WHAT'S INSIDE
Collazo (City Built
JOSH VEAL , Managing Editor | josh@serendipity-media.com
In the history of humankind, trends have never moved faster, and the world of beer is no exception.
Craft beer culture exploded in the 2010s, with longtime brewers like Founders and Bell’s suddenly taking off like a rocket ship after more than a decade of struggling to get much attention outside of true aficionados.
Meanwhile, smaller breweries popped up around Grand Rapids and in just about every town across West Michigan, leading residents here to claim the title of Beer City, USA in 2012. The scene only grew after that, arguably peaking around 2016 or so.
Since then, we’ve seen a number of breweries either close up shop or merge with others. You may remember Elk Brewing, Arcadia Brewing, and even the recently shuttered Brewery Nyx.
Certainly, some of this can be attributed to Covid, but the shift began prior to the pandemic. As far as I can tell, people eventually just got tired of drinking so many 9% double IPAs and 12% barrel-aged stouts. And it didn’t help when hard seltzers came in and swept the nation.
And yet, craft beer is by no means dead. Those breweries that set up in small towns are now firmly established as part of the community. They’re just as much event spaces and restaurants as they are breweries. I don’t believe craft beer is going anywhere, and I fully expect it to see a resurgence at some point, just like vinyl and CDs have.
In the meantime, we are going to see breweries doing things differently than they did 10, or even 5, years ago. That’s what we discuss in this issue, especially with our Brewers Roundtable, which brought together local experts who’ve been in the industry for years to look at what’s changed, what challenges they’re facing, and what’s next.
You’ll also find our annual brewery guide, shining a spotlight on all the other things there are to enjoy at your local taproom, whether it’s events, games, food, patio, comedy or music—on top of great beer, of course.
This month, you can also read interviews with Dashboard Confessional, Neko Case, Jim Jefferies and more. Plus, it’s October, so check out our guide of Halloween haunts and parties around West Michigan! If you get too scared, you can always wind down with a round of brews.
‘Til next time,
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Managing Editor | Josh Veal, josh@serendipity-media.com
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WHAT’S GOING ON, OCT '24
10/4
SKELETOUR SPOOKTACULAR
Downtown Kalamazoo
Oct. 4-31
@downtownkalamazooshops
This October, Downtown Kalamazoo transforms into a haunted haven with the All-New SkeleTour Spooktacular! Starting October 5th, over 50 eerie skeletons will take over downtown, each one sponsored by local businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations. Brought to you by Metro Toyota and Downtown Kalamazoo Shops, this month-long celebration invites you to explore the spooky displays, bring the kids for Boos In The Zoo, enjoy the Bones & Boogie Bash-an adults only costume contest/dance party, join the Creep & Crawl Bar Crawl, and win devilishly delightful prizes.
DOWNTOWN HOLLAND FALL FEST
Oct. 4-5
hollandfallfest.com
Don’t miss the nation’s best professional pumpkin carvers live in action as they carve the biggest pumpkins you’ve ever seen! This two-day fall-themed fest also has street performers, pumpkin painting and activities for children, along with community tulip planting at Window on the Waterfront, plus a massive artisan vendor market and hayrides at Windmill Island Gardens! Plus, for the first time ever, Fall Fest will feature popular Michigan folk band Michigan-IO live in concert.
PULASKI DAYS
Grand Rapids
Oct. 4-6
pulaskidays.org
Pulaski Days are the distinctly West Michigan holiday celebrating all things Polish, from kielbasa to polka, beer and music. Founded in 1973 as a way to let the public connect with the otherwise exclusive Polish halls, this annual event has grown into a week-long celebration for friends, family and strangers alike. Na zdrowie!
10/6
FALL BAZAAR
Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits - Kentwood
2885 Lake Eastrbook Blvd, Kentwood
Oct. 6, 12-7 p.m.
broadleafbeer.com
Fall in love with local arts at our annual Bazaar Bash! Join for a day of shopping, sipping, and savoring as we showcase a popup market filled with talented artists. Round up your crew, grab a drink, and indulge in delicious bites from the scratch kitchen. Whether you’re on the hunt for gifts or a one-of-a-kind treasure for yourself, the Fall Bazaar is the place to be.
2024 HALLOWEEN BASH AT THE MARKET
Fulton Street Market
1145 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Oct. 6, 3-7 p.m.
fultonstreetmarket.org
Returning for its fourth year, BetkaPope Production’s Halloween Bash at the Market will feature more than 100 vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, and more. This free, all-ages event will also have the Goblin Lane with 12 half-booths dedicated to young artists. Expect art, crafts, perfume, clothes, jewelry, candles, food and much more. It’s the perfect place to get a jumpstart on your holiday gift shopping!
10/8
TUESDAY NIGHT MOVIE: PRACTICAL MAGIC
Wealthy Theatre
1130 Wealthy St., Grand Rapids Oct. 8, 8 p.m. grcmc.org
Every Tuesday Night, Wealthy Theatre hosts a classic film like The Big Lebowski, Pulp Fiction, and more. Throughout October, the movies are relatively spooky, such as Young Frankenstein and A Nightmare on Elm Street. On the 8th, come through for Practical Magic, a fantasy rom-com with a cult following starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters and practical witches.
10/11
ZOO GOES BOO
John Ball Zoo
1300 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Oct. 11-27 jbzoo.org
Your family friendly trick-or-treat destination is back! Enjoy bewitching decorations, 13 twisted treat stations, and an endless supply of animal fun. Immerse yourself in the festivities, grab your best cape, and be captivated by magicians, fire performers, jugglers, facepainters and more. You may even catch a glimpse of some villains too! Trick-or-Treaters are encouraged to bring a bag for candy. Allergy-friendly options will also be available, just look for booths with teal pumpkins and ask for a special token. Tokens can be redeemed for allergy-friendly options at a specialty booth.
10/18
CLUB 90’S PRESENTS PINK PONY
CLUB - A CHAPPELL ROAN NIGHT
The Intersection
133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 18, 8 p.m. sectionlive.com
Step into the world of Chappell Roan for a night of epic music, dance, and fun! Embrace the vibrant, eclectic style of this themed dance party with touring DJs spinning your favorite hits so you can dance all night long. (This is a tribute night. Chappell Roan will not be at the event.)
10/19
KATE NASH
The Pyramid Scheme
68 Commerce Dr. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 19, 7 p.m. pyramidschemebar.com
Nearly 20 years into her everevolving career, London and LAbased, Brit award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and activist Kate Nash has seen it all. She’s achieved huge commercial success, seen the darker side of the industry after being dropped in 2012, forged her own path as a successful independent artist, and starred in HBO’s hit wrestling drama, GLOW. See her in Grands Rapids this month!
10/25
GRAND RAPIDS TATTOO FESTIVAL
DeVos Place Convention Center
333 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Oct. 25-27
grandrapidstattoo.com
The 2nd Annual Grand Rapids Tattoo Festival offers a selection of more than 250 of the best artists from all over the world for three days of tattooing, art making, merch selling, and much more. At the Festival, attendees will have the opportunity to get tattooed from traveling and local artists alike—either book in advance or find artists taking walk up tattoos on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will also be contests where you can enter your tattoos that you have previously collected, watch contests take place, and see some of the best artists from across the globe practice their craft.
RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY
Van Andel Arena
130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Oct. 25-27
vanandelarena.com
Bringing to life an arena spectacle at an unbelievable scale, The Greatest Show on Earth will debut stunning feats of real human achievement,
Ringling Bros. COURTESY PHOTO
musical performances blended with aerial artistry, modern comedy and never-before-seen acts on highwire, trapeze, bicycles and more. The reimagined American icon captivates families through a multiplatform, 360-degree experience that brings fans into the action.
10/26
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW W/ LIVE SHADOW CAST
1341 Theatre Dr., Kalamazoo Oct. 26, 8 p.m. millerauditorium.com
Damn it Janet! The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back at Miller Auditorium! Tune in for a screening of the original unedited movie with the professional live shadow cast, Rocky Horror in Abundance. Get dressed as your favorite character and join us for an audience participation experience like no other! Add on an exclusive VIP experience to round out the night!
Merchandise and prop bags will be available at the show for purchase with cash only.
10/27
MERCHANTS OF THE MACABRE ODDITIES MARKET
Downtown Market
435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 27, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. downtownmarketgr.com
Slip into the shadows and search through strange items of the magical, mystical, and macabre at the Downtown Market. This peculiar gathering of unusual vendors and mysterious merchants will present their wares under the Market Shed, where taxidermy, skeletal specimens, tarot cards, art prints, and true crime memorabilia rule supreme! Make your way through the intriguing offerings of this oddities market, then head inside for a bite to eat from the Market Hall.
NEKO CASE: Fighting Fire with Fire
| by Eric Mitts
When critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Neko Case’s house burned down six years ago, she rose from the ashes, with the release of her last full-length solo album, 2018’s Hell-On
Having finished recording the album in Sweden when her Vermont home caught fire, she tried to focus on the positive when she returned stateside. She hadn’t lost any loved ones, or any animals, in the blaze. She still had her music, and her career, and life out on tour.
Then 2020 came, and the pandemic hit.
