RYAN CRAWLEY
GAIL LONG
SHANNON MACK
EMILY LUYK
JAMARI TAYLOR
LOW PHASE
CAITLIN CUSACK
SEED SOUND STUDIOS
AWOLNATION
DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS
SEPTEMBER 2023 | VOLUME 35, ISSUE 9
FEATURED:
ARTS
20 Artist Profiles
30 Arts Season Previews
32 ArtPrize Returns
MUSIC
36 10 Bands to Watch 2023
38 High Hopes for Low Phase
40 Caitlin Cusack: Carrying on the Memory in Music
42 Growing Musical Community: Seed Sound Studios
44 AWOLNATION: Energetic Exploration
46 Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors: Freedom Through Music
SPOTLIGHT
48 Top Picks: Orchards, U-Picks & More!
50 Get Your Fright On: Haunted Houses in West Michigan NEWS
10 Nature's Touch: Cannabis-Infused Topicals
COMEDY
12 Iliza Shlesinger: Aggressively Whimsical
DINING & DRINKING
16 Fundraising with Flavor: A Taste of Hope
You hold in your hands the first-ever combined Arts and Music Issue.
Of course, there’s plenty of crossover. We wouldn’t have rock or rap without the classical and jazz that came before, and these days, you have multiple opportunities to see popular musicians and bands perform special shows with symphonies. Not to mention the frequent collaborations between visual artists and musicians, from album art to tour posters, music videos and branding.
In this issue, we cover as much of it all as we can. We shine the spotlight on local artists across various mediums who are making a name for themselves in the community, whether it’s painting murals, crafting jewelry or educating the youth. We also talk to ArtPrize about what you can expect from this year’s event now that it’s under new leadership! And, as always in our Arts Issue, we have our Season Previews for the year ahead, listing every possible exhibition,
performance and concert we could find for the 2023-24 season.
As for music, you’ll find features on local musicians like Low Phase and Caitlin Cusack, along with our annual list of 10 Bands to Watch. If you’re looking for new music and want to get in on the ground floor of something big, check out any of those musicians. We also take a look at local studio and music education space Seed Sound Studios! And check out our interviews with touring musicians like AWOLNATION and Drew Holcomb. This issue also has our Fall Harvest spotlight, so check that out for a guide on great orchards in the area, and a sneak peek at haunted houses, which tend to start opening to the public in September! There’s a whole lot to learn, see and hear in this issue, so now that summer’s simmered down, take a moment to sit back and enjoy some local art and music.
’Til next time,
JOSH VEAL Managing Editor josh@serendipity-media.com
PUBLISHER
Serendipity Media, LLC
President, Kasie Smith www.serendipity-media.com
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor, Josh Veal josh@serendipity-media.com
LAYOUT
Designer, Courtney Van Hagen
MARKETING
Marketing Director, Loren Eisenlohr
DISTRIBUTION
Kelli Belanger
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Zachary Avery Michaela Stock
Allison Kay Bannister
John Kissane
Eric Mitts
ADVERTISING / (616) 458-8371
Media Sales Manager, Kelli Belanger kelli@revuewm.com
Media Sales Consultant, Maggie Mutch maggie@serendipity-media.com
FIND US ONLINE: revuewm.com
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Revue is published monthly by: Serendipity Media LLC
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@2023 Serendipity Media LLC
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SPOTLIGHT SECTION: COMEDY
Revue's annual look at local craft beer is a thorough guide to the scene, with an extensive brewery guide, beer face-offs, trends and more!
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9/8
AFTER DARK IN THE PARK Canal Park
Sept. 8-9, 5-11 p.m. lionsandrabbits.com
Local artists, music, businesses and vendors are featured at this evening block party put on by the Lions and Rabbits Center for the Arts, which creates prosperous opportunities for artists to achieve and sustain a fulfilling freelancer career. Held for the first time at Canal Park, attendees will witness live art, music performances and artist markets for no entrance fee.
WINE & HARVEST FESTIVAL
Paw Paw
Sept. 8-10
wineandharvestfestival.com
The Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival is back this year, with lots of fun and events for the whole family. The festival offers something for everyone including tastings and tours for wine enthusiasts; a 5k, Grape Stomping Competition, Grape Lake Kayak Race, and other contests for the active members of your family; four stages of entertainment for music-lovers; and carnival rides, fireworks, and parade for all ages.
50TH ANNUAL
WHEATLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL
7251 50th Ave., Remus
Sept. 8-10 wheatlandmusic.org
This year’s 3-day Wheatland Music Festival is also the 50th anniversary of the legendary event. Each year, thousands of children and adults converge on the 160-acre festival site to enjoy a wide variety of traditional arts. Festivalgoers take part in workshops, demonstrations, dances, and impromptu jam sessions throughout the site as well as the stage performances, juried arts and crafts and a wide variety of food.
9/14
MICHIGAN IRISH MUSIC FESTIVAL
Heritage Landing, Muskegon
Sept. 14-17 michiganirish.org
Everyone and everything is a little bit Irish here. Indulge in Irish cuisine, drink Irish beer, shop Irish goods and learn about the culture, all while dancing and singing along to incredible music—including Moxie Strings, Barley Saints, Seamus Kennedy and many more.
ARTPRIZE 2.0
Grand Rapids
Sept. 14-Oct. 1 artprize.org
Led by a new private/public partnership, ArtPrize is an annual, international art festival and competition—a celebration of creative ideas, conversations, experimentation, and inclusiveness. ArtPrize 2023 is free and open to the public, featuring visual and experiential artists who’ve connected with venues eager to host their work. From September 14–October 1, art will be exhibited in galleries, storefronts, parks, museums, breweries, public spaces, and other venues of all kinds.
ART OF FOOD FESTIVAL
Calder Plaza
Sept. 16, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
A collaboration between some of the biggest community groups around—Festival of the Arts, ArtPrize, GR8 Food Trucks and more—this brand new festival is bringing the entire community together over a celebration of one thing we all love: Food! Expect more than 30 food trucks and booths, performances, art activities, an artist village and beer tent, plus competitions to vote in!
OKTOBERFEST
BIG LAKE BREWING
13 W. 7th St., Holland Sept. 16, 3-9 p.m. biglakebrewing.com
Save the date for the second annual Oktoberfest at Big Lake Brewing! Bring your own chair, Bavarian clothing, dirndls, and lederhosen to enjoy live music and local food vendors throughout the day. You’ll also find free yard games,
including corn hole and giant Jenga spread around the back parking lot— play your friends with your favorite Big Lake brew in hand!
9/20
DETHKLOK AND BABYMETAL
GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Sept. 20, 6 p.m. livenation.com
Japanese metal band BABYMETAL have embarked on a co-headlining tour with Dethklok, the on-screen heavy metal band and stars of Adult Swim’s “Metalocalypse.” The tour will support BABYMETAL’s fourth studio album and first ever concept album, The Other One, after being “sealed away” from the world a couple years ago.
9/22
CONFLUENCE FESTIVAL
Rosa Parks Circle
Sept. 22-23 confluencefest.com
The annual Confluence Festival features diverse offerings, including a Music Showcase with leadingedge musicians; a Thought Series with influential thought leaders from across the region; an Innovation Showcase with a focus on gaming and esports; a Maker Expo featuring the area’s DIY community; a STEAMbased adventure land for kids called Future Innovators Zone; and Art@, a 360° multi-sensory takeover of urban spaces.
9/23
MERCHANTS AND MAKERS
Ah-Nab-Awen Park
220 Front Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Sept. 23-24, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. merchantsandmakers.com
This FIRST TIME collaboration between ArtPrize and Merchants and Makers will be set up on the Gillett pedestrian bridge between Devos and Gerald R Ford Museum and on the flat part of the lawn at Ah-NabAwen Park. There will be 80-plus makers, with different makers each day, plus food trucks and live music!
9/26
NOAH CYRUSTHE HARDEST PART TOUR
The Intersection
133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW Sept. 27, 7 p.m. sectionlive.com
Grammy-nominated artist Noah Cyrus is touring across the country in support of her critically acclaimed debut album, The Hardest Part. Spanning from country pop to indie folk, Cyrus’ music addresses modern issues like substance abuse, wildfires and climate change. Supporting the tour is singer-songwriter Anna Bates.
9/29
OKTOBERFEST GR
Riverside Park
Sept. 29-30
oktoberfestgr.com
It’s back for another year! Oktoberfest will once again be at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, with real German bier, adult and kid friendly games, and the 4th annual Dachshund Dash. Don’t miss out on Beer City’s ONLY German Bier Fest, with proceeds benefitting the Edelweiss Club, a local social club promoting German culture.
BRIAN POSEHN
The Pyramid Scheme
68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
Sept. 29, 7 p.m. pyramidschemebar.com
Brian Posehn is a multi-talented comedian, actor, and writer known for his distinctive style and sharp wit—along with shows like The Sarah Silverman Show, The Big Bang Theory and Mr. Show. With a towering stature and a deep, distinctive voice, Posehn’s comedic delivery combines self-deprecating humor with insightful observations on pop culture, nerd fandom, and everyday life. His career has seen him perform stand-up comedy on various platforms, including comedy specials and late-night shows.
9/30
PARKTOBER FEST
Park Theatre
248 S. River Ave., Holland parktheatreholland.org
Come one, come all to Park Theatre’s annual fundraiser of live music, raffles, food and drinks, and more. The band lineup is huge, including Acoustic Waves, 10 Years Late, Redbelly, the Park Theatre Parade Band and many more.
10/7
FALL FEST
Downtown Holland
Oct. 7-8, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. hollandfallfest.com
Fall Fest is back and it’s bigger and better than ever before, with two days full of fall-themed activities for the entire family planned. Join in for an artisan vendor markets at the Windmill Island Gardens, along with professional pumpkin carving, pumpkin painting, tulip planting, street performers, and the Holland Farmers Market!
If you thought cannabis was all about joints and edibles, think again—cannabisinfused topicals are taking the stage as a whole new way to experience the benefits of this versatile plant.
Looking for a soothing balm that not only melts away stress but also provides targeted relief to your sore muscles? That’s the magic of cannabis-infused topicals. Ranging from balms to lotions, massage oils, sprays, lubes, transdermal patches and even bath bombs, these products are specially crafted to deliver the therapeutic properties of cannabis directly to your skin.
The main difference between these topicals and your usual cannabis consumption is that they’re not intended to get you high—instead, they offer localized relief without any psychoactive effects. The secret lies in how these topicals interact with our body’s endocannabinoid system. When applied to the skin, cannabinoids like CBD and THC interact with receptors to provide relief from pain, inflammation and other skin issues. It’s like a gentle, soothing hug for your skin and muscles.
Because you’re not ingesting them, topicals are also able to go beyond cannabinoids and incorporate essential oils, aromatherapy blends, and other natural ingredients. With the right products, you’re not only getting the goodness of cannabis but also indulging in a spa-like experience right at home.
Applying cannabis-infused topicals is as simple as it gets. Just take a small amount and gently massage it into the desired area. Whether it’s a persistent ache or a tensionfilled spot, these topicals work their magic gradually, giving you the relief you crave.
In a world where self-care is becoming more essential, cannabis-infused topicals offer a unique way to pamper yourself while embracing the potential benefits of cannabinoids. So, the next time you’re looking for a relaxing, targeted solution, consider giving these topicals a try. Your skin will thank you!
| by Josh VealChill Medicated has a whole host of topicals to enjoy, including different scents like Outback Sandalwood, Majestic Mint and Vanilla Lust. Of course, you can also go with the classic Relax—they’ll all help with your aches and pains. These body rubs are 1:1 THC to CBD, and they won’t get you high, so you can use them anywhere, anytime. Chill also has an Extreme X offering with 2000mg of THC and CBD each, in just one convenient package.
ESCAPE ARTISTS RELIEF CREAM | Found at: Oswell Cannabis
Originating from Colorado, Escape Artists’ pharma-grade creams are formulated with carefully selected ingredients that reportedly enhance penetration at the cellular level, bringing cannabinoids deeper into the skin in minutes. And beyond that, they have fascinating scents like Rose & Bergamot, Lavender, Cedar & Black Pepper and more. Try a 1:1 ratio or one of the CBD heavy versions, whichever works for you.
