stukkie, co-owner of Red Lotus. “We accept art from beginning artists, from students, all the way up to people who have a master’s in fine art and are very well-known.”

Driven by memberships, Red Lotus welcomes artists, musicians, poets, writers, students and art lovers to join a

community of artists on the lakeshore.

The gallery features acrylic and oil paintings, photography, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, pottery, jewelry and more.

Each “themed” exhibition goes through a jury process by the center’s curating committee, and exhibits feature the work of members, guest artists and nonmembers. The other half of the gallery includes more classic artwork.

Founded in 2012, Red Lotus relocated to space in the lower level of the Century Club about five years ago. Stukkie stepped into a co-owner role in December 2017 with founding owner Michael Schaafsma, convincing him to keep the gallery’s doors open.

Originally, Stukkie had joined Red Lotus as a member artist two years ago to have a venue to show her photography. While she “ended up loving it here,” she was disappointed in the arts and nightlife scene.

“I found this community of artists and I really wanted to support that,” she said.

Besides changing the name, logo and other branding efforts, they changed how the membership program works and increased member artists from 10 to 50, which also increased sales.

Red Lotus always welcomes new members. Memberships range from $5 to $25 per month with varying volunteer commitments, from helping to hang shows to staffing the gallery.

The art center isn’t afraid to try new things, such as concerts, poetry readings, open mics, art critique nights and various classes. It also held its first Holiday Market last November.

The current exhibit’s theme is Steampunk, followed by Celebrate Women in March, and the return of the popular Fluorescent show in April.

Tice joined the gallery in January 2018 and sold several pieces during Fluorescent.

“That was quite exciting, being new,” she said. “We didn’t think it was going to be a big event, and it was one of our biggest shows we’ve had.”

Night Orchid. TANYA TICE

That initial success pushed Tice to keep making art. She paints with acrylic and resin, specializing in abstract and liquid flow art. A regular volunteer in the gallery, Tice said the doors are open to anyone who wants to learn more about art.

“That was the first time I had ever been in a gallery in my life,” she said. “It’s very welcoming and inviting. You don’t feel afraid to touch or look.”

The Fluorescent show’s popularity even surprised Stukkie. Half of the gallery is dark, the art lit with black lights.

“It was so much fun, it was like coming into a fun house,” Stukkie said. “We had a ton of traffic for that show.”

The Century Club’s location in the heart of downtown includes several other shops on the main level. Stukkie said the Western Avenue retail chalets gave foot traffic a boost last summer, and Red Lotus is in a good spot to give artists exposure, visitors a place to shop, and residents a social hub.

“I definitely think Muskegon needs arts and events,” Stukkie said. “We need more of this downtown. I want to make sure we have a place to offer that.” ■

RED LOTUS CENTER FOR THE ARTS 356 W. Western Ave., Muskegon redlotusmuskegon.com, (231) 981-8525 Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday

Upcoming exhibits: Steampunk & Other Art to Beat the Winter Blues, through Feb. 16 Celebrate Women opens Feb. 19 Fluorescent opens April 2 Open Mic Night, 7-9 p.m., Feb. 22 (typically every fourth Friday)

REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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[VISUAL ARTS]

Intro to H2O

Oscar Tuazon teaches through his school within a school

BY DANA CASADEI

Schools and libraries go hand-in-hand, both containing and spreading knowledge far and wide. Whether it’s a university or an elementary school, the library is the well of information students can dip into at any time.

The same goes for Oscar Tuazon’s Water School, coming to Michigan State University’s Broad Art Museum.

“Oscar was very clear that in the school, the first thing you do is build a library,” said Steven Bridges, associate curator at the Broad Art Museum.

The library is one of Water School’s key features, full of books from Michigan State University’s library and others that guests can read and mark up as they see fit. More rare books are in the exhibition’s archival section, but none of them are available to leave the museum. However, Bridges said the school plans to put a full bibliography online.

Topics in the library run a wide gamut, covering everything from engineering, sustainability and dome building to Michigan and the Great Lakes. Two of the larger focuses are on climate change and the architecture the “school” is based on.

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Inspired by southwest inventor and engineer Steve Baer’s Zome House, guests will see three large architectural pieces Tuazon built. The structures — made of plywood and aluminum — are one-to-one models of Baer’s house in Albuquerque, N. M., easily large enough to walk around in.

“Basically, it’s a third of Baer’s home,” Bridges said. “It’s really like the size of a small house.”

While inspired by Baer, Tuazon’s work is giving it an update, including this exhibition’s pièce de résistance, a new “water window” prototype.

In Baer’s home, he created a system for storing the sun’s energy in water drums installed in the home’s large window bays. Over the course of the day, the water would heat up from sun exposure.

Then, at night, the water would release heat into the house, thereby heating up the whole house. Bridges said he thinks Tuazon envisions this prototype eventually working like a plumbing system.

“Oscar has been very interested in this idea, while also acknowledging new technologies and new ideas which have been developed since then,” Bridges said.

“This system could be updated while simultaneously also recovering the nature of what a window is.”

In Baer’s design, the windows are basically obstructed by the water drums, but in Tuazon’s version, the window itself would be filled with water and fit in one of the bays of the architecture. No water drum, no obstruction.

Bridges said the collaboration for the window prototype was developed by a large group, including Guardian Glass LLC, the Lansing Glass Company, engineers from MSU, and architect Jerry Garcia. Bridges said they likely wouldn’t fill the prototype with water at the exhibit

| REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019

Top: Zome Alloy. Left: Water Map (Flint, North). Right: Winona LaDuke (Honor the Earth).

BY OSCAR TUAZON

for a few different reasons, including logistical challenges, but they would use it to model what this type of system could do in the future.

Bridges is the first to admit the show may sound a little abstract, a little hard to picture, but that’s part of what makes this exhibition so interesting.

“It really is kind of experimental and prototypical in its nature, but I think that’s also what’s really exciting about it. How we want to be working at the museum is through exploration,” he said.

Once the exhibition ends, the prototype will make its way back to Tuazon’s art studio in Los Angeles, where one of his other water schools is located. Bridges said this water school is part of a much larger project, one of three schools around the country, including the up-andrunning California exhibit, and another being built in Minnesota.

At each water school, Tuazon focuses on that location’s local context with water, such as Michigan’s various water crises, including Flint. The schools are connected to their location, including through some of the sculptures included at the Broad. As a whole, the schools also address larger issues, such as climate change.

As one might guess, Water School isn’t going to be a static exhibit. Bridges said they want people to think of the water school as a space for themselves and to host their own exhibits, to be mixed in with the museum’s programming schedule of activities.

Like the library and Tuazon himself, they hope to encourage discussion.

“The opportunity for the exhibit to act like some sort of platform or catalyst for awareness and further dialogue … all those kinds of things really excite me and make for a very meaningful process in the end,” he said. ■

OSCAR TUAZON: WATER SCHOOL Broad Art Museum 547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing Jan. 26-Aug. 25 broadmuseum.msu.edu

DID YOU KNOW? Revue Arts critics regularly review classical and jazz music, theater and dance performances all over West Michigan. All reviews are posted online the next day.

Read them at revuewm.com

REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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www.stulberg.org 269.343.2776

by Joshua Harmon

Who is holy and who is just holier-than-thou? A dark comedy that tackles the divide between cultural identity and orthodoxy.

Feb 28 - March 10, 2019 Thursdays. & Saturdays. at 8 p.m.

Sun. at 3 p.m. (No performances on Fridays.) at GRCC’s Spectrum Theater, 160 Fountain St. NE

visit jtgr.org for more info

MARK YOUR 2019 CALENDAR SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 8 PM 2018 Gold Medalist Charlotte Marckx, violin Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Miller Auditorium FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 10 AM AND 8 PM 2017 Gold Medalist William McGregor, double bass Grand Rapids Symphony, St. Cecilia Music Center THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 7 PM BRAVO! Jolliffe Theatre, Epic Center SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 18 – 19 44th Stulberg Competition & Master Classes Judges Paul Coletti, Emilio Colón, Jennifer Frautschi, Dalton Center, WMU

to be Jewish n’t haveish Theatre o d u o Y e Jew to Lov

with Paddy Moloney

Friday, March 1 @ 8 p.m.

For more information visit us online at millerauditorium.com or call (269) 387-2300 (800) 228-9858

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| REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019

[VISUAL ARTS]

Art on the Menu How cafes and restaurants use local artists to enhance the atmosphere

BY MICHAELA STOCK

The art on your favorite cafe’s walls was not placed there by accident.