“The combination of the pandemic and my house burning down was really bad,” Case told Revue via phone last month. “I’m going to be paying off what happened in the pandemic for a long time. I’m still a slave to the pandemic, unfortunately, because I just lost so much money, so many resources, that it’s going to be a long time before I don’t feel the heavy weight of the pandemic, to be honest.”
Completely candid in song and conversation, Case didn’t hold back, sharing how her home still hasn’t been completely repaired, and how lockdown left her with little options for income for years.
Thus the title, and timing, of her upcoming memoir, couldn’t be more apt. Entitled The Harder I Fight The More I Love You , her memoir of her life and childhood, takes her revered voice and lyrical storytelling from the stage to the page.
Due out Jan. 28, 2025, via Hatchette Publishing, the book reflects on her time growing up as an “invisible girl raised by two dogs and a space heater” in rural Washington state. It’s both a meditation on the improbable trajectory of her rare talent, and a manifesto on punk rock spirit, and relentless self-perseverance.
“I didn’t want to write a memoir,” Case said. “I wanted to write something else. But I was going to be paid to write a memoir. So that’s what I wrote. It was fun. Don’t get me wrong. I had a really good time doing it, but writing about myself feels a little bit weird.”
Adding that she’s already pretty bare as a songwriter, Case said she felt naked when writing the memoir. But not being particularly guarded in her music either, she found the experience more interesting than invasive.
“I think I would have enjoyed writing fiction or something much better,” she said. “But, I was offered the book deal during the pandemic, and I really needed a source of income. And that was what it was. I don’t do things just for money, ever. So I did put myself into it. And I did work hard, and make hard decisions. But I’d never done anything like that before.”
Case, whose music career now spans over 30 years—including her decades working with Canadian indie-rock icons The New Pornographers—said she did take influence from some other legendary musicians’ memoirs when approaching her own.
“My book doesn’t resemble either of these, but I was heavily influenced by all of Patti Smith’s writing because she’s just completely brilliant, and her books are just incredible works of art,” Case said. “And also the Rickie Lee Jones biography, Last Chance Texaco , is particularly good. It’s one of the best musician’s memoirs I’ve ever read.”
Case herself has written her own Substack newsletter, “Enter The Lung,” since 2021. She turned to the subscription platform during the pandemic as a way to disconnect from the cruelty of conventional social media, while still finding a way to connect with her fans directly, and sharing her love of nature.
She’s also recently neared completion on her upcoming new solo album, slated for release some time next year. With the new record opening a new chapter in her life following the deep reflection of her memoir, her eighth studio album will mark her first time working with a symphony orchestra as she teamed up with her longtime friend, violinist Tom Hagerman of DeVotchKa, as well as members of the Colorado Symphony.
In a time when AI and other technology threatens to push into more aspects of the music industry, Case said she wanted real human beings playing real instruments on the album.
“This record is very much about musicians,” she said. “And I really, really, really wanted actual musicians to play stringed instruments and French horns, et cetera. Not that there’s any shade to anybody who plays those instruments on synthesizers, or with plugins, or anything. I think everything is valid, but I really wanted the musicians to be there, and I wanted it to sound very much like living people were there. A lot of times you can’t tell the difference, but I can, and I really wanted to hear the air move based on human beings sitting next to each other, and breathing, and it was so worth it.”
Case said she plans to play a few of the new songs on her current fall tour, and plans to have a very busy 2025 as well.
“Everything is so up in the air,” she said. “The book comes out on the 28th of January. The record I don’t know the exact date for yet. And then I’m working on a musical (adaptation of an Academy Award-winning film), but I don’t know if it’s going to come out next year, or the year after, so I can’t really say. But all I can tell you is there’s so much work that will bloom into something.” ■
NEKO CASE
Wsg. Imaad Wasif
GLC Live at 20 Monroe, 11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Oct. 17, 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, All ages, $55+ Nekocase.com, Glcliveat20monroe.com
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL: It Takes a Village
| by Michaela Stock
When Chris Carrabba songwrites, he clears his calendar.
“If I allow it to overtake my day, my life, for however long it’s going to visit me, the song itself is so much better for it,” Carrabba told Revue . “It is inherently selfish, and by that I mean, it’s not my selfishness; it’s the song’s selfishness.”
As the lead singer of Dashboard Confessional, an alt-rock solo project, Carrabba cherishes when his creative muse appears—even if that means canceling plans with his friends to finish a song.
“I’m pretty vocal with the people that care enough about me to want to forgive this kind of behavior. It almost makes me sound like I’m a victim of it, but I’m not. It’s a wonderful place to get to.”
Despite Dashboard Confessional’s commercial success—including a number two record on Billboard U.S. charts—like most artists, Carrabba’s bursts of creativity are often doubleedged with imposter syndrome.
“Within the same course of hours, you might feel like songwriting was your purpose, and then conversely you think, ‘How did they let a hack like me into the door? How’d they even sell me guitar strings?’” Carrabba said. “You feel totally invigorated by the process and
then absolutely lost for any comfort.”
If Carrabba ultimately does deem a song as “bad,” he still sees the time he spent writing as good.
“I’ve actually found [bad songs] to be very instructive. They are a piece that I have to write my way through, to collect like shards of energy or like bits of ideas, and put them back into the toolbox for future use. If you don’t allow some of the bad notes out, you’re not going to allow the best note out either.”
Even with 20 years of performing as Dashboard Confessional, Carrabba believes his songs are never truly finished. His music continues to evolve with every tour he takes.
“The daring nature of live performances really is a piece of that continual evolution a song has, where it’s just continued to be written,” Carrabba said. “The meaning of the song is so much richer for all the iterations that it became along the way.”
But these iterations of Carrabba’s work couldn’t be written without his touring crew who travel with him to execute the technical aspect of his performances.
“One of the most beautiful things to me is that I’ve had these traveling companions that are absolutely invested in the show,” Carrabba said. “The bond you have offstage is just so tight, and
the experiences you have traveling the country, and the world, together are so much richer for who you’re with.”
Carrabba’s front of house engineer, Zach Eubanks, is one of these key members on Dashboard Confessionals team. Having first mixed monitors for Carrabba—the mix heard only by the band onstage—he’s now crafting the sound for audiences at each show.
“I can’t do a show without Zach. He’s just incredibly good at front of house, so great that it’s where he should be. It’s sort of the money job, the hero shot.”
Carrabba says that having someone like Eubanks on his team is powerful because of his commitment and understanding of Carrabba’s artistic vision.
“You just develop this kind of trust, and this understanding, that this person cares so much about the show you’re able to put on for them knowing that no one’s clapping for them. It’s a real selfless act, and it takes great skill to do these jobs. We’re so lucky that we’re very often able to keep our crew for long periods of time, if not for their whole career.”
It’s fair to say that these are not nine-to-five roles. Carrabba has spent innumerable hours of his life traveling for his music, having performed on the road before he was old enough to rent a car.
“There is just something indefinably unique about this kind of life that we lead. I would say that the 22 hours we’re not on stage are not that great, but those two hours on stage are tremendous,” Carrabba said. “We’re in the business of delivering people the night of their lives. It’s this valiant, communal effort that I really cherish.”
Whether dedicating months at a time to songwriting, or spending countless nights away on tour, Carrabba wouldn’t have chosen to pursue his life’s purpose any other way.
“As a person, I have grown immeasurably because of Dashboard Confessional,” he said. “I really hope and plan to be able to keep playing these songs with people that care about these songs, but more importantly, care about music in the way that I care about music, for the rest of my life.”
And it seems Carrabba will have the opportunity to do just that, no matter what life throws his way.
“I have always understood that if I had ended up being a manager at a grocery store or something, I would still be racing home to write my little songs,” Carrabba said.
“I don’t think that I had the choice to not do this.” ■
MOVEMENTS: The Beat of His Own Drum
| by Michaela Stock
Musicians don’t get the luxury of planning for their big break, but for drummer Spencer York, that was a good thing. When York joined the post-hardcore band Movements a decade ago, he was merely hoping to make a name for himself where he grew up: in Orange County’s local music scene.
Now an internationally touring drummer and a drum craftsman with his own company, York Drum Co., York’s music has spread far across the Pacific. Revue caught up with him to find out how his journey with Movements began, and what it was like for York to find himself on the road as a young artist.
You knew your bandmates before Movements formed. How did you first meet?
We all knew each other from the local music scene. Patrick, our singer, and Austin, our bassist, went to high school together. I went to the rival high school. We were all in less than noteworthy local bands as high schoolers, and we found our guitarist, Ira, playing in one of his old bands too, which is called Modern. He’s the only one who’s ever done anything that’s actually noteworthy before Movements. So, yeah, (laughs) that’s all I’ll say about that.
Movements formed nearly 10 years ago. What were you up to at that time?
I was going to my local community college, Saddleback College, for my associate’s degree in cinema, television, and radio. My initial plan was to be one of those latest, cool local bands that people within maybe a hundred mile radius had heard of. Maybe do a week or two week tour or something, just to see what it was all about, and then get back to our career paths.
And now you’ve made a career as a drummer. What was a defining moment when you realized Movements was more than just a local band?
I think that the defining moment was when one of us had randomly gone into our Gmail account and saw that we had two emails from two separate record labels that were like, three months old.
