March 2014, Revue Magazine

West Michigan’s Entertainment Guide for 25 years » March 2014

Music / Art / Culture / Dining / Free!

Adam Degi Humors Us

What’s so Funny about March?

Inside: LaughFest, local comics, St. Patty’s Day, Future Islands, and more

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What’s Inside

March 2014 | Volume 26, Issue 3

SCENE:

11 Random Notes 12 Eclectic 14 All Ages

SPECIAL SECTION: Comedy 16 18 20 22 23 23 24 24

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Michigan Comics on the Rise Q&A with Adam Degi Revue’s LaughFest Best Bets LaughFest: The Tenderloins LaughFest: Maria Bamford LaughFest: Mike Birbiglia LaughFest: Jen Kirkman LaughFest: Nick Thune

SOUNDS: St. Patrick’s Day Events

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Adam Degi

29 30 32 34

Local Music: Glowfriends On Tour: Future Islands On Tour: Between the Buried and Me On Tour: Shearwater

SIGHTS: 37 38 40 42 44

Visual Art: Out of the Polar Vortex Theatre: Puppet Up Indie Film Lit Life: Buddy Wakefield Style Notes

DINING & DRINKING:

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Mike Birbiglia

47 48 50 52 56 66

Restaurant Listings Gluten Free Girl: Green Restaurant Beer: Oddside Ales Taste This: Gojo St. Patrick’s Day Drinking: Last Call

SCHEDULE:

59 Daily Event Listings and Best Bets

Letter from the Editor

W est M ic h ig a n ’ s E nterta inment G uide

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f you haven’t noticed lately, we’ve stepped up our dining and drinking game a few notches. Most of it is in thanks to the awesome Alexandra Kadlec, who recently moved to Grand Rapids from NYC and spent time writing for Time Out New York. She has brilliant ideas and has helped us take our dining coverage to that next-level s*** with recent features on comfort food and tacos.

We’re also featuring a new drinking column called Last Call, because beer can’t have all our love. Each month, we feature a cocktail from a local establishment. Not only do you get liquid eye candy, but we also include the bar’s recipe so you can attempt your own version at home.

Also new in the dining and drinking section (I told you we’re upping our game), we’re debuting a new feature this month, Gluten Free Gal. In the past, we’ve covered the gluten free movement. Hell, even our fearless leader Brian Edwards is gluten free. Now we’re featuring a monthly column devoted to getting gluten free goods in West Michigan.

As far as entertainment goes, things are starting to pick up this month. March not only gives us loads of entertainment in the form of St. Patrick’s Day (whether you’re participating or a spectator during this day), but we also have March Madness happening, as well as Gilda’s LaughFest, 10 days of comedy all throughout West Michigan. It’s a busy month, with good reason, as spring officially starts March 20.

Say goodbye to cabin fever, and rock on.

Editorial Publisher Brian Edwards / brian@revuewm.com Managing Editor Lindsay Patton-Carson / lindsay@revuewm.com Design Creative Director Kim Kibby / kim@revuewm.com Design Kim Kibby, Kristi Kortman, Kellie Zaplitny Contributing Writers Kyle Austin Alexandra Kadlec Kelli Belanger Audria Larsen Missy Black Allison Parker Elijah Brumback Carly Plank Ben Darcie Emma Kat Richardson Robby Hartley Josh Spanninga Dwayne Hoover Kerri VanderHoff

Contributing Photographers Seth Thompson, Erica Horoky Listings schedule@revuewm.com Revue Minions Kyle Hauch, Erica Horoky, Andrea Kooiker, Sean Murphy, Colleen Schonfield Sales / 616.608.6170 Kelli Belanger / kbelanger@revuewm.com Molly Rizor / molly@revuewm.com Digital Editor Jayson Bussa / jayson@revuewm.com

Lindsay Patton-Carson, Managing Editor / lindsay@revuewm.com

Find us online!

Website: revuewm.com Twitter: twitter.com/revuewm Facebook: facebook.com/revuewm Revue is published monthly by Revue Holding Company.

65 Monroe Center, Ste. 5, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Office: 616.608.6170 / Fax: 616.608.6182

Advertising index Amway Hotel Corporation . . . . . . . 15 Arcadia Ales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Barfly Ventures: Irish on Ionia. . . . 26 Bell’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 33 Billy’s Lounge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Brewery Vivant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Calvin College SAO . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Cascade Optical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Central City Taphouse. . . . . . . . . . 46 Civic Theatre. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 CVLT PIZZA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 DeltaPlex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Downtown Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Dr. Grins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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Dwelling Place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Erb Thai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Firekeepers Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Founders Brewing Co. . . . . . . . . . . 13 Fusion Shows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Gilda’s Club: LaughFest. . . . . . . . . . 4 The Gilmore Collection. . . . . . . . . . 19 Grand Haven Beer Fest. . . . . . . . . 52 Grand Rapids Public Library. . . . . 21 Grand Rapids Symphony. . . . . . . . 25 Grand Woods Lounge . . . . . . . . . . 67 Gravel Bottom Brewery . . . . . . . . . 51 Green Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Growco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Holiday Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Intersection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids. . . . 39 Kzoo Valley Community College. . . 63 Michigan Irish Music Festival. . . . 41 Opera Grand Rapids. . . . . . . . . . . 45 Orbit Room. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Palazzolo’s Gelato . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Right Brain Brewery. . . . . . . . . . . . 51 River City Improv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Roxanne’s Hair Studio. . . . . . . . . . 45 Saugatuck Brewing Company. . . . 53 Saugatuck Center for the Arts. . . . 41 Schmohz Brewery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Schuler Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Seven Steps Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Sight Optical Boutique . . . . . . . . . 45 Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. . . . 3 St. Cecilia Music Center . . . . 25, 65 The Pyramid Scheme. . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill . . . . . . . 32 The Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 UV Vodka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Wellspring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 West Michigan Symphony. . . . . . . 41 West Side Beer / Budweiser. . . . . . 68 Wharton Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 WYCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

©2014, 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: Grand Rapids comedian Adam Degi, shot by Seth Thompson.

Interview on page 18.

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Random Notes

mance art and music. The venue’s next show is scheduled for April 12 and artists will be announced on its website, galleriearthaus. com ... On March 1, Avenue for the Arts, UICA and ArtPrize are collaborating for a conversation series, The Elements of a Great Art Show. The series launches with Break It Down, Make It Better, where speakers, curators and documenters participate in an ongoing dialogue about what goes into making an art show. The all-day event will be held at the UICA and is $35 to attend.

Dining

Cool Brews. Hot Eats. is wrapping up on March 1, so get your fill with beer-infused dishes before it ends. Choose one (or two, three, four, as many as you want) of the 62 businesses participating in the event, including Brewery Vivant, Founders, HopCat, GP Sports, Grand Woods Lounge, Harmony and more. Not only are the meals made with beer as an ingredient, but features beer pairings with the food as well. Experience Grand Rapids also offers a self-guided beer tour on its beer page, for those looking to knock a few more breweries off their list.

Anna Nalick

National CD Releases

On Tour

In summer 2006 it was hard to not hear Anna Nalick’s hit song, “Breathe (2 AM).”

The song was featured all over “Grey’s Anatomy” (in two episodes, no less!), as well as the WB (RIP) on shows like “Smallville” and “Charmed.” On March 24, the singersongwriter performs with Dan Godlin at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake. Tickets are

Beer Jennifer Nettles

Important Dates Ad Reservation Deadline: March 17 Editorial Deadline: March 5 Delivery: March 27 $35 in advance and $40 at the door ... Amos Lee is currently on tour to support his latest album, Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song.

His previous album, Mission Bell, topped the Billboard 200 charts in 2011. On March 9, he comes to Kalamazoo State Theatre.

Tickets for the show are $39.50.

Concert Announcement

We may barely be out of the dead of winter, but Frederik Meijer Gardens is thinking summer, with three acts announced for its summer concert series. The series has recently partnered with Fifth Third Bank,

and boasts a new title: Fifth Third Bank Summer Concert Series at Meijer Gardens.

The acts announced include Jennifer Nettles (July 19), NEEDTOBREATHE (June 21) and KC and the Sunshine Band (July 24). Tickets for these shows go on sale to the general public May 10, with a members-only pre-sale happening April 26 through May 9.

Art

There’s a new art gallery in town and it features all aspects of art, including music, performance and fine art. Gallerie Art Haus (506 Oakland SW Grand Rapids) debuted its inaugural show last month and has upcoming shows planned through December 2014. The venue describes itself as a bi-monthly indoor artists market and showcase of perfor-

It’s the time of year beer lovers wait for: the release of Founders’ Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Bell’s Oberon. This year, Founders plans on doing something a little different with the KBS release. While the national release date is April 1, those of us lucky to be in or near Grand Rapids can get our hands on it during KBS Week, running March 18-22. During a pre-ticketed reservation process, bottles can be reserved at 11 a.m. on March 1 and picked up at Founders’ taproom March 18-22.

On March 22, the brewery celebrates its taproom KBS release with a release party. n Random Notes was compiled by Lindsay Patton-Carson.

For more music, art and entertainment news, including local bands and giveaways, “Like” us on Facebook (facebook.com/ revuewm) or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/revuewm.

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

In 2011, indie band Foster the People broke into the mainstream with “Pumped Up Kicks,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The pressure is on for the band’s sophomore release, Supermodel, on March 18. The new album features more of a rock-and-guitar sound as opposed to the poppy electronic sound that propelled the band to stardom ... Synthpop band Future Islands releases its fourth full-length album, Singles, the same day it performs at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids (March 25) ... The band that provided the soundtrack to your teenage years is releasing its sixth studio album on March 18. Coming off of line-up changes and the 10-year anniversary of Tell All Your Friends, Taking Back Sunday releases Happiness Is ... Other notable releases: The Hold Steady releases Teeth Dreams on March 25, Black Lips releases Underneath the Rainbow on March 18 and Tokyo Police Club releases Forcefield March 25.

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/// Eclectic

Lil Darlins Vaudeville are performing at The Loft in Lansing March 3.

March Eclectic Events

March is more than the cruel denial of spring or pretending you’re Irish so you can neck with that redhead over there. I have just a handful of mighty March words for you: space, vaudeville, philately and AIR SUPPLY.

By Audria Larsen

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

Air Supply

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Lil Darlins Vaudeville

Forest Hills Fine Arts Center, Grand Rapids March 1, 7:30 p.m. $38-$50 fhfineartscenter.com, (616) 493-8966

The Loft, Lansing March 3, 7 p.m. $10 lildarlinsvaudeville.com, (517) 980-3854

Close your eyes I want to ride the skies, in my sweet dreams. Close your eyes I want to see you tonight, in my sweet dreams,” whisper Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell, Air Supply’s front men, as they soar through the skies riding a hot air balloon emblazoned with red hearts, high above Grand Rapids, en route to the Forest Hills Fines Arts Center, or at least in my fantasy world.

For those not in the know, the Australian group dominated soft rock stations in the early ‘80s (and even today, I’m sure) with epic love ballads so over the top that even haters can fall in love with the absurd glory of it all.

Lil Darlins Vaudeville, a Michigan-based variety show, kicks off its first tour this month at The Loft in Lansing. Unlike other revival shows found around the country, Lil Darlins Vaudeville likes to stick to its roots. “There are a lot of troupes out there that lean towards burlesque. We try to stay true to the idea of vaudeville and having the variety element,” said Katie Corr, producer and founder. Much like the old days, the group features a live band, The Heartland Klezmorium, which is comprised of accomplished musicians like Drew Howard, who used to tour with Ted Nugent and Jo Serrapere, and has played on the Prairie Home Companion on more than one occasion. Similarly, the variety acts have been culled from veteran entertainers hailing from across the state who specialize sideshow like fire dancing, glass eating, aerialists, stilt walkers, jugglers and hula hooping. “We try to overwhelm the senses with a lot of activity, a lot of color and a lot of glitz and glamour, all mixed in with comedy,” Corr said.

The History of Space Photography

Grand Valley State University Art Gallery, Allendale Through March 21 10 a.m.-5 p.m. gvsu.edu/artgallery, (616) 331-2563 If you want to see jaw dropping imagery of celestial bodies, incomprehensibly enormous nebulae or a photo of the moon from 1840, then get your modern booty to GVSU. The History of Space Photography exhibit, on view until March 21, features 50 “noteworthy” images shot over the past 50 years of space exploration.

KazooPex Stamp & Cover Show Kalamazoo County Expo Center, Kalamazoo March 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

March 30, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Free! (269) 375-6188

Philatelists unite! The annual KazooPex Stamp and Cover (that means envelope) Show returns for the 30th year to bring you relics of the past including a dose of Michigan history.

“I myself, I don’t collect loose stamps. I just collect postmarks on envelops, [like mail] from ships in the Navy to mail from little towns in Michigan,” said Jim Smith, bourse chairman. “I have some Michigan ones from when Michigan was still a territory, prior to 1937.” Interestingly, this was before there were stamps at all. Smith explained that folded letters would simply be sent out and usually the person it was addressed to had to pay for it. Exhibits, vendors, collector supplies and even free stamps for kids can be found at the show, plus food is available on site.

Hula Hoop Flow Jam Drip Drop Drink, Muskegon March 11 and 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

March 12 and 26, noon-1 p.m.

Free! hoophappyhoophealthy.com

Hula hoop and flow artists rejoice as local Muskegon watering hole, Drip Drop Drink, features a bi-weekly flow jam to melt away the winter blues, brought to you by Tarah Rhenae from Hoop Happy Hoop Healthy and Gold Coast Entertainment. Bring your own gear from hoops and poi to staffs and enjoy the large, open space with wood floors perfect for grooving beyond your tiny living room. Music is provided and the event is gloriously free. n

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/// All Ages

Kid Approved Here’s a list of the top four kid picks for the month of March or some light reading for the kid whisperer or someone vying for favorite aunt. By Missy Black

Dream It, Build It

Grand Rapids Public Museum 272 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids March 1-Aug. 31 $8/adults, $3/children ages 3-18, free admission/ages 2 & under grmuseum.org, (616) 929-1700

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

Hands down, Legos are a kid’s favorite. If you aren’t at the Grand Rapids Public Museum for the Lego exhibition, it’s an automatic strike against you in the book of fun. The highly anticipated exhibit features architectural masterpieces recreated with Lego bricks by Certified Lego Professional Adam Reed Tucker. The exhibition will also include areas for museum guests to get hands on inspiration and create with bricks.

“Lego is such a universal thing. So many kids know about it. They are an art form,” said Kate Moore, director of marketing and public relations. Get ready to gape at 13 Lego bricked recreations of famous structures including the Empire State Building, the Jin Mao Tower, the Gateway Arch, as well as a scaled model of the Van Andel Museum Center Building (sans glue). There is also work on display from the Western Michigan Lego Train Club™, which includes a model of the museum’s 1885 trolley car. Bonus: the Lego exhibit overlaps with Dinosaurs Unearthed (on display until April 27) to target a similar audience.

Cinderella Tea Party Alpen Rose Restaurant 4 E. 8th St., Holland March 15, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. $35 per person etissentials.com, (616) 283-2710

Get your white gloves out and cross ‘Meeting a Princess’ off their bucket list with the education/entertainment of an Etissentials program.

This is a time for princess apparel and a lesson in manners. Learn the art of a proper introduction (greetings and handshakes) while also getting a photo with Cinderella on her throne and nibbling on a light tea time luncheon featuring fresh fruit, assorted breads and scones, sandwiches, dessert and pink lemonade or ice tea for that fancy, extended pinky finger feeling. Recommended for ages 3 to 7 and held at the Alpen Rose Restaurant, this event also features an

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Dream It, Build it at the Grand Rapids Public Museum March 1-Aug. 31.

autograph and story time session. “We teach the true meaning of a princess,” said Etissentials Director Stacy Carpin. “It’s the inner beauty and using manners and grace that makes a princess.”

Just ForT Fun Indoor Campout

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum 11 Sheldon Ave. NW, Grand Rapids March 14, 6-8 p.m. $8/ages 1 and above, $6/military families, free admission/ children under 1 grcm.org, (616) 235-4726 Simplicity. This means taking a blanket or sheet, adding some imagination (maybe chairs and pillows) and hiding away from the world. The indoor camp out at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum is a fun event incorporating the Fort exhibit where forts are bigger and better than

ever. When it comes to fort making, “It’s a castle one day, the next it’s a tent and the next day it’s something else entirely,” says Marketing and Events Manager Adrienne Brown. “It can be whatever you want it to be.” Activities usually meant for the outdoors are on the docket for the camp out and include flameless s’mores, a scavenger hunt, a constellation activity, making binoculars and more. The exhibit runs for a few months, so get in, pop a squat and remember those lazy days where proper fort construction was the most serious of issues.

Girls Rock! Grand Rapids Rock and Roll Fundraiser Kentwood Fun Spot 14 52nd St. SE, Grand Rapids March 2, noon-4 p.m. $6 girlsrockgrandrapids.wordpress.com

What child hasn’t wanted to play rock band? Encourage their interest in music by attending the Girls Rock! Grand Rapids Rock and Roll Fundraiser at the Kentwood Fun Spot. This is a chance for kids to roller skate, play games and watch the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls practice, scrimmage and host the event all while raising funds for Girls Rock! Grand Rapids, a not for profit group of women dedicated to empowering girls through music. Learn about the organization and get a chance to get stickers, T-shirts and tote bag merchandise.

Open skaters get silly with reverse skating, a sharks-and-minnows skate game and the chance to skate along to songs performed by the Girls Rock! Grand Rapids group or songs of their choosing. More games include a cake walk, kick the can and pizza box relay race.

“Kids will love to hear themselves singing during open skates,” said Community Outreach member Amber Albanesi. The Girls Rock! Grand Rapids week-long camp is held in August and encourages creativity, self-esteem and includes instrument lessons, music workshops and a finale rock show. n

< Girls Rock! at Kentwood Fun Spot March 2.

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Special Section: Comedy

Up and Coming Michigan Comics | by Josh Spanninga

Jeremy Clymer

Age: 34 Location: Wyoming, Mich Favorite national comic: Maria Bamford Favorite venues: Dr. Grins, Sunday Night Funnies, any place in Kalamazoo Favorite topics: Observational humor, interesting news stories Hobbies: Writing

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Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

eremy Clymer is a rather recent addition to the Grand Rapids comedy scene. His first time onstage was at the 2012 LaughFest Community showcase, but after performing once he became hooked.

“I had kind of been wanting to try it for a while, so I did that, and had a really good first set onstage at Dr. Grins, and I’ve been doing it since then,” Clymer said.

His first introduction to comedy consisted mainly of sketch shows such as “Monty Python,” “Mr. Show” and “Kids in the Hall.” Clymer cites his interest in writing similarly funny material as an inspiration later for stand-up.

“A lot of standup comedians have been doing it since they were fifteen or whatever,” Clymer said. “I

Jeremy Clymer

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took a different path. I started out as a writer, and saw stand-up comedy as sort of a different form to branch my writing off into.”

While his efforts in comedy have shifted more toward stand-up lately, Clymer still spends part of his time as a freelance writer, and is even getting a parodic story published in an upcoming H.P. Lovecraft anthology.

Zach Martina

Age: 27 Location: Wixom, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Kyle Kinane, Rory Scovel, Michael Costa Favorite venues: Joey’s Comedy Club, Holly Hotel Comedy Club, Connxtions Comedy Club Favorite topics: Relationships, being nonmarried, wordplay Hobbies: Even more comedy

F

or years, Zach Martina was interested in trying stand-up, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to take that initial step onstage. One night, at a

Zach Martina

show, a local comedian gave him some advice he’ll never forget.

“He said, ‘Either they’re going to laugh, and you’re going to keep doing it, or you’re going to be awful and you’ll never have to do it again. At least you tried,’” Martina said. “I was fortunate and I got some laughs my first time.”

Two years later, his nationally touring act began to gain prominence across the U.S. while maintaining his Michigan roots. Martina attributes his demanding tour schedule to his understanding day job.

“I’m in a really unique position,” Martina said. “[My employer] said ‘We want to support what you’re trying to do. Why don’t you go ahead and bring in your comedy schedule and we’ll work around it.”

Now that’s a day job most comics would kill for.

