Revue Magazine, October 2018

WEST MICHIGAN’S ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR 30 YEARS » OCTOBER 2018

FREE!

NEXT TO EXPLODE Bar managers weigh in on the hottest new craft beer styles JAK MERCER, LOGAN’S ALLEY

ALSO INSIDE: HAUNTED HAPPENINGS, LAMPLIGHT MUSIC FESTIVAL, OKTOBERFEST TASTE-OFF

OCT

OCT

4

12

Little River Band & Air Supply

Rascal Flatts

Entertainment Hall | 8PM Tickets start at $91

OCT 19

Entertainment Hall | 8PM Tickets start at $35 OCT

27 & 28

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts & Night Ranger Entertainment Hall | 8PM Tickets start at $49 NOV 2

Queen Latifah

Entertainment Hall | 8PM Tickets start at $49

Fantasticon

Entertainment Hall Sat 12PM - 7PM & Sun 11AM - 6PM Tickets start at $5 NOV 16

Australia's Thunder from Down Under Entertainment Hall | 8PM Tickets start at $10

Get your tickets at Soaring Eagle Casino or Saganing Eagles Landing Casino Box Offices, ETIX.COM or call 1.800.514.ETIX. Stay Connected with Soaring Eagle: Performances held at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

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Entertainment subject to cancellation. Management reserves all rights.

30,000 VISITOR

P ARKING SPACES.

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4 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

* OCTOBER 4 SOUTHERN ACCENTS A Celebration of Tom Petty w/ Barrel Bones

OCTOBER 5 BUDDY GUY w/ Quinn Sullivan

OCTOBER 19 CLUTCH

OCTOBER 14 COLLECTIVE SOUL

w/ Sevendust, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown

w/ The Stir

* OCTOBER 6 LIL XAN

OCTOBER 10 4U

with Joey Trap, Phem

A Symphonic Celebration of Prince

OCTOBER 20 KALI UCHIS

OCTOBER 24 GOO GOO DOLLS

w/ Gabriel Garzon-Montano

OCTOBER 12 THE DOORS OF CHICAGO

OCTOBER 13 SOCIAL DISTORTION

OCTOBER 25 YOUNG THE GIANT

OCTOBER 26 KEVIN GATES

An Authentic Tribute to The Doors

w/ Lights

w/ Will Hoge, Pony Bradshaw

w/ Yung Bleu, Tokyo Jetz

*

21+

OCTOBER 28 BROTHERS OSBORNE

OCTOBER 27 MONSTER’S BALL

NOVEMBER 2 GOV'T MULE

* NOVEMBER 7 THE FUN SHOW WITH CAT & NAT

NOVEMBER 3 GOOD CHARLOTTE

* NOVEMBER 10 THIEVERY CORPORATION w/ Julian Marley

NOVEMBER 16 AMANDA MIGUEL & DIEGO VERDAGUER

NOVEMBER 6 ADAM DEVINE

NOVEMBER 4 SEETHER

w/ Sleeping With Sirens, Knuckle Puck, The Dose

* NOVEMBER 20 GENERATION AXE

NOVEMBER 17 ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS

Featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi

DECEMBER 15 SCOTTY MCCREERY

FEBRUARY 21 THE WALL LIVE EXTRAVAGANZA

nOVEMBER 23 BATTERY

Metallica Tribute Playing The Black Album on Black Friday

* NOVEMBER 30 STEEL PANTHER w/ Wilson

DECEMBER 6 EVE 6 w/ Somme, Party Nails

DECEMBER 8 YULE BALL

featuring Harry & The Potters

w/ Jimmie Allen, Heather Morgan

The Greatest Floyd Show on Earth

* SEATED SHOW

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WHAT’S INSIDE

October 2018 | Volume 30, Issue 10

SCENE: 12 14 56

What’s Going on Biz Beat Style Notes: Black by Popular Demand

SOUNDS: 16 18 20

On Tour: Young The Giant Local Music: Lamp Light Local Music: AØK Album Release

SIGHTS:

18

58 60

Seasonal: The Haunt Seasonal: Halloween Events

THE BEER ISSUE 23 24 26 31 32 34 36 39 42 44 47 54

Introduction Beer Trends Pure Mitten Hop Farms Michigan Beer Products Weird Beers UP Beer Scene Beer Bars 10 Definitive West Michigan Beers Beer Events Oktoberfest Taste-off Brewery Guide New Brewery Guide

REVUE ARTS:

1A Visual arts, classical and jazz music,

theater, arts event previews and more.

