The Insiders
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only Close your eyes and you won’t know the difference. Open them and you still might befooled. The Insiders present the premier Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers experience.With 6 veteran musicians and decades of combined stage and touring experience, TheInsiders are genuinely running down the dream.It all starts with frontman Max Lockwood. “I grew up listening to Tom Petty. My momwould play the Greatest Hits record while she worked out. I’d sit at the top of the stairsand listen to those songs—it was my most requested CD as a young kid.” In high school,Lockwood’s band Big Dudee Roo started covering Petty songs at their frequent showsin West Michigan. “Tom Petty was part of the great American landscape to me—alegend by the time I was musically conscious. We got a great crowd reaction with Pettytunes, and people frequently commented that I sounded a lot like him.”Nothing has changed with time. After the passing of Tom Petty in October of 2017,Lockwood organized the band by pulling together some of his favorite musicians for abenefit concert. After a sold-out show that raised thousands for a local domesticviolence shelter The Insiders decided they wouldn’t back down. “We try to honor whatMr. Petty and the Heartbreakers have done for rock and roll each night. We’re fans ofthe music first and foremost. These songs are woven into the fabric of the Americanidentity.” They’ve found no shortage of demand, selling out shows everywhere they go.Local Spins’ John Sinkevics had this to say: “The Insiders set the bar at a new level forTom Petty tributes.”The Insiders are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and currently tour the Midwest andbeyond. They are available for public and private functions.
The Insiders
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only Close your eyes and you won’t know the difference. Open them and you still might befooled. The Insiders present the premier Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers experience.With 6 veteran musicians and decades of combined stage and touring experience, TheInsiders are genuinely running down the dream.It all starts with frontman Max Lockwood. “I grew up listening to Tom Petty. My momwould play the Greatest Hits record while she worked out. I’d sit at the top of the stairsand listen to those songs—it was my most requested CD as a young kid.” In high school,Lockwood’s band Big Dudee Roo started covering Petty songs at their frequent showsin West Michigan. “Tom Petty was part of the great American landscape to me—alegend by the time I was musically conscious. We got a great crowd reaction with Pettytunes, and people frequently commented that I sounded a lot like him.”Nothing has changed with time. After the passing of Tom Petty in October of 2017,Lockwood organized the band by pulling together some of his favorite musicians for abenefit concert. After a sold-out show that raised thousands for a local domesticviolence shelter The Insiders decided they wouldn’t back down. “We try to honor whatMr. Petty and the Heartbreakers have done for rock and roll each night. We’re fans ofthe music first and foremost. These songs are woven into the fabric of the Americanidentity.” They’ve found no shortage of demand, selling out shows everywhere they go.Local Spins’ John Sinkevics had this to say: “The Insiders set the bar at a new level forTom Petty tributes.”The Insiders are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and currently tour the Midwest andbeyond. They are available for public and private functions.
Stormy Chromer w/ Trifocal
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only Stormy Chromer has been a mainstay of the Midwest live music scene since its inception in 2014. Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, the band has been steadily touring and amassing fans for nearly a decade. With a focus on musical exploration and creative programming, the band works to bring an engaging, raucous, and mesmerizing live show. Dedicated to the concept of group improvisation, one can expect Stormy Chromer songs to reach far beyond the confines of their composed structures at concerts. The band has performed alongside heavy hitters such as Aqueous, Mungion, The Werks, The Main Squeeze, Laith Al-Saadi, and Consider the Source. In addition to Stormy Chromer’s headlining tours they have been featured on major festivals and events, including Summer Camp Music Festival, The Werk Out, Cowpie Music Festival, and official Umphrey’s Mcgee afterparties. Stormy Chromer’s studio debut “Peace of Pizza EP” (2015) was followed by their full-length album, “A Tale of Two Mouths” (2016) and the “Solid Sessions EP” (2018). The band went on to work with acclaimed producer Chris Steinmetz, releasing the fan-favorite “Alucinaré” as a single in 2019. Combined with an explosive live show, Stormy Chromer delivers a one-two punch of riveting performance and powerful songwriting that captivates audiences and keeps them chasing more.