Though it can be easy to overlook the artwork hung above the cream and sugar station while rushing to work or around the bustling tables of a lively restaurant, the pieces curated in these spaces are there to create more than just a cool vibe or a photo-worthy aesthetic.

“Grand Rapids is pretty special because we have this very strong art community and culture, and it is connected with our very strong restaurant and food culture,” said Marie Couretas, owner of Kardia Design, an art curation and interior design team. “Those two different communities balance and mix well.”

Couretas curates the artwork for Linear, a riverfront restaurant on Monroe Avenue.

Gallery-style exhibitions in food and drink spaces like Linear are becoming increasingly popular in Grand Rapids, and the push to

pull art out of galleries and into daily spaces is a multifaceted goal. For Couretas, the intentions behind the work she selects to be shown are about more than merely aesthetic — it’s about supporting artists and uplifting people through artistic vitality.

“In any kind of environment or situation, art has a subtle but very strong presence,” Couretas said. “Just by looking at the artwork really quickly, you absorb some of that creative energy, and I think that’s really good for everyone.”

When curating art for a restaurant, Couretas assesses the space’s environment and how people function within it on a dayto-day basis. She then hand-selects pieces that complement the restaurant’s needs, all the while fostering a functional relationship between the art and the viewer.

“For people who are just out and about, it’s not their first intention to go and look at artwork,” Couretas said. “Having it there is a surprise gift, and in some situations it might really speak to somebody. I think it's really beautiful to have that opportunity.”

Kaitlynn Broadbooks, the face behind the rotating exhibitions in Rowster Coffee, takes a different approach to gathering artwork for the space. However, her mis-

Art on the walls of Linear. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARIE COURETAS

sion to frequently expose Grand Rapids residents to art and support local creators greatly overlaps with Couretas’ intentions.

“For the most part, we tell an artist to come up with a cohesive idea to showcase in (Rowster), and they come back with really cool collections that always suit the space well,” Broadbooks said.

Rowster began curating local artists after a student at Kendall College of Art and Design brought up the idea a few years ago.

“We have one of the best art schools in town,” Broadbooks said. “Any way that cafes can be pulling focus and drawing attention back to the artist is super important.”

The art Couretas curates for Linear and the artists Broadbooks chooses for Rowster go beyond a matter of beauty.

WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY

Emmet Cohen Trio jazz piano

FRIDAY • MARCH 15 • 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 2, 7:30 pm Doors open at 7pm

CLASSIC BROADWAY Frauenthal Theater • 425 W Western Ave • Muskegon Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque: vocalists Two dynamic singers present songs from Broadway’s Golden Age —including Andrew Lloyd Webber, and melodies by Hamlisch, Porter, Gershwin, and more. westmichigansymphony.org 231.727.8001 $28-$64 • Student tickets $10

It’s all designed to build relationships between the viewer and the restaurant or cafe experience, as well as between local businesses and regional artists.

“I think for businesses like breweries and restaurants, they get so much foot traffic, it’s a really awesome opportunity for artists to be seen in that environment.

It just makes sense,” Couretas said.

Broadbooks agrees.

“Coffee shops aren’t galleries, but I do feel like a lot of the coffee shops locally are doing a really good job at trying to curate like a gallery as best they can,” she said. “It's something we won't ever stop doing.” ■

360 W. Western Ave 2nd Floor Muskegon, MI

Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is one of his generation’s pivotal artistic figures. Cohen plays with the command and passion of an artist fully devoted to his medium. theblockwestmichigan.org • 231.726.3231 $25-$35 • Student tickets $10 REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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Theatre Kalamazoo is a nonprofit collaboration between the live theatre organizations in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We take great pride in promoting the diversity and richness of theatre in Kalamazoo and foster a spirit of cooperation and support among this strong and talented community.

P L AY ING TH I S M ON TH : THE COMPLEAT WRKS OF WLLM SHKSPR (ABRIDGED) thru February 9

THE WOLVES

thru February 10

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

TK PLAYFEST

February 8 - February 9

THE FATHER

February 8 - February 17

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE

February 8 - February 17

DOUBT: A PARABLE

February 8 - February 24

MAHALIA: A GOSPEL MUSICAL

February 21 - February 24

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

February 22 - March 10

February 6 - February 17

Check out what’s happening on the many stages of Kalamazoo!

www.theatrekalamazoo.com

Presented by the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company as part of the 2019 Lake Effect Fringe Festival

February 14, 15, and 16 at 8:00 p.m.

February 17 at 3:00 p.m.

Dog Story Theater, 7 Jefferson SE in Grand Rapids www.dogstorytheater.com for tickets 16A

| REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019

[VISUAL ARTS]

PREVIEW

Since it is February, there’s naturally one exhibit opening that deals with love and sentiment and all that gushy stuff. There are plenty of other exhibitions to check out too, like one that celebrates the man and legend, Fred Meijer, one art competition going into its 33rd year, and another highlighting the lives of refugees. BY DANA CASADEI

CALVIN COLLEGE CENTER ART GALLERY 106 S. Division, Grand Rapids calvin.edu/centerartgallery/studio, (616) 526-6271

WAS GOD DEAD? BIBLICAL IMAGINATION IN GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST PRINTS, Through Feb. 23

ELAINE TOLSMA HARLOW: SOLO EXHIBITION, Through Feb. 23 HAGUE SCHOOL PAINTINGS, Through July 31

GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM

101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org, (616) 831-1000

DYLAN MINER: WATER IS SACRED // TREES ARE RELATIVES, Through March 3 A DECADE AT THE CENTER: RECENT GIFTS AND ACQUISITIONS , Through April 28

A LEGACY OF LOVE: SELECTIONS FROM THE MABEL PERKINS COLLECTION, Through April 28 Over a span of 25 years, Mabel H. Perkins — a renowned art collector considered one of the GRAM’s greatest champions and supporters — gave more than 300 prints to the museum, some of which will be showcased at this exhibition. Perkins collected work from wellknown art masters like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pablo Picasso, alongside plenty of lesser-known artists.

FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS & SCULPTURE PARK 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org, (888) 957-1580

A NATIONAL TREASURE: FRED MEIJER, HIS COLLECTION AND LEGACY, Feb. 1-Aug. 25 In 1999, Fred Meijer (yes, that Meijer) said his dream was to build a world-class sculpture

collection. So he did. Now, that sculpture collection is considered one of the most impressive in the world. Even though Meijer had no formal training in art or art history, he did have a keen eye for sculpture, especially bronze. This exhibition is celebrating the legend himself, timed to commemorate what would have been his 100th birthday. It’s displayed in 11 chapters, each based around original artworks from Meijer Gardens’ permanent collection.

KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS 314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kiarts.org, (269) 349-7775

a 25-county region across West Michigan.

Artists must be at least 18 to be eligible to participate and they work in all sorts of different mediums. For those in the competition, there will be more than $2,500 in prizes presented in five categories. This year’s guest juror is Rufus Snoddy, a painter/sculptor who has had work in galleries all over the world, including several in Michigan.

SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS 400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org, (269) 857-2399

ABSURD IMAGINARIES, Through March 1 OF EARTH, SEA AND SKY, Through March 1

URBAN INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS

MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART

2 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids uica.org, (616) 454-7000

296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org, (231) 720-2570

SONS: SEEING THE MODERN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE, Through March 10

WARM WATER: NEW WORKS BY CHARLES EDWARD WILLIAMS, Through April 28

AD MAN: JOSEPH GREY II,

OR DOES IT EXPLODE?, Feb. 15-June 16

Through March 10

A + FOR EDUCATORS: ILLUSTRATIONS BY PATRICIA POLACCO, Through May 12 CONDUCT BECOMING: A SURVEY OF DISTINCTION, Through Feb. 17 AMERICAN SPECTACLE: PAINTINGS FROM THE MANOOGIAN COLLECTION OF AMERICAN ART, Feb. 14-April 28 IN PIECES: THE ART OF VINTAGE PUZZLES, Feb. 14-April 21

Featuring works by four artists from all over the world — Manar Bilal, César Dezfuli, Brian Sokol and Maranie R. Staab — the UICA’s latest exhibit documents refugees and forced migration.

Most of the artwork by the quartet is done in portraiture style, in hopes of giving a living face to the statistics about refugees and migrants that the news shouts at us on the daily. As for the title, Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes closed his famous poem Harlem (Dream Deferred) with the phrase “or does it explode.” Inspiration.

DO IT, Through March 3 WATANABE: JAPANESE PRINT ENVOY, Through March 10

THE EXPRESSIONIST FIGURE, Through May 5

LAFONTSEE GALLERIES 833 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids 410 W. Center St., Douglas lafontsee.us

HOLD DEAR; OBJECTS TO COLLECT & CHERISH, Feb. 15-March 23 Beginning the day after Valentine’s Day, this exhibition has a collection of sentimental art.