(See the center of this issue)

DINING & DRINKING: 62

26

60

Last Call: Reserve Wine & Food

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

B

eer is always changing.

Over millennia, the grain-based beverage has gone through phases of simplicity and complexity. Medieval drinkers would hardly recognize a barrelaged Russian imperial stout or double IPA as beer — in fact, some modern visitors to the states feel the same way today.

But as Americans, it’s our duty to take beer to its most ridiculous limits. If you can think of a flavor, we’ve somehow managed a way to work it into a beer, whether it tastes good or not.

Meanwhile, new breweries continue to open at a rate that outpaces those closing doors — for now, anyway. The explosive enthusiasm for craft beer may not be where it was a few years ago, but it’s less of a bubble popping and more like brakes being pumped.

Beer drinkers are becoming more discerning and more knowledgeable, which means breweries have to step up their game.

In that regard, West Michigan does not disappoint. Local breweries continue to refine their craft, try new styles and keep up with the trends, all while connecting with their communities as much as possible. When a brewery opens or closes, social media posts are all the evidence you need to see the impact on the surrounding area.

W E S T M I C H I G A N ’ S E N T E RTA I N M E N T G U I D E

EDITORIAL Publisher Brian Edwards Associate Publisher Rich Tupica / rich@revueholding.com Editor Joe Boomgaard / joe@revuewm.com Managing Editor Josh Veal / josh@revuewm.com Copy Editor Claire Boomgaard DESIGN Kristi Kortman / kristi@revuewm.com Kaylee Van Tuinen / kaylee@revuewm.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Missy Black Kelly Brown Dana Casadei Nick Macksood Eric Mitts Marla R. Miller

Jack Raymond Jane Simons Kayla Sosa Michaela Stock Elma Talundzic

So, in this issue, we dive deep into our region’s offerings, looking at emerging styles, new breweries, weird beers and more. You’ll find insight into beer’s past, present and future from local bar managers, brewers and, of course, Revue’s knowledgeable staff.

ADVERTISING / 616.608.6170 / sales@revuewm.com Kelli Belanger / kelli@revuewm.com

Whether you’re looking to head up across the bridge, drink West Michigan’s best Oktoberfest brew or find a new favorite beer bar, we’ve got you covered.

DIGITAL EDITOR Josh Veal

’Til next time,

FIND US ONLINE! Josh Veal, Managing Editor

Website: revuewm.com Twitter: twitter.com/revuewm Facebook: facebook.com/revuewm Instagram: instagram.com/revuewm REVUE is published monthly by Revue Holding Company.

P.O. Box 1629, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1629 Office: 616.608.6170 / Fax: 616.608.6182

UP COMING IS SUE S NOVEMBER: The Gift Guide

When it comes to buying unique, special gifts for the ones you love, it’s best to start early and keep it local. We’ll help you do just that with our holiday gift guide.

©2018, Revue Holding Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part granted only by written permission of the publisher in accordance with our legal statement, fools.

DECEMBER:

Rearview Mirror / Crystal Ball At year’s end, Revue takes a look both back and forward.

We’ll examine how the restaurant, drinking and arts scenes have changed in the recent past, then look into our crystal ball for what lies ahead.

ON THE COVER: Jak Mercer, Logan’s Alley Photo By Seth Thompson See more on page 24

TO ADVERTISE: Call (616) 608-6170 or email sales@revuewm.com. Space reservation is the 15th of the month before publication.

10 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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WHAT’S GOING ON THIS MONTH | Compiled by Revue Staff

Puddles Pity Party at the Kalamazoo State Theatre. COURTESY PHOTO

10/1 Movie Trivia

Harmony Hall 401 Stocking Ave. Grand Rapids Oct. 1, 7-9 p.m. harmonybeer.com

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

Grand Rapids’ first-ever Movie Trivia Night is here! All movie genres are fair game and the event is free and completely open to the public. You can win Harmony gift cards while drinking beer and eating pizza. Recommended team size is two to six, but there are no restrictions. If you call yourself a cinephile, this is the place to be.