Josh Ortega

Age: 26 Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Dave Attell, Anthony Jeselnik, Hannibal Buress

Josh Ortega

Favorite venues: Dr. Grins, Sunday Night Funnies, Tip Top Bar Favorite topics: One-liners, self deprecating humor Hobbies: Golfing, eating food

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hen Josh Ortega first started performing comedy at open mics around Grand Rapids, he had his fair share of stage fright.

“I’d be so nervous,” Ortega said. “I have pretty bad anxiety, but I didn’t dare take a Xanax or anything, so I was like ‘Oh, I’ll just drink, because everyone says I’m hilarious when I drink!’ That was not the case.”

Right from the get go it became obvious that too much liquid courage could be detrimental. He learned this lesson the very first night he performed, in fact.

“I was sitting on a stool at the bar while this other comic was on stage,” Ortega said. “And I actually fell out of my chair in the middle of his act, which is a bad thing.”

Ortega eventually got his stage fright under control and is quickly amassing much respect in the West Michigan comedy community. He can also be heard with fellow Grand Rapidian Jacob Kubon on the House Sadness podcast.

Annaflora Somers

AnnaFlora Somers

Age: 26 Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Joan Rivers, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Silverman Favorite venues: Dr. Grins, Sunday Night Funnies Favorite topics: Dating, birth control, social media Hobbies: Sewing, DJing, playing violin

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hile AnnaFlora Somers is certainly making some waves in the West Michigan stand-up scene, she actually got her first taste of comedy as a kid when she would visit her dad in California.

“There was about a three-hour drive from the airport in San Francisco to his little town in California,” Somers said. “And he would just play the comedy channel, and I was maybe 9 or 10, maybe a little bit older, and I would sit there and think, ‘How the hell do these people come up with these jokes on the spot?’”

She would go on to perform at her first open mic in LA, but soon after settled down in Grand Rapids, where she found herself at home amongst other comics and comedy fans alike in Grand Rapids’ unique scene.

“Because Grand Rapids is kind of a small town and a big town, you really do get a following in West Michigan that I think is really neat,” Somers said.

Allen Trieu

Age: 29 Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Bill Burr, Maria Bamford, Pat Dixon Favorite venues: Dr. Grins, Candlestone Resort, Joey’s Comedy Club Favorite topics: His wife, race, technology Hobbies: Sports, working out, eating

Matt McClowry

Age: 30 Location: Dearborn, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Louis CK, Marc Maron Favorite venues: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Favorite topics: Family, modern life

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ost high schoolers are overwhelmed by the thought of choosing a career path in the near future, but Matt McClowry effortlessly narrowed it down to two fields.

“I used to always watch wrestling and comedy growing up. And it shows how realistic I was, those were my career options,” McClowry said.

Matt McClowry

Naturally, McClowry picked professional wrestling as his career of choice, but he still found value in performing comedy.

“I also wanted to try stand-up along the way to sort of get good at my pro wrestling life skills as they were,” McClowry said. “Just to get used to performing in front of crowds because I didn’t have any drama background or anything like that.”

He would eventually delve deeper into more acting and improv classes (and consequently became more and more out of shape), until finally, after his 21st birthday, he bit the bullet and performed stand-up in front of a crowd, effectively putting his dreams of pile drivers and spandex behind him.

Gerrit Elzinga

Age: 22 Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Dave Chapelle, Richard Pryor, Brian Regan Favorite venues: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, Goonies (Minn.)

Favorite topics: Religion, family, growing up, traveling, drugs, booze Hobbies: Plays guitar

I

f you want a prime example of someone getting started in comedy at a young age, look no further than Gerrit Elzinga. He got his first taste of performing in his seventh grade drama class, wrote his first jokes in eighth grade, and took his first step onto a public stage as a high school freshman.

“I went to Dr. Grins Comedy Club at 15,” Elzinga said. “I started doing comedy then. So I started doing open mics and then working my way up.”

Since then, he’s been perfecting his routine, trying to find the right balance between clean and blue

Gerrit Elzinga

comedy, incorporating different strategies to cover more risqué topics, while keeping the audience with him.

“If you start with stuff up front where it’s more family oriented, like ‘Hey, my Uncle is wacky!’ People can relate to that,” Elzinga said. “And if they relate to you on that, then the farther you go they’ll hopefully be with you.”

Jacob Kubon

Age: 25 Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Favorite national comics: Anthony Jeselnik, Rory Scovel, Chad Daniels Favorite venues: Dog Story Theatre, Tip Top Bar Favorite topics: Dark humor, one-liners Hobbies: Podcasting, watches movies

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acob Kubon has often been told he has a dark sense of humor, and he’ll be the first to agree. In fact, he feels that it can be healthy to joke about the serious stuff.

“I like to take my sadness and write it in a way that makes people laugh. It’s kind of a therapeutic thing in a certain sense,” Kubon said.

He also feels that from a compositional standpoint, dark humor adds more depth and humanity to his jokes.

“In one joke I’ll go from something a little sinister, and then it’ll end on a high note, so I like to take the audience on a journey in that sense.”

Kubon got his start in comedy with the sketch group Lampshade Fantasies, but once he got a taste of stand-up he was hooked.

“I had a lot of fun with [Lampshade Fantasies], but it was just something where it was so much work for the limited amount of shows that we did that with stand-up, I thought I’d be able to get more out of my writing.” n

Jacob Kubon REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

Allen Trieu

A

llen Trieu gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “He’s a natural.” Whereas most comics spend years honing their craft and polishing their set, Trieu had unusual success from the start.

“I started at Grand Valley, actually. I won the Last Laker Standing contest, and that was the first time I ever did stand-up” Trieu said. “From there, I’ve been able to get booked and tour and get into some pretty good shows.”

And by “pretty good shows” he means playing in comedy clubs all across the U.S., from the legendary Laugh Factory in New York to shows in LA and everywhere in between.

Aside from stand-up, Trieu is also a sports writer, and has even appeared on the Big Ten Network.

This has been reflected in some of his favorite hobbies – working out and playing sports. Oh yeah, and he also likes to eat.

“I know those two things seem to contradict each other, but I work out so I can eat,” Trieu says.

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Make It Funny Questions for local comic Adam Degi

H

ow did you get your start in comedy?

I think it’s similar to a lot of people’s comic beginnings. I was the class clown in high school. ... I used to work at The B.O.B. on the same floor as the comedy club, and I would get onstage with my chef’s jacket, right out of work. ... There were a few times where I got onstage when I was still on the clock.

So The B.O.B. helped to get you established?

They needed people for the open mic, so I started there.

When did you get serious about pursuing comedy as a career?

Probably around 2008. I always knew I wanted to get paid for it, but I never knew how. I took a comedy workshop, which was a waste of money. You can’t make somebody funnier. You’re either funny or you’re not. I at least learned some of the business side from that workshop.

So even though the workshop didn’t give you what you needed, did it at least open some doors in the business for you?

Yeah, it at least introduced me to the business side of comedy, which is important because a lot of guys don’t understand that being a paid comic is in reality 75 percent business, 25 percent being funny. ... There’s a huge side to comedy that’s not fun or glamorous. Everybody wants things like velvet ropes, but it’s not that anymore. It was like that in the ‘80s, maybe for a while, but not anymore.

It’s a lot of driving, isn’t it?

Yeah. A lot of comics say you’re getting paid to drive. ... A lot of time staying in hotels and a lot of time alone. You have a lot of time with your own thoughts.

When was your first paid gig?

In 2008. It’s blurry. ... I had my first paid gig at Dr. Grins and then started to do things around the Midwest.

Obviously, you have to be available to take multiple gigs to get your start. How do you do that as well as supplement your income?

It definitely helps to not have a family. There are a lot of older gentlemen in the business who are envious of the younger guys. Not just because they’re younger, but because they have a wife and kids at home. You have other people to worry about. Once you’re established and have a house, you can’t pick up and move.

And if you start in the Midwest, you have to move to a bigger market.

Is there any topic that’s off limits?

I’ve always felt like there are no topics that are off limits if you can make it funny.

How have you seen the local scene grow?

It has grown a lot. ... [Dr. Grins] had to literally beg people to do the open mic, and now the open mic is booked two or three months in advance. And now we have new open mic nights popping up all over.

In an average week, how often do you perform?

Probably six times. An average working week is about six shows, and in the Midwest, that’s great, but there are guys that get onstage six times a night in New York. It’s not as much as I would like to, but it’s definitely enough to be a working comic in the Midwest.

Do you have any career goals for the next year?

My immediate goals for the next year are headline clubs and to move to either New York or Los Angeles. ... I don’t think there’s a right time, I just think you have to do it.

See Degi perform at LaughFest’s Homegrown Show on March 13 at The B.O.B. n Interview conducted, edited and condensed by Lindsay PattonCarson. Photo: Seth Thompson.

18 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

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REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

19

/// comedy

Revue’s LaughFest Picks

By Andrea Kooiker and Colleen Schonfield

3.07

3.08

Dog Story Theatre, Grand Rapids 7 and 9 p.m.

Lowell High School Performing Arts Center, Lowell 7 p.m. / $22.50

Crawlspace Eviction

Crawlspace Eviction returns to LaughFest with its comedic improv.

This group has been entertaining audiences in the Kalamazoo area with eclectic improv for three years.

Jim Gaffigan

GRCC Ford Fieldhouse, Grand Rapids 8 p.m. / $47.50-$57.50 Gaffigan’s humor takes his audiences by surprise with his quiet, almost polite demeanor. His clever insights and witty humor have made him a huge success with audiences. Two words have made him universally loved by audiences all over: Hot Pockets.

3.09

PJ Walsh

PJ Walsh’s high-energy persona adds to his already established reputation as one of the hardest working comedians behind the microphone.

His comedy has carried him globally, ranging from the Olympics to overseas tours for troops and back home with a show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

The hilarity of his stories mixed with his heartfelt emotions about friends he’s lost to war, leaves his audiences inspired to follow PJ’s footsteps in living life to the fullest.

Pop Scholars

Wealthy Theatre, Grand Rapids 8 p.m. / $7 Support local talent and check out Pop Scholars on March 7.

This four-man, Grand Rapidsbased improv group stays true to its name and put on a show full of intelligent, comedic wit.

The Blackout Diaries Hosted by Sean Flannery

Perrin Brewing Company, Comstock Park 8 p.m. / $30 Sean Flannery is not afraid to spill his guts when it comes to telling tales of regretful drunken decisions — he even makes an entire show about it. His barroom humor is made up of humble jabs at himself and loved ones; a level of hilarity that earned him a spot in 2004’s regional finals of the HBO Comedy Fest. His interactive comedy shows allow the audience to share their favorite drinking story, conveniently, all the while enjoying a cold one.

3.10

3.12

DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids 7:30 p.m. / $45-$60

Dr. Grins, Grand Rapids 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Lily Tomlin

From Detroit-native to Grand Rapids newbie, Lily Tomlin will make her first appearance at LaughFest with a show titled “An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin.” She’s cemented herself as an icon with award-winning roles in Nashville, “The Lily Tomlin Special,” “The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe” and her numerous comedy albums.

Sinbad

Best of the Midwest Up-and-coming comedians from throughout the Midwest will compete for cash prizes, titles and your affection.

Jay Leno

DeVos Place, Grand Rapids 5:30 p.m. / $250 Jay Leno has remained at the top of the list of most wanted entertainers by LaughFest fans, and Grand Rapids has the opportunity to have Leno perform in Laughfest’s signature event. He’s un-

LAUGHFEST March 6–16 More than 40 venues in Grand Rapids, Holland, and Lowell TICKETS AND INFORMATION laughfestgr.org (616) 735-HAHA doubtedly one of the country’s most famed comedians of all time and recognized for his bone tickling wit.

Although he’s now the veteran host of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” this comedian is not retiring just yet.

Jay Leno Lily Tomlin

20 | REREVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Chris Tucker

3.13

Carly Aquilino, Chris Distefano and Andrew Schulz as seen on MTV’s “Guy Code”

GVSU Kirkhof Center, Allendale 9 p.m. / Free

3.15

GRCC Ford Fieldhouse, Grand Rapids 8 p.m. / $47.50-$57.50

Wealthy Theatre, Grand Rapids 8 p.m. / $7

Chris Tucker

Chris Tucker, best known for playing Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour movies and his recent role in the award-winning Silver Linings Playbook, comes to Grand Rapids on March 14. In 2011, he made his stand-up comeback and has not slowed down since.

Our Diversity Show

Comedians of all different backgrounds take to the stage and poke fun at racial stereotypes. This show is not only full of hilarity, but has thoughtful insight as well, as the comedians make fun of and tear apart the very idea of race.

3.16 Sinbad

Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids 4:30 p.m. / $32.50-$39.50

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

They’re the ones responsible for filling your teenage boy’s head with advice on how to adhere to the social standards within the laws of manhood, as seen with their hilarious comedic input on MTV’s “Guy Code.” Aquilino, Distefano and Schulz plan to expose their uncensored personalities with some unapologetic comedy focusing on different social standards that exist between guys and girls in a burst-out-laughing fashion.

3.14

Sinbad is unapologetic, turning the audience’s woes into jokes and throwing it back at them. His in-your-face style won him a spot on Comedy Central’s list of top 100 stand-up comedians of all time. n

Jim Gaffigan

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 2011 |

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The Tenderloins on Friendship and Practical Jokes | by Josh Spanninga

J

oe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano met years ago during their freshman year of high school. Bonding over their shared love of comedy, they dabbled in improv and stand-up throughout high school, before going their separate ways in college. When the foursome met up after college in ‘99, they agreed the climate was perfect to reignite their act and take it to the next level, creating The Tenderloins.

But how does a group of grown men come up with a stage name as ridiculous as The Tenderloins? All you have to do is get the four old friends together in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco to brainstorm names. The rest, as they say, is history.

“There was kind of a really big boom then,” Vulcano said of comedy in the new millennium. “Stuff like Citizen’s Brigade just moved to New York City, and New York got its first taste of a real community that was studying improv.”

For years, the group performed countless live improv shows, gained fame for its Internet sketches and even won

22 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

$100,000 for a performance on NBC’s “It’s Your Show.”

Throughout it all, the guys attributed much of their success to a long-lasting friendship.

“We realized we had something unique because a lot of comedy troupes are either put together or they meet later in life, when we actually had our childhood together,” Vulcano said.

“We figured that was a chemistry you couldn’t fake.”

The Tenderloins recently renewed its show, “Impractical Jokers,” for a third season with Tru TV. The show sounds like a regular hidden-camera prank TV show until you hear the twist – the prankster is unaware of the prank until right before he performs it. The other three guys then guide him through the prank through an earpiece, and both the prankster and prankees reactions are captured for the world to see.

During its stop in Grand Rapids for LaughFest, The Tenderloins plan on incorporating elements from the show into their live performance.

“We do stand-up in it, and we tell stories about our personal lives, about making Impractical Jokers,” Vulcano said. “We show things that were cut from television.”

This all just goes to show that our high school teachers were wrong – you really can become successful by goofing around with your friends. n

The Tenderloins Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids March 15, 9 p.m. $37.50 fountainstreet.org, (616) 459-8386

Mike Birbiglia

Gearing Up for New Tour

M Mike Birbiglia DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids March 9, 7 p.m. $37.50, $27.50 devosperformancehall.com, (616) 742-6500

i ke B i rb i g lia li ke s to te ll sto ri e s.

Personal, hilarious stories. And in order to ensure friends and family who appear in the stories don’t get offended, he keeps some safeguards in place.

“In my live shows I always try to make myself the primary butt of all the jokes,” Birbiglia said.

“The result is that hopefully people who are collateral damage in the story are understanding. They’re like, ‘Well, he’s making jokes about himself that are meaner than the jokes he’s making about us, so I guess that’s better than if that weren’t the case.’”

In his most recent one-man show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” Birbiglia even enlisted the help of one of the main subjects of his stories while writing the show – his wife.

“With ‘My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,’ it was so personal about my wife that I had to work with her very closely to make sure that it all worked for her, and that it didn’t offend her,” Birbiglia said. “My wife ended up having a lot of the great lines in the show.”

Lately, Birbiglia has been touring with his latest show, “Thank God for Jokes,” a stand-up set filled with material about the art of telling

jokes, and the trouble they can get you in. While the show features all new material, Birbiglia hints that he’s open to accommodating for fans of his older work that wish to be regaled with some of his classic bits.

“Lately, I’ve been doing encores for audience requests for other bits,” he said.

For new fans that wish to catch up with his work, many of his stories and stand-up bits can be found on old episodes of “This American Life” and “The Moth.” Or they can pick up a copy of his book Sleepwalk with Me and Other Painfully True Stories, the New York Times best-seller that was the basis for his 2012 breakthrough movie of the same name. Of course, they can also always take Birbiglia’s own advice on the matter.

“If people aren’t familiar with my work, they should just go on Netflix, and My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend and Sleepwalk With Me are on there,” Birbiglia said. “If they don’t have Netflix, they should just borrow someone’s password, and then they’ll have Netflix.” n —Josh Spanninga

Maria Bamford

on Making Serious Topics Seriously Funny “Everybody’s family has some dark history, but our family usually was able to have some laughs about it,” Bamford said.

In fact, Bamford’s family finds their way into her comedy routine in all sorts of ways. Her 2012 comedy special, aptly titled “The Special Special Special,” features an audience made up entirely of two people: her mom and dad. She also gives her sister some credit for helping her with impersonations when she was younger.

“My sister and I would impersonate my parents a little bit,” Bamford said. “I don’t know when that really became a thing. I guess when I first started to do stand-up I just decided to do my family.”

Since then she’s branched out and used her skills in film and television, most notably on “Adventure Time” and season four of “Arrested Development.” She’s kept busy with her demanding tour schedule and acting gigs, and despite her increasingly impressive list of projects, she insists that she’s been taking it easy lately.

“I’ve kind of slowed down in the past couple of years because of health stuff,” she said. “I can’t do as much as I used to. Or maybe I never was doing that much. Maybe that’s it and I’m just now noticing how little I do.” n —Josh Spanninga

Maria Bamford Wealthy Theatre, Grand Rapids March 8, 8 and 10 p.m., $25 grcmc.org, (616) 459-4788

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

W

h e n m o st pe o ple h ear th e te rm s “b i polar” or “OCD,” they probably wouldn’t think of them as necessarily funny issues. For comedian Maria Bamford, who has publicly acknowledged that she has bipolar disorder and anxiety issues, these topics are pure comedy gold. And she admits, they probably even helped her decide to pursue comedy as a career.

“Probably one of the reasons I did stand-up was because I didn’t feel comfortable spending time with people face-to-face,” Bamford said. “And so it was a way to connect with people where I didn’t have to really be one-on-one.”

While the subject matter didn’t initially find its way into her set or public profile, she eventually decided to make the most of her circumstances and have a good laugh. She admits therapy was a big part of her going public with the material.

“It’s hard to talk about it until you’re out of it,” she said.

Bamford partially attributes her willingness to take on serious subjects like these to her family’s affinity for brightening themselves up with humor even in less-than-jovial times.

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Jen Kirkman

Finding Humor in All the Odd Places

A

s k m o st co m e d ian s wh o h e lpe d i n spire them to pursue comedy and most would likely rattle off names like George Carlin and Chris Farley. Ask Jen Kirkman this question and you get a different answer entirely.

“There were so many things I thought were funny, but they weren’t necessarily comedians,” Kirkman said. “In high school I always thought the lyrics of Morrissey were really funny, and nobody else did, so I felt very smug about that, like I really knew something about what was funny and what isn’t.”

These strange moments of comedic inspiration pushed Kirkman to pursue a career in stand-up and allowed her to pick up notable gigs such as an intoxicated amateur historian for “Drunk History” and a voice actor for Cartoon Network’s “Home Movies.” Then in 2008, she decided to go out on a limb and use her lunch break at an office temp job to write sample material to submit for “Chelsea Lately.” She was immediately called in for an interview, and an unforgettable first run-in with Chelsea Handler.

“Chelsea was getting ready to start a sketch and she was in hair and makeup and she came in the room and asked me one question,”

Kirkman said. “She said, ‘Are you a lesbian?’ I said no, and then she said ‘OK.’ Then I said something I thought was funny, but she kind of didn’t laugh and just walked out of the room.”

Thus began her career as a regular writer and roundtable guest for “Chelsea Lately” and “After Lately.”