CBDFX BATH BOMB | Found at: Timber Cannabis Co.
Let your day’s stress and tension melt away with our CBD-infused Soothing and Recharge Bath Bombs. Using active botanical and essential oils like Lavender, Eucalyptus, Arnica, Spearmint, Peppermint, and Hawaiian Black Salt—alongside a hefty dose of CBD— these Bombs give your joints, muscles, and skin the attention and love they deserve.
HOUSE OF DANK CBD SALVE STICK | Found at: House of Dank
Ease all those unwanted aches and pains with House of Dank’s very own CBD Salve Stick. This mint-scented stick has 400mg of CBD to provide a nice and relaxing effect, without any greasy residue left behind.
MICHIGAN ORGANIC RUB - MUSCLE COOLING | Found at: Pincanna
Muscle Cooling is exactly what it sounds like. The combination of ginger root, camphor and peppermint allow for incredibly fast-acting and long-lasting relief. With the addition of eucalyptus and tea tree, it also has anti-bacterial properties. Camphor is known to help with skin itchiness, as well as helping the skin regain its natural glow.
MICHIGAN ORGANIC RUB - AFTER-SUN CARE | Found at: Pincanna
Cooling and moisturizing lotion relieves the burning sensation from sunburn or other minor burns. This lotion is 100% vegan, containing lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils, as well as a 1:1 mix of CBD and THC.
MARY’S MEDICINALS - TRANSDERMAL PATCH | Found at: Lume
Transdermal patches are unique in the topical category because they can break the blood-brain barrier, meaning you may experience psychoactive effects! Patches offer long lasting, controlled effects and are intended to be left on the skin for 12-24 hours. Mary’s has both indica and sativa options, enriched with terpenes like linalool, myrcene and pinene.
The Made By Hemp CBD Lotion features 15-plus plant extracts, botanicals, and of course cannabinoids. This CBD cream—made with hemp extract, mango butter, hibiscus hydrosol, gingko extract and more—is a moisturizer-like product, rich in antioxidants and omega-fatty acids to nourish the face and body. It is also suitable for all skin types: oily, dry, or any combination. ■
Ask award-winning comedian, actor, writer, producer, author and podcast host Iliza Shlesinger how she’d describe her stand up at this point, and she sums it up in just two words: aggressively whimsical.
“I say strong things on behalf of women,” Shlesinger told Revue while on tour in Europe last month. “I pace a lot, and sometimes I act like a goblin, or a gorilla - so I felt aggressively whimsical was appropriate.”
Currently on her “Hard Feelings” Tour – coming to DeVos Performance Hall Sept. 9 – Shlesinger will bring her scathing blend of social commentary and physical comedy to the stage, following the release of her latest Netflix special, “Hot Forever,” last fall.
Her sixth special for the streaming service, “Hot Forever” marked a decade of collaboration, going all the way back to her first special, “War Paint,” in 2013. Her work with Netflix also includes five other standup specials, 2020’s “The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Comedy Show,” the romantic comedy “Good On Paper,” which she wrote and starred in, and the action-comedy “Spenser Confidential,” where she co-starred alongside Mark Wahlberg.
Shlesinger first broke out when she won the 2008 season of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” becoming the first woman and youngest winner on the popular standup competition reality show.
Earlier this year she launched “Iliza’s Locals,” a three-part comedy special featuring some of the best up-and-coming comics in Los Angeles, where she puts the spotlight on new voices in the ultra-competitive L.A. scene that helped make her.
“I just think it’s important to do for others what no one did for me,” Shlesinger said. “I think I came up in a very competitive time in comedy, and now that I’m at a certain level I want to use my platform to help people I think are funny.”
Having coined the term “Elder Millennial” in her 2018 special of the same name, Shlesinger concedes that the comedy world has changed, especially online, since she first started getting attention back on MySpace in the late 2000s, but adds that success still is, and has always been, about putting in the hard work.
“Take it or leave it, but anyone who is genuinely funny and works hard will get ahead,” Shlesinger said. “Everything else is just an excuse. Do the work. The work is a relentless pursuit of stage time. Without that, you can’t have an act, and without an act you have no point of view and without that… there is no product.”
While taking time out to help new comics and revisit her past, Shlesinger’s own career continues to hit new milestones, including performing in New Zealand just one week before coming to Grand Rapids this month.
“It never ceases to amaze me that the weird thought I wrote down on a napkin at The Comedy Store got me all the way to a show in places from Kuala Lumpur to Hungary to Iceland,” Shlesinger said. “I stick to what’s relatable between humans, with a dash of American flare, and it’s always a good time.”
During the pandemic, Shlesinger aimed to help flatten the curve by co-hosting “Don’t Panic Pantry,” with her husband, award-winning chef/ author Noah Galuten. Streamed live on her Instagram and Facebook, the show had more than 250 episodes, landed on national morning shows like “Today” and “The Talk,” and resulted in “The Don’t Panic Pantry Cookbook” published earlier this year.
“Look – I’m very proud to be an American, but it’s always good to be reminded that other people are living great lives in other
| by Eric Mittscountries and doing things differently,” Shlesinger said about getting back out on tour internationally after the pandemic. “It’s nice to get perspective on how other people live, other people’s struggles and how other countries see the United States. Because sometimes Americans are just number one – at saying we’re number one. But no matter where I go, I’m always happy to come home.”
When she’s back home Iliza spends her time raising her new daughter Sierra Mae, and currently hosts her hit advice podcast, “Ask Iliza Anything!” where she dispenses her blunt, honest feedback to fans’ questions on life, love and lots more.
As a union member she’s also supporting the big, ongoing strikes for SAG-AFTRA and WGA, and while she’s still working on the standup stage, she supports the cause 100 percent.
“I stand with both of my unions, and this fight is important, and the results of it will shape the industry forever,” Shlesinger said. “I’m part of many projects at various stages we had to halt, but solidarity will be what wins this battle.” ■
Taste of Hope’s master chef in-kind sponsor Culinary Cultivations or from each chef’s own personal team, this year’s fundraiser will surely be an over-the-top dining experience fit for some of the most creative culinary minds in our state.
“It is certainly the event people don’t want to miss, it’s the room you want to be in,” Brogger said. “Outside of knowing that you’re helping provide critical life saving funds, you are also getting the opportunity to learn about a new chef in the area.”
At the end of the day, this is also a competition. The majority of the awards will be allocated via a panel of judges, but there is also a prestigious People’s Choice award. After trying each meal, attendees can decide on their favorite and vote right from their table. After each score is tallied and all awards have been given out, a “Top Chef” will be named and celebrated at the end of the event.
There are many familiar faces returning from last year’s roster, including reigning Top Chef Bryan Nader from Trinity Health. Chef Bryan’s expertise lies in creating healthy, sustainable meals for patients at Trinity that are not only great tasting but great for you. Other well-known participants from the local Grand Rapids area include Chef Stephan VanHeulen from MDRD and Chef Phong Nguyen from Monsoon GR, the latter having only worked as a chef for eight years now. Even so, these three chefs deliver unique dining experiences to their regular customers and patrons, and now attendees for Taste of Hope will have a chance to enjoy an exclusive setting in which they, too, can try new, original dishes.
“Being able to go to an event and enjoy yourself but
raise money for a worthy cause is always a benefit,” said Shawn Kohlhaas, culinary and competition chair for Taste of Hope. “On top of that, you get to experience all of these awesome foods.”
Kohlhaas and others at Culinary Cultivations have helped prepare this fundraiser as an experimental dining setting with many different dishes to try, but the venue itself is also a standout. The Frederik Meijer Gardens main ballroom and its surrounding features will be transformed into a beautiful scene that elevates the event to the next level.
“It’s one of the premier spaces in the Grand Rapids area,” Kohlhaas said. “Everywhere you’re looking there’s something interesting. You can actually be in the event, you can walk down the hallway, you can visit the tropical forest. There are a lot of cool different areas that you can visit.”
This same time last year, Frederik Meijer Gardens opened its doors to some of West Michigan’s top culinary experts for a cooking competition and charity drive called “Taste of Hope.” This fundraiser was just one of the many different galas that the American Cancer Society hosts each year, appearing in other large markets like New York City and Chicago. Impressively, last year’s inaugural event raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
Susan Brogger, associate director of development for the American Cancer Society in Michigan, believes they can surpass this.
“I think what we put together last year was just phenomenal,” Brogger said. “People have been waiting for year two, and we are almost sold out. That’s pretty impressive this far ahead of the event date.”
There are plenty of volunteers under Brogger contribute toward the event and help turn it into a success. They did this last fall in their first year for Grand Rapids, and Brogger is optimistic that they’ll have perfected all logistics by the time the event rolls around on November 6. With 60 individuals working all around the Frederik Meijer Gardens main ballroom space, as well as some 60 more assisting the chef participants, either through the
A live auction is also planned for each chef participant to take part in, offering their talents in creating a fivecourse private meal for whomever bids the highest. More prizes await those who are eager to donate toward a worthy cause and support West Michigan’s regional top chefs.
“You can’t just go into MDRD and hire Chef Stephan or into Monsoon and hire Chef Phong,” Kohlhaas said. “The opportunity to just be able to bid on them, to get a private event and experience, in itself is very rare.”
Taste of Hope is a celebration of excellent dining service in the greater Grand Rapids area, as well as an initiative to propel philanthropy forward in funding regional cancer research. All funds raised at this gala and future ones like it will always benefit those Michiganders who most immediately need it, and the enthusiastic event organizers who lead it are especially proud of this.
“Cancer touches everyone’s lives in one way or another,” Kohlhaas said. “It’s a personal mission to do this competition and raise these funds to help end cancer.” ■
Frederik Meijer Gardens
Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m.
acstasteofhopewmi.org
Ryan Crawley is inspired by his surroundings, from the natural beauty of Michigan to the chaotic movement of Chicago.
Channeling those emotions of energy and excitement into his paintings, Crawley likes to work in the abstract, though landscapes and animals have entered his work recently.
It began in middle school, when a teacher noticed his latent ability, which developed further in high school, when a favorite teacher told him he has something most people don’t: An established and noticeable style, that is “uniquely Ryan.” From there, Crawley earned his BFA from Western Michigan University, and he’s now an established artist in the local community— selling original work, painting murals, and completing commissions. He’s motivated
by his wife and young children to keep working and seeing success.
“A month ago, I was part of a speaker series at the GRAM. I went from not really being known in Grand Rapids to the opportunity to speak in front of the public about myself and artwork. It was just something that I was like, ‘It would be cool to do that one day,’ and this year, it happened.”
People really understand why art is important, and how you don’t necessarily have to “understand” the art or what specifically you like, to know that you like it. But sometimes folks are like, “I don’t know how to purchase artwork.” They tell me they go to box stores and buy there. But
we’re in an age where you can go online and search through multitudes of images and buy something that’s unique and original, and no one else will have it. You’re not even spending much more, especially in West Michigan. But from an art perspective, the availability of what we have in terms of natural resources is such a creative bank. We’ve got forests, we’ve got farms, we’ve got cities. And then of course, we’ve got the Great Lakes. What else do you need?
And the community in Grand Rapids has also been super, super supportive. I feel like I keep getting pushed up as I continue to show consistency. That’s a good thing too for younger artists, that there are ways to reach out to people that they think are established and pick their brain to understand what they did, and keep moving forward. I think that’s the best part, is that Grand Rapids continues to move forward. There’s always going to be work, but I think at the very least, it’s trying to be better.
It started in Chicago, getting stuck in traffic or driving through the city at night, going over the Skyway Bridge and being able to see the smog over the city and knowing that there’s a traffic jam and deciding to drive on the lakeshore as opposed to the highway. So, it just gave me a different perspective on navigation. A lot of times, the things that I have in my paintings are color, line and brushstroke. Those are the real main pieces, I feel like, in any of my work, so I always try to have a solid color scheme. And when I tell people how I paint, they get confused, but I don’t think. I don’t think when I paint. It’s kind of that refuge, the way
for me to escape from the day and nonverbally communicate with myself, but then ultimately with the viewers. And my favorite part of that is, whatever I felt in that moment doesn’t necessarily translate to the person that’s viewing it, but it does give them a sense of energy or peace or whatever the actual work does for them.