One of the other more noteworthy shows was probably our first one at Chain Reaction. We actually had like maybe 20, 30 people that actually knew lyrics to some of the songs and we could hear that back at us on stage, which as somebody who’s always been begging my friends to buy tickets from me so that I can even play the show, that was pretty amazing. I’m pretty sure I cried. At least at the very least, I teared up. It was absolutely surreal.
How has being a part of Movements changed your life personally, not just as an artist?
When we started the band, Patrick was 19. I was 22 or 23. I think the experience of being on tour and being away from home was a big, big part of it. I was forced to actually be on my own and away from people that I was used to being close to on a daily or weekly basis.
That’s an interesting perspective; you essentially became an adult on the road. What were those early touring days like?
I feel like I couldn’t do it at the age I am now. I’m too tired for that. But I definitely have some good and some not so good memories of being in that smaller band, getting a hundred bucks a show, having to sell merch when you’re not on stage, being your own loaders, and then at maybe midnight or 1 a.m., you still have to knock out four hours of your eight hour drive to the next destination. That was an interesting thing to get used to as a kid growing up in Orange County, to all of a sudden find myself waking up in some random Walmart parking lot in Georgia.
Alongside playing drums, you also hand make them. How did you go about starting your own drum company, York Drum Co.?
I grew up in a very frugal family. Both my parents didn’t have much growing up and they did their best to teach me that, while also doing their best effort to give me all the things that they wanted that they couldn’t have. My parents are great for that. So, I went into building drums because I was wanting a certain kind of custom drum kit, but being 19-year-old making minimum wage part-time, it was kind of hard to afford something like that. I thought to myself like, well, what if I just did it myself?
You’ve seemed to have a DIY mentality from the beginning, which has undoubtedly been an asset to your journey. Is there anything else you’d like to say about Movements or being a drummer?
Repetition is everything. Nothing’s going to happen overnight. There’s not always such a thing as talent, but repetition and practice can easily equate to raw talent. So, for anyone out there trying to learn an instrument, or trying to learn to play drums after being a Movements fan or of other bands in the same vein, I would say to just be patient. ■
Halloween, horror, and heavy metal. It’s a match made in, well, hell. It’s also the first time the three have fused together for a brand new seasonal festival taking place here in West Michigan this month.
The vision of Clownpit Entertainment promoter Eric Britz – better known in the Michigan metal scene as Rockso The Pit Clown – the Carnevil Metal Fest will debut Oct. 5 at the New Salem Corn Maze, 4516 24th St., in Dorr (about 20 minutes South of Grand Rapids).
The event will feature 12 bands on two stages, with acts from all around the state, as well as bands from Maryland and Ohio.
The lineup will include headliners Revision Revised, Voids, The Outliers, Final Confession, Walking Down Main, Idol Kings, Sever The Crown, Elswhr, Approaching Autumn, Hyporium, He Who Dwells, and Shake Down.
“I’m 43 years old, and I’ve been going to shows for like 20 years of my life, if not more by this point, and I’ve been in the pits for a long time,” Britz said of his dedication to the hard rock and heavy music scene.
Often getting told that he’s too old to get in the mosh pit, he decided just last year to create an alter ego. Disguising his real identity, by donning his now famous mask and vest, he became Rockso The Pit Clown, and began attracting attention at every show he attended, even if that wasn’t his initial intention.
“I’m a very introverted person,” Britz said. “So it’s kind of twofold. Like, I did it to hide my identity, but in the same
way, I found myself through it. Like, now with the clown, I can’t go to a show here in Michigan without being recognized by somebody.”
Posting photos and videos and other content as Rockso on social media, Britz quickly gained a large following. He soon shifted to becoming a show promoter over the past year. And early on, he said he started hunting down haunted houses to see if he could make his dream festival a reality this fall.
When he reached out to the familyowned haunt at New Salem, he found the perfect partner to make it happen.
“They have their own event the weekend before actually called Wurst Fest,” Britz said. “So they have a stage out there at a haunted house, and I thought this will work. I contacted them and they called me out one afternoon back in the spring, and we discussed. I gave them my sales pitch over a case of beer, and they were like, ‘Hey, I was once a dreamer, too. I want to help you out. Let’s do this.’ And they were sold on it. They said basically, ‘I got a plot of land on the side of the haunt, just make it your own, and do what you can.’”
The 100 percent DIY fest will feature full production from its mainstage headliner, who Britz said plans to bring pyro and other effects to the stage. Britz himself will host the event as Rockso, and he’s debating on whether he will attempt to breathe fire himself, in addition to bringing other carnival-like theatrics to the stage.
He added that he hopes to model Carnevil Metal Fest after the Blue Ridge
CARNEVIL METAL FEST: One Clown’s Dream Come to Life
| by Eric Mitts
Rock Fest in Virginia, which has grown from a small self-produced event into “North America’s largest rock and metal festival” in just a few short years.
“Hopefully I can plant a seed, and it will grow,” Britz said. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
The Carnevil Metal Fest will also include a costume contest, food trucks, beer tent, and horror vendors on site.
“Come in costume,” Britz said of how attendees should prepare for the fest. “I want everyone there in costume. I’m really trying to sell the Halloween aspect of it all, and I want everybody there in costume. It’s definitely a Halloween event, and it’s my favorite time of year myself.”
Trying to recapture the dark magic that Halloween held for him as a kid, that Britz said he feels has died off from the holiday, he wants Carnevil Metal Fest to become a celebration of spooky season in every wicked way.
“Even driving out there to the location, it feels like you’re going to be in a horror movie,” Britz said. “(It’s a) small dirt road drive, and you’re thinking, ‘Where am I going right now?’ But it’s definitely going to be an experience. It’s going to be unique… and for a $20 bill, I don’t think you can really go wrong. I mean, you can’t even go to the movies for that.” ■
CLOWN PIT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS
Carnevil Metal Fest
New Salem Corn Maze 4516 24th St., Dorr Oct. 5, 4 p.m. doors, all ages clownpitentertainment.ticketspice.com/ carnevil-metal-fest
JIM JEFFERIES: Saying What He Wants
| by Eric Mitts
Few comedians are as unfiltered as Jim Jefferies.
The influential Australian comic has refined the art of being charmingly offensive, going headfirst into hot button topics for the entirety of his 20-year career, and not fearing the infamous C-word: Cancelation.
In fact, Jefferies has maintained one of the broadest fan bases in all of comedy, touring literally all over the world, from Australia to America, Asia to South Africa.
“When I moved over to America to begin with, there was sort of a myth that I was only funny because I said the C word, and because of my accent,” Jefferies told Revue ahead of his tour stop coming to the Kalamazoo State Theatre. “But I sold more tickets in Australia where they weren’t fascinated by my accent in the slightest. So it’s just good to know that you can entertain people all over the world.”
Jefferies has done 10 comedy specials, with five of them on Netflix—including last year’s “High & Dry.” He attributes his global reach to the streaming service, and how the Internet has completely reshaped the landscape of comedy.
Growing up in Australia, Jefferies didn’t have American late night TV. So the fact that his comedy reaches millions around the world now puts him in a position he never imagined.
Still, there’s a part of him that misses what comedy used to be, and that distrusts how the Internet continues to reshape what comedy has become.
“I’m not on TikTok, so I’m a bit of a dinosaur in that regard,” Jefferies said. “I don’t think my comedy plays out well on TikTok. I think part of the problem with TikTok is that we’re seeing comedy in short form. So the long-winded stories, or the things that loop around, and the callbacks, the shows being a show, we’re sort of losing that nuance in what a whole comedy performance is, in the same way that people don’t listen to albums anymore. They just listen to individual songs.”
Named Stand-Up Comedian of the Year at the 2019 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Jefferies had a sitcom in the works that got cancelled when the pandemic put a screeching halt on everything.
“It’s hard to put your finger on what happened after the pandemic,” Jefferies said. “It’s hard to know what would have been, and what could have been… But then, on the other hand, without COVID, I may not have married my wife. So you don’t know.”
Now living in Southern California, Jefferies married his wife in 2020, and the couple welcomed their son in 2021. Jefferies’s second child—after having another son 12 years ago in a previous relationship—forced him to reprioritize after the
pandemic, shortening his tour runs.
“Also, I think it taught me that a little bit of time off actually made me a better writer,” he said. “So I had more time to write jokes, and do the behind the work scenes of stand-up comedy rather than just the stuff that people see.”
Jefferies also got sober from alcohol, switching over to weed.
“As soon as I walk off stage, I take an edible, and then I get myself a little bit of something to eat, and I go to bed,” he said. “That’s as much partying as I do these days.”
He added that being sober has made him a better comedian.
“I always had a couple of drinks before I went on stage and a drink could hit you differently,” he said. “Sometimes you couldn’t feel it. Sometimes you felt it too much. And it was a bit of a balancing act. Where now, I don’t drink at all before I go on stage, so I’ve got a clear mind. Maybe with the heckling, I was a little bit faster with the heckles when I was drunk, because you’d say the first thing that came into your mind. But I also said a lot of stupid shit that could have got me in trouble. I think I’m a lot more polished than I’ve ever been.”
Most recently, Jefferies just ended his podcast, “I Don’t Know About That,” learning about a different topic from experts over 200 episodes. He’s also finished work on a to-be-announced Jordan Peele-produced film due out next year. Currently, he’s hosting the game show “The 1% Club” in his native Australia.
