Celebrating Irene Sterns Day and the Kalamazoo Gals who built Gibson’s WWII Guitars
This is a 18+ event with standing room only17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian Suggested Donation of $20 Performers: The Incantations | Ellis & M.E. | Chris Canas Zero Sun | Marisa Aguirre | Author: John Thomas “Sounds of the Zoo Fundraiser” that will honor the life of Irene Stearns, the last surviving Kalamazoo Gal who will turn 103 on January 29, and the contributions of all the Gals. The celebration will take place on January 29, to celebrate Irene Stearns Day at Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo. We will be showcasing the 2022 celebration video of Irene Stearns 100th birthday, feature live music performances, and have John Thomas as one of our special guests.
Dogs in a Pile
This is a 18+ event with standing room only17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian The sandy shores of Asbury Park, New Jersey are hallowed ground in the northeast; the rolling waves have ushered generations of venerated musicians to worldwide acclaim. Dogs in a Pile, an eclectic quintet, has emerged as the heir apparent to the town’s rich musical legacy. Merging funk, jazz, and rock and roll with psychedelia, the quintet presents a completely original vibe built on kaleidoscopic soundscapes eerily reminiscent of the days of yesteryear. The Dogs employ a unified approach to performance and songwriting, crafting aural mosaics through adept instrumentation and humble precocity. As avid storytellers, they draw inspiration from personal experiences, balancing life’s foibles with ever-present youthful sanguinity. Dogs began when Philadelphia University of the Arts guitar gun-slinger Jimmy Law began playing with young Joe Babick (drums), a student at the Count Basie Theater program in Red Bank, NJ. Lightning struck when they were introduced to Berklee School of Music student and bass player Sam Lucid, who immediately suggested fellow Berklee student and keyboard player Jeremy Kaplan. The addition of fellow Berklee student Brian Murray (guitar) in 2019 made for the quintessential final piece in the Dogs’ puzzle. A string of successful local shows drove the development of a massive northeast fan base, affectionately known as the Dog Pound. The band’s astronomical growth culminated in an epic, sold-out performance at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park during the summer of 2021. Armed with a fresh batch of new material, Dogs in a Pile is taking its perpetually evolving testament to the Great American Songbook on tour in 2022, visiting plenty of new cities and spreading good music and good energy to good people along the way.
HairMania w/ VANGOGO
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian HairMania- 80’s Hard Rock Tribute is guaranteed to bring a serious good time! The High energy-full production stage show of HairMania confirmed that 80’s hard rock lives on in the hearts of the TRUE Rockers & soccer moms in the Midwest. Hear the best in 80’s hard rock from Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Journey, Poison, GnR, AC/DC and oh soooo much more! HairManiacs Unite!
Chloe Kimes
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian Chloe Kimes is a Michigan born singer, songwriter and bandleader currently based in Nashville, TN. In 2022 Kimes independently released her self titled debut album — voted “Listener’s Choice Album of the Year” by WYCE Radio as well as landing her a spot on NPR Music’s Top Ten Nashville Artists on the Rise. In 2024 she released her latest single “Coors Light” following its immense viral popularity. Kimes’ spirited alt-country outfit offers a striking live show with a timeless sound, her tireless voice leading the way, her sentiments forging their own new space in the country americana scene.
Joe Hertler (solo acoustic)
This is a 18+ event seated show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers will make a sprightly young groove doctor out of anyone. With spectacular energy pulsating from every member of the band, the Rainbow Seekers could illuminate the very chambers of Heaven. Lead singer Joe Hertler splashes through lyrical puddles of golden rain, leaving his audience wearing flowery crowns and bubbling smiles. A ride on the Rainbow will take you across the mountains of Motown, through the fjords of folk, over the archipelagos of Americana, and-at last-into a funky firth, where only the fiercest of friendships can be found. The Rainbow Seekers began their historic quest 8 years ago, revolving around the pure, unadulterated songwriting of their fearless leader, Joe Hertler. Ryan Hoger was the first among the Seekers to find this lonely songsmith and recognize the twinkling magic in his beard. The young boy gave up all his earthly possessions (besides his guitar, of course) and became the first disciple of the Rainbow. With this, the core of the Rainbow was thereby established, and it didn’t take long for the Rainbow Seekers to continue their expansion. Multi-instrumentalist and notable auxiliary percussion maestro Micah Bracken journeyed from the bowels of Atlantis when he heard tell of the Rainbow, and the earth trembled as saxophonist and all-around badass Aaron Stinson descended from Olympus on a golden rainbow of his own. Then came thunder from the depths of space and as it picked up the bass, a soft exhale escaped the lips of every princess within a hundred moons, “Bambis,” they cooed. All the while, on the other ends of the earth, a young boy was hard at work, honing and sharpening his sticks for the day that the Rainbow would come his way, and when it landed at his door, Ryan McMahon climbed aboard. Since the early days, their quest has brought them across the nation and upon such noble gatherings as Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, and Summer Camp. As you’ll know if you’ve seen the band, seeking the proverbial Rainbow is all about the live performance. “The live show is the purpose of the band. This is why we make music. Playing music is a symbiotic process, the crowd is as much a part of it as the musicians. We give as much energy and love as we can and we can feel that coming from the crowd as well” says Hertler. “We believe that performance is not a High Art operation, and that you should do anything you can to ensure that the crowd is having a good time. From piñatas to confetti, to fog, to flowers, to drum solos, to strobe lights, to Thor, to sword battles-literally anything goes.” If you’re still reading this, at least one thing is true: The Rainbow Seekers have been waiting for you. If you’ll only let them, they will shake the dust from your wildest expectations. They will roar into your life with rapturous frequencies, exuberant tone, and a joyfulness of purpose that has truly become a rare sight on stage. Join them in their celebration, and they will take you on a never-ending journey to a place you’ll never be able to describe in words.