Honestly, I’m riding the wave. That’s because I have two younger kids at the moment. You know, time is a commodity. If I could do it again, I would really like to redo multiple paintings in my college thesis show. I made four paintings, but they were structural paintings. They were three dimensional sculptures as well. So I painted cityscapes around these four boxes, essentially, and then I had four paintings on the wall. The tallest one was eight feet by four by four, and the smallest one was four by four by four. It was so much fun to see how people were forced to interact with the paintings, because they were standing and they were up and you had to walk around them to be able to do anything. It forced people to interact with the work in a way that I’ve never seen. So, it would be awesome to revisit that.
The biggest thing I would want to make sure that people know is: If you like an artist’s work, ask them how you can have some. And I don’t mean you need to buy everything they have, but I think it’s really important for people to say, “I like this artist, and I would love to have something.” You may not get the biggest, but they may have something that fits a price point you’re comfortable with, that still lets you have their work in your home, or your office or wherever. I feel like that’s something that West Michigan needs to hear a little bit more. ■
To see more of Crawley’s work, visit rcrawley.com or @rcrawleyart.
| by John Kissane
Gail Long has written beautifully about a childhood spent in the wilds of Michigan. Walking in the woods, she would imagine herself a queen, “clothed in the woods and the flora that surrounded me.”
She would go on to earn a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art; afterward, she studied dressmaking in Dubai before returning to Grand Rapids. Since then, Long has made any number of dresses, some meant for everyday wear, and some for more formal occasions, including weddings.
Lately, her art has turned more toward embroidery, much of it using fabric to mimic the materials of the natural world, like moss. Her art can remind us that, far from being separate from nature, we’re of it.
As a child I definitely liked drawing, sewing. I think that a lot of my drawing back then was very fairy tale-oriented. I did some sewing for my dolls, making art in a very little girl sort of way.
I saw the Michigan woods as a very fairy tale landscape, and I still do, really. I’m very much diving back into that fairy tale realm I imagined in the woods when I was a kid. You know, as an adult I’m less overt about it, but I still definitely feel that…”magical,” for lack of a better word, connection. Or mystery.
I think I still view Michigan woods as a fairy tale landscape, very much diving back into that fairy tale I imagined in the woods when I was a kid. You know, as a grownup I’m less overt about it, but I definitely still feel that sort of magical, for lack of a better word, connection or mystery.
It probably wasn’t the first one I ever
made, but the first one I remember very specifically was a prom dress for one of my friends in high school. It was green, and it had this lace-up, corset-style bodice, which was very much in keeping with the fairy tale theme.
The weird thing is, I don’t know that I was a highly confident teenager. But there’s a lack of embarrassment that kids and teens can have in their art, despite everything else.
I don’t know that it came out amazingly well, but she liked it, anyway.
Well, my college roommate/best friend was from there. Her mom was a dressmaker there. During college, I’d focused on fiber arts, projects there were garment-oriented.
Her mom invited me to stay there and learn from her, so I did. Her style was a combination of traditional western wedding dresses but also traditional Indian.
The landscape is very, very different from Michigan. It was beautiful, interesting, and fun, but I’m definitely a cooler weather, woodsy sort of person.
Honestly, what impacted me most were the materials. Just this massive abundance of fabric, trims, jewelry. I had never seen anything like it.
Since then, you’ve made any number of dresses in a variety of styles: everything from everyday wear to wedding dresses. I have to balance my vision with that of the wearer.
And no, I don’t much like it. (Laughter). That’s sort of the reason I never ended up
going full-time as a wedding dress maker. I do enjoy the process, but full-time…
I didn’t want to have to worry about whether something is wearable in a real-world setting. Or whether there’s any occasion to. I love making something that leans formal but isn’t necessarily something anyone would ever wear to a wedding or to prom.
I’m also really into historical dressmaking. I love sewing 18th-century costumes, that sort of thing. People just aren’t wearing that around for the most part! My interest is more a combination of historical dress and how interesting the material itself is.
YOU ALSO CREATE EMBROIDERIES. COULD YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT THAT WORK?
Let’s say you go for a walk in the woods and take home a clump of moss. It’s going to wilt, or die. What looked beautiful in nature is now just a lump of gray. I love those things, but once you remove them from their natural setting, they just sort of fade.
So, I started moss-inspired embroidery as a way to memorialize what I saw in nature, with a little more permanence than an object removed from its home. I’ve really only started focusing on embroidery in the last couple of years. I didn’t know how to do formal stitches before that. This was right at the beginning of the pandemic. I wasn’t thinking of a real-world application, just the vision in my mind. I envisioned this dress, a long-skirted dress covered in and being consumed by moss.
ARE YOU AN ELF?
(Laughter). Parts of me, yeah. The secret parts of me that the adult is too embarrassed to admit are there.
ARE THERE OTHER ARTISTS DOING SIMILAR WORK?
To see more of Long’s work, visit gaillongtextileart.com or @gaillongtextileart.
There are definitely artists who have parallel concerns. I’m thinking of artists who mend and repurpose garments in an artful and visual way. People who are working on eco-conscious preservation of existing things. Really, we all want to celebrate nature. ■
Shannon Mack earned her BFA from Kendall College of Art and Design. Since then, she has had exhibitions in Grand Rapids; Crete, Greece; and, soon, San Francisco.
Her work ranges from warm, meditative figure drawings to abstract paintings to textile work to, lately, murals; she tells Revue of a desire to go big in order to find the space her ideas require.
Regardless of the type of art, two throughlines are clear in her work: warm, timeless beauty and the rigor needed to smuggle it out of her head and into the world.
WERE YOU AN UNUSUALLY VISUAL CHILD?
Yes! I have a twin brother, and we’re both
the same person, basically. My mom would just put us in a room together and we’d be happy to draw for three hours. Both my parents are artists; they met at art school. My mom was a photography major and he designed cars. A lot of the photographs in the house were hers.
Art just wasn’t odd to me. It’s not like I was the black sheep of the family. If anything, if I’d gone into academia, then I would have been the black sheep. (Laughter).
ALL KIDS ARE ARTISTS, RIGHT?
That's right. But I stuck with it. I ended up going to college for interior design. But I realized there was something else I wanted to be doing. In my second year, I kept going up to different floors at Kendall. All the illustration
and fine art and drawing: why wasn’t I doing that? That’s what I’ve always done!
So, I switched to illustration. Since then, I’ve been a designer in a lot of capacities, you know, textile, freelance graphic work. But every year I get older, I realize I want to get closer to what I love. When 2020 happened, I was laid off from a design job, and it was sort of like, what am I doing? Honestly, that was a big turning point. You can “fail” at something you’re not even that into, so why not try and do something you actually love.
THERE’S A GREAT SOFTNESS TO YOUR FIGURE WORK, AND GREAT COLOR, TOO. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU TRY TO CAPTURE IN THOSE PIECES?
To be perfectly honest, I think figure drawing is the closest I get to meditation without meditating. It’s shaking off the dust of the day, or the week. Figure drawing takes me three hours, but it goes by in a flash.
I think the human body is obviously the most intriguing image for us—it’s just, this is who we are; it’s what we are. To be able to meditate on what it means to be a human, and to articulate it with some sort of mark-making tool, that’s important. Why do we draw? Why do we draw one another? There doesn’t have to be a purpose, I think. We have brains, and hearts, and we want to be able to reflect one another back to each other. This is one method of doing that.
YOUR PAINTINGS TEND TO BE MORE ABSTRACT. ARE YOU EXPLORING COLOR AND TEXTURE? ARE THEY MEANT TO CAPTURE A MOOD?
The best way I can explain my abstract work is “letting go.” I want art to be a catharsis, a release. A way of talking to myself. That’s a little harder to do when I’m trying to be representational.
Abstract art allows me to bring something out of myself that I didn’t know was there. Something I’ve seen in dreams, or the colors I see when I close my eyes. Giving birth to it. That sounds very dramatic, I know. But yes: you’re sculpting something that was already there.
YOU SEEM TO BE PRETTY PLUGGED INTO THE WESTERN MICHIGAN ART SCENE. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?
It’s so many things. I think it’s rapidly growing. As far as opportunities to be a paid artist, there’s a lot of room for improvement. Arts organizations are growing so fast; they have such beautiful visions and such good intentions, and they really do want to uplift artists and pay them well. Some of that has started to happen.
But it’s important to have a critical eye, too. One of the murals I painted, I asked the organization to double their offer before I accepted the contract. They did it. It’s important for artists to advocate for themselves.
And it’s important to master your craft. I’m not afraid to say that art education is important. We have a lot of self-taught artists, and some of them are amazing. But know your color theory, know composition. Understand what makes a successful piece. Push yourself. If you do that, you’ll end up so much more confident.
I have a lot of things I’m ready to start painting. I spent the summer working at Meijer Gardens as a gardener. I wanted to try something hands-on, out in the sun. That was such a nice change of pace. And, unknowingly, a huge source of inspiration.
What’s been on my mind most lately is a culmination of the abstracts I’ve been doing, but bringing figure works into it, too. Really huge hands; figures in general; neon color combinations. Really trying to bring together the figurative work and the abstract work I’ve been refining for years. I want to keep painting bigger. There just needs to be more space. ■
Emily Luyk is an adventurer. After growing up in Byron Center, she moved to San Francisco at 19, spending two years there before moving to Grand Rapids. She studied Illustration at Kendall College of Art & Design, earning her BFA in 2017. Since then, she’s had shows and exhibitions in Chicago, Tennessee, and Florida.
Her illustrative work is well-observed and often charming; in one piece, titled “Blossom Possum,” flowers seem to be growing out of the titular creature. “Isolation,” which features a nude woman with a house for a head, goes further afield. Her website offers various items, including custom pet portraits. To come is jewelry; together with her partner Collin, she’s begun work in metalsmithing.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE GOOD AT THIS STUFF? WERE YOU DRAWING AS A CHILD? AS A TEENAGER?
It’s hard to say, but I always knew that I loved it. As soon as I learned how to draw, that’s what I wanted to do. In kindergarten, when they asked what we wanted to be, I wrote down that I wanted to be an artist. Something just felt right about it.
I tried sports but realized that wasn’t for me. I was involved in theater, musicals, that kind of thing. I just knew that I wanted to be involved in the arts as much as possible. On the weekends, my friend group and I would do things related to art. It’s how we spent our time.
YOUR ILLUSTRATIVE WORK REMINDS ME OF THE BOOKS I READ IN CHILDHOOD. WERE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS IMPORTANT TO YOU GROWING UP?
They really were. I’m not sure I made that connection when I was little, but I loved reading. Many illustrations have stuck in my mind. I loved the little hidden things you’d find in Mercer Meyer books. He’d had an animal on almost every page, tiny animals hidden in the scenes. Or books with borders around every page, and little pictures in the borders. That had an impact on me, for sure. Even now, I like hiding little details in there.
ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF YOUR WORK IS A STRONG ATTENTION TO DETAIL. YOUR ANIMALS ARE CHARMING, BUT THEY ALSO FEEL VERY REAL. HOW IMPORTANT IS GETTING THINGS RIGHT TO YOU?
I think a huge part of that was going to college for this, because Kendall’s illustration department was really big on realism. We’d work from photos, all that. It’s not that I want to do photorealism, exactly, but I do want to be able to create something that looks pretty real. But there’s some surrealism there, too. The fact that aspects of it look realistic adds to the dreaminess. That’s really how I ended up finding my style.
THERE’S A QUALITY OF WHIMSY, OR MAYBE INVENTIVENESS IS A BETTER WORD, IN SOME OF YOUR
WORK. WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU WERE ALWAYS COMFORTABLE WITH?