“Hosting a game show for a bloke like me is a pretty easy gig,” Jefferies said. “There’s not really lines to learn. You’ve just got to talk to people. You’ve just got to read a few questions, and you’ve just got to keep smiling. And a lot of people gave me shit for hosting a game show. But here’s the deal, man: I f*cking love game shows. I watch at least one game show a day, every day. I like question and answer things. It keeps you engaged.
“Game shows, for me, are the last bit of television where you’re not looking at your phone, because you have to focus. So, as a fan, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to host one because no one would ever see me that way. But I’ve loved every minute of it.” ■
JIM JEFFERIES:
GIVE ‘EM WHAT THEY WANT TOUR
Kalamazoo State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo Oct. 11, 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show, $60-180, 18 and older Jimjefferies.com, Kazoostate.com
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YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO WHAT’S GREAT IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST
| by Allison Kay Bannister
I’m not sure how I got to ripe middle age without ever going through a corn maze, but here we are. I have roots in Iowa as well, which makes it even more perplexing. This time of year, a lot of the big farms host them, and, I have to say, after seeing some of their intricate designs in aerial view, my mind is still wrapping itself around how they actually do this. (Or, I should say it was, until I watched a video on it. But I’m not going to spoil it for you by trying to explain it here.)
While there are plenty of well-known corn maze options in West Michigan, I decided to have my first go at a place that was unfamiliar to me until a couple of months ago. Deep Roots Produce out in Alto has a pretty cool backstory, and they also have an array of farm animals in their petting zoo, so that sealed the deal for me. I brought a friend with me and we headed straight to the cornfield after purchasing our tickets. They have an easy kids’ section, an advanced section, and an intermediate section. Somewhat confident, we took the intermediate path. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was almost immediately confusing. Labyrinthian, you might say.
Hmmm.
I always make a point of orienting myself before hikes by noting my location: which direction I’m heading and where the sun is. So, if I get lost (looking at you Crahen Valley…), I can turn myself around and backtrack. This proved helpful in this instance, after we had woven ourselves in deeply, and really had no clue where we were, except I could tell we were walking south and the sun had started to dip to the west.
We wondered between ourselves what someone would do if they did get seriously lost, but reminded ourselves that this was corn after all and in an emergency we could probably bolt toward the sounds of the road nearby. But we didn’t have to. We found our way to the exit and had some good conversation along the way. I left the field with a new respect for those who are actually following the map and navigating these things and not just aimlessly meandering until they get lucky enough to pop out the other side. (I also later realized that there’s a live GPS tracker that you can scan on your phone. Oh.)
When we got to the air-conditioned market barn, parched, we were excited to see cider slushies on the menu. I grabbed a donut too. Is this not a requirement?! We also cut some u-pick flowers, but those will be faded by the time you’re reading this. The farm animals were all out, and chickens ran away from us while the donkeys and alpacas moved in closer, hoping for a snack. The goats just yawned.
We went at the start of the fall season in September, which runs through the end of October. They are open in the daytime and on Friday and Saturday evenings for either glow nights, which include music, glow sticks, and strobes at the checkpoints, or flashlight nights. Check the Events tab on the website—deeprootsproduce.farm—to see which of these happens when. Saturdays in late September through October they have horse-drawn hayrides, weather permitting. Also check the calendar for goat yoga, a trunk or treat, and story times for the littles.
They close in November and reopen briefly in December for Christmas tree sales and access to the petting zoo. Then it’s just a short winter’s nap and they’re back in early June. They have tons of goods and seasonal produce in the market barn in the summer, plus a huge sunflower field later in the season, so, if you go this fall, keep them on your radar for 2025, too! ■
Craft Conversations:
Times have changed, and here in self-proclaimed Beer City, nowhere is this more evident than craft beer. It’s not that the industry has collapsed and beer is dead, but breweries have become much more than simply a place to grab a pint of IPA. The ones that last have largely become community centers, offering a place to come and eat food, hear music, participate in events, even enjoy some pickleball or bowling.
To discuss these changing times, we invited just a few people who’ve been in the local beer industry for years and have seen the shifting trends firsthand to a small roundtable. Hosted graciously at Harmony Brewing, we had a long chat (that could have gone much longer) about the challenges everyone is facing and what’s coming next. Here’s just a portion of that conversation, for your reading pleasure.
PARTICIPANTS
» Mitch Ermatinger, Owner at Speciation Artisan Ales
» Jon Ward, Experience Warden at Brewery Vivant/Broad Leaf Brewery + Spirits (and more)
» Heather VanDyke-Titus, Owner at Harmony Brewing
» Ryan “Ryno” Wasson, Head Cellar Operator at Pigeon Hill Brewing
» Ed Collazo, Owner at City Built Brewing
HOW HAVE THINGS CHANGED SINCE 5 YEARS AGO?
Ward: From 2019 to now, obviously, it’s a whole new world, and not in the way that we thought it was going to be. More because of half a generation of people turning 21 that don’t know what to do. It’s kind of like the record skipped.
Collazo: Yeah, my son’s 21. He does not drink beer. He’s more of a weed guy.
Ward: That’s the story that we hear time and time again. And that’s a very good point, about how cannabis has affected the industry more from a labor standpoint, it’s very, very hard. A lot of the staff that used to be our service help, people who would come in and work their way up, are just going, “I’d rather trim bud.”
Ermatinger: Yeah, lots of employees that have left and are leaving to go work in that industry.
VanDyke-Titus: Right after Covid, it was just a completely different industry.
Ermatinger: A big part of the appeal of beer was the communal element of it. You take that away and you can’t just be, like, “It’s back now.”
Ward: People learned how to have fun without it. And now they don’t want us to just provide the bigger the platform to have fun, they want us to also provide the fun. That’s been the biggest change for us. We have to not just be a brewery and restaurant, now we have to be an event place, to generate what you’re going to do, instead of just like, “Come here, drink a few and maybe hook up?”
WHAT TYPES OF EVENTS ARE WORKING?
Ward: They come in waves. It’s like, everyone’s excited about trivia, and then everyone’s excited about vinyl night, and then everybody’s excited about dogs.
We have to not just be a brewery and restaurant, now we have to be an event place, to generate what you’re going to do...
Ward
Heather
RYNO
Mitch
Ed
We have to embrace it as the animal it is, instead of trying to steer it into the animal it’s really not.
Ermatinger: It depends on which ones really pick up steam and which ones you have partners that really push it. But yeah, every brewery is now doing tons of events because we have to.
Ward: That’s crucial. The key there is that partner thing. We’re all kind of relying, to some degree, on outside people to create events. You get a place like Hot Glue Crew, they’re going around everywhere.
Collazo: I think you have to be pretty honest to what your ethos is. We did trivia, we didn’t like it. I didn’t like it in my space. I didn’t like the guy that showed up, and it didn’t go well.
Ermatinger: Yeah, whereas trivia is our single best weekday activity every single week. So, it’s very location dependent. I think there’s so many variables. But I do know that I spend the majority of my time now working on events. In the before times, I was spending my time very differently.
VanDyke-Titus: We have an Events Manager, because it’s that much of our business. We’ve always had events, but it’s definitely an increase. Now, you have to have something going on every day of the week. In the same realm, Broad Leaf is doing all kinds of things.
Ward: Pickleball! That stuff is wild.
EXACTLY. HOWEVER YOU PERSONALLY FEEL ABOUT IT —
Ward: I’m fine with it. It’s the most annoying sounding sport in the world, but I was like, “Yeah, we can give it a shot,” and then it was like, sales went up 30%. And now it’s just, how do we double down on it? The big thing right now is, I think all of us want to do cool stuff again, it’s just finding that money to reinvest and still be able to make payroll.
Collazo: I remember someone said, “Do you want to be a brewer who goes out of business? Or you want to be a restaurateur who gets to brew?”
Ward: It’s making those decisions about, what is the intentionality of your company, and how far do you bend to keep it going?
Collazo: All the way over, buddy. Ward: The full somersault.
Wasson: Yeah, we’ve got the Socibowl, and to Ward’s point, we created this animal, but the first year was trying to figure out what that animal was. And we thought it was going to be a big beer sale driver, but it really became more spirit driven. We have to embrace it as the animal it is, instead of trying to steer it into the animal it’s really not. So, that’s shifted my role with the company a little bit. I’ve been doing more proofing of spirits, and I’m actually really enjoying that new challenge. And we added our arcade to that. But if you’d asked me 10 years ago, when I was brewing in the little three-barrel system, if we would have duckpin lanes, I would have probably had to stop laughing to tell you “no.” But now it’s so much fun.
HAVE ALL OF YOU SEEN THAT SHIFT TOWARD SPIRITS?
Ward: It’s been seismic. Vivant’s at about 15% spirits now, trending toward being third to half of liquid sales.
VanDyke-Titus: We’re in a unique situation, because when we started out, we wanted to be people’s neighborhood place, and so you need to be able to offer stuff for everybody. We had the full liquor license in the beginning, so we started with people knowing they could get more than a beer here. And when we added in distribution, part of what we had to do was distill our own spirits, which my brother does right in that room over there.
