Eric Gales
This is a 18 and over event.Standing Room Only Eric Gales is a blues firebrand. Over 30 years and 18 albums, his passion for the music and his boundless desire to keep it vital has never waned, even when his own light dimmed due to his substance struggles. Throughout it all, he continued to reinvigorate the art form with personal revelation in his lyrics and bold stylistic twists in his guitar playing and songwriting. Five years sober, creatively rejuvenated, and sagely insightful, Eric is ready for the fight of his career. Aptly, he calls his masterful new album, out January 2022 on Provogue/Mascot label Group, Crown. Here, Eric opens like never before, sharing his struggles with substance abuse, his hopes about a new era of sobriety and unbridled creativity, and his personal reflections on racism. The songs are delivered with clarity and feature Eric’s personal experiences and hope for positive change. In addition, the 16-track collection boasts his finest singing, songwriting, and his signature guitar playing that burns throughout. Produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, this is Eric at his most boldly vulnerable, uncompromisingly political, and unflinchingly confident. Crown was forged in tragedy but rises triumphantly. The day before Eric left Greensboro, North Carolina to Los Angeles, California to work with Joe and Josh, he heard the news about the George Floyd murder. As a Black man in America, he had a lot on his mind when he touched down in Music City to write songs for Crown. “What made George Floyd any different than me?,” Eric asks. “As I began to chat about this to Joe and Josh during preproduction, raw and unnerved emotion came out of me, and Joe furiously scribbled down notes about it all. These songs came from those outpourings. They’re about my life, and what’s happening in the world right now. When it came time to sing, I had to take breaks between vocals to cry and let it out. I was sharing my experiences as a Black man, and my private struggles. This is me letting the world know what I’ve been through.” Since 1991, the Memphis-born guitarist has blazed a path reinvigorating the blues with a virtuosity and rock swagger that have him being heralded as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix. He was a child prodigy with bottomless talent and fierce determination, and at just 16 years-old released his debut, The Eric Gales Band, on Elektra Records. He’s earned high praise by guitarists’ guitarist and household name axe men such as Joe Bonamassa, Carlos Santana, Dave Navarro, and Mark Tremonti. In addition, he has held his own with some of the greatest guitarists in the world, including Carlos Santana at Woodstock 1994, Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, and a posse of others as a featured guest touring with the Experience Hendrix Tour. Eric and Joe reconnected grandly in 2019 when Joe invited Eric to play with him onstage at a blues cruise encore performance. It was the first time the guys had played live together onstage in 25 years, and it has since been named one of the most explosive guitar duels ever, amassing over 3 million plays on YouTube. “There was always a brotherhood with us. When we reconnected, Joe said to me, ‘You’re a badass guitarist; it’s your turn to get your seat at the table to wear your crown’,” Eric recalls. Shortly after their iconic face-melting jam, Eric approached Joe to produce him. Eric reveals: “We cried when we talked about it, he said ‘you have no idea how long I waited for you, now I am going to do my part to lift you where you’re supposed to be.’” Crown finds Eric stepping up to receive his due.
Jeffrey Martin & Dean Johnson
This is a 18+ seated performance On a small corner lot in southeast Portland, Oregon, Jeffrey Martin holed up through the winter recording his quietly potent new album Thank God We Left The Garden. Long nights bled into mornings in the tiny shack he built in the backyard, eight feet by ten feet. What began as demos meant for a later visit to a proper studio became the album itself, spare and intimate and true. Recorded live and alone around two microphones, Jeffrey often held his breath to wait for the low diesel hum of a truck to pass one block over on the busy thoroughfare. During the coldest nights, he timed recording between the clicks of the oil coil heater cycling on and off. So much has happened in the world since the release of his previous album One Go Around (heralded by No Depression as ‘the poetry of America’), and Jeffrey has filled the time doggedly, but happily, touring the US and Europe, watching it all unfold in a stream of small town conversations and city sprawl. In a moment where depth is so often traded for the instantaneous, where tech billionaires are building rockets to escape the planet, where the dead-eyed stare of artificial intelligence is promising to existentially upend our world, and where divisiveness in our culture is breeding delusional levels of certainty, Jeffrey Martin’s new record feels like a hopeful and fully human antidote.- The phrase “hidden gem” would seem appropriate here, but it’s a misnomer when talking about Dean Johnson. He shines bright, in plain sight, and it was only a matter of time before people stopped to take a look. Dean’s gentle and passionate approach to songwriting has inspired many, and his work provides the listener the opportunity to believe once more that a song can be more than the sum of its parts. If you catch even a phrase of his melodies or the sobering tone of his voice, it waltzes its way into your heart like a letter written, signed, sealed, and delivered just for you. His debut album Nothing for Me, Please was recorded at Mashed Potato Records in New Orleans with the help of Sam Gelband and Charlie Meyer, Dean’s bandmates in The Sons of Rainier; as well as Mashed Potato regulars Sam Doores, Duff Thompson and Steph Green. The record is a hazy, relaxed daydream – anthems for those who know the sweetness and coldness of quiet moments, the power and the pain of love. Whether you’ve been waiting patiently these many for Dean to release these songs, or you’re just now coming across his work for the first time, the name Dean Johnson, much like his songs, won’t soon leave your mind. Nothing for Me, Please is out now on Mama Bird Recording Co.