I was always really drawn to imagination. I was pretty far behind my siblings, age-wise. I played alone a lot, was always outside imagining things. What if I crawl into this fort in the woods and enter another world? A lot of that stuck with me as an adult.
I like to go hiking and feel the connection to what else is out there.
“ISOLATION,” WITH ITS IMAGE OF THE HUMAN FIGURE WHOSE HEAD IS A HOUSE, SPEAKS TO THE LONELINESS THAT SEEMS TO HAVE INCREASED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THAT PIECE?
That one happened during COVID, when a lot of us were alone quite a bit. I don’t know that I necessarily tried to make it about that, but I was home a lot. I’d listen to illustration podcasts and think about all these ideas I had. I’d done so many nature things; I wanted to explore new subject
matter, not get stuck in a rut. I think the drawing represents that.
YOU’VE MADE SOME REALLY STRIKING MURALS. WHAT’S THE PROCESS FOR THOSE LIKE? HOW MUCH INPUT DOES THE PERSON OR BUSINESS COMMISSIONING THEM HAVE?
It depends on the project. My first mural, I designed it myself and sent in the proposal. I had total control over that— well, besides picking the wall. But even the Starbucks project I did afterward: obviously, their hands were in that a little more, but they still gave me a surprising amount of freedom. I’ve never had anyone control those projects completely, which has been nice. They trust the artist.
YOU RETWEETED A QUOTE FROM LUDWIG BEMELMANS, WHO SAID, “MY GREATEST INSPIRATION IS A LOW BANK BALANCE.” HOW DO YOU BALANCE ART AND COMMERCE?
There’s a very long road of growing the
business when you work for yourself in an industry that’s not...it’s not always the priority for people, especially if they don’t have much extra money. It can be rough at times. It comes and goes in waves. But it’s gotten better as I’ve gotten better.
COULD YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER PET PORTRAITS?
Most of the time, it’s a memorial. Someone wants it to honor their pet who’s passed on, or a friend of theirs does, or a family member. I’ve done cats and dogs. I’d love to do lizards and birds, too. It’s kind of a nice thing to do for people, it
means a lot.
They’ll tell me something about their pet or about themselves, and if they have any particular way they’d like to tie things in. I run with it and get to surprise them with something. It’s pretty fulfilling.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR ART GOING FROM HERE?
What I hope to happen is I can make it make enough and be known well-enough that the road gets a little smoother. There are these galleries I really love, where I never would have dreamed of getting into. But now my goal is to get there. ■
Born and raised in Battle Creek, portrait artist Jamari Taylor is working to be known across West Michigan, if not the whole world.
Her art business, Jaylei Art, “was shaped with passion and love for creativity” seven years ago. Since then, Taylor has expanded connections in a variety of ways, starting up a youth art program in Battle Creek for children to have unlimited access to art supplies, guidance for their favorite art focuses, and practicing skills. They’re also building a creative and healing space through large scale murals with students around West Michigan.
You’ll also find Jaylei Art attending pop-up shops and teaching adult paint classes, “all creative outlets that inspired me to continue developing portraiture work that encourages others to engage in the art world.”
Being a part of the illustration program at Grand Valley State University 2015 through 2019 challenged me to be more open in trying different mediums, while also figuring out what mediums made my style of work stand out more. I found that using Charcoal, Acrylics, and Oils, these mediums helped me create powerful images that portray a person’s character and strength. Through portraiture and nature, I found these subjects to be a motivating and astonishing way of connecting with one’s inner-soul to uplift and get others
inspired through an artist’s vision.
Many artists that are a part of the art field have inspired me in many ways with my usage of art symbolism. Kehinde Wiley and Kara Walker who both explore storytelling of the black culture, gender, and identity through their work. Chuck Close and Oliver Sin who both create in depth portraiture work through the usage of black and white. How could I forget music? Music overall is what releases the negative energy and pumps peace into my mind. R&B, soul and the hip hop culture has helped me focus into my paintings and murals. Artists like Elle Varner, H.E.R, Snoah Aalegra, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Michael Jackson, Tony Toni Tone, Outcast, Frank Ocean, Drake, and the list goes on. Without music I wouldn’t have made it this far and my portraits wouldn’t have blossomed. Overall, portraiture goes beyond the meaning of storytelling without the usage of words and with the power of focus, drive, and mystery of one’s beauty, and I appreciate all that have motivated me in many ways.
A year ago I was honored to be able to redesign a new banner for the headquarters of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, MI. This composition was a collage of children and a mother, representing
diversity, the community of Battle Creek, and families that the foundation has helped throughout the nation. Knowing that I could bring happiness, peace, and allow viewers to see themselves as a part of this art composition daily brought me tremendous joy! Another recent mural that I just finished up through Color The Creek this year for Trinity Neighborhood Center (TNC) was also a huge blessing. Being able to learn about their food distribution inspired me to create something bold, bright, and exciting for their neighbors and the TNC community. I had the pleasure of painting bright green cabbages, peony floral, prayer leafs, and three portraits of children taking care of the TNC garden. My experience working on this mural in 6 days was phenomenal how welcoming, caring, and giving TNC was to me with open arms. I felt a part of their family when I first arrived and appreciated being able to brighten up their building through art.
The big pros of being an artist in West Michigan is knowing that all artists are welcomed here. No matter what, the art community will continue to grow and welcome all artists with open arms! You will always succeed by attending networking events and not being afraid of putting your artwork into the world. There’s even people who aren’t a part of the art community that will send artists events, mural sign ups, and will help you find ways to succeed. I was told one day that “closed mouths don’t get fed” while being nervous of posting about needing a new location to teach my students in Battle Creek and within 24 hours after posting I received a message stating that there was a space available for my art program! I truly am grateful for the community that has followed my artists journey from the beginning and for those that continue to help me not only expand my business, but to even better my craft as an artist in West Michigan.
At this very moment, I’m prepping my canvas for this year’s upcoming ArtPrize. I’m super blessed to be able to be a part of this art competition for the third time and excited for the community to see some of my original work! My dream for this year’s ArtPrize would be to sell some of my originals and to meet more art collectors.
My other dream is to soon be a traveling muralist out of state. I would love for the rest of the world to be able to learn more about Jaylei Art through original paintings on canvas, murals, and my art youth program. Being able to see communities engage and spread peace through Jaylei art is a dream. The world will know Jaylei Art not matter how long it takes, my art will make an epic difference. ■
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 like Mean Girls, Les Miserables and Wicked coming through; plenty of live performances with symphonies, ensembles and dancers taking to the stage; and powerful art exhibitions exploring race, culture and the future. With any luck and lots of work, all these amazing events and more will be coming to West Michigan in the year ahead. Here’s our annual guide to arts events for the coming season.
FONTANA CHAMBER ARTS
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 200, Kalamazoo fontanamusic.org
» Fry Street Quartet, Oct. 13
» Ben Gulley & Peter Dugan, Nov. 5
» Castalian String Quartet, Feb. 23
» Cyrille Aimée, Mar. 15
» American Brass Quintet, Apr. 20
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon frauenthal.org
» DSB: Tribute to Journey, Oct. 27
» Veteran’s Day Tribute, Nov. 12
» Vitamin String Quartet, Mar. 8
GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY
300 Ottawa Ave. NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org
Richard and Helen DeVos Classical:
» Opening Night: Daniil Trifonov Plays Gershwin, Sept. 15-16
» Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Sept. 29-30
» Lehninger Conducts Liszt & Bartók, Oct. 20-21
» Handel’s Messiah by Candlelight, Nov. 17-18
» The Artistry of Vadim Gluzman, Jan. 12-13
» All-American Masters, Feb. 2-3
» Prokofiev Symphony No. 7, Mar. 1-2
» Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, Mar. 22-23
» A Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus Celebration, Apr. 12-13
» Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, May 10-11
Coffee Masterworks: Mozart & Grieg, Oct. 27
» Mozart’s Haffner Symphony, Apr. 26
Fox Motor Pops:
» Elf in Concert, Dec. 1-2
» University of Michigan Health-West Holiday Pops, Dec. 21-23
» Celtic Landscapes with Eileen Ivers, Mar. 15-16
» May the Fourth Be With You: Star Wars & More!, May 3-4
Symphony Specials:
» Violent Femmes, Oct. 6-7
» Coco in Concert, Nov. 3-4
» The Godfather, Jan. 5
» Symphony with Soul: LeeLa James, Feb. 10
» Black Panther in Concert, Feb. 16-17
» The Gilmore in Grand Rapids: Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Mar. 28
» A Night of Symphonic Boy Bands, Mar. 29
DTE Foundation Family Series:
» Wild Symphony, Jan. 20
hollandchorale.org
» Adventures in Harmony: Low Voice Edition, Oct. 3
» Holland Chorale w/ Chanticleer, Oct. 23
» Welcome Christmas, Dec. 17
» Slightly Scandalous: Cole Porter Cabaret, Feb. 11
» Masterpieces of Sacred Music: Handel Messiah, Apr. 20
96 W. 15th St. Ste. 201, Holland hollandsymphony.org
» The Planets, Sept. 30
» Brahms 3, Oct. 28
» Celebrate the Season, Dec. 9
» Surprise Symphony, Mar. 9
» Night at the Opera, Apr. 27
100 E. Eighth St., Holland hope.gps
» Para.Mar Dance Theatre, Sept. 22-23
» Escher String Quartet, Oct. 26
» Brad Mehldau Trio, Nov. 16
» Lavinia Meijer, Jan. 26
» Galvin Cello Quartet, Feb. 29
» The Other Mozart, Mar. 22
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo kalamazoosymphony.com
» A Night on Swan Lake, Sept. 23
» Craft Music: Classics on Tap, Oct. 4
» Bachtoberfest, Oct. 21
» El Amor Brujo: Love Bewitched, Oct. 29
» Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Nov. 11
» Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Nov. 18
» Craft Music: Folk Songs, Jan. 17
» Symphony of Brotherhood: Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 21
» Saxy, And We Know It, Jan. 28
» Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone In Concert, Feb. 2
» Mozart’s Requiem, Feb. 24
» Magical Melodies, Mar. 5
» Music, She Wrote, Mar. 10
» Journeys: Shostakovich, Ravel & Marsalis, Mar. 23
» Opera Returns! Puccini’s Tosca Apr. 19
» Craft Music: Great American Songbook, May 22
» Strings Attached, June 2
24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids scmc-online.org
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center:
» Trios Transformed, Nov. 9
» Instrumental Array, Mar. 7
» String Magic, Apr. 18
Spectacular Jazz Series:
» Madeleine Peyroux, Oct. 21
» Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary, Jan. 18
» Samara Joy, Mar. 26
ACTORS THEATRE
160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids actorstheatregrandrapids.org
» Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, Sept. 14-23
» Oil and Sugar, Dec. 7-16
» Affinity Lunch Minutes, Feb. 1-10
» Paradise Lost, May 2-11
BARN THEATRE
13351 M-96, Augusta barntheatreschool.org
» Nunsense, Aug. 29-Sept. 3
» Clue: The Play, Sept. 7-10
» The Gift, Sept. 14-17
BROADWAY GRAND RAPIDS
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com
» Funny Girl, Sept. 19-24
Acoustic Cafe Folk:
» Rhiannon Giddens, Sept. 19
» Amos Lee, Oct. 12
» Jerry Douglas, Nov. 16
» Allison Russell, Jan. 16
» March Cohn, Apr. 11
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo stulberg.org
» Esme Arias Kim w/ WMU Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 1
» Amelia Zitoun w/ WMU Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 11
» Daniel Bae w/ Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Nov. 19
» Starla Breshears w/ Kalamazoo Jr. Symphony Orchestra, Feb. 11
» Dongyoung Jake Shim w/ Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Mar. 24
» Bach Prize Award, May 17
» Stulberg Finals, May 18
THE GILMORE
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo thegilmore.org
» Rising Star: Janice Carissa, Sept. 10
» Baby Grands: Esteban Castro, Oct. 7
» Rising Star: Esteban Castro Trio, Oct. 8
» Rising Star: Illia Ovcharenko, Oct. 29
» Rising Star: Sean Mason Trio, Dec. 3
WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY
360 W. Western Ave. Ste. 200, Muskegon westmichigansymphony.org
» Aretha: A Tribute, Sept. 29
» Scheherazade and More, Nov. 3
» Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho, Dec. 9
» Home for the Holidays, Dec. 15
» Mozart and Beethoven, Jan. 26
» The Seasons: Reimagined, Feb. 23
» St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with Cherish the Ladies, Mar. 15
» WMS Around the World Part II, Apr. 19
» Rhapsody In Blue, May 10
» Tina, Nov. 7-12
» Disney’s Aladdin, Jan. 16-21
» Les Miserables, Mar. 5-10
» To Kill A Mockingbird, Apr. 23-28
» Wicked, May 2-June 2
» MJ, July 9-14
CENTRAL PARK PLAYERS
421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven centralparkplayers.org
» Wait Until Dark, Oct. 13-22
» Parfumerie, Dec. 8-17
» Half Baked, Mar. 8-17
» School House Rock Live, May 10-19
CIRCLE THEATRE
1703 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids circletheatre.org
» Sweeney Todd, Sept. 7-23
DEOS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
1595 Galbraith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids deosballet.com
» Trifles: A Murder Mystery Ballet, Sept. 30-Oct. 1
» EMBER Series, Mar. 16-17
» AWAKEN Series, May 2024
FACE OFF THEATRE
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo faceofftheatre.com
» Exit Strategy, Oct. 19-22
FARMERS ALLEY THEATRE KALAMAZOO
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com
» Working the Musical, Sept. 21-Oct. 8
» Addy & Uno, Oct. 27-Nov. 5
» Every Brilliant Thing, Nov. 30-Dec. 17
» Native Gardens, Jan. 25-Feb. 4
» Skeleton Crew, Mar. 7-17
» Sondeim on Sondheim, Apr. 25-May 12
» The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, June 12-23
» School of Rock The Musical, July 17-28
FOREST HILLS FINE ARTS CENTER
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids fhfineartscenter.com
» Matilda: The Musical, Nov. 16-18
» The Little Mermaid, Feb. 8-10
» TBA, Mar. 21-23
FRAUENTHAL CENTER
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon frauenthal.org
» The Magic of Motown, Oct. 6
» World Ballet Series: Cinderella, Oct. 8
BROAD ART MUSEUM
547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing broadmuseum.msu.edu
» Shouldn’t You Be Working? 100 Years of Working from Home, Through Dec. 17
» Andrea Canepa: As we dwell in the fold, Through Jan. 21
» Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights, Through Feb. 18
» Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Collection, Through 2026
FRAUENTHAL CENTER
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon frauenthal.org
» Holly Sturges, Through Oct. 12
» Evie Carrier, Oct.-Nov.