Ermatinger: We don’t have spirits yet. It’s on the table, but I feel like our menu ticks enough boxes that we don’t need to add it. We have a neutral 8% alcohol seltzer that we have on tap, and we use that to make simple sort of cocktails, with the main one being a “real fruit seltzer.” We really focus a lot on N/A stuff too. And we’ve got a lot of gluten-free options with the seltzer and with wines.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHY WE’RE SHIFTING AWAY FROM BEER TOWARD SPIRITS?
Ward: I do a little bit. I think it’s just trends and the way that generations work. You don’t want to have what your parents had. Also, going back to cannabis, I know for me personally, if I have a big dank IPA and a joint, I’m in trouble. Very, very tired because of the nature of hops.
Ermatinger: There’s a general trend towards “healthier” drinks, for sure. I think that’s kind of undeniable. But for
a while, beer was kind of considered a healthier option. The amount of times I’ve heard brewers say, “people used to drink beer in the dark ages because it was healthier.” The reality is, it’s more subtle than that.
Collazo: My secret beer group isn’t a beer group anymore. They all went hard, and so they’re all changing what they’re drinking because they’re looking to get the same buzz and not so many calories. So, my group is now bourbon group.
Ward: Things change. Trends jump. And it used to be that when a trend changed like this, it was a slow generational change. Everything’s been accelerated with information coming so much faster at you now. The slow shift from vodka to gin, or the slow shift from low ABV to high ABV, those things would take 15-20 years, and now it’s like two years. Overnight, “Well, I’m not drinking that anymore, because somebody said this about it on Master Chef.” It’s chaos.
GOING BACK TO CANNABIS, I DIDN’T REALIZE WHAT A LARGE IMPACT THAT HAD ON THE INDUSTRY.
Collazo: We lost our kitchen to cannabis. My sous chef, before covid, was making $16 an hour. And he’s like, “Dude, I’m gonna go to cannabis, I’m gonna make 16 plus benefits. And I don’t stink at the end of my shift.”
Ward: Well, you stink different.
Collazo: A good stink. But yeah, it’s really hard to find talent.
Ward: For us, one of the biggest hurdles that we’ve had in the past two years is the doubling down of inflation and higher wages. The kitchen was the one thing we could always rely on, and now that’s very, very tough to make profitable, because rightfully so, everybody wants to get paid a living wage, and that’s so much more. And we can’t go to the guests and explain to them, “Look, your burger’s got to be $30 now if we’re going to make a profit.” That’s just the way we would have to operate to be in the same sort of metrics we used to be. So now it’s just like, “Well, we’re going to have to switch some things up.” And I think that there were those busy, crazy years, and so many of those kitchen people, it’s like this generation of chefs that’s just now hitting burnout. I just look around and I see so many chefs leaving the industry, in the same way that about four years ago, I saw brewers doing that. It was a wave of like, “Well, all our backs are toast.”
Ermatinger: The amount of brewers that I know that left during Covid, it’s crazy.
Ward: The reality is, we’re just oversaturated. Breweries are oversaturated. If you have a healthy industry, it self-corrects, and I think we just had five years of that being delayed because of figuring out how to get by during Covid with subsidies and however you would, and customers honestly being great about supporting you. I think now we’re just hitting that point where, like, look, the reality is it’s time to compete, because we’re not all gonna make it. It’s not all going to be sunshine and lollipops anymore. We’ve sold the people a promise: better beer. We’re not all delivering that. And customers see through that.
Ermatinger: It’s really interesting to look at the craft beer section in a normal grocery store. Collazo: It’s changed.
Ermatinger: I might glance at it once every quarter, and every time I look, I’m like, “Holy shit, what is going on?” It’s like macros, seltzer, cider, and N/A have gone up, but then craft beer is a tiny little sliver now.
Ward: And listen, this isn’t a Michigan thing. This is nationwide, if not internationally.
SO, IF YOU HAD TO FORECAST 5 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WHAT DOES THE INDUSTRY LOOK LIKE?
Ward: Shrunk.
Ermatinger: I was literally just going to say the same exact word. Shrunk. And not in a bad way necessarily. It’s just gonna shrink.
Collazo: I think when you go into a space, it’s gonna be different. Like, I’m pretty sure we’re not buying merch anymore. I don’t think people go to restaurants and be like, “I want a hat, want a sticker.” We’re approaching our space differently.
Ward: I think one of the big changes that we’ll see is increasing diversification. Back in the day, when we all opened, we were craft breweries, and that was enough. We differentiated ourselves and we diversified by the types of products that we were doing, our atmosphere, maybe the music that was playing, what people wore there. But now, to your point about retail, that’s Speciation’s biggest thing.
Ermatinger: It’s a growing part of our business now.
Ward: But that’s because you’ve been very intentional about collaborating with people and making it, instead of, “here’s a brewery that has merch,” it’s a merch drop with a clothing place.
Collazo: Yeah, you’ve been your truest self and you’ve found a community. For us, you have this huge population of brown people who know and talk about beer, and that’s what I’m doing. And it’s honest.
Ward: That’s a great point. I think five years from now, you’ll see shrink, but you’ll also see diversification. It won’t be the look that has been the look of a brewery. It’ll be very different. Literally, the visuals of it, the sounds of it, the smells. If you would have told me three years ago when I started at Speciation, after following for so many years and loving the death metal, Nordic, dark lord aesthetic—then, complete pivot, our biggest event this year was Bird Trivia.
VanDyke-Titus: Yeah, it’s that true creativity, the true artistry, and that’s what people are looking for. You talked about telling your story authentically, that’s what people want to relate to, a story that feels real. And we haven’t talked about the way that we pay people is changing, and the way that affects like, for a brewery to pivot to having to do counter service, potentially, is not the end of the world, but for some of us, we have a huge food service aspect of what we do, and so that’s going to be some real mental changes in the ways that we structure. And thinking about the way that the space looks, the vibe, and that specific creative niche, it’s gonna become super key.
Collazo: Before Covid, we had 56 employees. Now we have 20.
Heather: I’m the GM now and my brothers are making the beer. That’s just the shift that we had to make.
Ermatinger: Before Covid, we had five full-time production people. Now we have one.
Ward: Vivant’s gone from five brewers to two and a half.
WELL, WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE STILL DRINKING BEER. WHAT STYLES ARE POPULAR FOR YOU RIGHT NOW?
Ermatinger: Crispy, clean lagers. Our pale is number one almost every day, our lager is number two every day. From the sour brewery.
Wasson: Lagers for sure. And then we’re starting to see more of our West Coast, traditional IPAs coming back around. And that’s from a brewery that, happy accident, specializes in cookie beers.
Ward: That gap between IPA and everything else is shrinking. Our hazy pale ales, 5 or 6% ABV, a little bit more approachable, are our best sellers, but that gap is narrowing between them and other stuff.
VanDyke-Titus: We’re finding that everyone’s just like, their bellies need a break. A pils, something that’s clean and light and crisp. ■
...Telling your story authentically, that’s what people want to relate to, a story that feels real.
Sip, Play and Stay Awhile: West Michigan Brewery Guide
In 2024, breweries are much more than just a place to drink beer.
In fact, a portion of the brewery clientele these days don’t even touch the stuff.
They’re visiting for great food, gorgeous patios, fun games, hopping events, and even cocktails. We still love craft beer in West Michigan, don’t get us wrong, but that alone is no longer enough to get most people off the couch, so the offerings keep expanding.
That said, we wanted to highlight just a few of the local breweries who are going above and beyond beer to be a pillar of the community. Here’s our guide to taprooms with not just excellent brews, but food, events and other perennial draws as well.
HARMONY BREWING CO.
1551 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids
At Harmony, it’s not just about the pizza (though, let’s be honest, their wood-fired pies are reason enough to visit). The vibe here is warm, inviting, and perfectly suited for an evening spent outside on the patio. On Second Saturdays, grab a brew and a slice, and stick around for the open jazz jam—an opportunity for players to call tunes and play with the house band, and for everyone else to sit back and enjoy the music.
SAUGATUCK BREWING CO.
2948 Blue Star Hwy, Douglas / 140 S. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo / 2004 Lake Michigan Dr., Grand Rapids
If you love options as much as you love beer, Saugatuck Brewing’s trio of locations has you covered. Like a trusty road trip playlist, their beers offer a little something for everyone, whether you’re chilling by the water in Saugatuck, exploring Kalamazoo, or hitting the bustling scene in Grand Rapids (in what was formerly known as Creston Brewing). The great part of multiple locations is that you can find your favorites, like the Oval Beach Blonde or bold Bonfire Brown, all over.
OLD MILL BREWPUB & GRILL
717 E Bridge St., Plainwell
Step back in time at Old Mill, where history is literally built into the walls. Set in a beautifully restored mill built in 1869, this brewery oozes charm and character, with exposed brick and rustic beams. The four-story building was once the largest buckwheat flour mill in the country. Of course, they also have tasty food and a wide variety of craft brews!
CITY BUILT BREWING CO.
820 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids
City Built isn’t just a brewery—it’s a community hub. From the welcoming atmosphere to the kid-friendly menu, it’s a place for everyone. Their Puerto Rican-inspired dishes like yuca fries, fried plantains and tacos are the perfect accompaniment to their creative brews. The tap list has a lot of variety, from lagers to fruited sours to porters—not to mention a number of zero-proof (aka nonalcoholic) options! Plus, you can eat your food outside to enjoy a view of the Grand River.