Rachael Davis w/ Sammie Hershock
21 and over Multi-instrumentalist Rachael Davis is as renown for her expressive–and explosive–voice as she is for uniting the often desperate worlds of folk, blues, country, and pop.Davis grew up not only in a family of musicians, but in an extended village of remarkable musicians and songwriters who nurtured and mentored her from the time she was born. Beginning by jingling ankle bells in perfect time on her months old feet in the middle of old timey jams and song circles, to contributing newly minted songs to Music Sundays, Rachael has always found her own unique part in the music. Her clear tone and uncanny memory for just about every song she’s ever heard came early, and has served her well throughout her career. As a child Davis took to harmony, piano, and ukulele, and at 8, joined the family band Lake Effect, performing regularly at folk festivals throughout her home state of Michigan and around the U.S. By age 12, and continuing each year since, Rachael has brought the Wheatland Music Festival to its knees closing the Sunday morning gospel set with her stunning solo acapella version of Amazing Grace.“I was learning everything I could get my hands on and when I was 17, my father gave me his Bart Reiter banjo and taught me to play clawhammer style,” recalled Davis. “I like to joke that cursed me for life.”At 20, already a professional and deeply moved by traditional mountain music, blues, and ballads, Davis composed and recorded her debut album “Minor League Deities,” then with that, and a heart full of promise Rachael Davis headed to Boston the day after the 911 attack. There she began performing in city subways and the streets of Cambridge. Within months she had made her mark on the Boston music scene winning the prestigious Boston Music Award for Best New Singer/Songwriter.Davis often found sanctuary in the city’s basement level record stores as well as Boston’s premier acoustic music clubs where she made fans and friends of local stage veterans Vance Gilbert, Cheryl Wheeler, Josh Ritter, and indie rock’s parade float princess, Mary Lou Lord.“In a way, they’re all still with me today,” says Davis, “I was part of a real music community there. My story was just like theirs. We all knew we were on a path to find something and for that moment, we were all in the same place.”Because Davis has been swayed by so many different types of music, her style is difficult to file and will not languorously rest amid broader musical genres. “My slant on acoustic music can be explained by a mixed cassette tape that my father played during my early childhood while driving in our family’s Chevy Cavalier station wagon we nicknamed Iggy. On one side of the cassette was the soundtrack for the film The Big Chill. On the other was John Hartford’s “Areoplane”.” Today Davis describes her music as ‘Motown-Banjo’.Davis has lent her voice to countless recordings for friends, film soundtracks, and even video games, but it is her intuitive and empathetic understanding of folk music—“the music of folks” as she calls it, and her original and thoughtful songwriting voice that has earned her fans around the U.S.Recently she has collaborated in the critically acclaimed supergroup: The Sweetwater Warblers.Comprised of Rachael Davis, Lindsay Lou, and May Erliwine, all three premiere Michigan-grown songbirds.Rachael Davis now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, critically acclaimed bassist Dominic John Davis with whom she performs as The Davis Duo. They have two children.
The Bygones (Joshua Lee Turner & Allison Young) w/ Hala – SOLD OUT
This is a 18 and over seated show The Bygones are an indie folk duo consisting of Allison Young and Joshua Lee Turner. Their sound ties together unexpected genres, from traditional jazz to 70’s singer-songwriter, classic country to bossa nova. Josh’s classical guitar background and ear for vocal harmony provide the underpinning for Allison’s powerful songwriting and nostalgic voice, in duo arrangements which are intricate yet accessible, classic yet fresh. Josh and Allison first worked together in 2018, recording a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Crazy,” which now has over 4 million YouTube views. They soon realized that their musical styles were a natural fit for one another, and in 2022 they recorded their first EP, May 9-12, which they toured to sold out audiences across the UK later that year. Josh and Allison made their US debut as The Bygones in 2023, selling out shows in New York City and Nashville. This show will be part of a national tour in support of their first full-length album of original music, coming out Spring 2024.