» Barbara Schilling, Dec.-Jan.
» Franciscan Artists, Feb.
» Muskegon Showcase, Mar.
» Kris & Bob Brown, Apr.-May
» Jackie Lindrup & Nancy Armitage, June-July
FOREST HILLS FINE ARTS CENTER
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids fhfineartscenter.com
» Gretka Domer, Through Sept. 15
» Ralph “Nunzi” Annunziata, Sept. 20-Oct. 27
» Sister’s Christmas Catechism, Dec. 7-10
» The Nutcracker, Dec. 9
» Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Apr. 12-20
GILMORE THEATRE/WMU THEATRE
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre
» Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Oct. 27-Nov. 5
» Clue, Nov. 10-19
» Next Stop, Broadway!, Nov. 30-Dec. 2
» More Fun Than Bowling, F eb. 2-11
» Argonautika, Mar. 15-24
» Spongebob Squarepants, Apr. 5-14
» Julius Caesar, May 17-26
GRAND RAPIDS BALLET
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grballet.com
» Contemporary Visions, Oct. 6-8
» The Nutcracker, Dec. 8-17
» Sleeping Beauty, Feb. 23-25
» Jumpstart 2024, Mar. 22-24
» In the Upper Room, Apr. 26-May 5
GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org
» The Spongebob Musical, Sept. 15-Oct. 8
» Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Nov. 17-Dec. 17
» Clyde’s, Jan. 19-29
» Disney’s Descendants, Mar. 1-17
» Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express, Apr. 19-May 5
» Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, June 7-30
JEWISH THEATRE GRAND RAPIDS
2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids jtgr.org
» Judgment at Nuremberg, Oct. 12-22
» The Hatmaker’s Wife, Feb. 29-Mar. 10
» Dov and Ali, June 8-9
KALAMAZOO CIVIC THEATRE
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com
» Big Fish, Sept. 15-Oct. 1
» All Of Us: A Celebration of BIPOC Voices, Oct. 6-15
» Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Oct. 27-Nov. 5
» Barbecue, Nov. 10-19
» The Sound of Music, Nov. 24-Dec. 17
» The Lion In Winter, Jan. 12-21
» Cats: Young Actors Edition, Jan. 26-Feb 4
» Is There Life After High School?, Feb. 16-25
» The 39 Steps, Mar. 8-17
» Forever Plaid, Apr. 5-14
» The Lion King Jr., Apr. 19-28
» Catch Me If You Can, May 3-19
MILLER AUDITORIUM
2200 Auditorium Dr, Kalamazoo millerauditorium.com
» Mean Girls, Oct. 24-25
» Emo Orchestra, Oct. 28
» A Magical Cirque Christmas, Dec. 6-7
» A Carpenters Christmas, Dec. 19
» Jagged Little Pill, Jan. 16-17
» Come From Away, Jan. 30-31
» My Fair Lady, Mar. 10
» DRUM TAO, Mar. 17
» Jesus Christ Superstar, Mar. 26-27
» Omnium Circus, Apr. 6
» Annie, May 6
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org
» Little Shop of Horrors, Oct. 6-21
» Calendar Girls, Nov. 17-Dec. 3
» The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-
Time, Jan. 12-20
» Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding, Apr. 12-20
» The Glorious World Of Crowns, Kinks & Curls, Feb. 9-24
» Ragtime, May 2-5
NEW VIC THEATRE
134 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo thenewvictheatre.org
» A Christmas Carol, Nov. 17-Dec. 22
1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids operagr.org
» Season Kickoff: Dr. Miracle, Sept. 16
» The Abduction from the Seraglio, Oct. 13-14
» Chorus Concert, Nov. 16
» The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Feb. 9-10
» Opera is Lit, Mar. 14
» La Bohème, Apr. 19-20
750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing whartoncenter.com
» The Magic of Motown, Sept. 30
» To Kill A Mockingbird, Oct. 3-8
» World Ballet Series: Cinderella, Oct. 10
» When You Wish Upon A Star, Oct. 19
» Dixie’s Tupperware Party, Oct. 19-20
» Hairspray, Nov. 28-Dec. 3
» The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Dec. 6
» Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Dec. 8
» Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Dec. 14
» Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Dec. 18
» Mamma Mia!, Jan. 16-21
» Funny Girl, Feb. 6-11
» Maria Schneider Orchestra, Feb. 23
» Moulin Rouge!, Apr. 2-14
» SIX, May 14-19
» Staff & Community Exhibit, Nov. 6-Dec. 15
» Susan Rose Memorial Exhibit, Jan. 10-Feb. 9
» Mayfield Fiber Artists, Feb. 14-Mar. 14
» Student Art Exhibit, Mar. 20-Apr. 19
» Easels 9, May 15-June 28
FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org
» Cristina Iglesias: Under and In Between, Through Sept. 24
GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org
» Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Collection, Through Sept. 9
» Ellsworth Kelly & Jack Youngerman: Surrounding Shapes, Through Sept. 16
» Everything Beautiful in its Time: Six Centuries of Prints, Sept. 2-Dec. 3
» Underneath Everything: Humility and Grandeur in Contemporary Ceramics, Oct. 7-Jan. 14
» Experimental Film Selections from Open Projector Night, Oct. 7-Jan. 14
» The Outwin: American Portraiture Today, June 1-Sept. 15
KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS
314 South Park St., Kalamazoo kiarts.org
» A Bridge Between Two Worlds: Works by Wu Jian’an, Sept. 16-Dec. 31
» C. C. Wang: Lines of Abstraction, Sept. 16-Dec. 31
» Arty’s Perspectives, Through Sept. 10
» Celebrate!, Sept. 23-Jan. 14
» Unveiling American Genius, Through Dec. 31
LOWELLARTS
223 W. Main St., Lowell lowellartsmi.org
» Fallasburg Arts Festival, Sept. 16-17
» Regional Arts Exhibition: Awards Show, Sept. 23
» LowellArts Artist Market, Nov. 9-Dec. 23
GVSU ART GALLERY
1 Campus Dr., Allendale gvsu.edu/artgallery
» Mathias J. Alten: An Evolving Legacy, Through 2031
» Another Side of Bob Dylan: Photographs from the Douglas R. Gilbert Collection, Through June 28, 2024
» Beyond the Binary: Artists Illustrate the Complexities of Gender, Through June 28, 2024
LAFONTSEE GALLERIES & FARMING 833 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids lafontsee.us
» Cut & Paste, Oct. 21-Nov. 4
MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org
» Oddities & Delights, Sept. 14-Feb. 25
» Tiffany Lamps: The Richard H. Driehaus Collection, Sept. 7-Jan. 14
» The Lessons I Leave You: Paintings by Ayana Ross, Through Sept. 10
SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS 400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org
» Creative Fellow Mindy Trafman, Through Dec. 31
» Of Plants and Place, Ongoing
» Foreshadowing - Endangered & Threatened
Plant Species, Ongoing
» Ningaaseg, Oct. 20-Jan. 26
» A Bright Night: Free Community Celebration, Oct. 27
Nine hundred twenty-eight presenting artists, $200,000 in grants, 153 venues in and around Grand Rapids and an impressive $400,000 in prizes—even after a decade since its inception, ArtPrize continues to see new changes and edits each year. Like a time-based installation that takes over all of Grand Rapids, ArtPrize can never be a completely finished piece. Instead, our perspective can change, its intention can reform, and new faces can emerge.
“I’ve had a chance to get to know the community and really discover what ArtPrize means to the community and its legacy here in Grand Rapids,” said Catlin Whitington, the new executive director of ArtPrize since its recent reorganizing. “A lot of what we’re focusing on this year is building a foundational iteration for future years.”
ArtPrize has now been clearly defined as a collaboration between Kendall College, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and other leaders in both the public and private sector who have shared interest in promoting this year’s reboot of the event and Grand Rapids’ art scene. This art scene rivals that of large
metropolitan markets in the sense that it is so multidisciplinary. Grand Rapids’ artists and ArtPrize competitors have never been resigned to just the page or canvas.
In Grand Rapids, the artwork becomes a part of the city.
“ArtPrize is a perfect opportunity to create an environment by which artists can explore and try new things in a way where they might not normally be able to,” Whitington said. “The reason is because there’s that philanthropic arts patronage that supports it.”
As executive director, Whitington aims to grow ArtPrize’s year-round presence moving forward, not just in GR but in the national and international art communities as well. Competitors from all over have always made the trip to West Michigan and contribute pieces toward the festival, but more and more grants are being sponsored through Whitington’s team members to help finance the major hurdles that can keep some artists from delivering their artwork, installing pieces, or even participating at all.
“The community out here is invested in art,” Whitington said. “There’s a long history of local civic leaders that are committed to bringing art here, especially public art. I think that legacy, as well as the legacy of ArtPrize, can really be seen on the walls and streets of downtown Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids as a whole.”
New pieces are not limited to just the ArtPrize competitors, however. For the first time ever, ArtPrize will be partnering with West Michigan’s own Merchants and Makers group to host a joint artisan market on September 23 and 24 at Ah-Nab-Awen park near the Grand River downtown. At this free-entry event, customers will be able to meet over 80 regional vendors and explore their homemade products and art pieces. ArtPrize’s opening ceremony on September 14 will also take place at Ah-Nab-Awen, featuring performance arts group Squonk and the debut of their newest opera, “Brouhaha.” Their style of unbridled visual spectacle mixed with live rock music has been entertaining audiences around the world for over 25 years, and
now they’ll be showing off their newest creation for the delight of ArtPrize visitors.