Not only does Kirkman write for TV and stand-up, she also writes books. Last year she ended up on the New York Times best-seller list with her debut, I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales From a Happy Life Without Kids. While the title subject may seem a bit odd for a humor book, Kirkman attributes it as the very thing that helped her land the book deal.

“It just so happened that this woman at Simon and Schuster publishing also feels the same way. She and her husband don’t want kids, and she was looking for a book like this,” Kirkman said. “It was perfect timing.”

Her next book deal is already in the works, as well as an extensive tour schedule for 2014 and a tentative sitcom deal with FX. n —Josh Spanninga

Jen Kirman McFadden’s Third Floor, Grand Rapids March 14, 9 and 11 p.m. $17.50 mcfaddensgrandrapids.com, (616) 454-9105

Schedule | Dining | sights | Sounds Scene

The Rebirth of

N Nick Thune with Todd Barry and Rory Scovel The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids March 7 and 8, 8 and 10:30 p.m., $25 pyramidschemebar.com, (616) 272-3758

24 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Nick Thune

i c k Th u n e may have th e h o n o r o f holdi ng th e strangest IMDb cre dit of all ti m e. Search under his latest movie Johnson, and there he is, credited as the main character’s disembodied penis. Thune embraced the role, and went out of his way to make sure he got it right.

“I had to cancel a bunch of stand-up gigs and just live in Chicago and try and be an actor and ask, ‘What would it be like to be a penis?’”

Thune said.

Of course, Thune isn’t new to acting – he’s had cameos in movies such as Knocked Up and Extract. And he’s definitely not opposed to picking up more acting gigs, though he admits such projects take a backseat to his stand-up, and serve more as a means to get his name out into the zeitgeist.

“When you get those gigs on TV, it will drive more audience, which means you’re pulling in bigger venues,” Thune said. “And you’ve got to take those opportunities to expose you to more people to make your stand-up bigger.”

Proof of that is Thune’s recently released one-hour special, “FolkHero,” on Netflix. Not one for falling into a rut, Thune is already revamping his set, taking it in a more personal direction. He attributes much of his recent change in stand-up to the birth of his son.

“I’m really excited for what’s to come this year with my stand-up and acting because I think there’s just something with becoming a dad,” he said. “I’m more conscious of who I am and a little bit more passionate about exposing that rather than hiding behind some false indie singer-songwriter character that I’ve kind of fallen into onstage.

“I think this year is going to be a kind of rebirthing for me,” he added. “I finished that stand-up special and I don’t really relate to that material anymore, so I’m glad that I’m done with it. … I’m already doing material that’s more true to myself.”

As for what this new direction will embody, he offers this description: “I want to be honest, I want to be vulnerable, I want to find humor out of the parts of my life that stress me out rather than just creating ideas that are funny.” n —Josh Spanninga

freshfolk contemporary and acoustic Ce lebr

ng ati

130

Ralston Bowles & Friends and The Northern Skies

April 3, 2014

New Date!

years

Contemporary & Acoustic

Fresh Folk Series

F LK

scmc-online.org 616.459.2224 St. Cecilia Music Center

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

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28 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

/// local music

Glowfriends Make Music a Family Affair | by Jayson Bussa

E

ach album i n th e G lowfri e n d s’ exte n s ive catalog tends to hug a central theme, but, the Kalamazoobased band’s vocalist April Zimont insists that this is not intentional.

“Usually, I feel like there is an overriding theme to most of our records,” said Zimont, who plays the tambourine and glockenspiel.

“We will just work on writing our songs and when we look at everything after, we will notice the theme. It’s pretty much like we’re documenting our lives.”

If this is the case, the slow core sextet’s forthcoming album Gather Us Together no doubt hits home for Zimont and the rest of the band. Centered on the theme of staying together when times get rough and lamenting relationships that fall apart all too easily, Zimont, one of the band’s primary songwriters, had plenty of vivid experiences to draw on.

On the album, listeners will hear a number of references to a 2010 incident that proved impactful for Zimont and her husband, Adam, who plays guitar and bass in the band.

In May of 2010, Zimont and her thenfiancé were heading home from Detroit following a performance by The Almanac Shouters, for which Adam Zimont played drums at the time. A speeding motorist hit their vehicle and April Zimont suffered a serious head injury in the accident; resulting in an experience that only brought them closer together.

Glowfriends “There is a lot of stuff [on the album] about survival and even about just when something traumatic happens or when you hear about someone else’s relationship that makes you question your own,” Zimont said.

If any band is qualified to write songs about how to make relationships work, it’s most definitely The Glowfriends. The band, which has been around for more than a decade, is comprised of three married couples. In addition to the Zimonts, the group features J.W.

and Jenn Hendrix and Mark Andrew Morris and Molly Klutts-Morris.

“It’s definitely an interesting band,” Zimont said. “I don’t think there are any other bands that have a similar arrangement.”

For The Glowfriends, Gather Us Together is the sixth full-length album in its collection.

The band will be holding two CD release shows, one at the Corner Record Shop in Grandville on March 20 and the other at The Globe Theatre in Kalamazoo on March 21.

The Glowfriends recorded a portion of their album in Milwaukee with Kevin Dixon of The Brief Candles and the other part in Chicago.

“I really admire Kevin and his band, and he was always telling me ‘I’d love to record you guys,’” Zimont said. “I was so nervous because we were friends, I was hoping it wasn’t going to change things. It went well.” n

Music news

Local electronic musicians can get their ‘womps’ on every Thursday night at Planet

Rock in Battle Creek. DJs and electronic groups take over the place on a weekly

Sylvain Sylvain to perform at Bell’s

basis and vie for a number of prizes, including 500 bones in cold, hard cash.

To get in on the action, visit affiliatedentertainmentgroup.com/events.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe is offering punk rock purists a must-see event. Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols and Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls will be headlining an event called ‘Punk Goes Acoustic’ where they will team up to perform songs from their respective bands. Tickets are $15 in advance.

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene Sounds | Sights | Dining | Schedule

Kalamazoo’s Fretboard Musical festival is an all-out celebration of everything local music, from performances by local artists to workshops and interaction with instrument designers. If you’re a music freak, this event is a no-brainer — especially considering it’s free. This year’s installment will be March 21 and 22 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Artists like Seventh Son Blues Band, Ninth Street Bridge and Midwestern Lull will be in action.

29

/// on tour

Future Islands Keeps True to Itself with New Record

| by Dwayne Hoover

F

Schedule | Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

Photo: Tim Saccenti

30 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

uture Islan ds is a ban d that’s “It’s crazy to be on 4AD, right?” Herring said. “We n ot s hy about examining the human worked our butts off to get here, and we’re honored to condition. Since 2006, this synthpop trio out be a part of it, but we feel like we earned the chance.” of Baltimore has churned out three albums The band’s debut with the new label is called exploring the complexities of love, the truths found Singles, a name that was chosen partly because each in memories and even the deep emotional scars left individual song carries the weight to stand on its own. behind by breakups.

And while the production of this This year, the band will release one was taken in a slightly different Future Islands its fourth record, and despite signing direction, it’s still very much a Future The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids with a new label, the recording of this Islands album. Specifically, it’s honest album, like their others, was a self- March 25, 8 p.m. and true to who they are. $15 in advance, $18 day of show funded endeavor.

“You just have to be honest and All ages “We do all of our albums our- pyramidschemebar.com, (616) write what you know,” Herring selves,” said Guitarist William Cashion. 272-3758 said. “Just keep it simple and be true to “We started off hanging a mic from a ourselves and our craft and people will ceiling fan back in 2003.” gravitate to it. ... The style is a more “This is the first time we’ve ever been in a studio to high-fidelity sound, but it’s still so much us.” record an album,” Vocalist Samuel Herring added. “The The group will tour the U.S. and Europe in support others were in a house or a skate park, friends’ houses, of the new record through the end of May. As for what our houses. I think people are just surprised because to expect? it’s a bigger label.”

“It’s going to be a mega-bomb,” Herring said. “The That bigger label being none other than British biggest thing in our music and our live show is don’t indie label 4AD (home of Pixies, et al.), a legacy Future expect anything. We really want people to come to it Islands is excited and proud to be a part of. with an open mind.” n

7

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

31

Open Hours

MON-SAT 3PM-2AM SUN 12PM-2AM KITCHEN 5:30PM-11PM

Happy Hour

MON-FRI 3-7PM $2 Domestics, $2 Wells $3 Calls, $1.50 Retros 760 BUTTERWORTH SW GRAND RAPIDS, MI 616.272.3910

SUNDAY FUNDAY! 3 BANDS, $3 COVER $3 BLOODY MARYS $2 BREAKFAST 3PM BANDS BEGIN

MARCH 2

MENOPHOBIA, KNIVES ARE QUIET, WARSAW FLATS

MARCH 9

NIGHTHAWK, BULLPIG, INVISIBLE MANSION

MARCH 16 DISTRACTIONS

MARCH 23 CROSTANE, ANTILOGICAL, BSV

Schedule | Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

MARCH 30

LIVE MUSIC BETHESDA

WSG

THE CARBOYS

MARCH 6

DELILAH DEWYLDE AND THE LOST BOYS

MARC h 7

THE BOSS MUSTANGS, 45 SPIDER, DANGERVILLE

MARCH 8

SCOTCH HOLLOW AND A.J. GAITHER

MARCH 14

THE HILLBILLY CASINO WSG MURDER PARTY AND THE DEVIL ELVIS SHOW

MARCH 21

WHITE TRASH BLUES REVIVAL, FILTHY CUR, DEAD EYE ZACK

MARCH 22

JUNIOR BROWN

WSG

ADAM LEE

MARCH 28

WOODY PINES WSG NICHOLAS JAMES THOMASMA

MARCH 29

THE TWISTIN’ TARANTULAS WSG DEATH

BY RODEO AND THE HI-VIEWS

OPEN VINYL PARTY

West Michigan Blues Society Presents

MARCH 30

OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ SAM KENNY WEDNESDAYS NO COVER 9PM

32 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Photo: Justin Reich

MARCH 1

DESIRING DEAD FLESH

MONDAYS NO COVER 8PM

/// on tour

BRYAN LEE

COMEDY NIGHT! 2ND & 4TH TUESDAY NO COVER 8:30PM

Between the Buried and Me’s Jet Propulsion to Disengage in Grand Rapids | by Robby Hartley

C

all it an o bvi o us fact, Colors and exhibits a science and space-like feel but outer space is complex and big; akin to Future Sequence. so is the dense, dynamic style of the “Writing with [Ashley], I really developed progressively evolving technical metal a more mature sense of thinking about songs group Between the Buried and Me. [as a whole] and not just parts,” Briggs said.

This past fall, the band toured and played “Going from the Colors mentality to writing the entirety of its latest album, The Parallax these weird, space-rock songs that are kind II: Future Sequence (2012). The shows were of hard to describe genre-wise. Ashley really complemented by imagery contained within helped me hone in all my energy and try to the album’s booklet, which illustrates and figure out what’s best for songs.” lyrically guides listeners along the spiritual, For BTBAM, the outlook after Future intergalactic journey introduced in the first Sequence is certainly a future toward something, Parallax album, the band’s debut on Metal though currently unspecified and taking its Blade Records. Running more than 70 natural course. minutes, Future Sequence features some of the “There are so many adventures and places band’s shortest tracks, as well as longest — a to go that we just haven’t before,” Briggs said. trait which the band developed as a signature “When I’m playing with Walter [Fancourt] in by the release of its 2007 album, Colors.

Trioscapes. .. or Ashley in Orbs ... I pick up “There’s a better idea of what’s going on so much. I pick up so much new stuff and I within songs and writing around them, with apply it to those groups, but then I come back a focus on songwriting more than anything. to Between the Buried and Me, and there’s That’s the thing that I thought we improved so much [to expand upon]. It’s never going on the most with The Parallax II,” said Dan to end.” n Briggs, BTBAM bassist.

Such focus is drawn in part from several of the band members’ individual side projects, Between the Buried and Me wsg like Briggs’ jazz-fusion band Trioscapes or the Deafheaven, Intronaut, The Kindred experimental Orbs, the latter of which started The Intersection, Grand Rapids March 4, 6:30 p.m. by a creative spark between Briggs and former Cradle of Filth keyboardist Ashley Ellylon. $18 advance, $22 day of show Orbs’ debut album Asleep Next to Science (2010) sectionlive.com, (616) 451-8232 manifested from Briggs’ leftover energy post-

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LINDSAY LOU & THE FLATBE

ALL SEATS RESERVED. NO ADDITIONAL TICKET FEES. BAR AVAILABLE. MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED. UNDER 17 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT.

33

/// on tour

Shearwater Toasts Camaraderie and Longevity on Latest Record

| by Carly Plank

Schedule | Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

F

34 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

o r J o n at h a n M e i b u r g , lead singer and songwriter for

Shearwater, choosing a career as a rock musician over a lifelong commitment to academia has paid off. While he may look the part of someone who holds a master’s degree in geography and specializes in ornithology (the study of birds), Meiburg’s truest passion is for music.

“I turned in my master’s thesis the same day I left for my first European tour, and I spent six years on a two-year degree because I kept spending my student loan money on traveling,” said Meiburg, who is now a member of two bands, Shearwater and Okkervil RJiver.

The decision to continue his musical career wasn’t as much of a risk, according to Meiburg.

“Academia isn’t any more certain as a career path than rock and roll. It’s actually more stable than academia.”

But his love for birds did crossover to Shearwater, which gets the name from a tribe of sea birds known for migrating long distances. The band began in 1999, shortly after Meiburg and collaborator Will Sheff founded Okkervil River. The group’s 2001 debut album, The Dissolving Room, grew out of an attempt to make a record in a day using a four track tape recorder. After nine albums, the band has toured with more than a few artists that inspire them.

“Touring is a very strange way to live, and it makes the world seem temporary because everything you see is basically gone in five minutes,” Meiburg said. “You’re most stable when you are performing. It’s like that movie Groundhog Day, we wake up and do the same thing all over again.”

The camaraderie between touring bands is chronicled in 2013’s Fellow Travelers, consisting solely of cover songs borrowed from the repertoire of artists they have toured with.

The collaborative spirit present on the album carries over to live shows, where Jesca Hoop, one of the artists covered on the album, opens and sings backup with the band.

Currently on tour, Shearwater will play at The Pyramid Scheme for the first time, a venue which should be a perfect fit.

“Theatres dampen the energy,” Meiburg said. “I like venues where people are free to enjoy the show however they want to.” n

“I turned in my master’s thesis the same day I left for my first European tour, and I spent six years on a two-year degree because I kept spending my student loan money on traveling.”

Shearwater wsg Death Vessel, Jesca Hoop

The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids March 28, 8 p.m., $12/$15, 18+ pyramidschemebar.com, (616)272-3758

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

35

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36 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

VISUAL ART

by Kerri VanderHoff

Digging Out of the Polar Vortex

W

inter in Michigan, especially the one we just experienced, leaves quite an impression. While beautiful outside, it tends to encourage a bit of hibernation in us as well, a yin to summer’s yang. It influences who we are and what we do, creating a particular rhythm in the Midwestern way of life, a common bond among us.

LaFontsee Galleries took note and decided to organize an exhibition around this very theme.

“Out of the Polar Vortex” opens Friday, March 7 with a reception from 5-8 p.m. It’s a casual event and admission is free. Guests can meet the artists and view a selection of works created over the winter season.

According to gallery owner Scott LaFontsee, the title of the show has multiple meanings, something they wanted to have a little fun with.

“As Michigan residents, we are coming out of the winter season and ready to get out and socialize, and the gallery spaces offer a great place to do just that,” he said.

“But winter is also a time that many artists spend hours inside working on new pieces. The exhibition features artwork that comes out of that process.”

LaFontsee said while the artists featured in this group exhibition are extremely varied in the use of technique, materials and other aspects, it is interesting to see art making during the months of January and February, as they have common theme: a yearning for the coming spring.

With such a diverse group of artists, this no doubt manifests itself in very different ways, from abstract to landscape, pastel to sculpture and more; yet we all

seem to understand and connect with the mid-winter tendency to visualize warmer days ahead. While some of the work may certainly reflect the brutal beauty of the polar vortex we got to know a little too well this year, the crux of the exhibition and opening night reception is designed to celebrate an emergence from it.

Aside from the fun play on meteorological terms inspiring this exhibition, LaFontsee added he regularly meets gallery visitors throughout the winter months who are seeking to surround themselves with a little warmth and brightness.

They say the vibrancy of the art helps add light and color to the winter palette, and they linger a little longer than usual appreciating the work, enjoying the comfortable resting areas, and sometimes taking a piece of art home with them to extend the experience.

LaFontsee Galleries has been a part of the arts community in Grand Rapids for more than 25 years. They are a member of the Grand Rapids Gallery Association (GRGA.org), which includes a variety of retail and non-profit galleries as well as art organizations and museums. Gallery owners will tell you that “just looking” is perfectly fine, as getting to know art by browsing among the many options is part of the overall process. So next time the long winter months leave you feeling a little too monotone, remember there’s a bright warm invitation waiting for you. n

“Winter is also a time that many artists spend hours inside working on new pieces. The exhibition features artwork that comes out of that process.”

28th Annual West Michigan Regional Art Competition

Lowell Arts! 149 S. Hudson St., Lowell Through April 10, 2014 lowellartsmi.org, (616) 897-8545

Henry Matthews, director of galleries and collections at Grand Valley State University and former director of the Muskegon Museum of Art, juries the 28th annual regional art competition this

LaFontsee Galleries, 833 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids March 7–April 11 lafontsee.us, (616) 451-9820

year. On exhibit is a selection of works by artists representing the counties of Barry, Berrien, Cass, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Mecosta, Muskegon, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana, Ottawa, Saint Joseph and Van Buren.

…MERCURIAL SILENCE…

Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts Through April 27, 2014 uica.org, (616) 454-7000

Artist and metalsmith Caroline Gore investigates how grief and loss manifest in society.

Research into historical jewelry, Roman myth,

Artist: Jason Quigno, Cube, Limestone, 33 x 29 x 29. Image courtesy of LaFontsee Galleries.

materials and objects inform this exploration.

The memorialization process of tragic events leaves objects that give form to the absence we experience in our lives. An object’s history is often murky and laden with meaning.

Physically altering these objects changes the way one experiences them in a space, as well as how we relate to the personal meaning.

Stephen De Staebler (1933-2011) is an internationally recognized sculptor best known for works in clay that combine a figurative element with forms reminiscent of fragments of an ancient, yet familiar, culture. Each work examines, through the fragile yet resilient medium of fired clay and pigment, the transience of individual lives against the remarkable endurance of humankind.

The Sculpture of Stephen De Staebler: Elegies in Clay

Muskegon Museum of Arts Through April 27, 2014 muskegonartmuseum.org, (231) 720-2570

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

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Other Art Events

Out of the Polar Vortex: Group Exhibition

37

by Allison Parker

theatre

Other Performing Arts Events

Puppets Exposed

Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival (RAD Fest)

Wellspring Theater, Kalamazoo March 13-16 Festival passes $18-40, individual concert tickets $10 midwestradfest.org, (269) 342-4354

Schedule | Dining | Sights Sounds | Scene

F

or more than 50 years, The Jim Henson Company has brought us characters that have become some of America’s most heartwarming, hilarious and—let’s be honest—grotesque celebrities. While Kermie and Miss Piggy may be household names by now, there actually are still a few things we don’t know about them. Indeed, our ability to believe and enjoy most puppet shows hinges on one big mystery—the hidden actions of the puppeteers.

All of that changes with Henson Alternative’s Puppet Up! – Uncensored, an adults-only improv show that offers a behind-the-scenes peek at the talented performers who pull the strings.

Like most novel ideas, Puppet Up! happened by accident. The story began when Brian Henson hired improv expert Patrick Bristow to give the company an improvisation course designed to hone the puppeteers’ spontaneous humor. At the class’ conclusion, what was originally intended to be a mere demonstration of the puppeteers’ new skills took its audience by storm. Before long, the troupe was receiving critical acclaim worldwide.

Puppet Up! uniquely offers two shows in one. The first show is projected on television screens and shows the puppets as an audience would traditionally see them—from the waist up. The second show takes place onstage, where audiences can see six puppeteers manipulating 80 puppets to perform such complicated movements as ice skating and go-go dancing.