Deerfield Run & Carrie McFerrin
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only Formed in 2016, Deerfield Run blends blues rock with a touch of country and a dash of funk, serving up a tasty musical blend that’s irresistible to audiences. Hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, the band delivers strong original songs and surprising covers pulled from a deep back pocket of classic tunes. As a group of seasoned West Michigan musicians with influences ranging from Al Green to Eric Clapton to the Eagles, their powerful instrumental and vocal performances captivate audiences of all ages. With 2 albums released in 2017 and 2020, the group’s newest single, “15 Days To Birmingham” drops on 8/31/23. Keep an eye out for Deerfield Run as they groove on through West Michigan and beyond! “Michigan’s Sweetheart” Carrie McFerrin has been a staple in the Michigan music scene for over a decade. She brings a fierce country twang with an indie twist that is sure to give you the warm fuzzies and kick you in the teeth at the same time. She captivates a room within her first few notes, showcasing her swanky-twang, old country style. Her stage presence is a force full of wit and hilarity as she shares stories about her life and inspired songwriting. For this special night, Carrie is pleased to take the stage in trio fashion, joined by Justin Wierenga (pedal steel and lead guitars) and Jason Huber (bass) as they lend their talents to her original music.
The Ladybug Transistor w/ Memory Cell
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only The Ladybug Transistor was initially formed in 1995 in Brooklyn, New York by singer and trumpeter Gary Olson initiallyas a home recording project. After the release of Beverley Atonale (Merge Records, 1997) Ladybug soon evolved into agroup with Pittsburgh siblings Jeff and Jennifer Baron (guitar and bass) followed by Sasha Bell (keyboards, flute), SanFadyl (drums) and Julia Rydholm (violin, bass) This lineup recorded their landmark The Albemarle Sound album(dubbed the last great pop album of the century!) released in 1999, followed by Argyle Heir (2001) and the self titledLP The Ladybug Transistor (2003). The trio of albums all share a refined psychedelic pop approach that often featuredistinctive string and brass arrangements. These years proved to be the most active for the group, touringinternationally and recording at a steady pace and occasionally all living under the same roof at Marlborough Farms inFlatbush, Brooklyn. Jeff and Sasha eventually departed to focus on their parallel band The Essex Green, Jenniferformed The Garment District and Olson made his first solo record. San Fadyl passed away in 2007.In 2019 Gary, Jeff, Jennifer, Sasha and Julia reformed for shows in New York City and Norway to mark the 20thanniversary of The Albemarle Sound. 2023 finds them back on the road with a run of shows this summer and autumn.The set list will highlight songs from 1999 2003 along with a few other surprises. In 2019 Gary, Jeff, Jennifer, Sasha and Julia reformed for shows in New York City and Norway to mark the 20th anniversary of The Albemarle Sound. 2023 finds them back on the road with a run of shows this summer and autumn. The set list will highlight songs from 1999 – 2003 along with a few other surprises.