“It’s over the top, it’s whimsical, it’s performative,” Whitington said. “In terms of large-scale arts activation, imagine eight-foot-tall flugelhorns and plenty of audience participation. They’re a really awesome and entertaining experiment.”
If that’s not enough outdoor performance for you, then closing out ArtPrize on September 29 at Rosa Parks Circle will be retro R&B and pop band “The Dip” from Seattle, Washington. Their ensemble band will bring a joyful funk sound to the end of ArtPrize 2023 that you won’t want to miss.
ArtPrize may have started as a wild, new concept in 2009, but its experiment has continued to improve and grow over time. If the last ten years are any indication, then the next ten will surely be another grand success.
“Come for a little bit and stay all-day,” Whitington said. “We are excited to share this year’s ArtPrize with Grand Rapids and the world.” ■
KANIN WREN
Hometown: Lansing
Genre: Americana, Pop
Recommended If You Like: Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo
With a top tier tribute show to the biggest star in the world right now, Kanin Wren has sold out shows all across the state. Adding the “Taylor Swift Experience” to her live appearances earlier this year, the teen singer/ songwriter has only just graduated high school, and started her next chapter as an artist. First she’ll embark on a tour that stretches from Michigan to Ohio and Maryland, and then she plans to record her debut record early next year. She has started sharing from her massive catalog of original songs, releasing a new single each month, and has a long list of big name collaborators already working with her.
PRETORIA
Hometown: Grandville
Genre: Indie-rock, pop-rock
Recommended If You Like: Parquet Courts, Weathers
Priding themselves on making every show feel like a permanent summer vacation, Pretoria has a feel good sound that has only continued to grow over the last four years. Formed by four friends – guitarist Matthew Pavlock, drummer/vocalist Ben DeWitt, lead vocalist/ bassist Rob Gullet and guitarist Joshua Bilisko – at Grandville High School, the band blends nostalgic college rock vibes, with a modern, hook-centered songcraft. Don’t miss the release of their debut album, Where Will The Night Take Us , due out Sept. 8, ahead of a planned tour later this fall.
SARENA RAE
Hometown: Grand Rapids/Grandville
Genre: R&B, Soul
Recommended If You Like: Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker
Music surrounds every aspect of Sarena Rae’s life. From performing and recording her own solo work, to fronting Best of the West-winning cover band Brena, to founding the educational musical revue Music That Raised Us!, she has become involved with every aspect of the local music scene. A producer for the Michigan Chapter of the International Musicians League, and a board member of the Grand Rapids Media Center, she’s constantly working to help lift up other voices, while her own simply soars, onstage and off, with plans to play Earthwork Harvest Gathering Sept. 17, and showcase her Christmas album live later this year.
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Hip-hop, alternative R&B
Recommended If You Like: Childish Gambino, Anderson.Paak
Still new to the scene, Ugandan rapper/singer Headband Henny, aka Henry Parwoth, has already become a hit at college house parties around Kalamazoo. Rapping with a chill, often old-school flow, his sound has only continued to evolve in the last two years, as he has most recently morphed his solo act into a live alternative hip-hop project with friends and fellow Kzoo musicians Noah Shankool on keys, Adam Cortes Ferrie on bass, Ryan Fluke on drums, and Brandon Marsh on guitar. The group has given Henny’s dynamic lyricism an undeniably dance-y bounce, and will help him continue to push past any new boundaries.
THE REBEL EVES
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Americana, Folk-pop
Recommended If You Like: The Highwomen, Joseph
Proving that there’s true strength in numbers, The Rebel Eves came together out of the pure joy of connection and creativity. Made up of co-lead vocalists
Katie Pederson, Grace Theisen and Jillian Linklater, who have each made their own way as award-winning solo artists, the group has roots stretching from Michigan to Nashville, and intend to reach far beyond with a short tour surrounding their
Sounds of the Zoo festival performance on Sept. 30. Their shared voices unite in gorgeous harmony on their lead single, “Heaven Without You,” released earlier this year, proving the sky’s the limit for this incredibly talented trio.
SAGE CASTLEBERRY
Hometown: Battle Creek/Kalamazoo
Genre: Pop-country, pop-rock
Recommended If You Like: Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan
Sage Castleberry picked up the guitar at just 10 years old, and has spent years playing with friends and family, including his father, drummer Tim Castleberry. He released his debut single, “I Kinda Like It” last year, and his debut EP, “Leave With Me Together,” earlier this year, with the title track taking inspiration from the tragically romantic story of his grandmother and grandfather passing away only hours apart due to complications from COVID-19. With Castleberry’s rich voice leading the way, the heartbreaking track goes deep into life, love, and loss, clearly establishing him as a powerful, soulful songwriter, and a performer not to be missed.
EMPRESS EYES
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Indie, shoegaze
Recommended If You Like: Phoebe Bridgers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Originally envisioned as a solo project, Empress Eyes released her solo debut album, Sitting In My Room , last fall. Nominated for Artist of the
Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and best Pop/Rock Album, at this year’s Jammie Awards, the hauntingly beautiful record made an immediate impact. Now expanded into a four-piece band, her songs take on a new life, embracing listeners, and guiding them through a journey of authentic self-reflection. Look out for the band’s new single, “Stay Dead,” going live online later this month.
JAZ BOLAR
Hometown: Battle Creek
Genre: Rap, hip-hop
Recommended If You Like: Nas, J. Cole
A member of Battle Creek’s BLVCKSHEEP, a Black-owned collective and record label, Jermaine Williams, aka Jaz Bolar, has been in the game for over a decade. Having first started writing music in the sixth grade, he has grown and matured over the years, with a community-minded message, centered on unifying and taking action. He’s released a number of projects, most recently the first visual album in West Michigan entitled FINITY, as well as the new single “Curses & Blessings,” and has opened for artists like Eric Bellinger, Payroll Giovanni, and others, while building up his strong live show.
SOULAR SPICE
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Bass, House
Recommended If You Like: LP Giobbi, Rezz
Playing regularly in Chicago and Detroit, Kalamazoo DJ Soular Spice has mostly
secret shows and unannounced sets as far out as Texas lined up for this fall, but her epic mixes and performances have already become the stuff of legend. Taking the stage at area electronic music events like the Big Bubble Rave at GLC Live at 20 Monroe earlier this year, and the Great Lakes Flow retreat in Lapeer, her interplanetary grooves, and pulse pounding tempos have her ready to take off any time now.
POCKET WATCH
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Jazz fusion, funk
Recommended If You Like: Lake Street Dive, Hiatus Kaiyote
Just now celebrating their one year anniversary as a band, Pocket Watch has made quick time getting a loyal fan base in the local scene. Regularly performing at Turnstiles every Sunday for their weekly Jazz Jam, the six-piece outfit has members with experience from Berklee and MSU, as well as other area bands like Whorled, Cosmic Knot, Squatch, Minor Element, and The Verve Pipe. They will take the stage at Founders Sept. 16, before beginning work on their first album, with plans to release that sometime this winter. ■
First started back in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Grand Rapids indie-rock band Low Phase saw just how much the West Michigan music scene suffered during those difficult times. But by working together with friends, and sharing the love that they have for each other and their music, they hope to lift everyone up, especially following the release of their stellar debut EP, Star Dog , last month.
“I think that this project, and I can only speak for myself right now, but it is the only reason I was able to make it through the pandemic with the least amount of scars I could,” Low Phase lead vocalist/guitarist/songwriter
Caleb Waldvogel said.
Made up of Waldvogel, lead guitarist/vocalist
Marley Kaye, her brother drummer/percussionist
Miles Ferguson, and bassist
John Bomer, Low Phase has years of experience despite being a young band.
All of the members first started playing in bands as teenagers, while still in high school in Rockford, and local music fans likely remember Waldvogel’s previous popular indie-folk project Political Lizard, or Kaye’s past touring electronic and indie-pop acts PARTS and Marsfade.
But Low Phase is not quite like anything any of them have done before.
“We’ve all been in a lot of projects already,” Kaye said.
“So I think that’s part of (it) too, is just changing sound, changing projects, changing members and finding what feels best out of all of that, and then having to adapt to the change that is the music scene here.”
Growing up in the bustling house shows of the pre-pandemic Grand Rapids music scene, Kaye said the DIY mindset that she saw thrive at that early age left an impression on her as far as what a band can do, by just working together and making things happen on their own.
So coming back from COVID, Low Phase set their sights high, and held each other close, as they faced their shared fears about returning to the live stage.
“My whole life, the reason I got into music or knew it was right for me was that I have always been introverted, but as soon as I get on the stage, that goes away, and I blossom,” Kaye said. “I’ve been told that since I was a
kid. There’s like a mystery to that that I don’t fully understand, but it’s very present.”
That social fear and lingering anxiety that crept up on so many during the social isolation of lockdown was alleviated for the members of Low Phase by knowing that they had each other, and they had music.
“There’s something super intimate and vulnerable about being in a band with your best friends,” Waldvogel said about the bond the band shares. “There’s a sort of connection that you wouldn’t get outside of that creative sphere. So we help each other grow as musicians… and just as people.”
With over 30 songs written, and about 10 or so they play live regularly, the band set out to record their debut EP at Planet Sunday Studios, with Joel Ferguson, Miles’ and Marley’s father, producing.
“When we started in our first project, The Great Indoors, I was probably 14, 15 and you see Joel as a god,” Waldvogel said. “You’re like, ‘OK, this man knows everything, and I know nothing. So it is really weird to grow up, and become like peers with him. Almost.’”
For the EP’s release show, Low Phase partnered with two of their other childhood local music idols, Luke Dean of the band Vagabonds, and DIY hardcore production company Free Space Shows, and Jackie Kalmink of Holland indie-
rock band The Fever Haze, who played on the bill, and has influenced the band from their earliest days.
“It’s crazy to play alongside of these people that, were, and still are the top dogs in your scene,” Waldvogel said.
“You see them as these huge icons in the scene that have been around for a decade, and write some incredible songs. So it’s a really good feeling.”
Looking to tour more, after playing a handful of shows outside the area ahead of the release of Star Dog this summer, Low Phase will play at The Pyramid Scheme Sept. 2, with their sights set on possibly playing SXSW in Austin next March.
“I’ve noticed that it’s definitely changed since
COVID,” Kaye said about getting out and touring again. “I think everyone was stuck at home for so long that as soon as venues started hosting shows again, it just became oversaturated with everyone trying to tour at once. And with the music industry in the dire state that it’s in, I think that also adds a layer of making touring harder. So I’m just thankful that we get to do it at all. I’ve missed it a lot.”
“We get to play shows and we get to meet new people, which is the most exciting thing,” Waldvogel added. “One of my favorite David Bowie lyrics is, ‘Never thought I’d meet so many people.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my God. What a blessing it is to meet these new bands.’” ■
Two performances, two locations.
10 E. Park Place NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Chanticleer is proud to return to historic Park Church for its fourth performance there! With stunningly beautiful surroundings and perfect acoustics for the ensemble, Park Church is Chanticleer’s West Michigan performance home. The ensemble will perform a full-length concert of new music and audience favorites.
Jack Miller H. Miller Center for Musical Arts
221 Columbia Avenue, Holland MI 49423
Holland Chorale proudly takes the stage alongside Chanticleer, “America’s reigning male chorus” (New York Times). The Chorale performs as the opener for Chanticleer and later joins Chanticleer for the premier of a newly commissioned choral work: Majel Connery’s “The Rivers are our Brothers”.
TICKETS:
TICKETS:
It’s often said that suffering leads to great art, but the sheer amount of suffering that singer-songwriter Caitlin Cusack has endured in such a short span of time nearly surpasses what art can help anyone heal.
Suddenly and unexpectedly losing her mother to cancer on her 27th birthday – exactly one year after suffering a traumatic brain injury on her 26th birthday – and having already lost her father less than three years earlier to Multiple System Atrophy, Cusack has had a long road of grief and recovery to reach her debut EP Quiet My Mind (released earlier this year), and her upcoming music video series, You Carry Me, coming later this fall.