Each artist in the group show — there are more than 40 — was asked to create a unique piece of art with a cigar box, which are often used to store keepsakes or objects people hold dear.

Some artists used the box as a base, while others deconstructed it to make something completely different.

LOWELLARTS!

223 W. Main St., Lowell, lowellartsmi.org, (616) 897-8545

WHO’S WHO: LOWELLARTS MEMBERS EXHIBITION, Through Feb. 9 WEST MICHIGAN ART COMPETITION, Feb. 23-March 30 For the 33rd year, LowellArts will highlight outstanding artwork by artists who reside within

AN EVENING WITH SEAN PANIKKAR Accompanied by world-renowned pianist, Rohan De Silva.

Join us for a star-studded recital with contemporary opera star, Sean Panikkar, along with award winning pianist, Rohan De Silva to perform a collection of opera, art songs, lieder, and song cycles in the intimate setting of the Betty Van Andel Opera Center.

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | 7:30 PM BETTY VAN ANDEL OPERA CENTER General Admission Tickets $25 | Students $5 Box Office: 616.451.2741 | operagr.org

REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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[THEATER]

You Can Dance, You Can Jive Mamma Mia! finally comes to Grand Rapids Civic Theatre

can’t specifically relate to the feeling of not knowing her father. But as an aspiring performer, she said she appreciates the challenge.

Minnema is from Grand Rapids and calls the Civic TheFor 20 years, Mamma Mia! has atre her home grounds. After performing in Lily’s Purple been unavailable to local theater Plastic Purse at Civic when she was a child, she went on to perform in more children's shows and then joined a travelcompanies. But the time has come ing troupe. She later got her degree in musical theatre at the for troupes like Grand Rapids Civic American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

This year, she’s adding Sophie to her list of roles of a Theatre to bring the hit musical to lifetime. In 2013, she played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the stage with showstopping tunes, at Civic Theatre, also directed by Tinker. More recently, she was living in New York City and spent a couple years creative sets and lots of talent. performing on cruise lines. She’s back in West Michigan for Premiering in 1999, the Abba-based musical went on to the moment, but plans to return to the city to see where become a successful movie in 2008, starring Meryl Streep her career takes her.

For now, she said this show is full of fun music, storyand Amanda Seyfried. Needless to say, the show has received tremendous praise over the years, even prompting telling and choreography. Minnema even hinted that “the show’s not over when the curtain falls,” so don’t jump out a film sequel that premiered last year.

This month, Director Bruce Tinker is set to bring a of your seat too quick.

“The audience is singing along the whole time,” she unique and talented cast to the Civic stage to perform said. “Whether they know the words or not, they’ve heard this wholehearted, fun musical.

“It’s just a real celebration,” Tinker said. “It’s meant to be the melodies before, so they’re more than encouraged to sing along, hum along. And another part of the energy of entertainment, but there’s this incredible story.” this show is, whether they’re onstage or off-stage, whoThat story is led by Breighanna Minnema, who stars in ever’s not singing the solo is singing background vocals the lead role as Sophie. during (almost) every single song.”

Sophie is a 20-year-old girl living in paradise on a Audience members and Mamma Mia! fans can expect Greek island with her mother, Donna, who runs a hotel. an interactive, lighthearted and It’s the eve of Sophie’s wedding bursting-with-love performance and she wants her father to walk staged with creativity. Tinker deher down the aisle. The only hitch: scribed the unique set.

She doesn’t know who her father “It’s two revolving units,” he is. But after looking through her MAMMA MIA! described. “One side is the beach, mom’s journals, she invites three Grand Rapids Civic Theatre with a cliff, looking at the rocky possible suspects to the island.

30 N. Division Ave., shores of Greece, and the other With beautiful and upbeat music, Grand Rapids side is more of an interior Meditera young girl searches for her birth Feb 22-Mar 17, ranean, adobe building.” father, and a mother and daugh$39 general admission, The scenes go back and forth ter learn more about each other’s $20 student/child from inside to outside, all blendlives. grct.org ing in between songs and dance Minnema, who has been pernumbers. forming at Civic since she was The show also sees many new nine years old, said she can relate performers to the Civic stage, to Sophie’s character. which Minnema said is always “I’m actually a little bit older welcome in the theater community. than Sophie is — I’m 25,” she said.

“I think it’s absolutely essential to a community theater “(But) I still don’t know exactly where I’m going in life. Being an actress living in New York, you never know what your to have new members all the time,” she said. “And to be able to share the passion of theater, of dance, of music next step is going to be. You never know what the next gig is going to be. So, I definitely can identify with Sophie with with new people, young or old, is such a gift that we don’t have a lot of in professional theater communities.” ■ her confusion and her frustration of what the future holds.”

Their frustrations aren’t exactly the same — Minnema

BY KAYLA SOSA

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| REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019

Above: Mamma Mia! Below: Breighanna Minnema.

COURTESY PHOTOS

[theater]

preview Three festivals, a few musicals and multiple plays — many of which won some impressive awards — what more could you ask for? Check out the list below to see what tickles your fancy this month and get to the theater. BY DANA CASADEI

ACTORS’ THEATRE, GRAND RAPIDS

160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids actorstheatregrandrapids.org, (616) 234-3946

brand-new plays for an entirely free festival staged by local theaters and their performers.

The plays are relatively short, so if you show up to the Judy K. Jolliffe Theatre for a show, you’ll see four plays in less than two hours. It’s a truly unique show, with writers from all walks of life.

The Burnt Part Boys, Through Feb. 9, $24

BROADWAY GRAND RAPIDS

122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com, (616) 235-6285

ON YOUR FEET!, Feb. 19-24, $38+ If you’re into the music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, do we have a musical for you. On Your Feet follows the journey of the duo as they make their way from humble beginnings in Cuba to international superstars who live primarily in America. The 2015 jukebox musical has all the classic hits, including the show’s title number, Conga and 1-2-3.

HOPE COLLEGE GREAT PERFORMANCE SERIES

Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, hope.edu/arts/ great-performance-series, (616) 395-7222

MINITA GANDHI IN MUTHALAND, Feb. 15, $23 The actress — who you may have seen in her recurring role as Dr. Prospere on NBC's Chicago Fire — is bringing her self-penned, one-woman show to Hope College. Muthaland is all about Gandhi’s struggle to find identity as a woman born in India and raised in the United States.

FARMERS ALLEY THEATRE KALAMAZOO 221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com, (269) 343-2727

LILLY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE,

THE FATHER, Feb. 8-17, $25 LOVE LETTERS, Feb. 14-15, $50 ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, Feb. 22-March 10, $25

MUSKEGON CIVIC THEATRE

GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE

425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org, (231) 722-3852

WOMEN OF LOCKERBIE, Feb. 15-March 2, $22

GILMORE THEATRE/ WMU THEATRE

NEW VIC THEATRE

34 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo, thenewvictheatre.org, (269) 381-3328

1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre, (269) 387-3227

JOHN & ABIGAIL, Feb. 22-March 9, $25

THE WOLVES, Through Feb. 10, $20

DOG STORY THEATRE

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE Feb. 8-17, $20

7 Jefferson Ave., Grand Rapids dogstorytheater.com, (616) 425-9234

JEWISH THEATRE GRAND RAPIDS

LAKE EFFECT FRINGE FESTIVAL, Through March 4

2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids jtgr.org, (616) 234-3595

MILLER AUDITORIUM

BAD JEWS, Feb. 28-March 10, $25

DOUBT, A PARABLE, Feb. 8-24, $32

Joshua Harmon’s dark comedy asks the question of who is holy and who is just ho-

FESTIVAL PLAYHOUSE Kalamazoo College, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo reason.kzoo.edu/theatre, (269) 337-7333

SENIOR PERFORMANCE SERIES: THE EXCEPTION AND THE RULE, Feb. 14-17

30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org, (616) 222-6650

MAMMA MIA!, Feb. 22-March 17, $22+

Feb. 15-24, $15

The Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award-winning one-act play by John Patrick Shanley takes viewers to the fall of 1964 in Brooklyn. Old-school nun and principal at St. Nicholas Church School Sister Aloysius finds herself going head-to-head with Father Flynn, who hopes to change some of the school’s strict policies. As if that wasn’t enough, Sister Aloysius must also become a detective and investigate the priest after a fellow nun tells her that he may be paying too much personal attention to one of their male students.

lier-than-thou, while examining the divide between cultural identity and orthodoxy. Taking place in a cramped Manhattan apartment, Bad Jews begins the night after the funeral of a family’s beloved grandfather, debating who should get his treasured family heirloom.