While the puppeteers do not portray separate characters from their puppets, the performers’ presence onstage enhanc-

38 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

A vibrant celebration of modern and contemporary dance, the RAD Fest is a juried showcase of 51 artists and their companies. Five festival concerts feature breathtaking original works, while junior and master classes allow guests to hit the dance floor. An artist discussion panel, film series and after-party provide additional opportunities for fun and spectacle.

Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids Presents Driving Miss Daisy

Spectrum Theater, Grand Rapids March 20, 22-23, 27, 29-30; show times at 2 & 7 p.m. $18-20, $5 with student ID jtgr.org, (616) 234-3595

PHOTO: Carol Rosegg

Puppet Up! – Uncensored Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo March 15, 8 p.m. $35 millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2300

es the hilarity of the show’s improvisation in unexpected and irresistible ways.

“Sometimes one of the characters will say something jaw-dropping or shocking and one of the puppeteers will look at the other one like ‘What are you doing?,” said Bristow, who is now the show’s co-creator, director and producer.

“The puppeteers like to mess with each other. Sometimes a puppet will look serious, but the puppeteer is trying not to laugh, so it’s a unique window into what has been going on in Jim Henson shows for half a century. You get to see what

you have never seen in puppet TV shows or movies. You also get to see beneath the camera screen and also what goes on before they say ‘action’ and after they say ‘cut.’”

While raunchy, adult improv makes up the bulk of the show, a couple vintage Jim Henson and Frank Oz sketches pay tribute to Henson Alternative’s roots.

This aspect, along with the relationship between the audience and performers, introduces a touch of sentimentality to an outrageously goofy night out.

“What I love is every time we do it we meet a new audience, and it’s like a really fantastic first date,” Bristow said. “We don’t know the overall temperament yet, but we get to know them better as they get to know us better—it’s the absolute truth.” n

Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Driving Miss Daisy tells of the story of an elderly Jewish widow, Miss Daisy, and an African American chauffeur, Hoke. While Miss Daisy’s racial prejudice initially causes her to reject Hoke, a special relationship gradually develops between the two characters. As the unlikely friends face personal heartbreak and social upheaval, their journey sheds light on the universal themes of racism, victimization and love.

Opera Grand Rapids Presents The Abduction from the Seraglio

East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center March 7 & 8, 7:30 p.m. $21-$98, 50 percent off with student or senior ID operagr.org, (616) 451-2741 A black comedy featuring some of opera’s most difficult arias, The Abduction from the Seraglio tells the tragic tale of a Spanish nobleman’s attempt to rescue his lover from a Turkish harem.

Opera Grand Rapids offers the unique opportunity to witness this Mozart masterpiece close-up in an intimate venue with limited seating.

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REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

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Photo by Jeremy Daniel

D®– WINNING! R A W A Y N O T AL REVIVAL BEST MUSIC

39

indie film

by Josh Spanninga

Inch’Allah, a film about a young Canadian obstetrician caught between two worlds at a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank, will be shown at WMU’s Francophone Film Festival on March 21.

The Academy Awards are great and all, but sometimes it’s even more fun to check out new and lesser-known projects by the smaller guys the academy hasn’t even heard of. This month, West Michigan offers a variety of events to experience the best (and worst) independent cinema has to offer.

The Francophone Film Festival of Kalamazoo brings Cultural Diversity to WMU

Schedule | Dining | Sights Sounds | Scene

T

his March will mark Kalamazoo Francophone Film Festival’s 13th year. The festival brings French language films to WMU’s Little Theater in a celebration of the French language, diverse world cultures and a tradition of expanding horizons.

The festival, which originally focused on French language African films, has since expanded to include content from other French-speaking locales, including Belgium, the Caribbean, Quebec and more. Dr. Vincent Desroches, director of the festival, saw the expansion as an opportunity to share a new, broader cinematic experience with festival-goers.

“Very soon I realized it was possible to do an event that did not exist anywhere else in the states,” Desroches said. “We are the only ones in the United States who have an event of that nature.”

The festival is so unique, in fact, that it is not uncommon for the event to be the U.S. premiere of films otherwise undistributed in the country.

In addition to screening these lesser-known cinematic gems, the festival employs audience participation to hand out the “Golden Kazoo” award for short and feature-length films.

Attendees can also expect some exciting guest appearances at the event.

“We have managed every year to bring to Kalamazoo one or two filmmakers to present their film and discuss it with

40 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

the public, which is also an attraction at this festival because it does not happen often in Kalamazoo,” Desroches said.

Tickets for the festival, which takes place the weekends of March 21-23 and 28-30 are $8 per event, $40 for a full pass.

Student discounts are also available. For more information visit wmich.edu/fffkazoo.

WST-3K: Celebrating the Worst Selections Cinema Has to Offer

T

hose who like to venture to the metaphorical deep end of the cinema pool and indulge in gloriously awful B-movies and cult classics are in luck. On March 13 Ben Wilke and Wealthy Theatre will be bringing some impeccably horrendous selections, and the side-splitting commentary to go with it.

The event, aptly titled WST-3K, follows the same guidelines laid down by Mystery Science Theatre 3000 and will showcase some of the worst films found in the public domain, from the cheesily offensive blaxploitation flick Black Fist to the Godzilla rip-off titled Attack of the Monsters.

Local comedians will then guide the audience throughout this warped journey down the delightfully unrefined rabbit hole with commentary and improvised dialogue.

Ben Wilke, event organizer and commentator, has been putting on similar events elsewhere for some time now.

“We used to do it at some of the improv theaters in Chicago that I performed at, and then when I came to Grand Rapids years ago I was good friends with Joe

Anderson, and me and him started to do it at Dog Story Theatre,” Wilke said.

Interested in taking the show to a larger venue equipped with better display options, Wilke met up with Wealthy Theatre Director Erin Wilson to discuss the possibility of bringing it to the theatre and was met with instant approval.

“When I pitched it to him he was like ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve been wanting to do that forever!’ So it was completely serendipitous,” Wilke said.

The event will be produced in conjunction with LaughFest, a partnership the Wealthy Theatre is happy to foster.

“At Wealthy Theatre, LaughFest has been more than a showcase of talent — they’ve encouraged us (and trusted us) to take risks, get weird and try new things,” Wilson said.

Open Projector Night at UICA

O

pen mic nights are great for aspiring musicians, but where do you go if you’re an aspiring filmmaker?

Look no further than the UICA. The Open Projector Night series at UICA is a recurring event that invites all of West Michigan to submit their short films to the Open Projector Selection Panel for review. The panel then curates the selections for viewing, and screens the best pieces in the UICA theater.

Films must be less than 20 minutes, but other than that, anything goes. Short films, home movies, found footage, animation, all are welcomed for review.

At the end of the night, audience members will vote for the best selection, and the winner goes home with free film passes and chance to host their favorite film at the UICA. The UICA will be hosting its seventh installment of Open Projector Night on March 26. The event is free for members, $4 for non-members. For submission guidelines and more information visit uica.org/event/openprojectornight. n

Scene | Sounds | Sights Diing | Schedule

41

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

by Kyle Austin

LIT LIFE

The Art of Living

Schedule | Dining | Sights Sounds | Scene

B

u d dy Wake fi e ld i s, ad m itte d ly, struggle for Wakefield. At times, he has what he calls “mini far from e n lighte n e d. But 13 years meltdowns” on stage. But he’s not looking for sympathy. He after shucking a steady corporate gig and all of his knows that this kind of vulnerability comes with the life he’s worldly possessions for a Honda Civic and a new life chosen. as a traveling performance poet, he’s working harder “I’m also aware that renunciation is not a frigid concept,“ he than ever to stay in the moment. said. “At some point I may just pack it all in and go monk status The raw candor of his frenetic performances (see: YouTube) and do nothing but work on breath and presence.” leaves audiences emotionally stirred and hanging on every Until that moment comes though, there’s nothing outside syllable. When he’s finished, there’s a feeling of something moof his own free will that can deter Wakefield from sharing his art mentous in the air. It’s an effect Wakefield says can’t be practiced. and his message with as many people as possible. He’s currently “My job is to be in the moment, so there’s no preparation on the first leg of yet another marathon tour, dubbed “Riled Up for it,” he said. “There’s no set list, there’s no vocal training. I and Wasted on Light,” which will last about a year. In the end, don’t do the sock in my pants or anything like that. I just go for he says, the work is worth it. it, which can be for better or worse.”

“What I’m finding is that I’m leaving Even for a guy who’s won two Individual clear writing on the walls for other people Buddy Wakefield World Poetry Slam Championships, published who are walking from the bottom of the barRocky’s Bar and Grille three poetry collections, toured with Ani rel out, people who are moving from a dark March 26, 7 p.m.

DiFranco and performed everywhere from place to a light place,” he said. “I’m doing it $7-$15 Scotland to San Quentin State Penitentiary, as much as I’m able to in a way that’s as fun buddywakefield.com, (616) 356-2346 Wakefield still feels like he has his work cut as possible with plenty of sucker punches to out for him. keep them looking alive.”

That’s because in addition to poetry, Wakefield practices With Mitch “PoetLikePoe” Burns of local poetry collective, Vipassana, an ancient Indian meditation technique that’s taught The Diatribe, opening the show, this night is not only a treat him to see clearly, break habit patterns and blind reactions and for spoken word fans, but a breath of fresh air for those people be a more effective person and poet. whose previous experiences with poetry have left them feeling “Whether we were stoned in college or by a more natural cold and disconnected. For Wakefield, it will be another moway, at some point, we all recognize the moment is the eternal ment of infinite possibility. answer, no matter how fast we try to move into the future or “I’m respectful of the journey so much now, “he said. “I’ve how much we identify with the past,” he said. been writing my ideal self all these years, and now I’m living Balancing his meditative pursuits with his hectic touring closer to it.” n schedule and the constant spotlight of performing can be a

42 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Other Literary Events Hope Writers Series — Brenda Hillman and Rowan Ricardo Phillips Hope College, Winants Auditorium March 6, 7 p.m. hope.edu, (616) 395-7000

Brenda Hillman and Rowan Ricardo Philips are both decorated wordsmiths, but Hillman’s upbringing in a deeply religious Baptist family coupled with Phillips’ roots in NYC provide an interesting juxtaposition for this joint reading.

Both poets are sure to stimulate the mind with arresting examples of their award-winning work.

An Evening of Poetry and Music

Kent District Library - East Grand Rapids Branch March 18, 7 p.m. kdl.org, (616) 784-2007 When Hungarian musician Laszlo Slomovits first read the poems in former Grand Rapids Poet Laureate Linda Nemec Foster’s short poetry collection, Ten Songs from Bulgaria, he could hear them come alive in song. Soon after, the two artists collaborated on an uncommonly fluid interplay between poetry, music and photography.

At this special program, Foster and Slomovits will honor the dignity of common people everywhere by converging their disciplines together in a dynamic live performance.

SchulerBooks&Music 31 years as your local, independent bookstore!

March Events 2

4pm

Opera Talk

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Maestro Lyall & The Abduction From The Seraglio 28th Street

5 & 19

West Michigan Tabletop Gamers

7 & 21

Open Play Scrabble

5:30pm 10am

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fun and games 28th Street

.

fun and games 28th Street

9

Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

11

Jocelyn Dettloff

13

Del Schoes

15

Introduction to Astronomy

20

GRAAA Meeting

4pm 7pm 7pm 1pm 7pm

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Author talk & booksigning- EXPOSURE 28th Street

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Author talk & booksigning- It Rained In the Desert 28th Street

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Author talk & booksigning- Better Than Vegan 28th Street

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GRAAA presentation 28th Street

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Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association 28th Street

Local Author Night!

.

7pm

Author panel discussion & booksigning 28th Street Featuring local authors: Sherry Petro Surdel, Katie Cruikshank, Grace Truman, Rose Hammond, Marcia Rowland & Dana Smith

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Cribbage Game Night

7pm

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fun and games 28th Street

SchulerBooks.com

2660 28th Street SE â&#x20AC;˘ (616) 942-2561 3165 Alpine Avenue NW â&#x20AC;˘ (616) 647-0999 All events are subject to change.

For a complete list of events visit www.SchulerBooks.com/event

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

43

Missy Black’s

STYLe NOTeS

Boxed GR sends you a box of local goodies every month.

I

love getting mail. I love shopping local. Put the two things together and you’ll understand my appreciation for thinking inside the box. Boxed GR is a local, monthly subscription club (similar to Birchbox and BarkBox) where subscribers receive a box filled with products, samples, gift cards and other goodies from businesses in the Grand Rapids area. “The boxes are something to look forward to each month because the contents are always different and they are a surprise to unwrap, like a gift,” said Owner Missy McCall, who, along with partner Audrey Depenbrok, had decided to make the mail fun again with this shopping-esque grab bag — er box, of business talent around town. Items are handpicked for each box, the subscription fee is $14.95 per month (that includes shipping) and contents vary, including at least five or six items.

Bottom line, it’s the best of GR, boxed. Past businesses include Rock Paper Scissors, Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate, Schuler Books & Music, Schuil Coffee and Hello From Grand Rapids postcards. Boxed GR is for people that like “trying new things and supporting local businesses.” And hey, it’s not a bill, so there’s that…

Schedule | Dining | Sights Sounds | Scene

The Bodies of Art Fashion Club at Kendall College of Art and Design celebrates its 10-year anniversary and hosts its annual spring fashion show, Sardonyx. For the fashion show set, this means that on March 21 at 7:30 (doors open at 6 p.m.), designers from Kendall and GVSU showcase work with a Sardonyx theme — a hybrid of future and animalistic elements. “Sardonyx is a type of a stone,” said Meghan Larimer, public relations assistant. “The theme has futuristic

Local screen printing operation Black Eagle Press features shirts, hats, patches and sweatshirts, and will soon offer paper products. PHOTO: MARK HANSON

44 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

elements and is a lot like Alexander McQueen — really out there, half couture, half weird, wild costuming.” Throw in inspiration from architecture and punk trends for spring 2014 and you’ve got more than 35 entries that should “take you out of reality,” transport you to another world or at least be a funky Friday night. Expect entire looks and specific clothing pieces including headdresses, shoes, accessories and jewelry. In addition to the fashion show, there will be a silent auction featuring various artworks. Proceeds from the auction go directly toward the Purple Community — a foundation devoted to supporting cancer research. Presale tickets are available at Kendall College of Art and Design and at the door. Bottom line: this is a night to spy up-and-coming designers and fresh talent, all while dressing up yourself, buying stuff and gawking at designer duds.

Screen-printed goods just got easier to find thanks to local screen printing operation Black Eagle Press. Running out of Black Eagle Trading Post at 2 Jefferson Ave. in Grand Rapids, the press is located in the back half of the store and features T-shirts, hats, patches and sweatshirts. Future goals include printing posters and more paper products, but for now they are “a custom design screen print shop that hand draws to fit your business with custom artwork,” says Co-Owner Tom Jenkins, along with press operator Colin Peak and logistics provider Jake Norton. If you pop into Black Eagle Trading Post you’ll find handmade, local goods such as ceramics, jewelry, glass, artwork and lots of antiques and thrift items. There’s a healthy cache of motorcycle parts, cameras, everyday household items, hand-produced local artwork — all tangible goods, stuff you can use. The shop carries its own line of clothes as well. “I hand draw everything, then it’s printed all in the shop, including women’s and men’s clothing.” This is where just-another-cool-shop and screenprinting-revolution combine and thankfully, right here in our hood.

If you dig Pantone like the rest of the cool kids, I’ve got a little something for you. I can only talk in teaser language but the words

A.K. Rikk’s will soon have a Pantone store.

A.K. Rikk’s, Kendall College of Art & Design and UICA should get your heart beating faster. Pantone’s brand and idea as the global authority on color highlights comes to Grand Rapids toward the end of March, when the city is honored to have a Pantone shop inside A.K. Rikk’s. This spring, look for the store to sell Pantone merchandise at unbelievable price points (most everything is less than $200) including items such as T-shirts, bathing suits, polo shirts and things you’d wear in the spring. “Grand Rapids is honored to have the Pantone store following Barneys in New York,” said Jim Murray, president at A.K. Rikk’s. UICA plans to get in on the action as well as Kendall students, designing with Pantone in mind. Call A.K. Rikk’s for more details on how to get your Pantone fix and related event programming. And psst!, this year’s color is Radiant Orchid, so start hoarding that. n

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Scene | Sounds | Sights Diing | Schedule

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Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene

REVUE’s dining listings are compiled by staff and minions. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of restaurants in the region. For an expanded list, be on the lookout for new and improved dining changes on our revamped website, revuewm. com. The listings are not intended to be reviews of West Michigan restaurants, although we will inject some opinions into the listings based on staff experiences and personal preferences. To submit or to correct information in a dining listing, e-mail editor@revuewm.com.

Restaurant listings arranged by region

Grand Rapids Angel’s Thai Café 136 Monroe Center NW. 616-454-9801 THAI. This downtown restaurant makes your order fresh, fast, and hot. You can order your entree with your choice of meat and spice level, or create your own. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Thai Steak and Yum Talay.

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Bar Divani 15 Ionia Ave. SW. 616-774-WINE. ECLECTIC. Bar Divani offers a sophisticated environment, with the chefs use local ingredients in their creations. Taste the homegrown flavor in the Prosciutto Flatbread, the Linguine Alfredo or the Plum Salmon. By pairing with Dancing Goats Creamery, Otto’s Chicken, S&S Lamb, Ingraberg Farms, Mrs. Dog’s and Madcap, Bar Divani serves extraordinary tastes. But, what would a night out be without a few drinks? The bar serves more than 300 types of liquor, 300 wines and 50 beers to compliment each handcrafted meal. SERVING: Dinner after 4 p.m. OPEN ON: Everyday but Sunday. GO THERE FOR: Local Cuisine.

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BarterTown Diner 6 Jefferson St. SE. 616-233-3219 VEGAN. This workerowned-and-operated restaurant offers a variety of tasty healthy dishes fresh and hand-picked right from local family farms. Want a certain recipe or cooking lessons?

Events and programs are BarterTown’s way of getting the community involved. So don’t be surprised if one day there’s Greek and Mediterranean cuisine and the next it’s all about pizza. SERVING: Breakfast (Saturday & Sunday), Lunch, Dinner. OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Locally based vegan meals.

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Big Bob’s Pizza 661 Croswell Dr. 616-233-0123 ITALIAN. Located in Gaslight Village in East Grand Rapids (across from Jersey

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Big O Café 80 Ottawa NW. 616-451-1887 ITALIAN. The downtown (and downstairs) restaurant has a reliable menu featuring pizza, pasta, and sandwiches that are Italian and Cuban influenced. A great spot for lunch or a quick glass of wine and plate of pasta before a downtown event. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Dead Head Vegetarian Pizza, Cuban dinners on Friday nights.

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The Bistro 11 Monroe Avenue NW (at Courtyard Marriott).

616-242-6000 AMERICAN. Serving American food bistro-style, whether it’s grab-and-go or guests dining in for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The Bistro offers fresh seasonal options, serves Starbucks beverages and has a full-service bar. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days GO THERE FOR: Sandwiches.

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Bistro Bella Vita 44 Grandville Ave. SW. 616-222-4600 ITALIAN. One of Grand Rapids’ best dining experiences, featuring Mediterraneaninspired country cuisine, a swanky yet comfortable downtown atmopshere and personable service. BBV’s culinary team creates authentic, housemade recipes made with locally grown produce, fresh seafood and rotisserie roasted meats.

Specialty gluten-free menu, and can prepare custom dishes for lactose intolerant, vegetarian, and vegan diets.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Mediterranean Country Cuisine and Martinis.

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Blue Water Grill 5180 Northland Dr. 616-363-5900 SEAFOOD. One of Grand Rapids’ most inspired restaurants in terms of overall ambiance, with Frank Lloyd Wright-style architecture, a stunningly massive fireplace, and some of the best water views in West Michigan. The food is similarly inspired, drawing from Italian, Mediterranean and classic American influences. All the traditional favorites are accounted for with a wide variety of wood-fired pizzas, seafood, steaks, chops, salads, and sandwiches. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Grass Fed Beef.

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Bobarino’s 20 Monroe Ave. NW. 616-356-2000 ITALIAN. A melting pot of food, live entertainment and fun. Live music Tuesday through Saturday, including rock, jazz, retro, country, rockabilly and more. Large game room with video games, billiards and shuffleboard. Menu includes vast array of wood-fired pizzas, plus burgers, entrées and classic appetizers. Lunch buffet with pizza, pasta, and salad for $6.45. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Wood-fired pizzas.