“I’ve written to process the grief of losing them, and I have three songs that really honor them,” Cusack told Revue about the video series. “I’ve been trying to find the best way to share them, and to do them justice, and I think I finally found a project that I think is on the right track.”
Originally from Ionia and now living in Grand Rapids, Cusack plans to return to her hometown on Sept. 20 to partner with the cancer support organization Ionia Community Awareness, to perform at the “Purple Concert,” and film the videos around the area.
“I’m hoping it becomes something Ionia will be really proud of and it will highlight that organization and cancer awareness,” Cusack said. “One of the videos will have opportunities for people to send in names and pictures of people they’ve lost who they don’t want to forget because that is a huge thing in the cancer world, is honoring the people, the memory and knowing that they won’t be forgotten.”
Cusack’s mother was a musician and music director, and shared a musical bond with her daughter, who got her love for piano and singing from her. Ultimately going on to get classically trained with a music degree from Grand Valley State University, Cusack has worked with Tony Awardwinning teachers and directors in New York, while becoming known as a performer, voice teacher and theater and music director here in Grand Rapids.
“It’s hard sometimes when I’m doing this project to not just say it’s honoring mom because she and I shared that musical bond,” Cusack said. “But the songs I wrote also, especially the middle one, is so about how I was feeling after Dad passed. That one’s called ‘Just Out of Reach’, and it’s about how you can want to feel them there, but they’re just beyond the curtain.”
Instilling a love for oldies radio in her, Cusack said her father’s musical tastes influence her pop melodies as a songwriter, something she explored extensively on her EP. And now she’s beautifully blending the two sides of her musical journey, by teaming with the Grand Rapids City String Camp to bring a string quintet to her new songs.
“It’s really interesting because obviously I grew up in that world and was trained and when I started songwriting I felt like I was leaving that world, like I was trying to do something new and I wanted my music to go more towards the pop realm,” Cusack said. “I think pop is more accessible to the general public than, say, classical or musical theater. And so now that I am popping into this world again, like bringing in the classical training and bringing back my roots, it’s
really exciting to be putting this whole portrait together.”
While reconnecting with her past musical life in such a positive way, Cusask still suffers from the years’ long effects of having endured a concussion after falling on stage during a death scene of a musical theater performance. Her EP, Quiet My Mind , aimed to help shine a light on the struggles of those living brain injuries, and her first single, “I’ll Be Okay,” did just that, landing on numerous playlists, racking up thousands of streams, and earning her a spot at the first ever “SongCon” in New York, where her emotional performance received a standing ovation.
“I have a lot of gratitude because it has taught me to live life really as fully as I can,” Cusack said about living with a brain injury. “I want to be doing as much as I can because I don’t know how much time I have.”
Regularly collaborating with Crooked Tree Creative, Third Coast Records, Midtown, The Stray, and others, Cusack also performed as a part of the Women of Rock showcase at The Pyramid Scheme earlier this year, and plans to tour when her health allows her.
“My brain injury happened, it was a year before the pandemic, and then when the pandemic hit and everyone learned what it was like to have to slow down and retreat from the world,” Cusack said. “So to have learned that, I wanted to soothe people and say, ‘It’s going to be OK if you can accept these changes and just roll with them… I think all of these experiences have made me a better person and more well-rounded. And I have a much more interesting view of what we’re going through in this world as human beings.” ■
There’s a new space helping musicians and artists get off the ground and grow in Grand Rapids, and it’s called Seed Sound Studios.
Located in the Creston Neighborhood, 1415 Plainfield Ave. NE, Seed Sound offers guitar, bass, ukulele, and piano lessons, as well as vocal empowerment coaching, and instruction in songwriting, improvisation and music theory. It’s owned and operated by engaged couple Hannah Laine (lead vocalist for Grand Rapids band Earth Radio), and Chris Bota (guitarist for GR band Desmond Jones), who bring years of music experience to their teaching.
“I’ve always had that idea in the back of my mind that I wished that there were more resources for musicians that were more educational beyond just, ‘Here’s how you can shred on guitar, or here’s how you can do crazy vocal runs,” Bota said. “I always wished that there was a little bit more guidance from older generations offering knowledge of what to do
and what not to do, and maybe making things easier by just teaching people all those little things that usually get glossed over.”
Remembering being in a band in his early 20s, Bota said there are many things he would steer new musicians away from, and he offers advice on everything from songwriting, to recording demos, to gigging and touring.
Laine first opened Seed Sound Studios with massage therapist Julie Warren, and a photographer Loren Johnson in March 2022. Bota came onboard that August, and the studio has taken a very holistic approach to artistic development, often hosting various self-care and wellness workshops in addition to their music offerings.
“I think from my own perspective of teaching, and what I do with vocal empowerment coaching, it’s been a lot of guiding people to find their own voice and find their own power within their voice,” Laine said.
“I’ve been focusing on teaching
people not only technique but how to find feeling in their voice, and really align that, with what they truly feel on the inside, and using their voices for healing in their own lives, and processing through emotions that they’re going through, and releasing emotion and being able to speak through it and sing through it and really using the voice to empower themselves.”
While both Laine and Bota work with students of every age and experience level, they said that at Seed Sound they want to work with those who bring a level of dedication and commitment to going on the arduous journey that makes an artist, in whatever form that takes.
“Not everybody that walks through my door is somebody that wants to be a performer,” Laine said. “A lot of people just want to feel really comfortable in their own voices, and I think that’s so beautiful. There is a little bit of artistic development in what I do, but a lot of it is a very healing thing for people too.”
So far many of those who come to Seed Sound have done so from word of mouth, by being fans of Laine or Bota’s bands, or wanting to get into the music scene themselves.
“I think before when we were teaching, it was mostly like, ‘Let’s learn songs or let’s learn music theory,’” Bota said. “I’d have a few students that wanted to get into songwriting, or improvisation, or music production, but it was just minimal. So now with the holistic approach we’re focusing on, I’ve had students ask me about recording demos at home, how they can do that, what kind of gear to buy, what people to reach out to if you want to get your songs on the radio, or how to how to reach out to musicians if you want to hire pros on one of your gigs, or how to market an album release show.”
Seed Sound wants to serve as that artist development resource that they say has been missing in West Michigan, and they plan to do more events in the future like a song share, house concert, or a
more intimate take on an open mic.
“I’d love to get the community involved and have a welcoming space to do artistic fun things with each other,” Laine said. “So I see it being a space for that, and a space for collaboration.”
Bota added that they’re looking to set up master classes with other musicians in the area or those coming through Grand Rapids.
“There’re a lot of colleges and we’ve got a really great university music scene here in Michigan,” he said. “But in other cities, like if you go to Nashville or Chicago or New York, any of the big music meccas in America, they’ll have master classes at music shops, music studios, places like that. And I’d love to have that resource available where people can have really talented artists come in and share knowledge for the price of a ticket… I’d love to see it grow to a point where it can help as many people as possible, and just be a center for music knowledge and music enrichment and music wellness in Grand Rapids.” ■
Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION has furrowed a fresh, unmistakable approach to alternative-rock.
Through Bruno's authoritative songwriting and spectral production, AWOLNATION experienced success from the start. Their first studio album, Megalithic Symphony, features a certified platinum track called Sail , which has gone on to define the band’s anthemic melodies since 2011.
“The old saying of a honeymoon phase of a relationship, that’s how songs are. If you’re really, really, really lucky, that honeymoon phase lasts forever,” Bruno said. “I’ve been lucky to have a few of those songs that still feel like magic to play, and still feel exciting, even though I’ve played them thousands of times.”
Today, Bruno finds himself recording his fifth—and possibly final—album under the name of AWOLNATION. Though listeners might expect Bruno to churn out a few more hits before moving on, Bruno isn’t writing with that pressure in mind.
“I just love music very much, and I just want to write good songs and have good melodies. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a heavy song, or a ballad, or a dance song, or a rock song. I just want it all to feel sincere and touch into a certain kind of emotion,” Bruno said.
“I don’t feel that I have anything else to necessarily prove.”
Still in its early stages, Bruno
is brainstorming to release the record in three parts, likely next summer. Its contents will span topics from Burno’s personal life to recent global events.
“I became a father recently, so that’s been heavy on my mind. Lyrically, I suppose a lot of this newer stuff has been heavily inspired by the thought of bringing life into this world,” said Bruno.
“It’s kind of my observation of the world turning in certain directions, on both sides.”
Fans might be surprised to know that Bruno isn’t only a songwriter. He also produces all of AWOLNATION’s music–a double-edged accomplishment that few artists can claim.
“The word or term ‘production’ feels so fancy to me. It’s just really making a song, and I’m just lucky to have a vision of how I want it to sound like,” said Bruno.
“If you don’t have a song idea then you don’t have anything, right?”
And Bruno has no shortage of sonic visions.
“There’s always a new idea floating out there, a new way to go about a beat or a guitar part that is on the tip of my tongue,” said Bruno.
“Having ideas is not a problem for me.”
But for Bruno, music is more than just mapping out melodies and album cycles. It’s personal.
“Music in general is incredibly nostalgic for me,” said Bruno.
“Songs definitely take me back to a high school relationship, or a moment with some buddies riding my bike, or family Christmases, or my dad taking me surfing when I was a kid. The great thing about music is it takes us back to wherever we were.”
In fact most, if not all, of Bruno’s lifelong relationships are tied to music and surfing.
“Whether it was the different punk bands or hardcore bands I was in, or listening to music on the way to find different waves… Almost all my relationships now that I still maintain have a thread, which is either surfing or music,” Bruno said.
“I think music and the ocean kind of keeps us together.”
While music may maintain Bruno’s close relationships today, AWOLNATION wouldn’t
have started without one of his previous bands breaking up.
“I always had a vision for how I wanted things to sound but didn’t really know how to get there. It was only around 2008 that it became clear to me, when my last band broke up and we all went our separate ways, that I had no choice but to move forward alone,” said Bruno.
“While that was scary, I saw it as an exciting opportunity.”
That opportunity has turned into a 15-year-long, awardwinning project which has unquestioningly expanded the umbrella of alternative-rock. With a triumphant career already secured, Bruno is excited to evolve his work in a new direction.
“There are a few other genres I want to explore and projects I’ll be releasing hopefully this year, in
addition to new AWOLNATION music, and certainly next year as well,” said Bruno.
As AWOLNATION reaches what could be their triumphant end, one thing’s certain: fans have far from heard the last of Bruno.
“I just feel so lucky that anyone is anticipating these song ideas that come to my head. They come to my head, and then I record them, figure out how to make it sound best, and people actually listen to them,” said Bruno.
“What a beautiful thing.” ■
AWOLNATION
GLC Live at 20 Monroe Sept. 22, 7 p.m. livenation.com
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors is replacing hurt with hope through their latest record, Strangers No More . As the band’s 10th studio album, Holcomb is using his platform to do what music does best: bring people together.
“I just wanted to continue to make music that’s about people and our lives, and the stresses, struggles, tragedies, joys, and triumphs that we all face, while not avoiding difficult subjects,” said Holcomb.
Strangers No More follows Drew Holcomb and the Neighbor’s 2019 fulllength album, Medicine, which peaked at number thirteen on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. While many artists feel pressure to write from their darkest moments, it’s clear that Holcomb’s positive outlook has earned the hearts of listeners around the country.
“I just feel like there’s more to it than like, shouting at the people you disagree with on the Internet. I want to be a part of stopping that madness and am hoping that my music is not a part of that,” said Holcomb.
“I hope that our music helps people break free of their own pathologies and mythologies about themselves that keep them from living the life that they could live.”
Despite carrying such a strong message of community, Holcomb and his band didn’t have a specific theme in mind for the album when they began recording it.
“We had so many songs,” said Holcomb.
“I just said, ‘Well, let’s get in the studio, let’s record as many as we can, and see what sort of rises to the top as a whole album.”
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors tracked Stranger No More live-style in Asheville,
North Carolina–far away from their Nashville homes. The band spent ten days together, enjoying the city’s local food scene and each other’s company between sessions.