Archival
Co., Watermark Brewing Co., Speciation Artisan Ales. COURTESY PHOTOS
SPECIATION ARTISAN ALES
3721 Laramie Dr. NE, Comstock Park
There’s always something brewing at Speciation—and it’s not just the beer. Their calendar is packed with events, from bird trivia to nature nights to mobile saunas and more, with their wild ales and natural wines front and center. Their patio is the ideal spot to kick back and sip on something experimental while enjoying food from the in-house kitchen, Oso Provisions.
BROAD LEAF LOCAL BEER
2885 Lake Eastbrook Blvd. SE, Kentwood / 443 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids
Broad Leaf is like a playground for adults, with pickleball courts at the Kentwood location and arcade games at the Westside location. It’s not just beer they’re brewing here; they’re also shaking up house-made cocktails and serving spirits that take your night to a whole new level. And the Westside location has a rotating kitchen with local chefs, plus extreme milkshakes from Shake Party, not to mention the spacious, beautiful patio right downtown.
PIGEON HILL BREWING CO.
500 W Western Ave, Muskegon
Nestled in Muskegon, Pigeon Hill is all about blending beer with good times. Head to their Brewer’s Lounge to get casually competitive, whether it’s a round of darts or kicking back with a board game. Or check out Socibowl, which has duckpin bowling, darts, pinball, and oversized yard games. It’s “a big kids’ wonderland.” Pair that with a constant rotation of events—live music, trivia, and more—and it’s a place where you can let loose and enjoy life one pint at a time.
BELL’S BREWERY
355 E Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo
Bell’s isn’t just a brewery—it’s a destination. Known for their iconic brews (Two Hearted, anyone?), they also throw some of the biggest concerts around. Their expansive outdoor space is made for summer, where you can grab a taproom-exclusive beer and groove to live music as the sun dips below the horizon. And the food is excellent, to boot!
SHORT’S BREWING CO.
121 N. Bridge St., Bellaire
In the picturesque town of Bellaire, Short’s is as much an experience as it is a brewery. Famous for pushing the boundaries of beer-making, you’ll find inventive flavors that you won’t get anywhere else. A trip here feels like a mini-vacation (and if you’re up in Bellaire, you’re likely on vacation), complete with friendly faces and an always-electric atmosphere. We’re excited for February, the “Short’s-est Month,” kicking off the brewery’s 21st anniversary campaign.
WAX WINGS BREWING CO.
3480 Gull Rd, Kalamazoo
Rustic, intimate, and brimming with charm, Wax Wings is Kalamazoo’s hidden gem. With its small, cabin-like feel, it’s the perfect spot for events like board game nights, a darts league, or even a quirky speed dating session. This unassuming spot is packing serious craft beer heat, too—it’s rated the best brewery in Michigan on Untappd, and for good reason.
ODD SIDE ALES
41 Washington Ave, Grand Haven
Odd Side Ales knows how to push the envelope. Their bold and creative beers are a reflection of their playful, innovative spirit. Whether you’re sipping on something daring, like a peanut butter stout, or enjoying a game of darts with friends, Odd Side offers a little something unexpected every time. It’s the perfect mix of laidback fun and boundary-pushing brews.
GREYLINE BREWING CO.
1727 Alpine Ave NW, Grand Rapids
Greyline is all about keeping it simple—and sometimes, that’s just what you need. Their beers are rock solid, their outdoor area is cozy with firepits and live music, and the whole vibe is just easygoing and relaxed. If you’re looking for a spot to hang out with good company and a great, consistently quality beer in hand, Greyline’s got you covered.
THIRD NATURE BREWING CO.
7733 Childsdale Ave NE, Rockford
Surrounded by trees and trails, Third Nature feels like a peaceful escape into, well, nature. With a massive outdoor area right off the White Pine Trail, it’s a perfect place to refuel after a bike ride or hike. Their firepits, picnic tables, and family-friendly setup make it a great gathering spot. Plus, with Eastern Kille Distillery just down the road, you can easily make it a full day of exploring and sipping.
ARCHIVAL BREWING
6266 W River Dr. NE, Belmont
At Archival Brewing, they dig deep into history to inspire their beers, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about their inviting outdoor space. This spot is tailor-made for outdoor fun yearround, with firepits, yard games, and a dog-friendly policy that lets you bring your furry friends along for the ride. Their beers might be a nod to the past, but the good vibes here are firmly rooted in the present.
KÜSTERER BRAUHAUS
642 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids
Step into Küsterer Brauhaus, and you’ll feel like you’ve been whisked away to a Bavarian beer hall. Authentic German beers and hearty plates of schnitzel and pretzels await, along with a lineup of lively events. From Oktoberfest celebrations to cozy evenings with live music, Kusterer Brauhaus brings a slice of Munich to GR.
WATERMARK BREWING CO.
5781 St Joseph Ave, Stevensville
A breezy haven in Stevensville—perfect for stopping by on your way to or from Chicago—Watermark is all about laid-back fun. Their patio is huge, with lots of seating fully outdoors, featuring multiple fire pits, and a spacious four-season room. On top of that, their beer is creative and innovative, truly offering something for everyone. ■
FGUIDE TO HALLOWEEN HAUNTS
| by Eric Mitts
rom haunted houses that will have you screaming with every step, to eerie trails where shadows play tricks on your mind, the season of scares is back, and it’s more terrifying than ever.
Once again we’ve compiled a list of our favorite haunts and heart-pounding experiences to make your Halloween unforgettable—along with a few spooky parties being thrown around town, though surely more will be announced by the time you’re reading this.
Whether you’re looking to face off against monsters lurking in the dark, or join in wickedly fun festivities with fellow thrill-seekers, these attractions promise to deliver all the shivers, shrieks, and sinister surprises you can stand.
THE HAUNT
1256 28th St. SW, Wyoming
The-haunt.com | Oct. 4-Nov. 2
The most popular haunted attraction in West Michigan, and one of the most well reviewed in all of the country, The Haunt has continued to scare those who dare for nearly a quarter century. Celebrating its 24th year, the award-winning location lives up to its legendary status with its use of movie-quality special effects to enhance its unique stories that fully immerse those brave enough to enter in an unparalleled level of terror.
NEW SALEM CORN MAZE
4516 24th St., Dorr
Newsalemcornmaze.com | Oct. 4-Nov. 2
Daytime Corn Maze also open every Sunday in October At the New Salem Corn Maze, the “Witches of New Salem” promise over 20 chilling attractions, filled with eerie props and a host of actors ready to bring your nightmares to life. A terrifying experience you won’t soon forget, the location offers two separate spine-tingling trails, as well as family friendly activities during the day, and an appropriate for all ages Halloween Light Spooktacular after dark.
ABANDONED ACRES FARM
7737 Fruit Ridge Ave. NW, Sparta
Abandonedacresfarm.com | Oct. 4-31
Lights Out event on Nov. 2
A real farm with real fear, this hybrid experience combines outdoor haunted corn mazes with indoor haunted experiences. The night begins with the
Bloody Butcher Corn Maze, where the legend of the infamous Old Eli still looms in the shadows. Then, back on the oldest part of the farm, visitors will enter Big Top Terror Vision, filled with demonic clowns and other demented dwellers. With each maze running over a quarter mile, the scares here are nearly endless.
HAUNT PARK
7656 Ravine Rd., Kalamazoo
Hauntpark.com | Oct. 4-Nov. 2
Now featuring four fully fleshed out frights, this long-running location in Kalamazoo includes the Psycho Ward, Nightmares Haunted House, Clown Mansion, and Camp Crystal Lake Paintball. Each has its own eerie story to tell, toying with your deepest darkest fears, from the mind of a serial killer, to the paranormal, to those refusing to remain dead. With the chance to fight back, armed with a paintball gun, this is a truly interactive nightmare come to life.
NIGHTMARE REALM
30609 Red Arrow Hwy., Paw Paw Nightmarerealmkalamazoo.com | Oct. 4-Nov. 2 Dec 7 (Jingle Hell AxeMas Show)
The next chapter in haunted horror, the newly revamped show here follows as the evil Trista has taken over the sleepy town of Cypress Hollow, and unleashed unholy creatures from the Nightmare Realm on the unsuspecting townsfolk. With a new Graveyard Home Haunt History Museum, as well as axe throwing, photo ops, food and more – including parking now on site –feel all the fun and frights of fall right here.
HAUNTED ACRES HAUNTED ATTRACTION
7970 W. Park Rd., Stony Lake, New Era Haunted-acres.square.site, Facebook.com/ Hauntedacresstonylakemi | Every Saturday in October
Stretching across more than 10 acres on a farm on Stony Lake (near the Lakeshore), there’s no telling what lurks in the Field of Screams, one of three haunted activities located at this fan-favorite attraction. Also included is Vertigo, a surreal 3D black light multisensory experience, as well as The Devil’s Playground, an ever expanding evil enclave built over the remnants of an old barn. ■
HALLOWEEN PARTIES
ODDITIES ON OTTAWA | 819 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids odditiesonottawa.com | Oct. 26, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Come join the first-ever annual Oddities Halloween Block Party on North Ottawa, near Garage Bar. There will be a full day of live performances, including 20 DJs and street performers, along with beer tents, specialty cocktails, and the curated “Oddities Alley” experience—not to mention tailgating and a jumbotron for the Michigan vs. Michigan State game. Snag a VIP ticket for access to Garage Bar and Chicago Beef Joint all day, including two exclusive live performances in the evening.