10/5-7 Pulaski Days

Grand Rapids Oct. 5-7 pulaskidays.org

General Casimir Pulaski was a Polish immigrant and a Revolutionary War hero, and his legacy lives on centuries later through Pulaski Days, an annual celebration of Polish culture founded in 1973. The Polish halls around the city — and there are many — open up to people of all na-

12 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

tionalities, offering music, beer and food, like pierogis, kielbasa, golumpki, kapusta and more. It’s the perfect chance to get out and try something completely new.

10/6 Puddles Pity Party

Kalamazoo State Theatre 404 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo kazoostate.com

It’s a special time in history when a clown can get popular for singing songs on YouTube. To be fair, Puddles is no ordinary clown and no ordinary singer. His smooth, rich crooning is on full display in his somber reinterpretations of all kinds of songs, from I Want You To Want Me to Space Oddity.

Despite the name, his show isn’t all pity — there’s plenty of party, with humor, absurdity and lots of Kleenex.

Grand Armory Third Anniversary

Grand Armory Brewing 17 S. 2nd St., Grand Haven grandarmorybrewing.com

It’s time to throw another party for Grand Armory, with games, performers and plenty of beer. Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish, The Goofy Foot Band and The Hacky Turtles are all on the lineup for this outdoor street party, rain or shine.

10/7 Roll Out the Barrel

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo Oct. 7, 11 a.m. bellsbeer.com

Reel Big Fish at The Intersection's Elevation. COURTESY PHOTO

time. The band will be playing classics like Landslide and The Chain with all of the band’s most iconic members, except for Lindsey Buckingham.

10/8 Fleetwood Mac

Van Andel Arena 130 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Oct. 8, 8 p.m., $99+ vanandelarena.com Even after 51 years of performing, Fleetwood Mac shows no signs of slowing down. The British-American rock band has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, and 1977’s Rumours continues to be one of the most iconic records of our

10/13 Pumpkin Festival

Battle Creek Oct. 13, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. battlecreekvisitors.org All hail the Great Pumpkin! Battle Creek shows its respect to this gorgeous gourd with a fairgrounds-sized festival, featuring

Bell’s is reaching into its cellars and bringing out the good stuff, with more than 20 barrel-aged beers hitting the taps.

You can taste all kinds of classics and new beers aged in bourbon, brandy, rum barrels and more.

Last year, for instance, had a Tequila Barrel M ango Habaner o ArtPrize Oberon. Bell’s is also Continues hosting a special barrel-focused tour Through Oct. 7 that visits the original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo.

Fleetwood Mac at Van Andel Arena. COURTESY PHOTO

games, pony rides, arts and crafts, bingo, food, vendors, a straw castle, bounce houses and pumpkin carving. It’s a festive family-friendly party that exemplifies fall.

the nostalgic hits, from My Chemical Romance to Taking Back Sunday, Hotelier and more. Come prepared to dance, sing and drink to your heart’s content.

10/17 Reel Big Fish

10/19-21 Haven Harvest

The Intersection’s Elevation 133 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m., $20 sectionlive.com Whether you care about it or not, today’s ska wouldn’t be what it is without Reel Big Fish. The group’s goofy, punk style began with the debut LP, Everything Sucks, in 1995 and has stayed strong up to today, even though the band hasn’t released an album in a while. But hey, if your set list isn’t broke… Special guests Ballyhoo! and We Are Union join the band on this Tickle My Tiki TOURch.

10/18

Get Sad: Emo Night

Anchor Bar 447 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids Oct. 18, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. facebook.com/getsadgr

It’s been a long while since Grand Rapids had its own proper emo night — a chance to don some eyeliner, wear all black and sing your heart out. They’ll be playing all

South Haven Oct. 19-21 southhaven.org

In October, South Haven spends a whole weekend celebrating fall flavors and frightfilled nights. Hayrides, pumpkins, headless horsemen and haunted houses all come to the lakeshore town, along with cider, live music and more. The lineup includes Movies at the Marina, pumpkin chuckin’, pie sampling, a Fright Night at the Maritime Museum, and a scenic bike ride along KalHaven Trail with candy, doughnuts, cider and prizes given out. Expect to see fairies, witches, goblins and ghouls along the ride!