“Most of us have kids, so recording in Nashville is a little more stressful because you feel this pressure of being at home. It ends up taking a lot longer to do that same amount of work,” said Holcomb.
“We’d stay up till midnight working, go back to this rental house, sleep, get up, have a bunch of coffee, relax, talk about what we’re going to do, and then get in there and do it again. It was just a really fun and fruitful environment.”
Holcomb also took this time as an opportunity to push his comfort zone as a songwriter, as well as embrace his stature as an independent artist.
“When I wrote ‘Dance For Everybody,’ it was one of the first songs on the record. I thought, ‘Oh man, this would be such a fun song to go out and dance with the crowd.’ And then I thought to myself, “No, I don’t really do that. I’m kind of a serious singer-songwriter. I wouldn’t do that,” said Holcomb.
“Artists tend to believe, or start to believe, their own story and narrative, and it’s sometimes a limitation.”
But as the owner of his own label, Magnolia Records, Holcomb can decide what he writes and releases without anyone creatively interfering.
“I was like, ‘That’s kind of ridiculous. I love to dance, I love to be in a crowd. Why wouldn’t I do that?’ This is my song, I wrote it. I get to decide who I am,” said Holcomb.
With a lengthy tour already underway, Holcomb hopes that his audiences feel the
same sense of independence at his shows that he did while recording Strangers No More.
“I don’t want people to ever feel like they have to be somebody to come to our show. Just come, come to the show. I don’t care who you are. Let yourself just enjoy the music, take a break from life,” said Holcomb.
While Strangers No More radiates positivity, Holcomb has used music to shoulder difficult times as well. Whether writing or listening to records, songs have carried Holcomb–and his fans–through life’s ups and downs.
“I lost a brother when I was in high school, and music was the soundtrack that helped me make sense of that,” said Holcomb.
“Now I get letters all the time with fans saying, ‘My father passed away, and we used your song in the funeral,’ or, ‘We got married last weekend and used your song as the first dance.’ You get this wide swap of the human experience that music soundtracks, and I think that, to me, is the long-term value of a song and music.”
Holcomb’s most cherished occasion, however, is when listeners play his music in the car.
“My favorite thing is when I hear people tell me that I’m their favorite road trip
music. To me that embodies like the escape from the doldrums of regular life and just the ability to be free, go on the road, listen to music, and forget about time, forget about troubles and forget about responsibilities for a minute,” Holcomb said.
Having been a band for more than a decade, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors has provided a consistent space for their fanbase to come into freedom, hope, and togetherness. This ideology couldn’t be clearer today through their latest record, Strangers No More, which Holcomb will be performing live at the Kalamazoo Theatre later this month.
“I hope everybody who comes to a Drew Holcomb show, or when they listen to one of our records, they go, man, I’m glad to be alive. Life is pretty hard, but I’m still glad I’m here,” said Holcomb.
“That’s what music can do. It can bring people together.” ■
| by Allison Kay Bannister
Some might say fall starts when PSLs hit the café menus, but for many it’s when the orchards haul out the hay bales, carve their corn fields, and welcome autumn revelers to reap the rewards of their harvests. West Michigan is bountiful with orchards and farms where pumpkins, apples, and more await. Check out this list of some of the best to visit in greater West Michigan.
SCHWALLIER’S COUNTRY BASKET
1185 9 Mile Rd NW, Sparta schwalliers.com
It’s fair to say that you had us at bunnies and goats, but the petting farm at this Sparta destination is just one draw. They have 15 varieties of u-pick apples that are available through mid-October, plus a farm market, corn maze, wagon rides, a pumpkin patch, and cow train. They have plenty of activities that appeal to families, friends, colleagues, and couples alike—and you can even book a bonfire with all the fixings for your group.
ED DUNNEBACK AND GIRLS FARM MARKET
3025 6 Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids dunnebackgirls.com
Though it’s been around since 1925, this farm orchard has gained a solid following over the past several years for its outdoor live music, entertainment, special events, and festivals running all summer through fall. Onsite is Pink Barrel Cellars taproom where you can get a cold brew and order food and snacks from their inspired menu, plus there’s a play area for the kids and a farm animal petting pen.
11966 Fruit Ridge NW, Kent City fruitridgehayrides.com
On top of the standard orchard fare of u-pick and readypicked apples and pumpkins, cider and donuts, corn mazes and farm animals, this 130-year-old Kent City farm offers old-fashioned, horse-drawn hayrides that run through the woods and over their expansive acreage. There’s also farm art and pony rides, plus a bakery and market. They’re open in winter as well for sleigh rides, but by reservation only.
8993 Kenowa Ave. SW, Grand Rapids wellsorchards.com
Though they’re open almost entirely year round, fall is when this orchard and market just southwest of downtown Grand Rapids gets into full swing. In addition to their 25 varieties of apples at peak, there’s also a pumpkin patch, and they serve fresh cider and offer fruit pies, apple turnovers, and other sweets. Fall decorations, gourds, mums, corn stalk bundles, and painted pumpkins are just a few items available in the market,.
ROBINETTE’S APPLE HAUS & WINERY
3142 4 Mile Rd NE, Grand Rapids Charter Township robinettes.com
No West Michigan orchards roundup would be complete without a mention of this area darling. Grab a donut and cider, shop the market filled with many Michigan-themed items, or do some wine and cider tasting at the winery. And, of course, pick some apples, or just grab a bag or a bushel in their apple haus.
DEKLEINE ORCHARDS
1887 32nd Ave., Hudsonville dekleineorchards.com
A sweet and tart cherry farm in summer, this family-run Hudsonville farm has something unexpected for you come October: u-pick chestnuts! Get ready for the holiday season and some requisite roasting on an open fire, or check out the recipes page on their website for more ideas on how to cook these versatile nuts. They recommend visiting their Facebook page for the most up-to-date info on picking dates and availability.
LEWIS ADVENTURE FARM AND ZOO
4180 West M-20, New Era lewisadventurefarm.com
Yep, this one will require a little road trip, but, as the name suggests, think of it as a day of adventure! They’re open in summer, too, but starting September 2 through October 31 they put on their fall festival, and there’s tons to do and see. They boast nearly 50 farm attractions, many catering more to the littles, and they also have apple picking, a farm market, and a zoo with animals ranging from the everyday to the rare.
CRANE ORCHARDS
6054 124th Ave., Fennville craneorchards.com
Also a bit further afield is this Fennville favorite. U-pick of their 20-plus apple varieties starts on Labor Day, and there are also hayrides, a corn maze, and a cow train. A pumpkin patch opens later in the season. New this year, with an expected opening in November, will be a holiday drive-through light show. Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery, run by the younger generations, is also on site and not to be missed!
HARVEST MOON ACRES CORN MAZE & FUN PARK
18725 M-40 Highway, Gobles harvestmoonfun.com
Pack the car and the kids (or just the kid in you) and head southbound to this fall destination that’s packed with activities. Only open in the fall, starting in late September until the end of October, this park has a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, a 5-acre Corn Maze, and a Fun Zone, as well as farm animals, hayrides, and a concession stand.
There you have it! Nope, we didn’t cover them all, but we got some good ones in here for sure. Note that many of these spots have seasonal dates and hours, and it’s best to check their websites or social media for exact hours and availability. A good number of them also have other crops in the summer, including cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and peaches, so plan ahead to visit them in 2024, too! ■
This fall, all around town (and some just a broom ride away) are spooky attractions to curdle your blood, raise your hair, and chill your spine. If you want to see something really scary, look no further than these activities that we’re just bats for.
ABANDONED ACRES
This highly rated immersive experience is comprised of two different haunted corn mazes— Bloody Butcher and Big Top Terror Vision—plus the newer addition Old Eli’s workshop. All center on area legend, Elias Crowley, but each has its own storyline. There’s a 3D environment within the carnival-themed maze, and glasses are included. It’s open on limited dates in September and October, with a special Lights Out Frights event Halloween night. Located at 7737 Fruit Ridge Ave NW in Sparta. Visit: abandonedacresfarm.com.
WITCHES OF NEW SALEM
Whether you take to the trails in the Witch’s Woods or tackle the Haunted Corn Maze— or both—you’re in for twists and terror at every turn. There will also be a Halloween Light Spooktacular this year that’s suitable for all ages, where guests will take a 20-mintute wagon ride along a path with lights synchronized to Halloween music. Combo tickets are available and the attraction runs October 1-30. Located at 4516 24th Street in Dorr. Visit: newsalemcornmaze.com.
THE HAUNT
Any Grand Rapidian who’s versed in the macabre knows about this premier haunted house that’s been shocking residents for the last 20 years. Today, there are five different scenarios, from abandoned hospitals and plagues to serpents, circuses, and clowns. One ticket gets you into them all. They’re open in late September through late October and have Black Out, glow-stick-only lit excursions in early November. Located at 1256 28th St. SW in Wyoming. Visit: the-haunt.com.
Want to be driven totally insane? Visit a participating Tommy’s on weekend evenings in October for a grisly ride. The Cascade, Plainfield, Hudsonville, Caledonia, and Byron Center locations will each have their own eerie experience—and you’ll come out maybe a little shaken, but with a clean car as your reward for braving the horror. Visit: tommysexpress.com/tunnel-of-terror.
If you like to get interactive with your fears, try The Great Escape Room’s Mountain Top Murders game with a group of friends. Follow clues and trails of blood to uncover what happened to dear old Nana Hannah, and solve the puzzle to get out alive! Located at 233 Fulton St. East #211 in Grand Rapids. Visit: thegreatescaperoom.com.
Dubbed Kalamazoo’s only scream park, this large haunted space is home to four attractions: Psycho Ward, The Mansion, Zombie Revenge, and Nightmares. It’s made the top of many “best” lists in Michigan, and offers single and combo tickets, so you can face one or face them all. Located at 7656 Ravine Rd. in Kalamazoo. Visit: hauntpark.com.
Ahh… but maybe you’re an experienced thrill seeker and have already been jump-scared all across West Michigan. Grab your ghoul posse, then, and road trip to one of these other haunts around the state.
Your bad-dream-come-reality begins with a perilous bus ride to the town of Cypress Hollow, where a tale of retribution unfolds. Story driven, gruesomely detailed, and immersive, this haunted attraction will torment your sleep well after you’ve departed. It’s open Friday and Saturday nights October 6-November 4, plus a one-off date on Sunday evening, October 29. Located at 23492 Red Arrow Hwy. in Mattawan. Visit: nightmarerealmkalamazoo.com.
CAMP SAUBLE: CAGES OF CARNAGE
This event, which runs for limited Fridays and Saturdays in October, is put on by the Free Soil/Meade Volunteer Fire Department. Set in an abandoned state prison, Cages of Carnage has two separate maze-like paths: Prison Break and Night Terrors, plus other creepy features that add to the ghastly aura. There are food vendors on site, and it’s a fundraiser, as well, so there’s some good to go along with the “evil.” Located at 4058 E Free Soil Rd. in Free Soil. Visit: facebook.com/cagesofcarnage.
Who could pass up the opportunity to experience otherworldly sights surrounded by dark and misty nighttime waters? The historic car ferry S.S. City of Milwaukee transforms into a five-deck ghost ship Friday and Saturday evenings in October, plus the last Sunday of the month, October 29. They will also have a toned-down, all-ages walk-through from 5-9 p.m. on Halloween. Located at 99 Arthur Street in Manistee. Visit: carferry.com/ghostship.
A true destination in Southeast Michigan, Rotten Manor is comprised of The Manor itself, plus the The Forest/Aslyum, The Rotten Hayride, and The Rotten Theatre. In the vintage, cabaret-style theatre, immersive horror themed performances will be on the stage, plus a telling of the history behind the once residents, Mr. and Mrs. Rotten. There will also be Rotten Paintball, and, new this year, The House of Wax. Head to the midway for carnival-themed games and activities and the concessions area, which will have merch and treats. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in early September and select dates for much of October. Located at 13245 Dixie Hwy. in Holly. Visit: rottenmanor.com. ■