FRIGHT FEST | Ah-Nab-Awen Park | Oct. 19, 3:30-7 p.m.
A Halloween themed “random dance play” for K-pop fans!
HALLOWEEN SHINDIG EXTRAVANGAZA
Turnstiles Bar | Oct. 25, 8 p.m.
Local music, food, booze, costumes and dancing.
HAUNTED DISNEY | The B.O.B. | Oct. 26, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
This immersive experience will transport guests to some of your favorite Disney movies! Enjoy themed drink features, live entertainment across 5 unique venues, access to Eve nightclub and an enchanted photo booth.
BLACK CAT BAZAAR | Speciation Cellars | Oct. 26, 7-11 p.m.
This collaboration with Black Cat Bodega will feature a local artisan market, live entertainment, music, special beer, spooky drinks, costume contests, tarot readers, spooky food menu, sweet treats and more!
THE AFTER(LIFE) PARTY
The Pyramid Scheme | Oct. 26, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
There are Halloween Parties, and then there is the After(Life) Party! Join Betka-Pope Productions and a slew of special guests for a night of live music, DJs, dancing, costume contest, games with prizes and more.
THE INTERSECTION HALLOWEEN 2024 | Oct. 26, 8 p.m.
A night of electronic dance music, featuring artists like Barclay Crenshaw, Yheti and Maddy O’Neal.
GRAND RAPIDS HALLOWEEN BAR CRAWL
Küsterer Brauhaus | Oct. 31, 5 p.m.
Drink specials, food specials, themed drinks and a costume contest across 4+ venues in GR.
I|
FASHION MEETS FRIENDSHIP:
The Intimate Lens of Ann Ray on Alexander McQueen
speak more easily through photographs.”
These words appear in the introduction to Ann Ray’s Love Looks Not Through The Eyes: Thirteen Years With Lee Alexander McQueen If they connote a certain unneeded modesty–it turns out that she writes remarkably well–it’s nevertheless true that her best work has taken place behind a camera. To understand the artistic partnership between the bad boy of fashion and the deeply accomplished French photographer, you need to look to the images.
Visitors to the Grand Rapids will be able to do exactly that from October 5 to January 12, while Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous is on exhibition. More than 50 garments will be on display, including dresses given to Ray by McQueen, as will nearly 30 photographs. The garments and photographs are on loan from Barrera Projects, both the owner of Ray’s full McQueen photographic archive and the largest private collection of McQueen’s work in existence.
When the two met, Ray was arguably the more established. McQueen proposed a deal: in exchange for her documenting his work backstage, he would give her clothing. It was an offer born of necessity; he had no money to give her. What she got in exchange proved more valuable than money would have: the opportunity to train her gifts on his extraordinary creations and a friendship that lasted until his death.
“McQueen was an enfant terrible,” Terra Warren, assistant curator of the GRAM, told Revue. “He pushed boundaries. Wearing a McQueen garment told the world that you were edgy. But it only worked because through an intense understanding of materiality. He was a master of his craft.”
Some designers concentrated much more on refinement than invention, turning out ensembles that, however accomplished, looked much like those of other designers. Not so McQueen, whose garments were distinctive. Armed with a deep understanding of convention, he set out to subvert it, drawing inspiration not only from the history of fashion but from art and literature from all eras of human history and from all over the globe. His clothing–dramatic, striking, even, at times, unsettling–seemed to belong less to the time in which he worked than to, simultaneously, the future and the past.
“Years after his death,” Warren said, “we’re still living in his shadow.”
While Ray may be less of a household name, the exhibition reveals that her photographs have just as much atmosphere and artistry as his clothing. Rather than a neutral observer, she brought a careful eye toward composition, lighting, and the contrast between black and white, resulting in work that is as hauntingly atmospheric as it is gorgeously detailed.
“They’re fly-on-the-wall,” said Warren, “but they look posed.” That push-pull between spontaneity and the seemingly arranged gives them a rare intrigue.
“Birdy (2006),”a black-and-white shot included among the photographs on display, presents a beautiful young woman, her face as resolute as Joan of Arc’s. Her headpiece might be two butterflies perching, an effect that could be absurd but here is powerful. They evoke, somehow, a helmet, adding to the overall sense of dignity and power. The black of the background is absolute, a danger against which the subject seems to have set herself.
In “Flesh and Blood (2008),” a model stands with her hands on her hips and her back to us. Her beautifully red dress is partially unzipped; we’re unsure whether she’s left the stage or is about to head to it, but the latter seems more likely. With her erect posture, muscled back, and pragmatic bun, she might just as easily be a ballerina as a model. At the bottom of a frame, we see another woman’s legs. Her feet are bare. The contrast confirms our earlier suspicion: the woman in red, with her alert posture, is soon to take the stage, while the other woman has already left it, earning some rest.
The clothing on display runs the gamut from conservative to daring. A houndstooth dress presents as chic but not avant garde, while a copper-on-black dress is evocative of thin, beaten metal. A “Virgin Mary” evening gown would be appropriate for the most
luxurious of settings, unless, of course, worn by a mother-in-law at her son’s wedding. Warren sees the exhibition as relevant not just to admirers of fashion or photography but to all of us. “Fashion defines the everyday,” she said. “It’s art we wear, and it’s a creative form we use to tell the world about ourselves. McQueen was interested in how women in particular put on clothes to feel powerful.” Since working on the exhibition, she’s found herself inspired to take more risks in how she presents herself, finding it’s made her more confident. “It bridges the gap between how you feel about yourself and how you want to,” she said. McQueen died of suicide at 40 the day before his mother’s funeral. Perhaps it’s impossible to see the exhibition without feeling a pang for what might have been–and, more, sadness for Ann Ray, who lost not only an artistic partner but a close friend. But there’s sweetness along with the bitter; he accomplished much in his short life, as captured in fabric, and in images, destined to long outlive him. ■
GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM 101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org
Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous, Oct. 5-Jan. 12
by John Kissane
(Left) Alexander McQueen, Glass Bead and Synthetic Horse Hair Midi Dress, Eshu, Autumn/Winter 2000. | (Center) Ann Ray, Day One, 1997, Archival Gelatin Silver Print from original negatives | (Right) Alexander McQueen, Strapless Princess Cut Leather and Fur Midi Dress, In Memory of Elizabeth Howe, Salem 1962, Autumn/Winter 2007
KARAOKE CRAWL: Nine Stages In One Night
| by Zachary Avery
Stepping into Fulton Street Pub five minutes after 9 pm, you’d be surprised at how empty the establishment was.
As with many locations on our itinerary that night, it would be my first time visiting after hearing so much from friends and co-workers. But, alas, Thursday nights at Fulton Street are relatively slow. We approached the DJ booth, me and the tall man I walked in with.
“He’s writing a review of karaoke for the night. We’re going to bar hop to about nine different spots,” the man said. “He’s going to ask you some questions.”
The night’s host, Lutz, took over karaoke at Fulton Street about three years ago on a friend’s recommendation. They began with Fridays, then eventually took over Thursdays.
“I like the energy a lot more [on Thursdays], we have a lot more theatre folks and cool people,” Lutz said. “Everyone’s very affirming here. We’re all about supporting people who’re trying their best.”
The man I came with, Sean Francis, grew up in Alma before enrolling at Grand Valley State for film and video. Now in his mid-30s, his once casual activity with old college friends has since become his most anticipated weekly ritual.
“My philosophy, in a sense, is there are great nights of karaoke and there are less-than-great nights of karaoke,” Francis said. “But, in general, any night of karaoke is better than none.”
And, that night, we’d be doing more karaoke than anyone has ever done before. Nine bars, all across town, in less than six hours.
One Thursday night.
ANYWAY, HERE’S WONDERWALL
Our first stop had been River City Saloon at around 8:30 pm. It took only a few steps into the bar before we were spotted. Shouts of, “What’s up, Sean Francis!” and “Sean Francis, yes!” seemed to accompany us wherever we went.
“There is definitely a community,” Francis said. “Depending on the night and depending on the bar, I’m pretty sure so-and-so is going to be there. With the first bar, River City, there are, like, three people that fall into that category.”
Francis began his first song of the night at 8:43 pm, requesting “Wonderwall” but, instead, singing “No Diggity” by Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre. This is what he does; mashing-up popular karaoke hits with unexpected genre twists and humorous crowd-pleasers. In this way, mash-ups are a sort of karaoke olive branch, bringing together vast groups of people with different music tastes to enjoy the same, singular performance.
“I’ve done karaoke roulette where someone chooses it for me at random. I’ve also been commissioned to do mash-ups with a certain song. Sometimes, I’ll organically come up with one.”
Our challenge then became to not only hit our carefully scheduled stops, but also, for Francis to perform a different mash-up each time. Later, at The Foolery downtown, we checked in together.