2200 Auditorium Dr., Kalamazoo, millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2300

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Feb. 6-17, $38+

ART FAIR A N A R T FA I R W I T H GA R AG E S A L E P R I C E S

STUDENT BODY, Feb. 21-24, $15

CALVIN THEATRE COMPANY

3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids calvin.edu/academic/cas/ctc, (616) 526-6282

HOLLAND CIVIC THEATRE

50 W. 9th St., Holland hollandcivictheatre.org, (616) 396-2021

SPINNING INTO BUTTER, Through Feb. 2, $15+ FOOTLIGHT FESTIVAL, Feb. 22-23, $10+

EPIC THEATRE

359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Drive, Kalamazoo, theatrekalamazoo.com/play-festival/

THEATRE KALAMAZOO NEW PLAY FESTIVAL, Feb. 8-9 Every year, Theatre Kalamazoo brings together playwrights from all around Kalamazoo to write

Kalamazoo Expo Center

KALAMAZOO CIVIC THEATRE

329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com, (269) 343-1313

THE COMPLEAT WRKS OF WLLM SHKSPR (ABRIDGED), Through Feb.9, $25

GarageSaleArtFair.com REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | FEBRUARY 2019 |

19A

March 19–24 | Times Vary For more information visit us online at millerauditorium.com or call (269) 387-2300 | (800) 228-9858

COMEDY

by Eric Mitts

Your Local & Independent Bookstore

HERE AND BACK AGAIN

No stranger to the Midwest, rising New York comedian Janelle James makes GR debut

S

TAND -UP COMIC JANELLE JAMES CREDITS ONE THING

February Author Events Find more information on our website and Facebook page

Local Author Night Tuesday, February 5 @ 7pm Our Local Author nights are a terrific way to discover new authors from your own community. This month we host Hillary Hardin presenting her novel God’s Love is Not Denied, and Katie Kalisz presenting her book of poetry Quiet.

Dr. Randall Jelks Tuesday, February 12 @ 7pm Join us for an in conversation event featuring this award winning author where he will discuss his most recent work, Faith and Struggle in the Lives of Four African Americans: Ethel Waters, Mary Lou Williams, Eldridge Cleaver and Muhammad Ali. Dr. Jelks will be available for a signing after the event.

Steve Hughes Wednesday, February 20 @ 7pm Steve Hughes is drawn to and writes with great empathy about characters who are struggling with their lives. In Stiff, Hughes pushes the boundaries of realism with characters who are odd or otherworldly, and call Detroit home.

Other February Events Janelle James. COURTESY PHOTO

Returning to the Midwest, James re- brushes with mega-stardom. “I’m still me, a middle comedian. It’s like coming out with corded her first live comedy album, 2017’s Black and Mild, in Minneapolis. Since an extra eyeball and not commenting on it. I know people are wondering, so I might then, she’s had a half-hour special on Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup, and has been as well say.”

Admitting that having seen on shows like HBO’s the respect of someone like Crashing, Comedy Central’s Chris Rock lends her some @midnight and NBC’s Late JANELLE JAMES cachet, James said she’s just Night with Seth Myers.

DR. GRINS COMEDY CLUB as comfortable in front of Tack ling ever y t hing crowds of thousands as she from politics and racial ten- 20 MONROE AVE. NW, GRAND RAPIDS is in a comedy club. sion to mental health, fame FEB. 21-23, $5-15 The only place she’s not and family life, James has THEBOB.COM/DRGRINSCOMEDY scoring all the laughs right developed her own unique (616) 356-2000 now is back home, where life style onstage, and earned as a mom serves as a limitthe respect of superstars less source for new material. like Chris Rock and Amy “It’s a shift of mood and perspective,” Schumer, who both hand-picked her to she said of coming back home to her sons afopen up their respective tours. ter chilling in a chateau with Amy Schumer “People see you go on tour with some big person and they wonder if you’re rich now, and slaying a sold-out theater. “Nobody’s and I’m like, ‘No,’” James said, explaining applauding my grilled cheese sandwiches, so why she’s so candid onstage about her recent I just take it as I have two jobs.” n

Galentine’s Day Wednesday, February 13 @ 7pm Grab your bestie and join us for a literary sign painting workshop, games, giveaways and desserts! $25 per person. RSVP Required.

Open Discussion Project Tuesday, February 19 @ 7p This series creates opportunities for people to speak freely to each other about the issues that deeply divide them in a safe, moderated environment. This month’s book is Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam.

Children’s Story Times Every Saturday and Monday at 11am. Story, craft, fun!

2660 28th Street NE Grand Rapids

SchulerBooks.com REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

SCENE | SOUNDS |SIGHTS DINING

above all else for the start of her comedy career: classic Midwestern boredom.

Although she’s now based in New York and known for touring the country with comedy icons, James first took to the stage at an open mic in Illinois just over eight years ago. “(Living in the Midwest) was wholly responsible for me getting my start,” James said. “I never thought about doing comedy before I lived there.”

Back in 2011, while working in the fashion industry James had just moved from New York to Champaign. The shift of scene left her feeling more than a little out of place and restless.

“I was just super bored and depressed,” she said. “I was told about an open mic, and went to check it out. I watched it, and I was like, ‘Well, I could do better than these people,’ which is basically what every comedian does. You go, ‘Well, I’m funnier than that,’ and you try it.”

Never intending to make comedy a legitimate career, James earned the praise of audiences and colleagues alike, working her way from open mics to opening slots and comedy festival appearances.

“I didn’t think, ‘Well, now I’m going to be a comedian,’” James said of starting her comedy career. “I was just looking for something to do. I had never even figured out — and maybe I still don’t know — how you become a comedian. That idea never crossed my mind. It’s never been a dream of mine. I just kept doing it.”

Constantly working on the road, but now holding a New York address, James has been featured by The New York Times, named one of the 50 Most Funny People in Brooklyn, and most recently, hosted the inaugural Janelle James Comedy Festival this past December.

“New York is a comedy town,” she said.

“I would live here if I wasn’t doing comedy, but it’s beneficial to comedy. It’s kind of funny because now I live in New York, but I’m never here. I moved back, but I’m probably in the Midwest more than I am here.”

Schuler Books

21

/// LOCAL

Left: HowToLiveTogether. COURTESY PHOTO Right: Bermudas. PHOTO BY KENDRA KAMP

BLOOMING TOGETHER Bermudas and How To Live Together share special album release show | by Eric Mitts

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

I

T’S LIKE THEY SAY: TWO BANDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE. Take very like-minded but stylistically different local bands Bermudas and How To Live Together, who will both release their respective debut full-length albums during a special dual release show at The Pyramid Scheme on Feb. 2.

“We sound really different,” How To Live Together’s Steffanie Rosalez told Revue.

“We’re definitely different genres, but I think we have a similar approach to music and a similar approach to gathering people in spaces. We have a lot of the same things that are important to us, so even though our music is really different, we still support our community in a similar way.”

That community support is actually what lead Rosalez to come up with the idea of sharing the release show. For the past six years, she’s worked as a volunteer for the nonprofit Girls Rock! Grand Rapids, alongside Bermudas bassist Charity Lytle, empowering girls to play music. So when the opportunity came up that both bands would have their first LPs available at the same time, the shared show just made perfect sense.

“I was excited about the idea, because we had done (a dual release) with (GR garage trio) Flushed for our last EP and we were excited about the turnout,” Lytle said of Bermudas’ last release show for its 2016 EP Sour.

A garage trio that takes influence from ’90s alternative and punk, Bermudas has played a part in Grand Rapids’ music scene since 2010. Made up of Lytle, vocalist/guitarist Dennielle Russ and drummer Chris

22 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

Kleinman, the band has described its music as scrappy and eclectic.

“We’ve always had a variety in the type of sound that we have on our records,” Russ said. “So there’s just a really broad range on this album.”

Entitled Bloom, Bermudas’ LP will feature 13 songs and half a dozen guest artists, with local musicians Ryan K. Wilson, Kertis Lytle, Madeline Smith, Sam Kenny, Juston Espinoza, and Matt Ten Clay joining the band for various songs on the album.

“We went to the studio with the bones of the songs and some hope for people to then collaborate with, and it worked out well,” Lytle said. “I think with the release of our last EP, we had some guests join us at the show that weren’t part of the recording and I think that was exciting for us to hear what other musicians could come up with and how that would change the vibe of the song.”

In all, Bloom shows the band’s continual growth over the years as individuals and a band.