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Bombay Cuisine 1420 Lake Dr. SE 616-456-7055 INDIAN. Offering savory and subtly spiced dishes from northern India, Bombay Cuisine is a hot spot for those who like to add a little flavor to their lives. With a lunch buffet served every weekday, this restaurant provides its eaters with an array of traditional Indian cuisine. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days GO THERE FOR: Naan, Butter Chicken.

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Brewery Vivant 925 Cherry St. SE. 616-719-1604 BREWPUB. Housed in a former funeral chapel, Brewery Vivant crafts Belgianstyle ales with a focus on barrel aging. The brewpub also brings Belgian tradition when it comes to food, featuring French and Belgian-style meals to pair perfectly with the beer. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: The Burger

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Bulls Head Tavern 188 Monroe NW. 616-454-3580 AMERICAN. Downtown eatery is a great spot for business lunch or casual pre-show dinner, with a wide-ranging menu that includes salads, burgers, pasta, seafood and steaks. Specialties include the ostrich burger, sashimi tuna and smoked Gouda chicken pasta.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Closed on Sunday. GO THERE FOR: The Ostrich Burger.

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Chapbook Café 2660 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids. 616-942-0595. CAFE. Take a break from browsing the shelves at Schuler Books with a homemade selection of soups, sandwiches and quiches. Soups are prepared in-house daily and served with fresh baked bread to accompany a small-but-elegant sandwich menu. Try a quiche or traditional Italian Panini grilled on fresh ciabatta bread, or for a quick bite, grab a bagel or scone from the dessert case. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days GO THERE FOR: Homemade soups and sandwiches

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Charley’s Crab 63 Market SW. 616-459-2500 SEAFOOD. A staple on the finedining scene in Grand Rapids. Fresh seafood, a world-class Sunday brunch and a comfortable, upscale atmosphere for drinks and dining. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: The Sunday brunch buffet.

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The Corner Bar 31 N. Main St. 616-866-9866 AMERICAN. The downtown Rockford tavern serves a solid menu of burgers, burritos, salads and sandwiches, but it is best known for hot dogs — serving almost 1,000 per day. Its hot-dog-eating challenge has been conquered by more than a few, but it raises the question: Why would you want to consume Corner Bar dogs in a hurry rather than savor each bite? SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Hot dogs.

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Cygnus 27 Cornucopia 187 Monroe Ave. NW. 616-776-6425 ECLECTIC. Enjoy 187 skyline Monroeas Ave. 616-774-2000 DELI. A refreshing the youNW. dine atop the Glass Tower.

Indulge option for on-the-go, or casual, fare. deli in a variety of globally infusedlighter dishes at Enjoy this AAA options such asrestaurant. homemadeCasual soups,attire; salads, Four-Diamond no Panini jacket sandwiches and dining freshly also brewed gourmet coffee. required.

Private available.

SERVING: SERVING: Breakfast Lunch OPEN ON: Open 7 days.FOR: GO Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days.

GO THERE THERE FOR: Sandwiches.

Seasonal Sunday Brunch.

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Erb Thai 950 Wealthy St. SE #1A. (616) 356-2573 THAI. Food rooted in traditional Thai cuisine, but also made to accommodate health conscious and special diets. Not too strong, not too weak, like harmony and melody.

Marketing representative Molly Rizor was a Thai virgin when she went and is now glad Erb Thai was her first experience. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Peanut Curry Noodles.

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Founders Brewing Company 235 Grandville SW. 616-776-1195 BREWPUB. A beer-lover’s paradise with a national reputation for flavorful, awardwinning beers. Likewise, the brewpub’s menu consists mainly of flavorful handcrafted deli sandwiches that can stand up and complement the beers (or vice versa).

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Award-winning beer, handcrafted sandwiches.

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Scene | Sounds | Sights Dining Schedule

Bentham’s Riverfront Restaurant 187 Monroe Ave. NW. 616-774-2000 AMERICAN. Enjoy great breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options while looking out at the Grand River. Bentham’s now offers a lunch buffet with choices of salads, breads, soups and roast beef and poultry carved to order — not to mention stir-fry stations with fresh vegetables, meats or seafood and unique sauces. Casual attire. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch OPEN ON: Open 7 days, closes at 2 p.m. GO THERE FOR: Lunch buffet.

Junction), Big Bob’s is a cozy restaurant that serves up specialty pizzas, pastas, burritos, sandwiches and salads.

Sit out on the deck and enjoy Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. and 9p.m.-close seven days a week. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 Days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza and beer (is there a better combination?).

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Dining

Garden Court Lounge 187 Monroe Ave. NW. 616-774-2000 LOUNGE. An excellent choice for a quick drink with friends or when you desire relaxing with your favorite drink. The Garden Court Lounge offers a fine array of beer, wine, cocktails and liqueurs. SERVING: Drinks OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Specialty cocktails.

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Gilly’s 20 Monroe NW. 616-356-2000 SEAFOOD. Gilly’s may not be the biggest name on the seafood block, but it takes second place to no one in regards to quality, freshness and inspiration. A vast array of exotic fish is line-caught, flown in and prepared fresh daily. Every facet of Gilly’s speaks to impeccable attention to detail. » SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Closed on Sunday. GO THERE FOR: Fresh seafood at a great price.

GP Sports 187 Monroe Ave. NW 616-776-6495 SPORTS BAR. Catch the big game on one of GP Sports’ 30 televisions, including a big screen for optimal game viewing. This colorful and casual restaurant not only caters to sports fans, but also features top-notch burgers, pizzas and specialty drinks.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Score Big Burgers.

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G.R.P.D. (Grand Rapids Pizza and Delivery) 340 State St. SE. 616-454-9204 ITALIAN. The current GR location opened in 2004 as the first established pizzeria in the Heritage Hill district. A common meeting spot for local folks, business professionals and college students, a place where one could gather for a quick meal or a reflective lunch. It offers both hand-tossed pizza and Chicago-style stuffed pizza, as well as pasta, sandwiches, salads, and wings. Online ordering, too. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza.

Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene

Grand Rapids Brewing Company 1 Ionia Ave SW. 616-458-7000 BREWPUB. Good for the environment and your palate, GRBC is Michigan’s first certified organic brewery and features a menu stocked with locally grown ingredients. With a diverse selection of beers on tap inspired by historical Grand Rapids figures and a hearty array of burgers, melts and hand-cranked sausages, this place represents the best of the Grand Rapids Brewing Company’s 120-year legacy. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Organic beer and locally sourced food.

Grand Woods Lounge 77 Grandville Ave SW. 616-451-4300 AMERICAN. The restaurant’s interior exudes a warm, casual ambiance reminiscent of the great eateries of the Pacific Northwest; the outdoor porch features two outdoor bars and a fireplace. Menu stocked with affordable appetizers great for sharing, plus salads, sandwiches, and entrées. Lots of domestics and microbrews, plus an array of martinis including the “Woodstini,” a tasty mix of Stoli Orange Vodka, mandarin oranges and raspberries. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Cocktails.

Graydon’s Crossing 1223 Plainfield NE. 616-726-8260 TAVERN. An authentic take on the English Pub, with a huge selection of beers on tap and a menu that includes classic English dishes like Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie and Irish Stew, as well as Indian specialties like

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Tandoori Chicken and Tikka Masala. A great casual atmosphere for drinking and dining. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Beer and authentic pub food.

Green Restaurant 2289 E Beltline Ave. NE Ste. 8, Grand Rapids. 616447-8294 ORGANIC. The first of its kind, at least in this area, Green Restaurant uses nothing but all-natural and organic ingredients. This includes everything from fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese to juice, ice cream and more. It’s a restaurant where almost anyone with a unique diet could find something to eat within their specifications. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Monday GO THERE FOR: Sandwiches, soups, burgers, smoothies/juice blends.

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The Green Well 924 Cherry SE. 616-808-3566 Eclectic. REVUE’s “Free Market” columnist Steven de Polo writes, “Green Well is the best restaurant in GR.” The East Hills gastro-pub serves up an ever-changing menu featuring local ingredients, and a wide array of local craft brews and wines. The green refers also to the LEED© certified building and management’s commitment to a small carbon footprint. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Baked local goat cheese, Michigan maple whiskey chicken over risotto.

Gluten Free Girl:

The Holiday Bar 801 5th St. NW, Grand Rapids. 616-456-9058 AMERICAN. For 107 years, The Holiday Bar has been serving its loyal customers great beer and food, with 12 specialty beers of tap and its homemade “Porter” Pulled Pork sandwiches.

Fully stocked with pool tables and nine HD flat screens, this dive is the perfect spot for cheap beer and good times.. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Cheap beer.

Green Restaurant

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JD Reardon’s Bar & Grill 940 Monroe Ave NW. (616) 454-8590 AMERICAN. Neighborhood pub offers 15 Michigan beers on tap and more bottled, along with a full menu of handmade appetizers, pizzas, salads, sandwiches and 16 half-pound burgers.

Nightly drink specials and karaoke on Tuesday night. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Burgers.

Green Restaurant

enough of is quality bread. At Green Restaurant, 2289 E Beltline Ave NE, Ste. B , Grand Rapids located on the East Beltline between Biggby Coffee greenrestaurantgrandrapids. and Noodles & Company, the homemade bread is com, (616) 447-8294 so tasty that owner Mike Meyer sells it by the loaf.

At $7.99, it’s gluten, dairy and egg free, making it Item: Jalapeno Chipotle ideal for vegans, too.

Cheese Burger with Bison Green Restaurant also offers a variety of lo- Price: $13.49, plus $0.60 for cal organic and all-natural meats. Burgers can be a GF bun ordered with bison, elk, veggie, turkey, lamb, grassfed beef or the burger of the month. (Price varies depending on which patty you choose.)

My winning combination is the Jalapeno Chipotle Cheese Burger with bison meat on a gluten-free bun. It’s made with jalapenos, cheddar cheese, lettuce and a homemade chipotle aioli. Oh, and did I mention it comes with a side of homemade gluten free buttery garlic chips that are the next best thing to Crack Fries? One word: delish! —Kelli Belanger

Harmony Brewing Company 1551 Lake Dr. SE (616) 233-0063 BREWPUB. Harmony features 12 craft-brewed beers in addition to signature root beer for the kiddos. Named one of the top-five brewpub menus in West Michigan by yours truly, Harmony’s ultimate deal is a take-out combo that features one of its 10” gourmet wood-fired pizzas and a growler of beer for $20, as well as a $5 cheese and $6 pepperoni pizza deal every Tuesday. » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza and brews.

HopCat 25 Ionia SW. 616-451-4677 TAVERN. Rated the 3rd best beer bar on the planet by Beer Advcoate, HopCat’s spin on its food is thus: “It’s the food your Mom would feed you, if your Mom loved beer.” That’s specifically true for HopCat’s beerbar cheese, cheese ale soup and porter braised beef, but mom would also love the Hippie wrap (it’s vegetarian), the crack fries (not real crack), and Killer Mac and Cheese. Because what mom doesn’t like mac and cheese? » SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Widest variety of beers, crack fries.

f you’re following a gluten free diet, one thing you might not get

Lumber Baron Bar 187 Monroe Ave. NW. (616) 774-2000 LOUNGE. Settle into the warmth and charm of this historic bar — complete with a fireplace, leather club chairs and a large selection of premium drinks and appetizers.

SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Sundays and Mondays GO THERE FOR: Scotch or Brandy after a Symphony concert.

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Marie Catrib’s 1001 Lake Dr. 616-454-4020 ECLECTIC. The East Hills eatery makes everything from scratch with local ingredients, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Get

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there early for lunch, as there is almost always a wait.

SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days.

GO THERE FOR: Salads, soups and sandwiches.

Mixology 235 Louis St. NW. 616-242-1448 LOUNGE. Casual, upscale service and atmosphere allows guests to relax and enjoy the city views. This type of service allows guests to complete business tasks while still enjoying the accessibility to great food and libations.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days GO THERE FOR: Specialty cocktails.

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O’Toole’s 448 Bridge St. 616-742-6095 PUB. This West side pub is equipped with delicious and outrageously topped burgers, as well as an extensive beer selection, and arguably, the best happy hour specials in town. If food is not your passion, this is a prime place to kick off your Sunday Funday with its $3 Absolut Bloody Mary bar. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 Days. GO THERE FOR: Gourmet burgers, Absolut Bloody Mary bar.

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Olive’s Restaurant 2162 Wealthy St. SE. 616-451-8611 ECLECTIC. Gaslight Village mainstay for Easties looking to have a cocktail and casual dinner. The menu is surprisingly broad, with innovative starters (e.g., Napoli fritters, Paella cakes) and diverse entrées like Southern meatloaf, braised short ribs and mobu tofu. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: A broad selection.

range from sushi to burgers and everything in between.

The cocktail menu runs the gamut from classics like the Manhattan to more modern variations and the beer and wine menus are nothing to sneeze at either. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Specialty cocktails, broad menu, lively atmosphere.

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Rose’s On Reeds Lake 550 Lakeside Dr. SE. 616-458-1122 ECLECTIC. The East Grand Rapids landmark is one of those places that has a different feel in each season. In the summertime, it’s a great spot to hang on the decks and have cocktails and light appetizers; when the snow is falling, it’s a warm and cozy spot for a hearty meal and big glass of wine. The menu draws from

a multitude of influences including Mediterranean, Italian, and Casual American. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Root Chips.

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Ruth’s Chris Steak House 187 Monroe Avenue NW. 616-776-6426 STEAKHOUSE. Serving only the best steaks, Ruth’s Chris hand-selects its steaks from the top 2% of the country’s beef, which is then broiled to perfection at 1800 degrees. Enjoy the freshest seafood, classic sides and homemade desserts that satisfy any craving. SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Sundays. GO THERE FOR: Steak.

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San Chez a Tapas Bistro 38 West Fulton St. 616-774-8272 ECLECTIC. Using available local products, San Chez a Tapas Bistro is a social setting where people can remember the one rule of kindergarten: sharing. Featuring small, delicious dishes, San Chez a Tapas Bistro can satiate your desire for variety. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 Days. GO THERE FOR: Tapas.

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San Chez Cafe 38 West Fulton St. 616-774-8272 ECLECTIC. This comfy venue allows customers to “walk on sunshine” with its windowed-out structure. A hidden secret for breakfast in downtown Grand Rapids, San Chez Cafe promises a great

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The Pita House 1450 Wealthy SE, 3730 28th Street, 4533 Ivanrest SW (Grandville). 616-454-1171 MEDITERRANEAN. Gyros so big you can club someone with them, the smoothest hummus in town and other Mediterranean fare, including kibbe, kafta and falafel. Additional locations on 28th Street and Kalamazoo SE. Sandwiches are made to order with fresh vegetables and ingredients. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Fresh pita wraps.

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Red Jet Cafe 1431 Plainfield Ave. NE. 616-719-5500 ECLECTIC. The funky restaurant in Creston’s old library is the kind of place you’d find in Chicago’s hip neighborhoods, offering non-sequitur menu items that somehow seem to work. Seriously, how many other places in town can you find that serve high-end organic coffees, crepes, wood-fired pizzas and artisan baked goods. Is it a bistro? Is it a coffeehouse? Does it matter?

SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days.

GO THERE FOR: Crepes.

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Reds on The River 8 E. Bridge St. 616-863-8181 AMERICAN. This highly acclaimed restaurant in the Rockford area promises no processed foods. Red’s sports a cylindrical fireplace and is known for its incredible views and outdoor dining.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Sundays. GO THERE FOR: Steak and Wine.

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Reserve 201 Monroe Ave. NW (616) 855-9463 ECLECTIC. With 102 wines available by the glass and more than 300 by the bottle, paired with an ever-changing food menu influenced

by West Michigan grown foods, Reserve promises diners a unique experience. Cocktails and craft beers add depth to the primarily wine-centered menu. SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Closed on Sunday GO THERE FOR: Wine and food pairings, charcuterie.

Scene | Sounds | Sights Dining Schedule

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Rinaldi Pizza and Sub Shop 966 E. Fulton St. 616-458-3737 ITALIAN. The tiny pizza shop at the corner of Fulton and Diamond is publisher Brian Edwards’ favorite spot to stop for a large slice after a late night at the office. “It’s got the four C’s of pizza going for it: chewy, cheesy, crusty and cheap — with a perfect balance of sauce and cheese,” Edwards says. Fold it over, New Yorkstyle, he recommends. SERVING: Lunch, Dinner. OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza.

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Rockwell-Republic 45 S. Division Ave. 616-551-3563 ECLECTIC. Menu offerings

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/// Beer

by Ben Darcie

Brew of the Month

Keewenaw Brewing Co. Old Ore Dock Scotch Ale This brew pours a semi-clear copper with a bright, cream-colored head that smells of caramel and biscuit. A little lighter than medium bodied, the beer exhibits great burnt caramel flavors with notes of biscuit and toffee with little to no hop presence. This brew is also aged in red oak barrels, lending some faint, earthy barrel tones to the presentation.

Beer News

Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene

In February Siciliano’s Specialty Market in Grand Rapids was voted RateBeer’s Top Grocery for beer in the nation in addition to HopCat being named the No. 1 beer bar in the nation for the second year.

On March 8, the 4th annual Southern Michigan Winter Beer Festival will feature live music, games, great food, and of course, more than 150 craft, specialty and import beers. Visit jacksoncountyfair.net for more info.

Also happening on March 8 is the 5th Annual Brew-Ski festival. Enjoy live music, skiing and more than 220 beers from around the U.S. Event is free (beer token-based event) and packages are available.

At the Art of Beer Festival, explore more than 100 local brews at the Mendel Center in Benton Harbor alongside great food and live music on March 22.

Visit artofbeerfest.com for more info and tickets.

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Photo: Ben Darcie

Brewery Spotlight:

Oddside Ales

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ve ryo n e has th e i r p o i nt o f b r eak i n g, and for Oddside Ales Founder Chris Michner, it came a few years after graduating college from Michigan State University, where he spent some time homebrewing with a friend. Beer was put on the back burner in favor of education and pursuing a career, and, soon enough, he found himself worn by accounting.

“I liked the idea of brewing better than sitting in a cubicle for 60 hours a week,” Michner said. “It just gets old.”

He settled in a suite in an old piano factory called Clark’s in Grand Haven, and soon began work on the taproom and brewery, which opened on March 17, 2010.

“When we first acquired it, it already felt like a taproom,” Michner said. “It had that industrial warehouse feel to it, like most old factories do.”

The whole idea behind the brewery was to make ‘unusual ales’ that feature unique ingredients, bold twists and unique flavors to intrigue the palate. Oddside started on a very small production scale (20gallon),

which is perfect for a brewery geared toward experimentation. The brewery has now created a portfolio more than 80 beers strong, which keeps taproom offerings ever-changing.

“The unusual beers tend to bring people in the door, but they’ll drink the regular styles, too,” Michner said. “Sometimes we look to food for inspiration. For example, our Mayan Mocha Stout is based on the classic Mayan hot chocolate.”

Oddside’s flagship is Citra Pale, which features a fantastic display of Citra hop bitterness and flavor over a relaxed pale base. The other regular offerings include Bean Flicker, a blonde ale featuring local coffee, Mayan Mocha Stout, brewed with cinnamon, nutmeg and habanero peppers, and a Pineapple IPA, which gives the brew a sweet taste amidst a moderate bitterness.

“There are so many breweries and beer bars around, and to stand out from the crowd these days, you have to think outside the box, and that’s what we’re good at,” said Erik Frederiksen, longtime bar manager.

In 2012, Oddside began looking for an off site production facility, and secured one

“Sometimes we look to food for inspiration. For example, our Mayan Mocha Stout is based on the classic Mayan hot chocolate.”

four miles away. By Winter, the 15bbl brew house was in full operation. Oddside had been distributing statewide before the expansion, and got an idea of the public response to their beers. Oddside acquired a six-head bottling line, upping production significantly, and set Citra Pale to be released year round, with other specialties to be released, in quantity, once a year.

“First, we test a beer in the taproom to see what the customers say,” Michner said. “Then it goes to our distributor in kegs to see how it does in the marketplace. We check out the reviews to see what people are saying and go from there.”