“Could I put in a request for ‘Blank Space’ by Taylor Swift?” Francis asked. “Put it under Captain--”
“Captain what?”
“Captain Seanster, S-E-A-N-S-T-E-R.”
Francis had been wearing a well-worn sailor’s hat that entire time. As it turns out, this was a replacement of an older, plastic-brimmed sailor’s hat he’d stolen from his dad, George. When that hat broke, Francis’ friend Kimmy, AKA K-Snap, gifted him this new one. Like many of his friends, including another named Rebecca who joined us for the crawl, a night out for karaoke is a near constant experience, usually several times in one week.
“He does a lot of comedy, and what always follows the comedy is karaoke afterwards,” Rebecca said.
With our imbibing ship of passengers in tow (including my partner and four other friends), Captain Seanster led us into the night, bar to bar. At Flanagan’s, we met their newly minted DJ, Kyle.
“We’ve been doing it for probably about a month-and-a-half, two months,” Kyle said. “It’s a new thing here, I’m just trying to get it off the floor.”
Throughout the night, different DJs made a point of recommending other solid spots. Both Caesar’s Pub and Iron Well were mentioned. But, we had our own schedule to go on.
Next was Z’s Bar. Karaoke here is still run the old-school way with slips. In order to sing, you need to know the exact track code of that particular song in their binder of thousands of songs, with sometimes confusing exceptions to the alphabet formula. To mediate this, Francis comes prepared with a few slips pre-filled out with his songs of choice. That alone saved us 10 or 15 minutes.
“You’re facilitating an important journalistic event,” Francis reminded me.
COMING OUT OF HIS CAGE
We cut across Monroe and stepped into Z’s Bar, easily the busiest stop of our night. A whole variety of people, old and young, intermingle here, including a soon-to-be-bride named Sarah and a stranger at the bar who made sure to tell us he “worked for Warren Buffett.” For those of us with stage fright, performing at Z’s may not be your first choice. The place is crowded, sometimes feeling TOO crowded.
“In general, there’s a threshold,” Francis said. “Size to population ratio. When it’s too crowded and too small of a spot, that’s not good. Or when the building itself is too big and not enough people there. There’s a sweet spot.”
As songs go, Francis believes in a similar middle ground. You want to find something you know by heart and truly love, but something that most folks will respond well to. It might feel like an obvious choice to sing ‘Mr. Brightside,’ but if your heart’s not in it, your audience won’t be either. For instance, Francis performed ‘Truth Hurts’ by Lizzo to the tune of ‘Let It Be’ by The Beatles, harmonica solo included (which left everyone happy).
There are times however, Francis told me, where some experimentation and bravery can be encouraged at karaoke.
“The mash-up I’m working on right now is probably the most maligned, but also, undeniably most popular song of the last 30 years,” Francis said. “The baseline song is The Macarena. It’s something we have to reckon with. Enough time has passed.”
Speaking of time, we were ready for our next stop: Twisted Bull. We’d visited some dive bars, certainly, but Twisted Bull was the only true “country bar” off our list, which may have caused our dwindling group of improv-nerds and old choir friends to feel somewhat out-of-place.
“It’s about what I remember, the vibe is what to be expected,” Francis said. “We’re off the beaten path. There is, literally, a mechanical bull behind us. It’s asleep, but it’s there.”
At this point, I should mention that I’d been singing karaoke as well. I was on a mission to narrow-down exactly which bars had in their catalog my dream karaoke song: “Superman” by Goldfinger. I was hopeful Twisted Bull could become another refuge for my ska antics, but, alas, I’d been resigned to sing only at Fulton Street or Foolery. If I’m not singing Green Day or something ska punk-y, then my confidence sinks. But, for Francis, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I don’t care if I look stupid or not, I just want other people to have a good time,” Francis said.
CLOSING TIME
My personal notes become indecipherable after about 12:30 am. Brief, confusing lines like “Green teas x2” or “Holiday vape cloud” are instead replaced by long scrawls of bastardized cursive. I had finally reached my limit (a tequila shot, Hamm’s, Two-Hearted, a shot of Jäger, PBR, a PB&J shot, Coor’s, and another tequila shot), and we’d made it to the end of our night. At 1:26am, Francis and I entered PlayStation Pub and sang our final songs.
The carpool back home was somber and sweet. We had set out to do what neither of us thought possible, and, besides some hiccups (The Pubb closed early), we had succeeded. Now, if you’re reading this and eager to create a mash-up of your own, Captain Seanster has some advice:
“The secret sauce is that ‘All-Star’ by Smash Mouth goes with every song.” ■
THE KARAOKE CRAWL:
River City Saloon 8:30-9:30
Fulton St Pub 9:06-9:36
The Foolery 9:40-10:10
Flanagan’s 10:17-10:47
Z’s Bar 10:51-11:21
Twisted Bull 11:35-12:05
Holiday Bar 12:20-12:50
The Pubb 12:55-1:20
PlayStation Pub 1:25-2:00
OCTOBER ARTSCalendar
Arts exhibitions and performances have returned in full swing to West Michigan. This season, there’s absolutely no shortage of concerts, symphonies, plays, musicals, ballet, visual arts and beyond. We have big Broadway shows, intimate and progressive plays, live performances with symphonies, dancers taking to the stage, and powerful art exhibitions. Here’s our annual guide to arts events for the month.
ACTORS THEATRE
160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids actorstheatregrandrapids.org
THIS FLAT EARTH, Oct. 10-19
BROADWAY GRAND RAPIDS
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com
BEETLEJUICE, Oct. 8-13
DEOS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
1595 Galbraith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids deosballet.com
JANE EYRE, Oct. 18-20
FACE OFF THEATRE
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo faceofftheatre.com
SMART PEOPLE, Oct. 18-27
FARMERS ALLEY
THEATRE KALAMAZOO
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com
JERSEY BOYS, Through Oct. 6
FOREST HILLS
FINE ARTS CENTER
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids fhfineartscenter.com
SHREK: THE MUSICAL, Oct. 28
FRAUENTHAL CENTER
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon frauenthal.org
HANNANIAH WHITLEY, Oct. 18
FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org
DAVID SMITH: THE NATURE OF SCULPTURE, Through Mar. 2
GILMORE THEATRE/ WMU THEATRE
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre
POTUS, Through Oct. 13
HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, Oct. 25Nov. 3
GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org
LEE ALEXANDER MCQUEEN & ANN RAY: RENDEZ-VOUS, Oct. 5-Jan. 12
GRAND RAPIDS BALLET
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grballet.com
SYMPHONY OF MOVEMENT, Oct. 11-13
GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, Through Oct. 6
GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY
300 Ottawa Ave. NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org
BRAVO!: YO-YO MA, Oct. 1
MADE IN GR: A HOMECOMING, Oct. 18-19
HOLLAND CHORALE
hollandchorale.org
ADVENTURES IN HARMONY SHOWCASE, Oct. 1
A VISION UNFOLDING, Oct. 26
HOPE COLLEGE GREAT PERFORMANCE SERIES
100 E. Eighth St., Holland hope.gps
LE CONSORT, Oct. 17
JEWISH THEATRE GRAND RAPIDS
2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids jtgr.org
H*TLER’S TASTERS, Oct. 17-Nov. 3
KALAMAZOO CIVIC THEATRE
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com
SIX: THE MUSICAL - TEEN EDITION, Through Oct. 1
LET IT BE: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF THE BEATLES, Oct. 4-13
KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo kalamazoosymphony.com
CRAFT MUSIC: TANGOS, Oct. 9
THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS, Oct. 19
PIPE DREAMS, Oct. 27
LOWELLARTS
223 W. Main St., Lowell lowellartsmi.org
UNEXPECTED CHOICES, Through Oct. 5
MUSKEGON CIVIC THEATRE
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org
EPIC PROPORTIONS, Oct. 11-26
MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org
CHICAGO COLLECTS: JEWELRY IN PERSPECTIVE, Oct. 17-Jan. 5
95TH MICHIGAN CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION, Through Nov. 13
NEW VIC THEATRE
134 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo thenewvictheatre.org
GHOST STORIES, Oct. 11-26
OX-BOW SCHOOL OF ART
3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck ox-bow.org
OX-TOBER, Oct. 19-26
SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org
MUSIC THAT RAISED US: A MOTOWN SHOW, Oct. 4
ART Á LOAN, Through Oct. 18
ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER
24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids scmc-online.org
JOSHUA REDMAN GROUP, Oct. 4
STULBERG INTERNATIONAL STRING COMPETITION
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo stulberg.org
JOSHUA KOVÁČ W/ WMU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Oct. 6
THE GILMORE
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo thegilmore.org
JULIUS RODRIGUEZ, Oct. 6
WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY
360 W. Western Ave. Ste. 200, Muskegon westmichigansymphony.org
DJANGOPHONIQUE - JAZZ, Oct. 12
YASMIN WILLIAMS - FINGERSTYLE GUITAR, Oct. 25
WELLSPRING/ CORI TERRY & DANCERS
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo wellspringdance.org
ERA: A CELEBRATION OF 43 YEARS OF WELLSPRING, Oct. 5
WHARTON CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing whartoncenter.com
LES MISÉRABLES, Oct. 8-13