“As a lot of the content lyrically is very self-reflective,” Russ said. “Everything just kind of weaves together on a lot of different layers and themes of growth, and Bloom is a good word for that.”

Also growing into its own with the release show, How To Live Together has turned to synthesizers to elicit deep emotional truths in its music.

Made up of vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Rosalez and Jesse Kaczmarczyk, the duo is a couple that does in fact live together and shares an obsession with syn-

nent in synthesizers. It’s this internal piece thesizers. Merging Moogs and Nintendo that has to be there in order for the instrublips into an indie synth-pop sound, the pair has developed from a personal home ments to work. So there’s acknowledging project into a band with its sights set on that there’s this internal thing that has to touring outside of the city. happen, and also this external thing that “It kind of started with us being synth has to happen.” nerds and wanting to show off all our synths,” Taking its band name from the title of Kaczmarczyk said of the band’s beginnings a philosophy book, the band’s music has back in 2014. “I was a guitar player and she helped both of them process their relationgot me hooked on playing synthesizers, and ship with each other and the changing world through that we just started playing music around them Rosalez added. together, and then started writing songs and “It feels like we’re sharing something then became a band.” deeply personal with the world,” she said Increasingly growing their collection about the album’s release. “And there’s into a formidable arsenal that this k ind of feeling about i ncludes e ver y t h i ng f rom vulnerability (that) feels really toy-size Casio keyboards to powerful at the same time.”

Roland TR-8 drum machines Sharing the strong support BERMUDAS & and Pioneer DJ samplers, the system of the local music scene, HOW TO LIVE duo has evolved its sound so both bands encourage others TOGETHER that when it plays live, it has to create and engage with West WSG. HI-KER almost a continuous mix.

Michigan’s growing music THE PYRAMID SCHEME 68 COMMERCE AVE. SW, “Our a lbum is act ua lly community.

GRAND RAPIDS one really long piece of music “We talk about this a lot as FEB. 2, 9:30 P.M., $8 that’s just broken up into songs a band, but we have a really PYRAMIDSCHEMEBAR.COM using Jesse’s modular sounds friendly scene, where everyone and an ongoing beat that shifts is really supportive,” Lytle said. more like DJ style, to create “Part of it is West Michigan one long-crafted piece of music that has nice, but everybody appears to be having pop structures,” Rosalez said. a good time supporting each other and A lso 13 songs long, How To Live sharing in each other’s music. We just Together’s debut has a similarly powerful love including all sorts of people in our one word title – Resister. music, so we’d love to expand what we’re “It has a dual meaning,” Rosalez said. doing into other venues and playing with “Resister with an ‘e’ is one who resists, and different types of people we’ve never played I would definitely say that’s a political nod. with. There’s so much opportunity in West But a resistor is also an electronic compo- Michigan.” n

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w/ Luke Temple | Tue. 8pm | Recital Hall | $25

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Tue. 8pm | CFAC Auditorium | $20

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fter running up a big tab to buy presents and party hard, the start of the year is a good time to get our finances in check.

The first step is to never think yourself above a happy hour or shopping secondhand. The second step is to find the hidden deals near you, the magic genie’s lamp found deep in the caves of West Michigan. But that’s all part of the adventure, isn’t it?

In the Cheap Issue, we help you find food, drinks, clothes and experiences that your wallet won’t feel a bit. From daily specials to free concerts, you don’t have to go broke to have a good time.

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

25

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Sat Feb 23, 2019 9am-4pm Kalamazoo Expo Center $5 Entry GarageSaleArtFair.com

OVER 200 ORGANIC LOOSE LEAF TEAS & HERBS Scoop it yourself and take it to go, or settle in to our cafe and grab a pot of tea for $3.

available in bulk or as an infusion!

143 Diamond Ave SE, Grand Rapids • 616-776-9720 • welovechai.com

26 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

THE CHEAP ISSUE

Hours of Happiness Maybe you have the day off. Maybe you just dropped the kids off at soccer practice and need a break. Maybe you’re leaving work a little early for an afternoon “meeting.”

Whatever the case, happy hour is there for you.

We all know that pretty much every bar in every town has some sort of happy hour deals, but if you’re looking to grab an early dinner or afternoon snack along with your drink, options are a little more scarce.

These restaurants and taphouses offer some of the sweetest deals around.

PUB AT PADDOCK PLACE

1033 Lake Dr., Grand Rapids Tues.-Sun., 4 p.m.-close

Never-ending happy hour, with all food less than $10 and all drinks less than $8.

CENTRAL CITY TAPHOUSE

359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo Mon.-Sat., 9 p.m.-close Half-off wood-fired pizzas.

OLD DOG TAVERN

402 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo Mon.-Thurs., 4:02 p.m.-5:02 p.m. $2 well drinks and bottles. $2 off wings, wine and drafts.

TWISTED ROOSTER

1600 E. Beltline Ave., Grand Rapids Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Half-off apps, $2.50 well drinks, $3.50 select drafts, $4.50 select glasses of wine.

HOPS AT 84 EAST

ROCKWELL REPUBLIC

45 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $7 sushi rolls and share plates, plus $4 cosmopolitans from Mon.-Fri.

TERRA

by Josh Veal

STAN DIEGO

355 Wilson Ave. NW, Walker Sun.-Thurs., 3-6 p.m. $2 select tacos, $2.50 “garage” beers, $3.50 wells, $5 margaritas and sangria.

KALAMAZOO BEER EXCHANGE

1429 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids Daily, 4-6 p.m.

211 E. Water St., Kalamazoo Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Half-off large salads, $11.50 wood-fired pizzas, $2 off glass wine, cocktails and craft beers.

Four tacos for $6. Half-off Michigan can beer.

SOCIAL KITCHEN

WAVERLY STONE GASTROPUB

435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m. $7 build-your-own pizza, half-off select apps, $6 specialty cocktails, $5 Dark Horse wine, $5 beers.

THE GREEN WELL

924 Cherry St. SE, Grand Rapids Mon.-Thurs., 2-6 p.m.

Fri.-Sat., 10 p.m.-close Sunday, all day Devour Hour menu: Six $6 shareables, five $5 cocktails, four $4 wines, three $3 beers, and a partridge in a pear tree.

OSTERIA ROSSA

16 Monroe Center St. NE, Grand Rapids Mon.-Fri., 4-6 p.m. $5 wood-fired pizzas, appetizers, Negroni cocktails and wines, on bar side only.

HOULIHAN’S

84 E. 8th St., Holland Mon.-Fri., 2-5 p.m.

1968 Breton Rd. SE, Grand Rapids Mon.-Thurs. 3-6 and 9-close, Sat. 1-4, Sunday all day

Half-off shareables, $1 off draft beer, cider, wells and house wine.

Full-size burger, apps and cocktails all just $5. Plus, $3 domestic drafts, $4 craft beers.

20 W. 8th St., Holland Wed.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Cheaper apps, $2.50 Bell’s Two Hearted, $1 off cocktails, drafts and wine.

JW’S FOOD & SPIRITS

6 N. 7th St., Grand Haven Mon.-Fri., 2-6 p.m.

Bone-in wings for $.75 each, $2 sliders, $2.50 well drinks, $4.75 house wines.

GRAVITY TAPHOUSE

3210 Deposit Dr. NE, Grand Rapids Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m.

Mon.-Sat., 9 p.m.-close Half-off all snacks and tacos. $1 off select beer and well drinks. $5 house wines, sangria, mules and cosmos.

22 BELOW

22 S. Harbor Dr., Grand Haven Mon.-Fri., 3-6 p.m. $2.50 well drinks and drafts, $3.50 house wines, half-off apps.

Continued on page 29

From Top to Bottom: Social Kitchen happy hour fries. PHOTO BY C|LOUISE PUBLIC RELATIONS Pub at Paddock Place happy hour cocktails and sliders. COURTESY PHOTOS

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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28 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

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THE CHEAP ISSUE

Deals of the Day Continued from page 27 The art of the deal never rests. A true penny-pincher knows how to save any day of the week (except maybe Saturday) and finds joy in the hunt.

But if you’re not so keen on spending an hour before every meal scouring websites for today’s specials, we’ve done the work for you. You can print this guide off and keep it on your desk, fantasizing over dinner plans throughout the afternoon.

SUNDAY Shakespeare’s Pub (241 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo): Before 6 p.m., $5 for six wings and $3 hot dog with fries.

After 6 p.m., multiple drink specials.

Boar’s Belly (333 W. Western Ave., Muskegon): $3 happy hour all day, including sliders, apps, house wines, and select beers and cocktails.

Birch Lodge (732 Michigan St., Grand Rapids): Free tacos and bloody mary/ mimosa bar.