DEHD wsg Gustaf
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian DEHD has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 per ticket goes to supporting organizations working for equity, access, and dignity for all. www.plus1.org Cigarettes burn in the moonlight. Necklaces bang against bare chests. And on their triumphant fifth album Poetry, Dehd transports us to a world steeped in imagery. It’s a world painted in the sunset tones of summer romance and flickering old flames. It’s motorcycle chrome (“Mood Ring”), it’s fake Gucci Sunglasses (“Dog Days”), and it’s shaking hands before a swaying lover (“Hard to Love”). Across fourteen songs, the trio–Jason Balla, Emily Kempf, and Eric McGrady–throw themselves against the question of what it means to hope, knowing all too well that things end and hearts can break. “You can’t beat death, but you can beat death in life,” wrote Charles Bukowski and upon listening to this album it’s obvious the band has chosen to attempt the latter. After hitting a stride with their 2020 breakout record Flower of Devotion, followed by their radiant Fat Possum debut Blue Skies in 2022, Dehd did something different. They turned a writing session into a road trip. With a van full of recording equipment they headed to Kempf’s off-grid Earthship in New Mexico where they chopped wood to keep warm and worked for as long as the solar panels held a charge. They then traveled north to a borrowed cabin surrounded by the chilly waters of the Puget Sound, where the hours were marked only by the movement of the tide. On the way back to Chicago for their final writing session at the warehouse they’ve called home for over a decade, Balla and McGrady became stranded for days in rural Montana after hitting a deer and abandoning their van. This tireless sense of adventure, both internal and external, has become a trademark of Dehd over the years. “Eating, sleeping, breathing—our only purpose was to write,” Kempf recalled. And it seems in this place of quiet focus Dehd have achieved their most honest and vulnerable writing yet.
CHAPPELL ROAN NIGHT – PINK PONY CLUB
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian Club 90s celebrates the music and culture of the 1990s. They host themed events with a variety of ’90s music genres, including hip-hop, R&B, pop, and alternative. Attendees often dress in ’90s-inspired clothing, such as prom sashes, feather boas, and merchandise for artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Roan. The club’s goal is to create an immersive atmosphere that allows attendees to relive the nostalgia of the decade.
The 1985 – Totally 80’s Mixtape LIVE!
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian The 1985 is the Midwest’s Totally 80’s Music Tribute Band that features the best of the 1980s rock, pop, new wave, metal and club. While we just wanna have fun, we take our roles as performers seriously. We have a fine-tuned, super-charged technical show that combines lights, videos, costumes and more to create a totally immersive music experience. Our goal is to help you turn back time and party like it’s 1985.
Katy Needs A Life + Hollywood Makeout + Yellowhouse
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian Katy Needs A Life is an electronic, sad-pop band from Kalamazoo, MI that’s been bringing down parties in one form or another for over a decade. Hollywood Makeout are the Grand Rapids visionary surfpop band led by Erin Lenau. Yellowhouse are the winners of Kalamazoo’s 2024 Battle of the Bands round at Bell’s
Emo Night LIVE w/ All American Throwbacks
18+ Standing Room Only Show 17 and under admitted with a parent or guardian ••All American Throwbacks•• will be performing your favorite pop punk and emo throwback hits from all the scene bands such as Fall Out Boy / Blink-182 / Panic! @ The Disco / Sum 41 / Good Charlotte / All Time Low / Taking Back Sunday / My Chemical Romance / AFI / The Used / Metro Station / Falling in Reverse / Pierce The Veil / 3OH!3 / & SO MANY MORE! If it’s a song you cried to in middle school, we probably play it (; Don’t identify as an emo kid? That’s fine! We play tons of hits that you’ll be sure to know. We’ll have you cryin’ in da club to Mr. Brightside, or dancing to a few surprises. Come party! This band is more than just a show – it’s a full on party! With complete crowd interaction & non-stop banger after banger, they’ll have you singing along, dancing, and party song after song all night long. Emo attire is highly encouraged! Wear your emo best & let’s prove it was NEVER A PHASE </3