Lineup highlights for this year include Mint Stout, Bourbon Barrel Mayan Mocha Stout, Instigator IPA, Hells Yes Helles Lager, Bourbon Citra Pale, along with a Hefeweizen and a Red IPA. “We’re not trying to make the IPA that everyone else makes, or a pumpkin beer,” Michner said. “Everyone releases one, and we say ‘Let’s release our apple pie beer instead,’ which we make with Vandermill Cider.”

There are limited plans for Oddside’s future, having recently completed its first major expansion and maintaining current markets.

“This is a fun place, maybe the best around, to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new,” Frederiksen said.

“That’s why I started hanging out here. It’s fun to try new things, and variety is the spice of life.” n 41 Washington Ave. Suite 160, Grand Haven (616) 935-7326, oddsideales.com

Gravel Bottom

CRAFT BREWERY & SUPPLY

418 ADA DRIVE SE, ADA GRAVELBOTTOM.COM 616.920.7398

TUES-THUR 2PM-11PM FRI & SAT 11AM-12AM

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene | Sounds | Sights Dining Schedule

Enjoy a pint and experience brewing!

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Taste This

by Alexandra Kadlec

Brunch and Beyond at Gojo

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Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene

runch isn’t typically the first word that root and garlic; lentils; mild and spicy chicken and beef dishes; turkey burgers; French toast and cinnamon pancakes with Ethiopian spiced comes to mind when one thinks of traditional Ethiopian fare — but that’s exactly what’s being served up these days at Gojo, butter; and a soup of the day. Phew! That’s a lot of food. We suggest sampling it all (in small bites). Wash your satisfying meal down with a Eastown’s hidden gem of a restaurant.

You might have stopped into Gojo for a lunch or dinner, or you cup of spiced coffee or papaya juice.

Owner Samuel Terfa opened Gojo in late 2007 to introduce may not have even been aware of this culinary spot at all. Tucked into a building off Lake Street (421 Norwood SE, Grand Rapids), the res- Ethiopian culture and cuisine to Grand Rapids, enhancing Eastown’s taurant’s location isn’t its best feature. So if you haven’t growing diverse culinary scene. Terfa’s hope is that people will experience a warm, comfortable environment been, it’s time to swing by and see for yourself if Gojo and a feeling of community while enjoying quality cuilives up to its stellar online reviews.

GoJo Ethiopian sine at Gojo. And that’s exactly what’s happening here.

Really, you can’t go wrong with any of the plates. Cuisine Take a seat at one of the round tables in this intimate A customer favorite is the lamb platter, its meat juicy, 421 Norwood Ave. SE, space and you’re offered a hot cup of Ethiopian spiced tender and savory. Plenty of side dishes — lentils, veg- Grand Rapids etables and other meats — add complementary tastes. gojoethiopiancuisine.com, tea and a welcoming conversation, courtesy of Terfa.

(616) 459-3383 And of course, everything rests atop injera, the sponge-y Dishes are made for sharing, so bring a friend or six and stay a while. This isn’t the kind of place that’s going to flatbread used to scoop up each mouthful.

But back to the weekend brunch. For $12, you’re given a variety rush your dining and socializing experience — whether you’re there on of authentic dishes from which to choose: scrambled eggs with meat a Tuesday night or a Saturday morning. or veggies; curried potatoes, carrots and cabbage; a rotating mix of collared greens, green beans, kale and mustard greens spiced with ginger Gojo’s brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. n

52 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

“CRIME AND PUN-ISHMENT” AT THE MURDER MYSTERY COMPANY Come for dinner and play detective in a classic mystery set in the 1920s, featuring gangsters, mobsters and other suspicious characters. During this engaging evening out, professional improv actors will set the stage for the audience to solve the clues and find the culprit. For $60, you get to enjoy the show along with three courses of Italian fare, a rich chocolate dessert and drink specials.

Shows run on March 1, 15, 20 and 22 at Pietro’s Italian Restaurant (2780 Birchcrest Dr., Grand Rapids). Reserve your ticket online or at 1-888-643-CLUE.

DAVID’S DELI ANNUAL CORNED BEEF OFF Celebrate St. Patty’s Day this year by indulging in traditional Irish fare with a crowd of fellow revelers. On March 17, David’s Deli (30 N. Whittaker St., New Buffalo) will host its annual event featuring all-you-can-eat corned beef sandwiches and Green River. Vote on the best brisket, with selections offered from five different purveyors. This tried-and-true comfort food destination will start serving sandwiches at 11 a.m. (until they run out!). For $5, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Dining

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start to any day. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch OPEN ON: Open 7 Days. GO THERE FOR: Sandwiches.

Six.One.Six. 235 Louis St. NW. 616-242-1448 ECLECTIC. Marketinspired menus, sweeping views and progressive rhythms combine to create a memorable dining experience. The dishes tempt taste buds and is the perfect spot for foodies. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 Days GO THERE FOR: Variety and being seen.

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Stella’s Lounge 53 Commerce Ave. 616-356-2700 TAVERN. The Chicagostyle whiskey bar has more than 200 varieties of distilled spirits, old-school video games, a superexcellent jukebox stocked with rock and punk classics, and a menu filled with vegetarian and vegan bar food — and stuffed burgers. Did we mention you can sip cans of PBR and other classic beers out of a mason jar? REVUE’s British ex-pat David Smith calls Stella’s his favorite bar in the world. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Vegetarian and vegan bar food.

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The Score 5301 Northland Dr. NE. 616-301-0600 SPORTS BAR. Multifaceted restaurant and sports bar has a lot to offer, including expansive menu with discount options, happy hour specials, countless big screen and projection TVs broadcasting big games and pay-per-view UFC matches, outdoor beach volleyball and live music in the summertime … the list goes

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on. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Sports bar atmosphere.

Tavern on the Square 100 Ionia Ave. SW. 616-456-7673 ECLECTIC. The re-fashioned former Irish pub still has that neighborhood feel, and offers up a unique menu with salads, antipasto, appetizers, a pub burger, and an array of unique “Yankee Tapas” like Fish Tacos, Loaded Carnival Fries and the ultimate West Side tapas: Pierogies. A hodgepodge to be sure, but fun.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: PBJ Tuna.

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Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill 760 Butterworth St. SW. 616-272-3910 AMERICANA. You might walk into Tip Top for the cheap happy hour specials or one of the many rockabilly acts. But get comfortable with one of the venue’s signature menu items. Get classic with a sandwich or burger, but we recommend immersing yourself fully in GR’s west side and ordering Tip Top’s Polish Plate. SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Dinner, drinks and a show.

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The Winchester 648 Wealthy St. SE. 616-451-4969 ECLECTIC. Upscale Wealthy Street bar and restaurant feels like it was plucked from Chicago’s Bucktown or Logan Square neighborhoods.

A comfortable spot to drink or dine, with an always evolving menu featuring shared plates, salads and inventive sandwiches. The Cuban Reuben, originally created as something

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of a joke, remains a (very tasty) staple item. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: DIY Bloody Mary Bar Special, Yucca Fries.

Wolfgang’s Restaurant 1530 Wealthy St. SE. 616-454-5776 BREAKFAST. The bustling Eastown breakfast spot is home to some of the heartiest breakfast dishes and funniest menu descriptions.

Courteous staff never fails to offer a cup of coffee to go after we’ve finished breakfast. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Breakfast all day.

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Yesterdog 1505 Wealthy St. SE. 616-336-0746 HOT DOGS. The steamed buns and generously sloppy toppings keep people coming back, especially at 2 a.m. when the bar crowds at nearby Billy’s and Mulligans let out. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Ultra Dogs or Veggie Dogs.

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Lakeshore 8th Street Grille 20 W. 8th St., Holland. 616-392-5888 AMERICAN. This eclectic grille located in the heart of Holland offers a mix of draft and bottled craft beers and a variety of pub classics and new, American beer-inspired dishes. Enjoy happy hour from 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, which includes delicious half-off appetizers and $1 off drafts. SERVING: Lunch, Dinner

OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: 28 taps of craft beer, hometown atmosphere.

84 East 84 East 8th St., Holland. 616-396-8484 ITALIAN. While we categorize it as “Italian,” that’s a bit limiting for this downtown Holland spot, which specializes in creating inventive pasta dishes. Housed in an old industrial building, 84 East is a favorite splurge spot among REVUE’s Hope College minions. 84 East also serves up designer pizzas and a few non-pasta house specialties like Pork Marsala and Mahi Mahi. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Sunday GO THERE FOR: Baked Spaghetti Pie, Tuxedo Chicken Pasta.

Bil-Mar Restaurant 1223 S. Harbor St., Holland. 616-842-5920 AMERICAN. A destination restaurant for locals and tourists for more than 60 years. Dazzling sunsets and an all-American menu featuring fresh seafood and hand-cut steaks. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Lake perch, lobster strudel, prime rib.

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Blue House Bistro 220 W. 8th Street, Holland. 616-355-1994 AMERICAN. Chef-owned boutique bistro located in downtown Holland, with an extensive menu featuring small plates, sandwiches, soups, salads, pizza, desserts, dine-in, take-out, delivery catering, beer and wine to-go. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN: Tu–Sun. GO THERE FOR: Seafood gumbo, Saturday and Sunday brunch.

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Scene | Sounds | Sights Dining Schedule REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

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Dining CityVu Bistro 61 East 7th Street, Holland. 616-796-2114 AMERICAN. Located atop CityFlats Hotel in downtown Holland, CityVu Bistro offers unique breakfast creations, an array of flatbread dinners, and small plates. Full bar with extensive wine list and great views of Holland. Hours of operation change with the seasons. SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Flatbreads.

what it is — a chop house and grill. Atmosphere is warm with Tuscan tones, atmospheric lighting, classically cool music and leather booths. The menu focuses on steaks and chops and makes no apologies. The steaks are prime USDA choice, the seafood selection immaculate, and the wine and beverage list is top shelf. Relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days.

GO THERE FOR: Nightlife.

Everyday People Cafe 11 Center St., Douglas. 269-857-4240 AMERICAN. REVUE Publisher Brian Edwards calls Everyday People Café his favorite restaurant along the lakeshore. The atmosphere is casual and upbeat, the staff knows its stuff about wine and food, and the seasonal menu is filled with meticulously prepared, eclectic comfort food like Butternut Squash Risotto, Braised Lamb Shank and Ahi Tuna. A great wine list and tremendous desserts. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Gorgonzola Pork Chop, Greek Salad with Grandma Gigi’s Dressing (Edwards).

Mia & Grace 1133 3rd St., Muskegon. 231-725-9500 AMERICAN. Calls itself a bakery and bistro, but that’s too limiting to describe the creativity of Mia & Grace’s menu. The farm-to-table eatery in downtown Muskegon is casual and comfortable and serves lots of one-of-a-kind items like the Pork Belly Reuben or the Duck PB&J (duck confit, carmelized onions, cashew-peanut butter, green pepper jelly, anadama bread).

SERVING: Breakfast Lunch OPEN ON: Closed on Sunday.

GO THERE FOR: Salads, Soups, Creme Brulee.

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Fricano’s Pizza Tavern 1400 Fulton Ave., Grand Haven. 616-842-8640 ITALIAN. Claims to be the first pizzeria in Michigan, but customers care less about its longevity than the amazingly crispy thin crust and simple ingredients atop its much-lauded pies. Four other locations around West MI, including Comstock Park, Muskegon, Holland and Kalamazoo. SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza.

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Kirby House 2 Washington, Grand Haven. 616-846-3299 AMERICAN. The Grill Room doesn’t pretend to be anything other than

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New Holland Brewing Company 66 E. 8th St., Holland. 616-355-6422 BREWPUB. One of West MI’s premier microbreweries serves up better than average pub grub, including the Tarheel barbecue Pulled Pork, Grilled Portobello and The Treehugger, which is billed as “a vegetarian sandwich utopia.” SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Mad Hatter IPA, Dragon’s Milk.

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Phil’s Bar & Grille 215 Butler St., Saugatuck. 269-857-1555 AMERICAN. This cozy (some would say “small”) bar and grille in downtown Saugatuck is one of those unassuming spots you might easily overlook, though locals in Saugatuck will tell you

about their love affair with Phil’s. Eclectic menu is all over the place, but in a good way, and the staff is super-friendly.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Portabella Mushroom Fries.

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Piper Restaurant 2225 South Shore Drive, Holland. 616-335-5866 AMERICAN. Upscale-but-casual spot located on Lake Macatawa, offering great views from virtually every table.

Menu includes tastefully prepared items like Almond Crusted Walleye and Grilled Pork Loin, as well as wood-fired pizzas.

Reservations are welcomed. SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Almond Crusted Walleye.

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Salt of the Earth 114 East Main St., Fennville. 269-561-7258 AMERICAN. Salt of the Earth is a farm-to-table-inspired restaurant, bar, and bakery located in the heart of SW Michigan farm country in Fennville. Focuses on fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients whenever possible. Also serves up live music on weekends.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: House made rustic cuisine.

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Saugatuck Brewing Company 2948 Blue Star Highway. 269-857-7222 BREWPUB. Enjoy a traditional Irish-style pub that features quality beer, wine, food and service. Try one of 12 unique brews that are served in the pub and bottled and distributed throughout the Midwest. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days.

GO THERE FOR: Beer in a family friendly pub environment.

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Vitale’s of Zeeland 59 W. Washington St. (616) 772-5900 ITALIAN. This family owned restaurant specializes in Italian dining, but also has a full menu including Mexican and American specialties. Family friendly atmosphere with newly remodeled dining, and an expanded sports bar with big screen TVs. Happy hour specials, live music every Saturday and has been voted Best Pizza seven years in a row by the Grand Rapids Press. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Pizza.

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Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek

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Arcadia Brewing Co. 103 Michigan Ave., Battle Creek. 269-963-9520 BREWPUB. You’ll find some of the usual suspects on the Battle Creek brewpub’s menu, including wood-fired pizzas and some of the best barbecue in the region. But you’ll also find some delightful surprises — Osso Bucco in a brewpub?! — on the menu, courtesy of award-winning Chef Sean Kelly.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Handcrafted ales and barbecue.

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Bell’s Eccentric Cafe 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. 269-382-2332 BREWPUB. Eccentric Café’s regular menu of appetizers, sandwiches, sides and salads — plus the daily soups and specials — exists for a simple and important purpose: to complement the Kalamazoo microbrewery’s award-winning beers. Eat up while you drink up. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: The Beer.

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Bravo!

5402 Portage Rd., Kalamazoo 269-344-7700 ITALIAN. Much-lauded restaurant has earned its stripes over past 23 years as one of the region’s best dining experiences, including a 3-star rating in the 2010 Forbes Travel Guide (formerly the Mobil Travel Guide). The Tuscan-inspired cuisine is spectacular, the atmosphere comfortable and intimate, and the service first-rate. Also brews its own beer in small batches for pairings with menu offerings.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. (Closed Sat. lunch) GO THERE FOR: A great dining experience.

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Fieldstone Grille 3970 W. Centre St., Portage. 269-321-8480 AMERICAN. Lodge-retreat atmosphere overlooking the Moors Golf Club natural wetlands. The “field-to-plate” menu features burgers, pizzas, steaks and some eclectic items like quail. Try the FSG chips, a combination of potato, beet and sweet potato chips. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Blue Burger, Almond Crusted Walleye, FSG Chips.

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Food Dance 401 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo. 269-382-1888 AMERICAN. An eclectic American menu that reflects ownership’s fixation on “finding honest-to-goodness fruits, vegetables, meat and eggs that come from the farm, not the factory.” Lots of unique choices, for breakfast (gingerbread pancakes), lunch (crab cake sandwich) and dinner (beer roasted chicken). SERVING: Breakfast Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: Fresh Local Foods.

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Old Burdicks Bar & Grill 100 W. Michigan Ave. (269) 226-3192 AMERICAN. Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill features tasty sandwiches, burgers, salads and entrees, as well as a great selection of cocktails, wines and beers. SERVING: Lunch Dinner. OPEN: 7 days. GO THERE FOR: The Old Burdick Burger.

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Olde Peninsula 200 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo 269-343-2739 BREWPUB. Downtown brewpub serves up the expected (e.g., steaks, ribs), the authentic (e.g., London Broil) and some pleasant surprises (e.g., extensive vegetarian offerings, Italian food).

Offers a range of beers brewed on the premises and served on tap, plus a full bar. Check out the seasonal porters on tap right now, including the Vanilla Porter (5.5% ABV) and Stout Chocula (5.25% ABV). SERVING: Dinner OPEN ON: 7 days.

GO THERE FOR: Beer-B-Que Ribs, London Broil.

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Martell’s 3501 Greenleaf Blvd., Kalamazoo. 269-375-2105 AMERICAN. Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood that overlooks Willow Lake, Martell’s offers casual ambiance and an expansive menu with steaks, prime rib and other comfort food entrées like Italian style meatloaf and pork shank.

SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Open 7 days (Sundaysdinner only) GO THERE FOR: Quiet casual ambiance.

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Union Cabaret & Grille 125 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo. 269-384-6756 AMERICAN. A partnership with Western Michigan University, Union features eclectic food and cocktails, plus live jazz music performed by WMU faculty and students. SERVING: Lunch Dinner OPEN ON: Closed Sunday. GO THERE FOR: Portabella Fries, Bloody Maries with infused vodkas. n

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Stay tuned for our new and improved directory at revuewm.com!

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

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Schedule Dining Sights | Sounds | Scene

St. Patrick’s Day Events Phone Number

Date and Time

(616) 458-3929

March 17

Wash down slow-cooked corned beef cabbage with some Guinness and Smithwick’s. The party continues through the afternoon with karaoke and live music from Mr. Whooha at night.

barlouieamerica.com

(616) 885-9050

March 15

Celebrating Saturday through Monday. Highlights include kegs and eggs, drink specials and live entertainment.

3656 63rd St., Saugatuck

thebelvedereinn.com

(269) 857-5777

March 14-15

Award-winning Chef Shaun Glynn from Galway, Ireland hosts a special St. Patrick’s culinary celebration in Saugatuck. Highlights include breakfast, fun Irish trivia and dinner after the Saugatuck Parade.

The B.O.B

20 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids

thebob.com

(616) 356-2000

March 15

Doors open at 9-11 in the morning with a pancake breakfast. The B.O.B. is partnering with the Grand Rapids Fire Department for the breakfast, and all proceeds will go to MSU Skin Cancer Research. Drink specials include $2 green beer drafts.

Brann’s

401 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids

branns.com

(616) 454-9368

March 17

Brann’s gets festive with obligatory green beer. Of course, if you’re not into green drinks, other drink specials will be available in addition to a classic corned beef and cabbage meal and Irish music to get you in the mood to celebrate.

Charlie’s Bar & Grill

3519 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids

(616) 364-0567

March 15

Charlie’s celebrates St. Patty’s Day with drink and dinner specials all day and live music in the evening.

Christo’s Roadhouse

2935 Blue Star Hwy., Douglas

facebook.com/ christosroadhouse

(269) 857-1383

March 17

This late-night pub will be offering drink specials throughout the day to go along with homemade corned beef and cabbage.

The Curragh

73 E. 8th St., Holland

curraghholland.com

(616) 393-6340

March 15, 16, 17 The Curragh hosts a music event that includes Irish-inspired bands such as Peat in the Creel, AnDro, Millish, and a few others. Music starts at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. (21 years and older only.)

Fenian’s Irish Pub

19683 Main St., Conklin

feniansirishpub.com

(616) 899-2640

March 7 and 15

On March 7, Ireland’s No. 1 ballad group, the Makem & Spain Brothers will stop by Fenian’s to perform for the Countdown to St. Patrick’s Day event. On March 15, After the parade in downtown Conklin, enjoy an entire day of live music, Irish songs, authentic food and ongoing music sessions. Admission is free for everyone, but after 6 p.m. you must be 21 or older.

Flanagan’s Irish Pub

139 Pearl St. NW, Grand flanagansgr.com Rapids

(616) 454-7852

March 15 & 17

Flanagan’s opens early with an Irish breakfast at 8 a.m. Drink specials include $3 green beer, $4.50 Irish Car Bombs and $6 Guinness.