Holiday Bar (801 5th St., Grand Rapids): $4 build-your-own burgers.

Monarch’s Club (646 Stocking Ave. NW, Grand Rapids): Free taco bar, various drink specials.

MONDAY

Peppino’s Pizza Downtown (130 Ionia Ave., Grand Rapids): 10-inch, one-topping pizza for $3.

Rezervoir Lounge (1418 Plainfield Ave., Grand Rapids): 10-inch, two-topping pizza for $5.

Rupert’s Brewhouse (773 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo): Pizza and pint for $10.

Rockwell Republic (45 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids): Forty percent off all bottles of wine.

Mitten Brewing (527 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids): $5 off pizza flights and 25 percent off beer flights.

TUESDAY Tip Top Deluxe (760 Butterworth St., Grand Rapids): $2 off all food.

Harmony Brewing (1551 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids): $6 cheese and $7 pepperoni dine-in pizzas.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Elk Brewing (700 Wealthy St., Grand Rapids): Sandwich and any $4.50 beer for $10 total.

Stella’s Lounge (53 Commerce Ave., Grand Rapids): $5 off all burgers with purchase of drink.

Bob’s Bar (725 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids): $2 tacos, choice of beef, chicken, chorizo, pulled pork.

Shakespeare’s Pub (241 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo): $2.50 well drinks and $1.50 off Bell’s drafts, from 9 p.m. to close.

Apartment Lounge (33 Sheldon Ave. NE, Grand Rapids): Half off all drinks.

Fulton Street Pub (801 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids): $3 specialty shots, $2 Shock Top cans, $2 off wraps.

Craft Beer Cellar (404 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids): Kick the Keg, half-off select draft pours after 6 p.m.

Mulligan’s Pub (1518 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids): $1 cans and $3.50 bombs from 9 p.m.-midnight.

Kirby House (2 Washington Ave., Grand Haven): Half-off glasses of wine.

Logan’s Alley (916 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids): $2 off any Belgian beer and $2 off all sour/wild ales.

Graydon’s Crossing (1223 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids): Half-off glasses of wine.

New Holland’s Pub on 8th (66 E. 8th St., Holland): $5 featured whiskey cocktail.

Rezervoir Lounge (45 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids): $12 sangria pitchers from 3-7 p.m.

Monarch’s Club (646 Stocking Ave. NW, Grand Rapids): $1 retro cans.

Twisted Rooster (1600 E. Beltline Ave., Grand Rapids): $5 full order of house mac & cheese.

Rupert’s Brewhouse (773 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo): $3.50 pints all day.

Parsley Mediterranean Bar & Grill (80 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids): $3 any draft.

Curragh Irish Pub (73 E. 8th St., Holland): $2.50 select craft beer and $5 appetizers, from 3-6 p.m.

Waldo’s Campus Tavern (1408 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo): $2.50 wells all night.

SATURDAY Just About Everywhere: Brunch, Bloody Mary’s and mimosas.

The Meanwhile (1005 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids): $3 Long Islands and $1 Black Label cans.

The Pyramid Scheme (68 Commerce Dr. SW, Grand Rapids): Half off all Michigan drafts.

Graydon’s Crossing (1223 Plainfield Ave., Grand Rapids): Meatless Mondays.

Half-off select vegetarian dishes.

Old Dog Tavern (402 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo): Two beef hot dogs w/ chips and a pickle for $8 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Beechwood Grill (380 Douglas Ave., Holland): $1 tacos or $2 perch tacos, kids eat free.

Pints & Quarts (950 W. Norton Ave., Muskegon): Buy one, get one chicken wings. $2 mugs of beer.

From Left to Right: Boar’s Belly spinach dip. Mitten Brewing beer & pizza flights. COURTESY PHOTOS

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

29

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30 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

THE CHEAP ISSUE

CUT-RATE PLATES Where to find an affordable feast

by Josh Veal

When you’re down to the last dollars of a paycheck or just looking to offset your weekend spending binge, you don’t have to resort to ramen. Knowing the dirt-cheap spots in town can be a real lifesaver, as long as you know where to find them. We’re here to help, with a short selection from the many affordable joints hidden around West Michigan.

B&N SANDWICHES

4242 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids Banh mi is supposed to be one of the cheapest foods around, but it often gets gentrified and price-jacked.

That’s why you have to hit up this tiny deli in the hallway outside Kim Nhung Superstore. Here, the Vietnamese sandwiches are just $4 and true-tostyle, with sliced pork, pate, sauce and plenty of veggies on a big, fluffy baguette. You can also fill up with plenty of other Vietnamese treats for $4 or less, such as summer rolls, pork buns, sticky rice, dessert pudding and much more.

ASIAN PALACE PHO 99

141 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids

This is one of the cheapest pho joints in town, which is saying something. For just $6.95, you get a massive bowl of savory broth, meat and noodles alongside all the typical toppings — basil, mint, lime, bean sprouts, jalapenos and various sauces.

TAQUERIA SAN JOSE

Or, pick up a massive torta (Mexican sandwich), burrito or quesadilla, each costing $7 or less.

SKI’S SUB SHOP

96 Monroe Center St. NW, Grand Rapids facebook.com/skissubshop Pete Cool, the owner of Ski’s, is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. It’s just the cherry on top that he offers one of the best lunch deals downtown. The combo of any sub, chips and a drink will run you $8, which truly is as cheap as it gets for city workers. You’ll leave Ski’s with a smile on your face, and a belly and wallet both full.

FAT BOY BURGER

2450 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids fatboyburgers.com Fat Boy is like the burger joint that all the characters regularly meet at in a sitcom. It’s a comforting, welcoming neighborhood establishment that’s been around for decades. They’re serving up all the diner classics, from $5 burgers to $2.50 hot dogs and $7 omelettes, all made with fresh ingredients.

plump, and the crinkle-cut fries are the perfect texture with amazing seasoning.

Just to give you an idea of the prices: $6.29 for two deluxe cheese burgers, fries and a drink.

and a drink all comes in at just $6. It’s a dream come true for pennypinchers near any of Bob’s eight locations.

RENDEZVOUS

TACO BOB’S

401 N. 7th St., Grand Haven rendezvousfamilydining.com

HALL OF FAME BURGERS

300 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo 826 S. Westnedge Ave. Kalamazoo tacobobs.com

You don’t have to stoop to eating fast food to get a cheap burger. At Hall of Fame, the burgers are fresh, juicy and

Many a Kalamazoo college kid’s story at some point involves the words “and then we went to Taco Bob’s.” It’s easy to see why, when two tacos, a side of pinto beans, spanish rice, tortilla chips

Out on the lakeshore, there’s a different type of late-night snack — Rendezvous serves up breakfast 24 hours per day.

You can get a huge omelette, scramble, pancake or breakfast combo for just $6, give or take a buck. You’ll also find burgers, sandwiches and entrees for just as cheap. Goodnight and bon appetit! n

1338 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids Just about any taqueria in town is going to be cheap AF, so don’t feel the need to limit yourself to San Jose, but it’s certainly one of our favorites. Each taco, loaded with juicy marinated meat, cilantro and onions, is only $2, and you can add avocado for a quarter.

Above: Fat Boy Burger. Below: Taco Bob's. COURTESY PHOTOS

655 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids facebook.com/fameburgers

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THE CHEAP ISSUE

SKIP OR SIP Local alternatives to macro swill

by Jack Raymond

Cracking open a Bud Light bottle is a lot like stepping into a pair of old slippers.

They’re comfy and familiar, but kind of stink. You wouldn’t bring them out around company. While domestics serve their purpose, microbreweries have improved upon cheap beer’s blueprints, creating remarkable beers that are still light, approachable and affordable. That said, they’re not always easy to find. When the wall of craft beer towers like the library of Babel, it can feel like a safer bet to grab that six-pack of Blue Moon. Old habits die hard, but here are some suggestions from around Michigan to ease the transition from macro to micro.

WATCH STOREFRONT WINDOWS COME TO LIFE!

SKIP: HEINEKEN SIP: BREWERY VIVANT’S FARMHAND OR: Arcadia Brewing Co.’s God Save the Pils It all comes down to the nose. Where Heineken smells like a wombat dipped in a bird bath, Farmhand retains the funk with none of the skunk. Complex esters suggest flavors of white grape and apple, but they’re subtle enough to enjoy without a cicerone’s tasting notes. Plus, the story behind the beer is awesome.

French farmers used to feed this style to laborers, back when beer was safer to drink than water — back when drinking on the job was cool.