Sarah Jarosz: Polaroid Lovers Tour
2024 Bell’s Beer Garden Summer Concert SeriesThis is a 18 and over event. Four-time GRAMMY winner Sarah Jarosz has announced her new album, Polaroid Lovers.The seventh album from Sarah Jarosz finds the highly decorated songwriter at the apex of change. A Texas native, she’s spent most of her adult life living in New York City, but shortly before writing the album Jarosz left her adopted home to join her soon-to-be husband in Nashville, TN. The geographic shake-up led to a sonic one as well for Polaroid Lovers. For the first time in her career she opened herself up to collaborators, leading to writing sessions with Daniel Tashian, Ruston Kelly and Natalie Hemby. The creative reorganization of her writing process evolved to include a much richer and more electric sound in the studio and being in Nashville meant access to a world of hot shot players. She tapped guitarist Rob McNelley (Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood), Tom Bukovac (Tom Petty, Vince Gill) on guitar and organ, her husband- bassist Jeff Picker (Nickel Creek), and drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams) for the album recording. Tashian took the helm as producer and the whole album was laid down at the legendary Sound Emporium. As it goes with all change, Jarosz’s major life events had her feeling contemplative. While sitting on the precipice of adulthood, Polaroid Lovers finds her reflecting on past loves, childhood dreams, the places she lived in and all the versions of herself that she’s been. Although the listener experiences the sonic shift forward, the album’s subject matter is a photo album of the past. Jarosz has never sounded more assured. Polaroid Lovers is filled with the kind of confidence that comes from hard won life experiences and the conviction of someone who truly knows herself. Sarah Jarosz released her debut album at the age of 18 and was immediately nominated for her first GRAMMY. Raised in Texas, she began playing mandolin at age 10 and soon after guitar and banjo. To date, she has released six studio albums, has netted ten GRAMMY Nominations and four wins.Polaroid Lovers Tour VIP Experience Includes:- 1 General Admission Ticket – Pre-Show sound check performance- Q&A and group photo with Sarah- Exclusive signed poster- Early entry into the venue
Kurt Vile and The Violators with Emily Robb
2024 Bell’s Beer Garden Summer Concert SeriesThis is a 18 and over event. Back to Moon Beach (Verve Records) is an EP by no one’s definition but Kurt Vile’s. Clocking in at just shy of an hour, this would be a long full-length record by most any other artist’s yardstick, but for Kurt, the collection is an expression of just how deep his well of non-album material runs. Culled from various sessions over the last four years, and representing a wide swath of the inspirational musical community Kurt surrounds himself with, the core 4 songs of the record (tracks 1, 2, 3 and 6) were born in the fall of 2019 at Panoramic Studios in Stinson Beach, California alongside close musical partners Rob Laakso, Stella Mozgawa, Chris Cohen and with coproduction on tracks 1, 3 and 6 by Cate Le Bon. Later fleshed out with bandmate and producer / engineer Adam Langelotti, additional musical parts were played by “Farmer” Dave Scher and Mikel Patrick Avery. Many other moments (including hella overdubs on the Stinson Beach material) are from intense sessions on planet Philly at Kurt’s studio: OKV Central. It’s been a heavy few years and plenty of excuses to get lost in outer space behind the microphones. Mant Sounds – KV’s go-to recording studio in Los Angeles – was a third and crucial launchpad to ram these sessions home… a familiar spaceship run by Rob Schnapf and often flown by Matt Schuessler as engineer. EP opener “Another Good Year For The Roses” is a richly psychedelic piano-driven earworm with swirling lap steel and catchy blues-pop guitars, and a deeply meditative yet characteristically hooky bend. Written a full year before the pandemic – and recorded in October 2019 just shy of it – “Touched Somethin (Caught a Virus)” was originally intended for Vile’s 2022 full length (watch my moves), but was ultimately left off of that record out of concern that it would be interpreted too literally, given the state of the world that unfolded shortly after its recording. Somberly, the Stinson Beach material in the collection are some of the final unreleased recordings with Kurt’s longtime creative partner Rob Laakso, prior to his passing in early 2023. The EP is rounded out with a few fan favorites — his covers of Wilco’s “Passenger Side” and Bob Dylan’s Christmas song “Must Be Santa,” (featuring vocals by Kurt’s daughters Awilda and Delphine Vile) which Kurt is excited to bring to a wider platform (“just in time for the holidays!”) after its Spotify-only release last year. The final track brings-it-all-back-home with a punched-up, radio-ready version of (watch my moves) standout “Cool Water” – originally recorded with the Violators in January 2020 by Rob Schnapf at Mant sounds and remixed by Rob Schnapf again in May 2023 for this release – and for the radio!
