Live Music Log, March 2024

3 1 24 Grace Theisen Band #33  The Playhouse at White Lake, Whitehall

3 2 24 Carrie McFerrin #57  Waypost Brewing, Fennville

3 2 24 Payton & Annabelle #3/THE GROSS BOYS  Clover Room, Kalamazoo

3 3 24 Patty PerShayla #46  livestreamed from Nashville

3 4 24 Olivia Vargas #42/Audrey Pearson #5/Marsfade #4 (soon to be known as the Temperances)  Greyline Brewing, Grand Rapids

3 8 24 Olivia Vargas #43  SoundCheck, Lowell United Methodist Church, Lowell

3 9 24 JAY GAVAN & THE FLYING LEAPS/HELEN YEE  Bell's, Kalamazoo

3 13 24 McLUSKY/THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD FERRIES  Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids

3 14 24 Anne Erlewine #3/Monte Pride #9  Robin Theatre, Lansing

3 15 24 Music That Raised Us, with Sarena Rae, Serita Crowley, Karisa Wilson, Kathy Lamar, Avalon Cutts-Jones,and Debra Perry  Trinity United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids

3 16 24 The Whiskey Charmers #5  Fetch Brewing, Whitehall

3 17 24 BELFAST GIN  New Holland Brewing, Holland

3 19 24 Patty PerShayla #47  House show, Charlotte

3 22 24 Hannah Laine #8  Archival Brewing, Belmont

3 22 24 Sarena Rae #6  Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, Grand Rapids 

3 26 24 Dan Giacobassi, Geoff Buitendorp, Dave Rucks, and Dave Collee: jazz show  Community Methodist Church, North Muskegon

Live Music Log, February 2024

2 1 24 That Thursday Thing with Eric Engblade, Jen Sygit and Carlton Macksam  Rake Beer Project, Muskegon

2 2 24 Midtown Open Stage, with Lynn Thompson, Sammie Hershock, Ben Robertson, Native Hues, Brant Satala, Dan Terry, Audra Kubat, Micah Erin & Angel, Adam Fischer, Jayce Kaman, Monte Methodical, John Mulder, Ian Collision, and Andy Baker.  Midtown GR, Grand Rapids

2 3 24 Erin Zindle (with Ross Huff and Aviva Moore) #15  Trinity House Theatre, Livonia

2 4 24 Audra Kubat #7/WILLA KUTTNER  Clover Room, Kalamazoo

2 7 24 Fleetwood Mac-themed open mic at Louie's Trophy House, Kalamazoo, with Buster James, Kylie Brown, Mike List, and more

2 8 24 GABRIAL JAMES Fricano's, Grand Haven

2 8 24 Nathan Walton #11 Hiway Inn, Grand Haven 

2 9 24 Elisabeth Pixley-Fink #11/Max Lockwood #20  Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids

2 10 24 Grace Theisen (with Adam Main) #31  Horrocks Market, Kentwood

2 15 24 Spencer Lajoye #3  Midtown GR, Grand Rapids

2 16 24 Knee Deep Shag #4/Domestic Problems #5  Bell's, Kalamazoo

2 17 24 Grace Theisen Trio #32  Broadleaf Brewing, Kentwood

2 18 24 Cole Hansen #27/Aaron Wright #9/Monte Pride #8  Salt of the Earth, Fennville

2 22 24 GR Live:  August #41/CAL IN RED  Midtown GR, Grand Rapids

2 28 24 Muskegon Community College Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble  Overbrook Theatre, MCC, Muskegon

2 29 24 AIMEE MANN/JONATHAN COULTON  St. Cecilia Music Society, Grand Rapids

SOTE intros, 4/14/24

 Ruth and Max Bloomquist have been performing top tier acoustic Americana for 45 years, with a consistency nearly unmatched in the Michigan music scene.  Back in 1973 they were both in a play together in Muskegon;  my roommate Carlton was dating Ruth at the time, and introduced them.  This may have been an error on his part. They formed the band Amaryllis with fellow legend Steve Reeths, with this 1986 cassette being a sample, and released Ruth's first CD of original compositions, Jewel Of My Heart, in 1997.  Since 2003, Ruth has won a number of songwriting competitions with her winsome melodies and great big voice.  Max is a smart man and hangs onto the wagon for dear life. All through the pandemic and beyond, Ruth and Max have been broadcasting a regular Saturday night livestream, bringing their homespun charm to multiple generations of new and old fans. And now we can be together in person once more, with the Michigan Girl and her tall slender fella.

Annagail is a band with a married couple at its core;  Jared and Jennifer Adams have been through hell and heaven together, and come back to us with tales of the journey.  Annagail started out as what might be called Christian contemporary music, but down the long road paved with gratitude and grief, through disease and fire and escaping Zeeland,  they have evolved into life-triggered, healthy agnosticism, and a sound best described as thinking man's Americana. Through 8 albums released since 2002, since the dissolution of their old band Satellite Soul, their songs show us joy and pain, and how to celebrate both.  You can trust, but you wanna verify. The only completely justified faith is that which we place in each other.