SKIP: LEINENKUGEL SUMMER/BERRY SHANDY SIP: SHORT’S BREWING CO.’S SOFT PARADE SHANDY OR: Saugatuck Brewing Co.’s Blueberry Lemonade Shandy In this life fraught with deception, it’s natural to crave something real. Short’s knows. So, they packed Soft Parade Shandy to the gills with real berries of the blue, black, rasp and straw variety. Local lemonade is the kicker in this can of wholesome, refreshing shandy. In comparison, Leinenkugel’s shandies taste like sucking on 3-D-printed fruit.

MARCH MANNEQUINS

DOWNTOWN ST. JOSEPH, MI

ST. J O S E P H

MARCH 2, 2019 7-8:30PM

stjoetoday.com/marchmannequins

32 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

SKIP: CORONA SIP: BREW DETROIT’S CERVESA DELRAY OR: Griffin Claw’s El Ligero Bottle the contents of a wrung-out a beach towel, let it ferment, and you’ve got yourself some bootleg Corona.

Fortunately, Brew Detroit has crafted an alternative to satisfy those with a Mexican lager itch. Ultra crisp and bright, a squeeze of lime seems unnecessary. The malt flavors are delicious, wavering between barley and Corn Pops. It’s clear why Cervesa Delray took high honors at the Great American Beer Fest last year.

SKIP: GUINNESS SIP: ARBOR BREWING COMPANY’S FAIRCY’S IRISH STOUT OR: Short’s Brewing Co.’s Uncle Steve’s For decades, Guinness has monopolized the Irish Stout game thanks to brand recognition and unparalleled gluggabillity — on nitro, it goes down faster than a glass of chocolate milk. While Guinness is by no means offensive, we can do better. Give Arbor Brewing’s rendition of the style a whirl. Creamy coffee notes remind the palate of a cafe latte and the mouthfeel bristles with more body than its competition. Faircy’s is rich, but doesn’t bog down the stomach. Blarney! It even has an Irish name.

SKIP: BUD LIGHT SIP: ODD SIDE ALE’S BEER ME OR: Founders Brewing’s Solid Gold For as much as beer nerds rag on it, Bud Light remains the quintessential American lager. It’s the sweet corn nectar Uncle Sam would choose as he drops the A-bomb. Even so, Odd Side’s Beer Me gives Bud a run for its money with an adjunct grain bill that could fool the staunchest marco drinker.

Also, just look at the can. There’s a screaming eagle stretching across the aluminum with stars and stripes emblazoned on its wings. Doesn’t get any more U.S.A., baby.

SKIP: BLUE MOON BELGIAN WHITE SIP: ARCADIA ALE’S WHITSUN OR: Bell’s Brewery’s Oberon Blue Moon is known for its distinct soapy quality, which is fine if you’ve some said bad words and need to wash your mouth out. However, if you’re looking for a quality citrus-forward wheat beer, Arcadia Ale’s Whitsun is an effervescent burst of orange, coriander and more orange. It’s a burst of unfiltered summer in a bottle.

THE CHEAP ISSUE

COURTESY OF FOUNDERS BREWING CO.

Complimentary Concerts

BEER CITY’S BEST

Where to take in live music, on the house

by Kelly Brown You don’t have to stay at home crying over your friend’s concert videos if you’re looking to save some dough this month. In fact, West Michigan has a plethora of music events that offer free (or nearly free) admission. Take the money you’d spend on that concert and set it aside in savings for a larger music festival in 2019.

FREE EVENING MUSIC: THE OLD GOAT 2434 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids facebook.com/oldgoatgr The Old Goat is a local favorite in the Alger Heights Neighborhood for its German food and amazing cocktails.It frequently features local artists like the Bierkeller Boys Oompah Band, Andrew Brown’s Hot Jazz Trio and AB & Friends.

CRESTON VIBES: CRESTON BREWERY 1504 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids crestonbrewery.com This bi-monthly series is not the typical open mic session. Participants follow a theme for each show, making each one completely different from the next.

From lyrical poetry to music to slightly offensive comedy, it all depends on where the session goes.

FREE MUSIC EVENTS: FOUNDERS BREWING CO. 235 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids foundersbrewing.com Founders is a great spot to catch live music. While some of its events are ticketed, the tap room does host numerous free music nights throughout the year.

Check Facebook or their website for taproom event details.

SMOOTH JAZZ SUNDAY: PIKE 51 BREWERY 3768 Chicago Dr., Hudsonville Every Sunday, 12 p.m. hudsonvillewinery.com

two-hour live jazz session. Food and drink specials include $1 off draft beer and wine slushies and discounted brunch menu items.

FRIDAY LIVE MUSIC: HOPS AT 84 EAST 84 E. 8th St., Holland Friday, 8 p.m. hops84east.com Take a seat at the bar, order a pizza and enjoy free music from a variety of bands across the area at Hops at 84 East in Holland. Check the Facebook page for details on what bands are playing.

LIVE JAZZ: MIXOLOGY 235 Louis St. NW, Grand Rapids Every Saturday, 7-10 p.m. ilovethejw.com Enjoy free music every Saturday night in the gorgeous lobby lounge overlooking the beautiful Grand River. Sip on specialty coffee and cocktails and snack on savory bites from six.one.six. No cover charges!

SANGRIA AND LIVE MUSIC: ZOKO 822 822 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Every Wednesday, 6 p.m. zoko822.com One of the best newer restaurants in the area, Zoko 822 has a wide gin menu with a tasty selection of tapas. Stop in for free music every Wednesday and $5 sangria!

VINYL NIGHT: HARMONY BREWING COMPANY 1551 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids Thursdays, 9 p.m. harmonybeer.com Snag a beer at happy hour prices and chill out to hi-fi vinyl sets by rotating DJs. Check Facebook for event details.n

What People are saying on Google: “A hidden gem” Robert P. “Best small brewery in GR” Karyn M. “The food was Amazeballs” Ethan P. brassringbrewing.com 2404 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids | 616-460-1587

Head to Pike 51 Brewery in Hudsonville every Sunday and join Lew Russ and 103.5 WAWL for a

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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grandrapidsairport.doubletree.com 4747 28th St SE, Grand Rapids

THE CHEAP ISSUE

SUSTAINABLE SHOPPER

At The B.O.B. Grand Rapids, MI 616.356.2000 thebob.com

Secondhand shopping in West Michigan saves the planet and your wallet

JIMMYarPyAR7-D9O

by Kelly Brown From beautifully curated antique booths to dusty aisles filled with the ghosts of last year’s Spring Cleaning and this year’s KonMari purge, West Michigan is bursting with places to shop secondhand. Thrifting saves you money, helps our planet by keeping items out of the landfill and often supports our community through establishments run by charitable organizations.

HOME GOODS LOST & FOUND TREASURES OF OLD AND NEW 445 Century Ave. SW, Grand Rapids This industrial loft building is a mid-century dream that will make you want to sip cocktails and lounge forever. Filled with two floors and multiple rooms of themed, curated merchandise, Lost & Found is one of the best antique stores in the area (in our opinion).

BLUE DOOR ANTIQUES AND ELEMENTS 946 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Speaking of curated collections, Blue Door Antiques is not your typical thrift shop. The owners have taken great care to curate their store with beautiful sconces, signs, European light fixtures and more. The store is filled with refurbished furniture and vintage wall hangings that you won’t find anywhere else.

WAREHOUSE ONE ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLE 449 Century Ave. SW, Grand Rapids You’ll need a couple of hours to make it through the incredible number of rooms in Warehouse One — the entire space is 25,000 square feet of antiques from more than 100 dealers.

Y.E.S.S. THRIFT 3516 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids A hidden gem in West Michigan, Y.E.S.S. Thrift is an estate liquidation warehouse that has two rooms of beautiful antiques and modern home goods at half the price. If you’re willing to sort through tables of someone else’s trash, you’re bound to find your own treasures.

Febru

REINSPIRED TREASURES

ROSA’S CLOSET

2417 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids

2141 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids

This adorable Joanna Gaines-esque store is still relatively new to the Alger Heights neighborhood.

Mixing handmade and local fares with vintage home décor, this shop has everything you need to deck out a farmhouse in the city.

Located in the Gaslight Village, Rosa’s Closet features name brands at half the price. Bring in your gently used, season-appropriate clothes for a chance to sell them back and make some cash. Plus, they’re dog-friendly!

QUALITY VINTAGE COLLECTIBLES

IC HAIR AND VINTAGE

1501 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids

337 Diamond Ave. SE, Grand Rapids

Quality Vintage Collectibles is a smaller space that features a curated collection of mid-century antiques from its Grandville Warehouse Showroom. It’s a great place to pop in after a beer at Creston Brewery.