Emily Nenni w/ Rachel Brooke
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only The sun sets over the ranch, a can of beer cracks, and an acoustic guitar wrangles the day’s thoughts and memories into a semblance of order. During moments like these, California-born and Nashville-based singer and songwriter Emily Nenni chronicles her life through delicate songcraft rife with honky-tonk spirit and spiked with just the right amount of soul. In possession of a deep understanding of music stoked by a lifelong passion and sharp chops shaped by endless sets in smoky bars and sizzling doublewides, she asserts herself as the consummate country storyteller on her full-length debut album, On The Ranch [Normaltown/New West Records]. Her story represents the difference. Growing up in the Bay Area “in a family of music nerds,” her father worked in radio, and she even attended her first Bruce Springsteen show in utero. Mom and dad took her to countless concerts as a kid and regaled her with endless tales of music lore. Emily’s mother introduced her to the likes of Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter, and Hank Williams, while her father spun James Brown and John Coltrane. Following high school, she attended Columbia College with a major in audio engineering. After a year, she dropped out and saved up enough money to move to Nashville — despite not knowing a soul in the city. In order to break into the iconic Robert’s Western World on Broadway, she baked cookies for the bouncers and house band, finding herself on stage not long after. Simultaneously, she sharpened her skills at Santa’s Pub, often playing all night and building a buzz in the process. Eventually, she linked up with producer and frequent collaborator Mike Eli. Together, they cut her independent debut LP, Hell of a Woman, in 2017. Next up, she joined forces with Teddy and The Rough Riders for the I Owe You Nothin’ EP before serving up 2020’s Long Game EP. The latter’s title track cracked over 1 million streams as she caught the attention of Normaltown & New West and signed to the label. Plus, she earned critical acclaim from the likes of Glide Magazine who proclaimed, “Nenni possesses a unique and deeply charismatic vocal charm.” Around the same time, she ventured to Colorado for a job at a ranch. She recorded On The Ranch with Eli and Alex Lyon. Fittingly, Emily introduces the album with the title track and first single “On The Ranch.” The beat simmers beneath slick dobro and a rollicking lead riff. Her bright verses give way to an unshakable rhyming refrain, “Out on the ranch to avoid my troubles, looks like I’ve got double.” “During lockdown, I heard a lot of people who aren’t musicians say, ‘Oh, you have all of this time to write,'” she recalls. “I felt useless, because I wasn’t able to go out and play or even work my restaurant job for a few months. My first shift back was weird. Here I am at a James Beard Award-winning restaurant, and I’m putting food in plastic containers with stickers on them. It felt good to have a purpose though. When I got back in the car after my first shift, the melody came into my head. It was great energy all at once.” Affirming her outlier voice, “Can Chaser” musically nods to nineties country as it pays tribute to “women in the rodeo” with nothing but love. “I wrote a song about female barrel racers that’s not demeaning,” she counters. “It was a good way to start my first record, because it has feminist themes.” In the end, Emily gives country a new perspective altogether. “When you listen to me, I hope you relate,” she leaves off. “I hope you laugh, cry, and want to hear more. I’m a honky-tonk girl who’s just getting started.”
Major Murphy, Crooked Spires, Phabies
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only Major Murphy is a band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Since playing their first show in 2015, they have released four EPs, two LPs, and performed in many cities and towns across North America. Some people that have seen them play (or put on one of their records) say, “they have a chill sound”, but the band themselves will be quick to tell you they also like to rock. Some folks say “Major Murphy has a retro sound”, and the band wouldn’t disagree with that, but they also aren’t out here just trying to dredge up the past. One track might find them nodding towards 90’s alternative and the next back towards 70’s soft rock. It’s a wide palate of sounds that inspires the band and from which they draw on; depending on what each song is trying to say. If you catch the band live, most of the time it will be a trio: guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. And of course, Jacki and Jacob’s harmonies are a big part of the sound too, undoubtedly indebted to one of their favorite bands, the Beatles. Their last full-length release was an album called, ACCESS. Released in the spring of 2021, the album connected with a lot of folks locally and abroad, achieving “Album of the Year” award from their hometown radio station, WYCE in Grand Rapids, as well as favorable reviews across the pond from the likes of The Sunday Times and UNCUT magazine. The single, “In the Meantime” broke into radio and their song, “Attention” was placed on Spotify’s “Best Indie Songs of 2021” playlist. ACCESS was also covered by NPR’s All Songs Considered, SPIN, Stereogum, and many other reputable publications. Brooklyn Vegan said, “the whole album is a gem”. In 2022 the band expanded the ACCESS universe with the Access Point EP; featuring new material and reworked songs from the full-length release as well as remixes by, ghost orchard, Triathalon, Psymon Spine, and Moonrun. These days, the band continues to write and learn new material and the songs are piling up! It might be time to head back to the studio soon… They are still finding new ways to be inspired by three or four chords on a guitar and a 4/4 beat on drums. Maybe this is in part by digging a little deeper into their roots? In late 2022 they released a cover of Bob Dylan’s, “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” and in early 2023 participated in a Bob Dylan tribute show. So, what do you think? If you haven’t heard them yet, look for their music at your favorite record store or on your favorite streaming platform. And if you are the type to go to a concert, lookout for a date near you and go see ‘em live.