10/20

Virtue Cider Apple Fest Virtue Cider 2170 62nd St., Fennville Oct. 20, 12-8 p.m., $20 virtuecider.com

For the third year, Virtue is celebrating its main ingredient with a day of cider, music and fun. You’ll find games like cornhole and giant Jenga, horse-drawn cart rides, a field maze, apple-pressing demos, dog-friendly trails, a farmers market, live bands and the option to tour the production facility. Like any good festival, Apple Fest will also have food available.

10/21 Prof

Prof is not your typical rapper.

His beats and lyrics are ridiculously goofy, while his singing is seriously impressive. Prof’s shows are a party, full of the rapper’s self-aware humor and vocal acro-

Prof at The Pyramid Scheme.

COURTESY PHOTO

BEST BET

FINDING NEVERLAND Broadway Grand Rapids DeVos Performance Hall 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com

batics. Mac Irv, Dwynell Roland, Willie Wonka and Marcus Ryan all join the show.

10/26 Bass Country Halloween

The Intersection 133 Grandville Ave., Grand Rapids Oct. 26, 8 p.m., $30 sectionlive.com Those looking for bone-rattling bass this Halloween should look no further than Bass Country’s bombastic lineup at The

Sometimes, when you grow up, you lose the magic. Decades of stress, reality and cynicism can lead to a loss of imagination — that’s when you need to find your inner child, which is exactly what novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie did when he wrote Peter Pan. In this uplifting, magical musical, Barrie is inspired by four young brothers and their widowed mother, who all help him find Neverland through adventures and imagination. It’s all based on the eponymous film, but with dozens of rousing songs added in. It’s been described as a breathtaking smash that “captures the kid-at-heart” by TIME Magazine and as “the best musical of the year” by NPR. — Josh Veal

Intersection. Topped by L.A. DJ 12th Planet, this low-end rager will make fans scream for the next drop, with a lineup that includes more than a half-dozen of the area’s best EDM acts.

10/27

Corgis in the Park

Riverside Park 2001 Monroe Ave. NE, Grand Rapids Oct. 27, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. facebook.com/corgisinthepark

It’s every corgi’s favorite time of year, when they get to see all their short, squat, furry friends again, as well as all their wonderful owners. Whether you own a corgi or not, this meetup is the perfect place to stare at some pleasant pups for hours on end. There’s fenced-in playtime for the dogs, as well as food trucks and a corgi Halloween costume contest. The event’s free, but you can donate to Paws with a Cause while there.

For more events, check out page 60 for haunted happenings and page 42 for beer festivities.

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

SCENE SOUNDS | SIGHTS | DINING

Pyramid Scheme 68 Commerce Dr. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 24, 7 p.m., $15 pyramidschemebar.com

PHOTO: JEREMY DANIEL

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/// NEWS

Juju Bird. COURTESY PHOTO

WEST MICHIGAN

BIZ BEAT

A Roundup of Openings, Closings and other Local Business News

ANNOUNCED: Work has begun on Friesian Gastro Pub (720 Michigan St., Grand Rapids), a new restaurant set to open on the Medical Mile later this year.

The gastro pub will focus on affordable and unpretentious comfort food with an eclectic twist, also offering a wide variety of drinks. The taproom and outdoor patio combined will seat more than 100 people, with plans for a 50-person rooftop deck in the future.

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

Enjoy Our $6 Weekday Lunch Specials Join Us for Happy Hour On the Patio from 4-7PM Daily!

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14 | REVUEWM.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018

OPENING: Waypost Brewing Co. (1630 Blue Star Highway, Fennville), founded by a brewer and winemaker, has joined the beverage scene out in Fennville. The small brewery is based on a farm, which provides some of the beer’s ingredients, much like a winery.

At open, Waypost had a saison, Norwegian pale ale, porter and raspberry wheat on tap, with plans to bottle in the future.

Rapids), sometime mid- to late-October. The owners, Blon Hang and Yang Hang, also own Rak Thai, but Juju’s food will be very different, focusing on buttermilk fried chicken. The menu will include chicken sandwiches, wings, mashed potatoes and more. It’s setting up shop in the space previously occupied by Making Thyme Kitchen, which is moving to Alger Heights this fall.