One of the best places to shop for true vintage clothing in West Michigan, IC has a massive collection of jewelry and vintage design handbags, along with fur coats and apparel through the ages. n

DAV

FebruEarLAyNDAU 14-16

CLOTHING AUDREY LANE 1005 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids From the outside you’d never guess that Audrey Lane is a resale boutique. The clothing displays and excellent customer service make you feel like you’re shopping in a retail boutique. The store carries women’s dresses, shirts, skirts and jeans, and even has a play area, changing table and kids clothing section.

JANELLE JAMES February 21-23

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS 145 Diamond Ave. SE, Grand Rapids Shop affordable, in-style pieces at Rock Paper Scissors. This local consignment store is home to on-trend, gently worn, style conscious pieces that will work with any wardrobe.

360 CONSIGNMENT 4618 W. Main St., Kalamazoo

GREG FITZSIMMO

360 just wants to make shopping cheap and affordable, even if it is for stylish clothes. Clothing for all seasons is available year-round, and sellers don’t have to make any appointments. Just stop in and drop off your trendy clothes to make 50 percent back with ease.

Feb. 28-Mar. 2NS

Above: Rock Paper Scissors. Below: Reinspired Treasures.

#drgrins

COURTESY PHOTOS

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

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by Missy Black

STYLE NOTES

LOVE YOURSELF, WITHOUT LIMITS D

on’t miss out on the opportunity to share Reconfigure the messaging of what you think your personality, creativity and perspective you should wear versus how you would like to dress. of the world through style.

Wierenga is a firm believer that dressing in a way that “We often get lost in the narratives that others expresses who you are means you’ll be much happier have written for us … or that we have written for our- with how you are presenting yourself in all settings. selves,” said Ashley Wierenga, marketing consultant “Don’t show up to the world acting like you aren’t and lifestyle blogger. supposed to be there in what you’re wearing. Wear We can’t put a shred of energy toward it any lon- what you chose with confidence.” ger. When we tell ourselves that we aren’t enough, we build invisible boundaries. Wierenga’s message Want more confidence and control over how is simple: Wearing what makes us happy encourages you see yourself and what you wear? confidence and self-expression.

• Start small, slowly incorporate pieces into “It gives you the permission to show up in the your wardrobe that are a bit more edgy, anworld in the form you want,” said Wierenga, who’s drogynous, sassy — whatever space you want to here to flip the script on the negativity and what holds venture into more and commit to it. Believe it. you back, rerouting your mindset.

Replace “I’m not thin enough to wear this” with: My body is beautiful. My curves will look amazing in this.

Switch “I’m not glam enough to wear this” to: I am fabulous and about to rock this.

• A great activity is to go through friends’ closets and help them identify new, fresh outfits from what they currently own. Gather a group and make a night out of it. Bring pieces you can’t figure out how to wear and ask for ideas. Trade items.

• Once you’ve created some solid outfits, snap photos of them so you have a pseudo lookbook for the mornings where nothing seems to be coming together.

“Giving yourself agency to choose what you want to wear and loving yourself through it is a great first step,” Wierenga said. She details ways to move toward the real you, the style you naturally lean toward — the woman and feeling behind the wardrobe.

She recommends allowing your eye to choose what you like regardless of the categories you start to place them in. You can be a jeans and T-shirt girl one day and vamp it up with a tulle skirt and faux fur the next (no need to stay in a lane).

• Shop those places that give you all the feels.

Seek out and cultivate relationships with shop owners that empower you to dress with conviction. Wierenga’s hotspots include Gina’s Boutique, Found Cottage, Frances Jaye and Spring Sweet. n

REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019 |

SCENE SOUNDS | SIGHTS | DINING

Instead of, “I’m not cool enough to wear this,” try: I have value to bring to the world. This helps me tell the story of who I am.

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by Jack Raymond

BEER

RIDING THE WAVE

Perrin’s Clear Coast signals a rising swell for craft hard seltzers

T

DINING SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

o pour a glass of Perrin Brewing Co.’s Clear Coast is to perform a mind trick. Apart from the microscopic bubbles popping in and out of existence, the seltzer looks more like water than water. And yet it does water one better, with a secret ingredient: alcohol. This here’s LaCroix gone wild.

I’ve drank hard seltzers before, but this one captures a different sort of feeling, like breathing in a mango-f lavored Lake Michigan. After a sip, I’m left imagining Derrick Zoolander whispering, “Clear Coast is the essence of wetness, and wetness is the essence of beauty.”

It’s no secret that hard seltzers are enjoying a moment, being crushable, low on calories and often gluten-free. Craft beer is just beginning to take note. TwoGuys Brewing in Wyoming has its in-house seltzer for the beer-averse, and Colorado legend Oskar Blues is preparing to roll out Wild Basin, its own line of boozy sparkling water.

There was a time when spots like HopCat wouldn’t touch a White Claw with a 10-foot brewing paddle — now they keep a couple flavors stocked behind the bar. The hard seltzer market has boomed into a $500 million industry, a number that can’t be ignored as it continues to grow. Clearly, the time is right for jumping in and Perrin made a good call to surf the first wave.

Revue sat down with John Stewart, director of brewing operations at Perrin, to learn more about the beverage that’s sure to shape the Michigan seltzer scene when it hits store shelves in February.

Hard seltzers are pretty new territory for the craft beer world. How did Perrin decide to make a move into the market?

We wanted there to be a local option. It’s hard to talk about Michigan without talking about the water. For something that’s so water focused, we wanted to pay homage to the Great Lakes, the world’s best freshwater source. Originally, this was just a secret project but when we put it on tap, the response was tremendous. Clear Coast went from an R&D project in November, to draft lines in December, to production lines now. This

38 | REVUEWM.COM | FEBRUARY 2019

John Stewart, Perrin Brewing Co. COURTESY PHOTO per barrel. You can have a nice, easy-drinking product and enjoy it for what it is.

Do you see the community transitioning toward a more health-conscious mindset too? has moved faster than anything we’ve ever done here and that’s all driven by consumer demand.

How does Clear Coast separate itself from the rest of the pack?

There’s a lot of different ways you can go about making these products. Some are taking sugar, fermenting it and adding flavor to it. We felt that by using malt base, we’d get a healthier fermentation and more complex flavors. By using the sugar method, seltzer can be made really quickly, but our slower, more controlled method gives us a higher quality flavor profile. We knew that if we were going to put the Perrin stamp on this, we’d need to exceed expectations.

The Clear Coast variety pack bears some resemblance to other hard seltzer packs on the market. Was that intentional?

We tried to use different flavor combos while sticking to the template of a berry option (Mixed Berry), a citrus option (Watermelon Lime), and a fruit option (Mango Guava). We needed to make them fruit-forward without tasting artificial. The watermelon lime tastes like biting into a fresh watermelon rind. The

mixed berry is sweet but also tannic. Each has a nice crisp and light body for balance. We wanted to avoid any heavy cloying flavors.

The goal is to have them be refreshing.

Where do you see people drinking Clear Coast?

On the beach, backyard barbecues, the golf course. I think more interesting than where people will drink it is how they will. This is the first time I’ve made a product with so many different ways to consume it. Some are pouring it on ice, some straight into a glass, some with fruit added. Some bars we’re working with are mixing it with gin, vodka, even making mojitos out of them. I can imagine a ton of different cocktails that could come from these.

What has the response looked like from the beer geek community?

Seeing what I would normally consider the diehard craft drinkers also embrace the seltzer was unexpected but cool. The modern drinker is more promiscuous between cider, wine, spirits, and I think seltzer falls into that too. Maybe this is the market correcting itself, saying we don’t need five pounds of hops

I think that’sz one of the reasons it’s been so successful. The public is counting calories, people are trying to hit their New Year’s resolutions. We’re producing some monster Russian imperial stouts, high-calorie, high-carb, and to be able to offer a calorie conscious option is new to me, but fantastic.

Clear Coast is also gluten-removed so people with allergies who haven’t been able to enjoy our products before now have a chance to.

What would you say to those who see hard seltzer as a passing fad along the lines of a Not Your Father’s Root Beer?

The key difference with these is that they’re more health-focused, allowing more longevity to the trend. With all that sugar content in hard root beer, I don’t know how many you can or want to slam. I don’t see hard seltzer crashing the same way.

Can we expect new flavors in the future?

There’s so many fun things we could do with these. As a craft brewery, we immediately want to try to barrel-aged or sour it. Right now we’re just having fun in a category that we weren’t allowed to explore a couple years ago. I love the fact that there are always new fields to play in. n

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February Grooves Live Music!

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