ZoSo
This is a 21 and over event.Standing Room Only Over the 28 years and over 4500 shows since ZOSO came together as a group in the mid-‘90s, the seemingly tireless quartet continues to earn its well-deserved reputation as being, in the words of The L.A. Times, “head and shoulders above all other Led Zeppelin tributes.”The reasons for that are manifest. For starters, surely no singer has ever captured the distinctive timbre, range, power, and seductive force of Robert Plant’s vocal delivery as adroitly as ZOSO’s lead vocalist and founder, Matt Jernigan, whose flowing, corkscrew blonde locks and leonine stage moves evoke the Plant persona perfectly.ZOSO co-founder Adam Sandling, the band’s multi-instrumental master of electric bass, keyboards, and mandolin, likewise echoes John Paul Jones’ myriad gifts to a tee, allowing the four-piece ZOSO to perform fully fleshed-out versions of classics like “Kashmir,” “Trampled Under Foot,” and “Stairway to Heaven” that demand up to six members or more to execute in other Zep-inspired ensembles.That’s not the ZOSO way; instead, the band draws liberally and meticulously from Led Zeppelin’s recorded live output to present a vivid performance picture of the classic live Zeppelin of 1970-1977. No wonder the St. Petersburg Times noted that, in addition to their virtuosity and spot-on visual presentation, ZOSO was also “the most exacting of all the Led Zeppelin tributes.”Meanwhile, the band’s new blood has turbo-charged the ZOSO formula even more. Drummer Bevan Davies, the band’s burly, black-haired batteur since 2015, flattens the band’s fans nightly with his Bonham-approved triplet blasts, tympani thunder, and fat, lumbering grooves. Davies boasts an impressive pedigree that includes touring tenures with the likes of Danzig, Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains, Static X, and regular gigs with The Cult’s Billy Duffy.Taking on the demanding Jimmy Page chair for ZOSO in May of 2021, new lead guitarist James Volpe Rotondi (aka “Jimmy”) brings an equally high-level CV to the table, as a former member of Humble Pie, Mike Patton’s Mr. Bungle, and French superstars AIR. Decked out in Page’s iconic dragon matador jacket, two-tone shoes, and cascading black hair, Rotondi wields his Gibson Les Paul and double-neck guitars like he was born to it, with a huge, crafted tone and a stunning technique that weaves together Page’s roots in blues, country, funk, and fingerstyle.Still, while the players’ provenance, and the band’s deep history, speak for themselves, it’s that high-wire musicianship combined with ZOSO’s spot-on recreation of the mythic presence of Led Zeppelin onstage that keeps their dedicated longtime fans coming back for more year after year. What’s more, new generations of ZOSO devotees in their teens and Twenties are likewise lining up to experience for themselves the power and majesty—and yes, the alluring combination of danger, spontaneity, skill, and sexuality—that define a world-class Led Zeppelin concert.“[ZOSO is] the closest to the original of any Led Zeppelin tribute,” proclaims the Chicago Sun-Times, and they are not wrong. ZOSO’s ongoing invitation to all generations, all ages, all backgrounds of Led Zeppelin fans, then, is a very simple one: Relive it . . . LIVE.—JVR © Copyright 2022/All Rights Reserved