Flo’s Pizzeria Ristorante & Sports Bar

1259 Post Dr. NE, Plainfield Township

belmont.flossportsbar.com

(616) 785-1001

March 17

Enjoy some St. Patrick’s Day drink specials such as the $6 Pot-of-Gold Margarita, $3.50 Killian’s Irish Red and the $3 Shamrock Shooter.

Fricano Event Center

Downtown Muskegon

michiganirish.org

(231) 739-2028

March 7 and 8

Enjoy music by Bruno’s Boys and Crossbow, as well as Irish dancers from Arden Academy of Dance. In addition to the entertainment, refreshments such as traditional Irish food, Fricano’s pizza, scones, pretzels and Budweiser products will be served.

Tickets are $6 per day or $10 for a two-day pass.

Event or Bar Name

Address

American Legion

658 Michigan St. NE Grand Rapids

Bar Louie

3191 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids

The Belvedere Inn

56 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Website

Description

PHOTO: KATY BATDORFF

PHOTO: KATY BATDORFF

Event or Bar Name

Address

Website

Phone Number

Date and Time

Grand Woods Lounge

77 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids

grandwoodslounge.com

(616) 451-4300

March 15 and 17 Grand Woods kicks the day off on March 15 with a DJ at noon and continues with a band at 4 and a DJ again at 8 p.m. On March 17, there will be a DJ starting at 5 p.m. Specials include $3 green beer, $4 Jameson shot, $4 car bombs. Food specials TBD.

Graydon’s Crossing

1223 Plainfield Ave. NE, graydonscrossing.com Grand Rapids

(616) 726 8260

March 15, 16, 17 Food specials include corned beef and cabbage and Irish car bomb cheesecake. Drink specials include Guinness on draft and car bombs. More specials to be announced.

GRBarCrawl

Grand Rapids

grbarcrawl.blogspot.com

(616) 802-2950

March 15

Travel around enjoying green beer at undisclosed bars around GR; transportation included. $40/ person.

Harmony Brewing Company

1551 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids

harmonybeer.com

(616) 233-0063

March 17

Harmony will have drinks and food specials to celebrate St. Patty’s Day.

Hennessy’s Irish Pub

885 Jefferson St., Muskegon

hennessyspub.com

(231) 728-3333

March 17

Celebrate Irish culture at a pub where they host whiskey school. Sip on whiskey, Guinness, Magners and more.

The Holiday Bar

801 5th St. NW, Grand Rapids

theholidaybargr.com

(616) 456-9058

March 15, 16, 17 Food and drink specials include homemade Reuben sandwiches, six different Irish whiskeys and $3 Irish Blue shots. On March 17, there will be live music by Tommy B and the Verk.

Irish on Ionia

Downtown Grand Rapids

facebook.com/IrishonIonia

(616) 454-9105

March 15

Grand Rapid’s annual Irish on Ionia party will be expanding one block over to Fulton Street and will be adding one more stage for more live entertainment. One stage will feature Irish-inspired music, the other, local DJs. Tickets range from $10 to $55.

O’Duffy’s Pub

804 W. Vine St., Kalamazoo

oduffyspub.com

(269) 381-9771

March 17, open at 8 am.

Celebrate St. Patty’s Day with a food buffet featuring traditional Irish foods and draft beer specials.

One Trick Pony Grill & Taproom

136 Fulton St. E, Grand Rapids

onetrick.biz

(616) 235-7669

March 15 and 17 One Trick Pony celebrates with live music on Saturday and to-be-announced specials on Monday.

The Pyramid Scheme

68 Commerce SW, Grand Rapids

pyramidschemebar.com

(616) 272-3758

March 14

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, The Tossers, a six-piece Celtic punk band from Chicago, will play along with fellow Celtic rockers, The Continental. Tickets are $10 advanced / $12 day of show.

Quinn and Tuite’s Irish Pub

1535 Plainfield NE, Grand Rapids

quinnandtuites.com/home. htm

(616) 363-8380

March 16

Quinn and Tuite’s is bringing in Conklin Ceili, Waxies, Billies and more to give St. Patty’s Day a musical twist. And what’s better than listening to Irish bands while enjoying your choice of beer or Irish whiskey?

Saugatuck Brewing Company

2948 Blue Star Hwy, Douglas

saugatuckbrewing.com

(269) 857-7222

March 15

Enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast from 8:30-10:30 a.m. During breakfast, rock out to a performance by The Moxie Strings. Live music also is scheduled for the evening. Tickets are $17.

March 15

The Saugatuck parade kicks off a pub crawl where participants can make stops at numerous bars in both Saugatuck and Douglas.

March 17, open at 7 am.

Food and drink specials will be available, as well as live music.

saugatuck.com

Shakespeare’s Pub

shakespearespub.com

241 E Kalamazoo Ave. #100, Kalamazoo

(269) 488-7782

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene | Sounds | Sights Dining Schedule

The Saugatuck St. Multiple bar locations Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl around Saugatuck and Douglas

Description

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Schedule Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

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58 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

The Schedule Get Scheduled! E-mail your info to schedule@revuewm.com or add your events into our calendar at revuewm.com.

saturday

3.01

The 411 Club Moxieville, Chuck Whiting and the Tip Rail Ramblers, Full Frontal Cortez, Tony LaJoye Trio The B.O.B Hair Mania Bobarino’s at the B.O.B. Dueling Pianos Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Stealin Hearts Celebration! Cinema North & IMAX Theater MET Opera LIVE: Prince Igor The Curragh Aidan O’Toole Czar’s 505 Kris Hitchcock & Small Town Son DeVos Performance Hall Symphony with Soul with Dee Dee Bridgewater Dog Story Theater My Dearest Friend, The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged

Dr. Grins Matt Kirshen Fifth Street Hall Mardi Gras Party/ Puttin on the Green Forest Hills Fine Arts Center Air Supply Founders Brewery Anna Lee’s Company Frauenthal Center Lightwire...The Show Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM GRAM Selects ArtPrize 2013, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery The History of Space Photography Gun Lake Casino The Rock Show The Holiday Bar Sudz & Vaporz The Intersection Mega 80s Kzoo Civic Theatre Good People, The Miracle Worker

Kzoo Expo Center Women’s Lifestyle Expo KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway Kent District Library: Kentwood (Richard L. Root) African Folktales with Storyteller Miz Rosie Kirby Grill Azz-Izz LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Mulligan’s Pub Moto Muskegon Civic Theatre The Dixie Swim Club Old Dog Tavern Duffield Caron Project, Michigan Global Roots Music Festival wsg Wisaal Andro Dunuya Drum and Dance, Team deYoung Fundraiser and Silent Auction wsg T-Money and the Goods/Brown Cow One Trick Pony Special Saturday Night with: Mary Rademacher Tom & Cherie Hagen

Petter Wine Gallery Passport to Wine Benefit Planet Rock St. Patty’s Day Party With DJ Cherry Coke Rocky’s Bar & Grill Mardi Gras Weekend Saugatuck Center for the Arts Paul Byrom Seven Steps Up Liz Longley Spectrum Theater GRCC Players present JUMP/CUT Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill Bethesda with The Carboys The Union Cabaret & Grille Fly Paper UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

Van Andel Arena Disney On Ice: Princesses and Heroes Wealthy Theatre TIP$ the Musical

sunday

3.02

The 411 Club KVBA March Sunday series Bobarino’s Thrift Store Trivia DeVos Performance Hall GR Youth Symphony & Classical Orchestra Dog Story Theater My Dearest Friend, The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged Foundry Hall Steven Hobert Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM GRAM Selects ArtPrize 2013, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection

GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Grand Valley State University Art Gallery The History of Space Photography The Intersection Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime Kzoo Institute of Arts Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway Mangiamo! Live Accordion Muskegon Civic Theatre The Dixie Swim Club Old Dog Tavern 7th Son Blues Band Riverfront Hotel Sunday Night Funnies Salt of the Earth Annie and Rod Capps San Chez Bistro Wine and Canvas Saugatuck Center for the Arts Wine Glass Art Class Schuler Books 28th Street FOTO Maestro Chat UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., 12 O.Clock Boys Van Andel Arena Disney On Ice: Princesses and Heroes Wealthy Theatre TIP$ the Musical Wild Bull Big Boss Blues

GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Hope College The Photography of Stephen Milanowski The Intersection Protest the Hero The Livery NTAA ‘Open Stage’ O’Toole’s Open Mic Night

tuesday

3.04

Bar Divani Rebecca Rhys Foundry Hall Music Lessons Fountain Street Church Fabulous Mardi Gras Celebration Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography The Intersection Between the Buried and Me KIA ARTbreak: John Muir in the New World, Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Old Dog Tavern Open Mic Night with Branden Mann, Tom Duffield

monday

3.03

Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper

Best Bet: Festival

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene | Sounds | Sights | Dining Schedule

The Blow

From what we’ve heard, tak- LadyFestGR Presents: The Blow, DJ ing in a live performance by Lynnee Denise, and Nobody’s Darlin’ The Blow sounds an awful lot like The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids sitting through a 3-D showing of March 22, 9 p.m. the Johnny Depp version of Willy $15 in advance, $17 day of event Wonka. Except in this scenario, the pyramidschemebar.com, film is also being projected onto an (616) 272-3758 IMAX screen. And there are actual Oompa Loompas doing cartwheels through the aisles. Seem like a good time to you? OK, even if Willy Wonka ain’t your thang, chances are you’ll get some kind of substantial kick out of what LadyFestGR has to offer this March. Joined by DJ Lynnee Denise (recognized as much for her outstanding hip-hop infused beats as for hogging extra letters from the alphabet) and the all-lady string quartet Nobody’s Darlin’, The Blow are described as an “electronic pop duo” whose live shows are an “open laboratory for experimentation.” In other words, the shes of the evening will be blinding us with science before well, blowing our minds. Reported by Emma Kat Richardson

59

Schedule Rocky’s Bar & Grill Fat Tuesday with Sam and Pat, Open Mic Hosted By Sam Kenny UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., 12 O.Clock Boys

wednesday

3.05

Foundry Hall Song Swap Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography The Intersection Da Mafia KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway Kellogg Arena Shrine Circus Lemonjello’s Open Mic Night LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Mulligan’s Pub Due North Hazards The Gallery Old Dog Tavern Patricia Pettinga Orpheus DJ and Karaoke Planet Rock Planet Rock Karaoke UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., 12 O.Clock Boys The Union Cabaret & Grille Jazz Mix Night

thursday

Schedule Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

3.06

The B.O.B Clean Comedy Showcase I B & N (Woodland Mall) Grand Rapids Writer’s Exchange The Block Clean Comedy Showcase II Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Kzoo Civic Theatre Good People

60 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway Kirkhof Center Unnatural Causes The Livery Euchre Night LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Mulligan’s Pub Two Houses Muskegon Civic Theatre The Dixie Swim Club One Trick Pony Acoustic Stew with: Josh Rose Trio Planet Rock Planet Rave ‘Battle of the Decks’ The Pyramid Scheme LaughFest Preview Kick Off Show Ritz Koney Open Mic Hosted By Jason Eller Rockford Brewing Company Skankadank Saugatuck Center for the Arts Chasing the Dream Paying the Bills St. Cecilia Music Center Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with David Finckel UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., 12 O.Clock Boys Van Andel Arena Skillet Water Street Gallery Little Boxes

friday

3.07

The B.O.B Clean Comedy Showcase I and II Bobarino’s Sprague Brothers Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Amsterdam Celebration! Cinema North & IMAX Theater Celebrating The Classics Czar’s 505 Jamaica Me Crazy Dog Story Theater CrawlSpace Eviction Downtown Holland Girlfriends Weekend Fenian’s Irish Pub Maken & Spain Brothers Frauenthal Center Chee-Yun Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper Fricano Event Center Michigan Irish Music Festival Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed, Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ Program with Father Andrew Rogers

GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography GRCC Ford Fieldhouse Jim Gaffigan The Holiday Bar The John DeGennaro Band The Intersection The Crane Wives, The Sword Kzoo Civic Theatre Good People KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon Judah Friedlander: World Champion Mulligan’s Pub Templar’s Verdict Violent Vessel From Hell Muskegon Civic Theatre The Dixie Swim Club Old Dog Tavern Dave Johnson Real Fantastics The Pyramid Scheme Todd Barry Rory Scovel Nick Thune Rockford Brewing Company Moonrays Rocky’s Bar & Grill Control with DJ Colin Clive Shakespeare’s Lower Level Megan Rae Band Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill The Boss Mustangs 45 Spider and Dangerville UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong Tournament The Union Cabaret & Grille Big Boss Blues Wealthy Theatre Pop Scholars

saturday

3.08

The 411 Club Imperial Sun Crusher 45 Spider The B.O.B Clean Comedy Showcase II Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band and the Here and Now Billy’s Lounge Battle of the Bands Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Amsterdam The Curragh Gasta Dog Story Theater Family Improv Workshop, MARS Improv Downtown Holland Girlfriends Weekend Downtown Muskegon Shrine Circus First Reformed Church of Holland LaughFest SongFest Frauenthal Center Chee-Yun

Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper Fricano Event Center Michigan Irish Music Festival Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed, Fashion and Tea, Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ Program with Father Andrew Rogers GVSU Art Gallery The History of Space Photography The Holiday Bar Chili Cook-Off The Intersection Ultraviolet Hippopotamus Kzoo Civic Theatre Good People KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Ladies Literary Club River City Improv LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Little River Casino Resort Gin Blossoms Louis Benton Lounge Big Boss Blues Lowell Performing Arts Center PJ Walsh LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon Amatuer Stand-Up Showcase, Late Night Stand-Up Showcase Mulligan’s Pub Forrester Muskegon Civic Theatre The Dixie Swim Club Old Dog Tavern Benjamin and Analisa Magian Alan Kazam Duffield Caron Project Walsher Clemons One Trick Pony Special Saturday Night with: The Trace Osgood Brewing Company The Eller Duo Planet Rock Condemned Nation wsg Dear Again, 10 Gauge Rage, Sober Proof The Pyramid Scheme Todd Barry Rory Scovel and Nick Thune Rocky’s Bar & Grill The Ruins The Brothers Picker Seven Steps Up Red Tail Ring Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill Scotch Hollow and AJ Gaither UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong Tournament Wealthy Theatre Maria Bamford, Traditional African Dance in the Annex

sunday

3.09

The 411 Club Sunday Blues Series with Steve Hilger Band and Seventh Son Bobarino’s Thrift Store Trivia DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center Giant Motorcycle Swap Meet DeVos Performance Hall Gilda’s LaughFest presents Mike Birbiglia Downtown Holland Girlfriends Weekend Downtown Muskegon Shrine Circus Dr. Grins Amateur Stand-Up Showcase, Late Night Stand-Up Showcase Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery The History of Space Photography The Intersection Motionless in White Kzoo Theatre Good People KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Kzoo State Theatre Amos Lee wsg Chris Kasper Old Dog Tavern Old Time Jam Perrin Brewing Company The Blackout Diaries The Pyramid Scheme Board Game Night Hosted By Vault of Midnight Riverfront Hotel Sunday Night Funnies Salt of the Earth Shari Kane and Dave Steel San Chez Bistro Wine and Canvas Schuler Books 28th Street Kathy and Brendan Reichs Author Talk & Booksigning: Exposure Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill Humming House plus Horseshoes and Hand Grenades UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Chiaroscuro Film Festival 2014: Une Estonienne à Paris, Ping Pong The Union Cabaret & Grille Union All Saints Brunch Wealthy Theatre Dick Gregory, Redd Fox, Rudy Ray Moore

monday

3.10

DeVos Performance Hall Gilda’s LaughFest and Broadway Grand Rapids presents An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper Grand Rapids Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Grand Valley State University Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Hope College The Photography of Stephen Milanowski Knickerbocker Theatre The Rocket LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon Hashtag Rustbelt O’Toole’s Open Mic Night The Pyramid Scheme Late Night Comedy Pros

tuesday

3.11

Bar Divani Edye Evans Hyde & Michael Hyde Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Hope College The Photography of Stephen Milanowski KIA ARTbreak: John Muir in the New World, Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Kirkhof Center Her Story with Jo Ann Wassenaar, Intercultural Week -Danzas Aztecas Workshop, Japanese Cultural Association Presents: Tea Ceremony, Sabrosisimo Presents: Showcase Dance Event Knickerbocker Theatre The Rocket LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition

Miller Auditorium Pink Martini Old Dog Tavern Tom Duffield Open Mic Night with Branden Mann The Orbit Room Colin Kane and Brad Williams Rocky’s Bar & Grill Open Mic Hosted By Sam Kenny Schuler Books 28th Street Author Talk and Booksigning with Jocelyn Dettloff: It Rained in the Desert SpeakEZ MOTH Night UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong

wednesday

3.12

DeVos Place Jay Leno: Gilda’s LaughFest Signature Event Dog Story Theater Cash Box Improv Dr. Grins Best of the Midwest Competition Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper Gazelle Sports 2014 St. Patty’s Pub Run GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables

GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography KIA Art League Lecture: Joseph Rosa, Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Kirkhof Center Culture Shock Entertainment Knickerbocker Theatre The Rocket LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon Amateur Stand-Up Showcase, Late Night Stand-Up Showcase Old Dog Tavern Orpheus DJ and Karaoke Planet Rock Planet Rock Karaoke The Union Cabaret & Grille Jazz Mix Night UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Wheelhouse Talks: Michael Hyacinthe, Ping Pong

thursday

3.13

Centennial Park St. Patty’s Day Pacer 5K

Dog Story Theater Don’t We Boys & Rabbit Rabbit Preview Show Dr. Grins Amateur Stand-Up Showcase, Homegrown Show Epic Center Alternative Dance Festival (RAD Fest) Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Kirkhof Center Carly Aquilino Chris Distefano and Andrew Schulz as seen on MTV’s Guy Code Knickerbocker Theatre The Rocket LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon College Stand-Up Showcase Mulligan’s Pub Short Hair Domestics

Planet Rock Planet Rave ‘Battle of the Decks’ The Pyramid Scheme Nerd Show Late Night Community Showcase LaughFest’s Best Ritz Koney Open Mic Hosted By Jason Eller Rockford Brewing Company Peat in the Creel Rocky’s Bar & Grill Rocky’s/Short’s Brewery First-Ever Beer Dinner Saugatuck Center for the Arts Intriguing Conversation (and dance!) with the Grand Rapids Ballet Schuler Books 28th Street Author Talk and Booksigning with The Wellness Forum’s Del Schoes UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical Wealthy Theatre LaughFest presents: WST-3K

friday

3.14

The 411 Club Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials After Party with The Jr. Clark Band The B.O.B LaughSpin Panel Discussion: The Business of

Best Bet: Eclectic

GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Grand Woods Lounge Kari Lynch Band GRCC Ford Fieldhouse Chris Tucker The Intersection Icon for Hire Kzoo Civic Theatre Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, Good People KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Kirby Grill JGJ Knickerbocker Theatre The Rocket LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Master Arts Theatre Comedy Sketched from the Carol Burnett Show Contents Under Pressure McFadden’s Jen Kirkman Miller Auditorium The Fantasticks Mulligan’s Pub Archery Nova Nights Old Dog Tavern Rootstand The Orbit Room Free Beer & Hot Wings: Live at Night The Pyramid Scheme The Tossers The Continental Rockford Brewing Company An Dro Rocky’s Bar & Grill Control with DJ Colin Clive, The Moonrays Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill Hillbilly Casino wsg Murder Party and The Devil Elvis Show UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical Van Andel Arena Monster Jam Wealthy Theatre LaughFest presents: Miranda Sings with Special Guest Colleen Ballinger Webster’s Prime Big Boss Blues Wings Stadium Justin Moore

saturday

3.15

Magic Men Male Revue

The B.O.B St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast, LaughSpin Panel Discussion: Comedy Writing, LaughSpin Panel Discussion: Laughter & Health, Milkshake, National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase I, National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase II The Belvedere Inn St. Patrick’s Day Culinary Celebration

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene | Sounds | Sights | Dining Schedule

Um, OK, this probably isn’t too much of an earthshattering confession, but we here at Revue love a good revue. Even better if said revue includes many shirtless performers and both the words “men” and “male” in the title. (Just in case we were unsure of which junk would be waggling it up on stage.) Oh, and it looks like there’s going to be magic involved.