Just Jaye presents a Fundraising Concert for Sounds of the Zoo
This is a 18 and over event. “GAIN is the surge that Kalamazoo needs! JustJaye and Sounds of the Zoo are proudly partnering to present a fundraising concert, featuring regional and local artists. This special collaboration is meant to GAIN support for our Kalamazoo music community, a mission championed by Sounds of the Zoo, and captivating the hearts of JustJaye. GAIN is truly a unique concert experience, produced entirely by the elevating music partnership of Just Listen the Student and Jaye Norwood, known as JustJaye. These performances will galvanize the mind, electrocute the body, and sonically soothe the soul. Help us celebrate the artists of southwest Michigan, and the official launch of JustJaye by contributing to this fundraiser! About Sounds of the Zoo Sounds of the Zoo is a groundbreaking free multicultural music festival and symposium that has taken Kalamazoo by storm in 2022. Established with the vision to empower artists, unite industry professionals, and bring together music lovers worldwide, this event is not just a showcase of local, regional and national acts, but a catalyst for community unity through the powerful medium of music! Their mission statement is, “Creating change through music.” And we do that by empowering and informing our audience, inspiring change in both the mental health and environmental sustainability spheres, and growing Kalamazoo into a destination for live music. We believe that music has the power to transcend boundaries and unite individuals from all walks of life, and we are dissential costs such as stage rentals, sound equipment, permits, marketing efforts, and paying musicians. Any financial assistance you provide will be instrumental in ensuring that Sounds of the Zoo remains a free event, accessible to all members of our community – no matter their economic standing. Please consider donating !! Links to donate- Sounds of the Zoo | Fundraising by Fractured Atlas
Kalamazoo Academy Of Rock
This is an all ages event. Kalamazoo Academy of Rock is back at Bell’s! These youth bands have been wow-ing audiences for years – come on down for a show like no other! For more information about KAR visit www.kzoorock.com
Kalamazoo Academy Of Rock
This is an all ages event. Kalamazoo Academy of Rock is back at Bell’s! These youth bands have been wow-ing audiences for years – come on down for a show like no other! For more information about KAR visit www.kzoorock.com
Trifocal w/ Kyle Brown & The Human Condition and Highdeas
This is a 18 and over event with standing room only Kyle Brown & The Human Condition are a Folk-Rock Fusion band formed in Muskegon in early 2022. Front man, Kyle Brown, led the Grand Rapids based band, Bigfoot Buffalo, from 2014-2019. KB & THC picked up where Bigfoot Buffalo left off, fusing Americana, Folk, Rock, Bluegrass, Blues, Jazz, and World Music together to form a truly unique style of Folk-Rock. Infectious riffs and melodies wrap around lyrics touching on environmental, social, and philosophical topics. With songs meant for listeners to explore the full meaning of “the human condition”, the band represents their name to the fullest extent. Their sophomore release, an EP titled “The Touch of Grass”, is set to release on April 20th, 2024.
Minor Element w/ Aaron Smith & RDAA
This is a 18+ event with standing room only Minor Element is an all-instrumental jazz fusion band out of Battle Creek, Michigan. They have been playing Jazz together since 2012 where they originally started as a jazz trio. As they grew in their musicality, so did their band, their musical taste, and distinct sound. Minor Element is heavily inspired by bands like Snarky Puppy which drove their sound direction in 2014. Their sound is inspired by Jazz, Rock, Gospel, Fusion, and anything they can draw inspiration from. Minor Element prides themselves in being music for the musician. Not only can you find a grove, but you can also hear the complexity in the original compositions. Now Minor Element consists of 9 members. They have a very diverse group of musicians that come from all sorts of musical backgrounds and experiences which is part of what makes their sound so unique______________________“Meet “Aaron Smith & RDAA,” a dynamic band founded by Aaron Smith, driven by a passion for original jazz, fusion, and soul music. The lineup features Aaron Smith on drums/vocals, Deron Bell Jr on bass, Antuan Walker on main keyboards, Daria Raymore on vocals, Evan Taylor on trumpet, AJ Tyus on guitar, and Raymond King-Redding III on auxiliary keyboards. Hailing from the Midwest, with roots in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky, the band has captivated audiences in cities like Cleveland, Akron, Indianapolis, and Nashville. Their unique and inspiring sound, crafted by each member’s distinct style, has garnered a growing fan base, with overwhelming love from audiences at every show. Stay tuned for their debut project, “Organic Vibes,” set to release in 2024 “
Pajamas w/ Bunkerman
This is a 18 and over event with standing room only Pajamas is the Ann Arbor, Michigan based quartet that creates a unique blend of improvisational rock and funk music. The exploratory sound is born from a close and cohesive musical relationship. The band performs a diverse mix of original music, satisfying listeners of any genre bias.