And it’s ST. FREAKING PATTY’S DAY. Getting lucky doesn’t begin to cover it. Is there any possible way that this evening isn’t going to end in both panties and jaws dropped to the floor? We don’t think so, and we’re never wrong about these things; it comes with the The Magic Men whole territory of being in the revue Male Revue business. Forget drinking green beer Planet Rock, and getting schwastey-faced – come out Battle Creek to this monumental (man-umental?)

March 14, 8 p.m. event, and watch as Planet Rock is $15 eagerly transformed into Planet… planetrockbc.com, starts with a “c,” rhymes with “rock.”

(269) 962-2121 Yeah, you got this. Reported by Emma Kat Richardson

Comedy, National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase I, Libido Funk Circus The Belvedere Inn St. Patrick’s Day Culinary Celebration Bethlehem Lutheran Church Chain of Lakes with Patti Sevensma Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Refurbushed Compass College of Cinematic Arts The Don’t We Boys with Matt Griffo DeVos Performance Hall Symphonic Dances DeVos Place West Michigan Women’s Expo Dog Story Theater The Kickback Improv Dr. Grins National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase II Epic Center Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival (RAD Fest) Farmers Alley Theatre Pinkalicious! the Musical Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables

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Schedule

Jillian Michaels

Schedule Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

Best Bet: Fitness In case you haven’t heard of her, Jillian Michaels is a lot like the real life version of Brooke Windham, Ali Larter’s character from the original Legally Blonde. The difference is, Michaels didn’t get to where she is by bending and snapping; rather, she’s a genuine self-help, self-styled fitness guru with a sense of integrity that stretches beyond the length of a dollar sign. Admittedly, the term “guru” has beJillian Michaels come rather obnoxious James W. Miller and devoid of any sigAuditorium, nificant meaning, but a Kalamazoo multifaceted personality March 27, 7:30 p.m. like Michaels is perhaps $25-$150 best justified in wearing millerauditorium.com, the label. It doesn’t hurt (269) 387-2300 that she also wears labels like “best-selling author” and “Emmy-nominated television personality,” either. (It’s safe to assume there are some high-end Italian labels thrown in there, too.) Embarking on her nationwide “Maximize Your Life” book tour, Michaels is hitting Miller Auditorium this March to insert a little individual sensibility into a month defined by madness and pork rinds. Reported by Emma Kat Richardson

62 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Billy’s Lounge Hip Pocket Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Refurbushed Celebration! Cinema North MET Opera LIVE: Werther Compass College of Cinematic Arts Don’t We Boys with Rabbit Rabbit The Curragh St. Patrick’s Day with Peat in the Creel, AnDro, Millish, The Moxie Strings and more Crush Michael Sheppard DeVos Performance Hall Symphonic Dances DeVos Place West Michigan Women’s Expo Dimnent Chapel - Hope College Jeff Allen Dog Story Theater Family Improv Workshop, Human Amusements Downtown Grand Rapids GR Bar Crawl Downtown Grand Rapids Irish on Ionia Dr. Grins National Stand-Up Comedy Showcase II Eighth Street Market Place St. Patrick’s Day Parade Epic Center Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival (RAD Fest) Farmers Alley Theatre Pinkalicious! the Musical Fenian’s Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Music Sessions Fifth Street Hall St. Patrick’s Day Party/Reuben Sandwiches FireKeepers Casino Hotel Crosby Stills and Nash Flanagan’s Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Fountain Street Church The Tenderloins Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery The History of Space Photography Grand Woods Lounge St. Patrick’s Day Celebration The Holiday Bar St. Patrick’s Day Celebration The Intersection Mega 80s Kzoo Civic Theatre Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat, Good People Kzoo Expo Center Kalamazoo Living History Show KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County

Kirby Grill Oregon Dreamchild Knickerbocker Theatre The Rocket Ladies Literary Club River City Improv LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Loutit District Library Traditional Irish Music Session LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Master Arts Theatre Comedy Sketched from the Carol Burnett Show Contents Under Pressure Miller Auditorium Puppet Up! - Uncensored Mulligan’s Pub Flood the Desert Mine Enemies Fall Apostles Old Dog Tavern Benjamin and Analisa Whiskey Before Breakfast Duffield Caron Project Planet Rock Unhinged: Birthday Bash with Model Citizen and SXX The Pyramid Scheme LaughFest Late Night Comedy Pros and LaughFest’s Best Rocky’s Bar & Grill St. Patrick’s Weekend Blowout with B.E.A.M. Saugatuck and Douglas Saugatuck St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl Saugatuck Brewing Irish Breakfast The Moxie Strings and More Saugatuck Center for the Arts St. Patrick’s Day Pet Parade Seven Steps Up Honey Dew Drops South Harbor Church Brian Vander Ark Live UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical Van Andel Arena Monster Jam Wealthy Theatre LaughFest presents Our Diversity Show, Reading the Body with Margi Flint

sunday

3.16

Bobarino’s Thrift Store Trivia Cannonsburg Ski and Ride Area Neff Beach Bash Cook-DeWitt Center What’s Up with the Spring Sky: Sky Viewing with Doug Furton The Curragh St. Patrick’s Day with Peat in the Creel AnDro Millish and more DeVos Place West Michigan Women’s Expo

Dr. Grins Amateur Stand-Up Showcase, Late Night Stand-Up Showcase Epic Center Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival (RAD Fest) Founders Brewery Islands Fountain Street Church Laughfest- Sinbad Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery The History of Space Photography The Holiday Bar St. Patrick’s Day Celebration The Intersection Break Science Kalamazoo Civic Theatre Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Mangiamo! Live Accordion Quinn and Tuites Conklin Ceili Waxies Billies and more Riverfront Hotel Sunday Night Funnies Salt of the Earth AnDro San Chez Bistro Wine and Canvas Seven Steps Up Jeffrey Foucault wsg Caitlin Canty UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Ping Pong Van Andel Arena Monster Jam Wealthy Theatre Reading the Body with Margi Flint

monday

3.17

American Legion St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Bobarino’s West Michigan Jazz Society Presents The Modern Mayors with Chris Lawrence Marcus Eliot Ben Rolston and Stephen Boegehold Brann’s Steakhouse St. Patrick’s Day Celebration The Curragh St. Patrick’s Day with Peat in the Creel AnDro Millish and more DeVos Performance Hall Brit Floyd ‘Discovery World Tour 2014’ Flanagan’s Irish Pub St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper Grand Rapids Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Grand Valley State University Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Grand Woods Lounge St. Patrick’s Day Celebration The Holiday Bar St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with Tommy B. and The Verk The Intersection G-Eazy LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Mary Idema Pew Library GVSU Latino Film Series O’Toole’s Open Mic Night Quinn and Tuites Conklin Ceili, Waxies, Billies and more

tuesday

3.18

Aquinas College Sisters of Selma Film and Discussion Bar Divani Molly Bouwsma Schultz & Ryan K Wilson DeVos Performance Hall Mama Mia! Eberhard Center ‘Ain’t I a Woman: My Journey to Womanhood’ with Laverne Cox Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography KIA ARTbreak: Field Guides, Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway: Photographs by Christopher Payne, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Miller Auditorium Million Dollar Quartet Old Dog Tavern Tom Duffield, Open Mic Night with Branden Mann Rocky’s Bar & Grill Open Mic Hosted By Sam Kenny UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., The Beehive Collective Presents: Rock Bottom

wednesday

3.19

Crush The River Rogues Jazz Band DeVos Performance Hall Mama Mia! Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Kzoo Civic Theatre Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat KIA Book Discussion: The American Way of Eating, Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Miller Auditorium Million Dollar Quartet Old Dog Tavern Orpheus DJ and Karaoke Planet Rock Planet Rock Karaoke UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

The Union Cabaret & Grille Jazz Mix Night

thursday

3.20

friday

3.21

The 411 Club Big Boss Blues The B.O.B Starfarm Cancun Connection Bar & Grill YSU DeVos Performance Hall Symphony Idol DeVos Place Ultimate Sport Show Dog Story Theater Bellydance Grand Rapids Dr. Grins Justin Leon Farmers Alley Theatre Pinkalicious! the Musical Frauenthal Center An Evening of Jazz with Edye Evans Hyde Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography Grand Woods Lounge Brena The Intersection Uncle Kracker, White Trash Blues Revival

Kalamazoo Civic Theatre Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County Kirby Grill Three’s a Crowd LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Lakeshore Middle School Rent The Livery Brian Vander Ark LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Mulligan’s Pub Dave Vacant & The Troubled Troubadours Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish Old Dog Tavern Hired Hands Singer-Songwriter Showcase with Dave Johnson Planet Rock Trust No One The Pyramid Scheme Grand Rapids Soul Club Rocky’s Bar & Grill Control with DJ Colin Clive UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

The Union Cabaret & Grille The Steve Hilger Band University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical

saturday

3.22

The 411 Club Big Boss Blues The B.O.B Chili Blues and Brews, Crossroads Resurrection, Jedi Mind Trip Billy’s Lounge Battle of the Bands, Chicago Afrobeat Project Cancun Connection Bar & Grill YSU DeVos Performance Hall Symphony Idol DeVos Place Ultimate Sport Show Dog Story Theater Bellydance Grand Rapids Dr. Grins Justin Leon Farmers Alley Theatre Pinkalicious! the Musical Fenn Valley Ethnic Winemaker’s Dinner First Baptist Church Alice’s Adventures in Through the Looking Glass Founders Brewery Twiddle Foundry Hall The Crossing Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper Grand Haven Community Center Grand Pizza & Beer Fest GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series

Scene | Sounds | Sights | Dining Schedule

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Infamous Stringdusters wsg Fruition DeVos Performance Hall Mama Mia! DeVos Place Ultimate Sport Show Dr. Grins Justin Leon Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed GVSU Art Gallery Mathias J. Alten, The History of Space Photography The Intersection Gungor, Veil of Maya Kzoo Civic Theatre Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat

KIA Cultural Encounters: India Burma and Tibet, Inside Steinway: Photographs by Christopher Payne, Young Artists of Kalamazoo County LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Miller Auditorium Wait Wait...

Don’t Tell Me! Mulligan’s Pub Black Fruit Planet Rock Planet Rave ‘Battle of the Decks’ The Pyramid Scheme Electric Citizen The Risin’ Sun Haunted Leather Mark Matos OS Beaches Ritz Koney Open Mic Hosted By Jason Eller Rockford Brewing Company Roosevelt Diggs Saugatuck Center for the Arts Real to Reel: Somm Spectrum Theater Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids Presents Driving Miss Daisy St. Cecilia Music Center Regina Carter UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical

REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

63

Schedule GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed The Intersection We the Kings Kzoo Expo Center Reptile & Exotic Animal Show, Shipshewana on the Road KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County Kirby Grill Three’s a Crowd LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Lemonjello’s We Know Jackson LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Mulligan’s Pub Stikyfut Old Dog Tavern Magician Alan Kazam, Duffield Caron Project, Drag Show Planet Rock Hairbangers’ Ball with Hairmania The Pyramid Scheme LadyFest GR: The Blow DJ Lynnee Denise Nobody’s Darlin’ Ramsdell Theatre Manistee Spring and All Music Festival Rivertown Sports Grand Raggidy Roller Girls VS Chicago Outfit (Double Header) Rocky’s Slumlord Radio The Waxines The Outlaws of Zen **** Sandwich Seven Steps Up Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys Spectrum Theater Jewish Theatre GR Presents Driving Miss Daisy Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill Junior Brown and Adam Lee UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical Wealthy Theatre GRFAS concert series: Squirrel Hillbillies

sunday

Schedule Dining | Sights | Sounds | Scene

3.23

Bobarino’s Thrift Store Trivia DeVos Performance Hall Symphony Idol DeVos Place Ultimate Sport Show Farmers Alley Theatre Pinkalicious! the Musical Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Civic Theatre Les Miserables GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Kzoo Expo Center Shipshewana on the Road KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County

64 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Kent District Library: Plainfield Meet the Author: Luis Carlos Montalvan Mangiamo! Live Accordion McFadden’s C4 Baby and Toddler co-ed Pantry Shower Mulligan’s Ozenza, Antique Scream Riverfront Hotel Sunday Night Funnies Salt of the Earth Red Sea Pedestrians San Chez Bistro Wine and Canvas Spectrum Theater Jewish Theatre GR Presents Driving Miss Daisy UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

University Theatre 9 to 5 The Musical Van Andel Arena Demi Lovato: The Neon Lights Tour

monday

3.24

DeVos Place Paws Claws & Corks Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Loosemore Auditorium Kama Sywor Kamanda Poetry Reading & Book Signing O’Toole’s Open Mic Night Seven Steps Up Anna Nalick

tuesday

3.25

Bar Divani Sylvia Brooks Taylor & Mark Kahny Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed The Intersection Eddie Money KIA ARTbreak: Kzoo River: Evidence and Omen, Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Old Dog Tavern Tom Duffield Open Mic Night with Branden Mann The Pyramid Scheme Future Islands Rocky’s Open Mic Hosted By Sam Kenny

Schuler Books 28th Street Local Author Night UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

wednesday

3.26

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe Homebrewing and Bottling Demonstration Cook-DeWitt Center French Melodies Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed The Intersection Breathe Carolina KIA Cultural Encounters: India Burma and Tibet, Inside Steinway: Photographs by Christopher Payne, Young Artists of Kzoo County LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Old Dog Tavern Orpheus DJ and Karaoke Planet Rock Planet Rock Karaoke UICA ...Mercurial Silence..., Open Projector Night No. 7 The Union Cabaret & Grille Jazz Mix Night

thursday

3.27

Cook-DeWitt Center GVSU Writers Series: Samrat Upadhyay Dr. Grins Collin Moulton Foundry Hall Bill Staines Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed The Intersection Charlie Worsham, Cherub KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County Knickerbocker Theatre Great Performance Series: Cherish the Ladies LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex

Trace Bundy

Best Bet: Acoustic The way things are going in the record industry, very Trace Bundy and few artists can still maintain a stance of true independence Sungha Jung without also looking like total weenies/posers. The excepPeter Martin Wege tion to this rule is Trace Bundy, a legitimately swinging solo Theatre, Grand musician who bears the notable distinction of having sold Rapids close to 100,000 albums on his personal label, Honest Ninja March 21, 8 p.m.

Music. How’s that for integrity? That’s what we call indie cred $18-$25 with a side of throwing death stars. Accompanied by Sungha grballet.com, Jung, another distinguished modern ax-master, Trace and his (616) 454-4771 wildly ambitious combination of fretboarding, looping and all kinds of string pluck-age are making their way over to GR for a night of mind-blowing musical mayhem. And if you think that assessment is a gross exaggeration, just remember, this guy ain’t no NINO (that’s “ninja in name only”) - he’s as close to the real live friggin’ deal as any of us is ever likely to get.

Reported by Emma Kat Richardson

LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Miller Auditorium Jillian Michaels: Maximize Your Life Mulligan’s Pub The Carboys Rock Bottom String Band Planet Rock Planet Rave ‘Battle of the Decks’ Ritz Koney Open Mic Hosted By Jason Eller

Rockford Brewing Company Hawks and Owls Salt of the Earth Shorts Brewery Beer Dinner and Roast Reunion Spectrum Theater Jewish Theatre GR Presents Driving Miss Daisy UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

friday

3.28

The 411 Club Beast in the Field, Bonehawk, The Boss Mustangs, the Fuzzrites The Alley Door Club West Side Soul Surfers

LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Miller Auditorium One Night Of Queen performed by Gary Mullen & The Works Old Dog Tavern Steve Pesch Wine Bar Duo Osgood Brewing The Eller Duo The Pyramid Scheme Shearwater, Death Vessel, Jesca Hoop Rockford Brewing Company Barefoot Sunday Rocky’s Control with DJ Colin Clive, The Moonrays St. Cecilia Music Center Eat Drink and Be Merry UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

The Union Cabaret & Grille The Marci Linn Band Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill Woody Pines

saturday

3.29 Arnie’s Solo Piano The B.O.B. Brena

Billy’s Lounge Mr. Fables, Nixon, Martel Noir, DJ Snax Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Jaded 8 Central City Tap House The Big Lebowski Beer Tour DeltaPlex Arena & Conference Center West Michigan Pet Expo DeVos Performance Hall Bach’s St. Matthew Passion Dr. Grins Collin Moulton FireKeepers Casino Hotel Gabriel Iglesias Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Ballet Company Movemedia GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Kzoo Expo Center KazooPex Stamp & Cover Show KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County Kirby Grill Groove Solution LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex

Louis Armstrong Theatre - GVSU Sex and the Supernatural LowellArts! 28th Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition Mulligan’s Pub Remedy Blue Old Dog Tavern Benjamin and Analisa Magician Alan Kazam Duffield Caron Project The Band Up The Outer Vibe Planet Rock Tool Tribute Band with Wonderboy Dismissed The Pyramid Scheme Mustard Plug The Koffin Kats The Campanellis Sol Rocky’s The Riley Brothers & Friends Spectrum Theater Jewish Theatre GR Presents Driving Miss Daisy Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill The Twistin Tarantulas wsg Death By Rodeo UICA ...Mercurial Silence...

Wealthy Theatre GRFAS concert series: Bill Staines

sunday

3.30

Bobarino’s Thrift Store Trivia

DeltaPlex Arena West Michigan Pet Expo DeVos Performance Hall Bryan Adams Forest Hills Fine Arts Center Orchestra From Planet X Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Ballet Company Movemedia GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Kzoo Expo Center KazooPex Stamp & Cover Show KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County The Livery Irish Music Session Louis Armstrong Theatre - GVSU Theatre at Grand Valley presents ‘Sex and the Supernatural’ Mangiamo! Live Accordion Old Dog Tavern Buttermilk Jamboree Fundraiser Riverfront Hotel Sunday Night Funnies

Salt of the Earth Billy Strings and Don Julin in concert San Chez Bistro Wine and Canvas Spectrum Theater Jewish Theatre GR Presents Driving Miss Daisy Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill West MichiganBlues Society Presents Bryan Lee Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts ...Mercurial Silence...

Wealthy Theatre WYCE Live at Wealthy presents Martin Sexton

monday

3.31

Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Knickerbocker Theatre Spinning Plates LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex O’Toole’s Open Mic Night n

jazz world-class artists ng ati

Ce lebr

The B.O.B. Brena Billy’s Lounge Glamhammer Cancun Connection Bar & Grill Jaded 8 DeVos Performance Hall Bach’s St. Matthew Passion Dimnent Memorial Chapel Piano Concert by Arthur Greene Dr. Grins Collin Moulton Frederik Meijer Gardens Bernar Venet, Butterflies Are Blooming, Committed to Paper GRAM ArtPrize 2013: Encore, Legacy, The Stuart & Barbara Padnos Foundation Collection, Michigan Artist Series GR Ballet Company Movemedia GR Public Museum Dinosaurs Unearthed Grand Woods Lounge DJ Justin Kung The Intersection Sam Roberts Band KIA Cultural Encounters, Inside Steinway, Young Artists of Kzoo County Kirby Grill The Cheap Dates LaFontsee Galleries Out of the Polar Vortex Louis Armstrong Theatre - GVSU Sex and the Supernatural

130 years

Her incredible “Southern Comfort” tour deftly mixes jazz, gospel, country and southern rock.

March 20, 2014

Amazing Artists

JA ZZ

scmc-online.org 616.459.2224 St. Cecilia Music Center REVUEWM.COM | March 2014 |

Scene | Sounds | Sights | Dining Schedule

Regina Carter

Showcasing the world’s most

65

Last Call

by Elijah Brumback

Tequila Sage Fizz at CitySen Lounge, City Flats Hotel, Grand Rapids

The Fizz came into popularity starting in the early 20th century. While traditionally made with Gin, The Fizz citrus and soda combination is now the basis for countless cocktails. CitySen Lounge’s south of the border take on the fizz is a refreshingly sweet but spicy one-way ticket to partying on spring break with James Franco, ya’ll.

However, it might not be on the menu for long, as the infused spirits will likely change in April.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. White pepper and lemon infused Tequila (Jose Cuervo Gold) 1/2 oz. Fresh lemon sours & simple syrup Sage 4 oz. Reed’s Ginger Beer Splash of soda Lemon wedge

HOW TO MAKE IT:

Mix tequila with lemon sours and syrup. Pour over ice in a Colin’s glass, add sage and finish with ginger beer and a splash of soda.

66 | REVUEWM.COM | March 2014

Photo: Erica Horoky