CLOSED: Much to West Michigan’s dismay, Marie Catrib’s (1001 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids) is closing on Oct. 20. The owner is ready to move on to “the next chapter in my life,” according to a Facebook post.

Marie Catrib’s became somewhat of an institution in Grand Rapids due to its unique food, charming atmosphere, vegan offerings and innovative bakery.

Catrib herself passed away in 2013, and her son, Fouad, took over.

Rockford Riverside Grille (8 E. Bridge St. NE, Rockford) closed its restaurant and switched HopCat Knapp’s Corner (2183 E. Beltline Ave. to an event space, following in the footsteps of NE, Grand Rapids) opened, giving Grand Rapids several restaurants in the area. The family restwo locations, though in very different parts of taurant opened as a second Green Well location, town. The Knapp location is located right outside then rebranded back in April. The owner, Essence Celebration! Cinema North and has 80 taps, Restaurant Group, cited a desire to focus on its including a “Local 30,” featuring iconic and solid other businesses, Grove, Bistro Bella Vita and brews from all around Michigan. The food menu Green Well in Grand Rapids. n differs somewhat from downtown’s location, with —Compiled by Josh Veal pizza and stuffed burgers added to the offerings.

Juju Bird is opening this month in Grand Rapids’ Downtown Market (435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand

If you have any closings, openings or other business news for REVUE, e-mail josh@revuewm.com.

TIME TO TURN

UP THE VOLUME

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TONY ORLANDO & DAWN

FRIDAY DECEMBER 28

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13

Tickets available now at the FireKeepers Box Office or FireKeepersCasino.com.

Must be 21 or older. Tickets based on availability. Schedule subject to change.

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9/14/18 1:44 PM

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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/// ON TOUR

BAND IN THE MIRROR Alt-rock faves Young The Giant bring reflective new LP to 20 Monroe Live | by Eric Mitts

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

W

hen a new band quickly rises to the heights that Young The Giant did on its debut LP eight years ago, it takes some time to process.

Now gold-certif ied, that album broke the Southern Californian rock band into the mainstream with a string of hit singles including My Body, Apartment and the longtime fan-favorite Cough Syrup.

The record’s sudden success also launched the band from playing coffee shops to massive music festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Coachella, almost overnight.

At the time, most of the band members were still in their early 20s. They all lived together at the same house in Newport Beach, eagerly embracing the chaos of the life of a rising rock band.

But a lot has changed in the years since.

Nearly a decade removed from their debut, the members have long since moved out of that house they shared together, and in the time since Home of the Strange came out, three of the members have gotten married.

“The last seven or eight years of touring was kind of like a whirlwind,” guitarist Eric Cannata told Revue. “It felt like I got thrown into this tornado, and I feel like this record is us settling in and coming out of that tornado.”

The band’s second LP, Mind of Matter, debuted in the Top Ten on the Billboard Albums Chart in 2014, scoring the band several more radio hits and an arena tour with alt-rock royalty Kings of Leon.

In 2016, the group followed that success with Home “This record (is) taking a look at how we’re perceived of the Strange, a concept record that explored the band and how we perceive ourselves,” Cannata said. “I think members’ different experiences here in the U.S., as many you find in a relationship, whether it’s a friend, family of them are immigrants or first generation Americans. member, or your wife or husband or whatever, that you Now taking full ownership of their own reflection as a start to mirror these people and they mirror you in a way. band in the social media age, Young The Giant will release its And the reality that we’re mirroring everything from our fourth LP entitled Mirror Master on Oct. 12. perspective, from our filter, was interesting “Basically, we didn’t stop writing after to us. It felt like the material we were writwe did Home of the Strange,” Cannata said ing touched on that.” about the band’s natural flow of creativity. YOUNG THE GIANT Learning to not let their egos get in “Even while we were touring, and in pockets WSG. LIGHTS the way of writing, the band worked with 20 Monroe Live between shows and tours, we would just Grammy-winning producer Alex Salibian, 11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids continue writing. Home of the Strange kind Oct. 25, 7 p.m., $27.50+ who helped them explore new sounds on of opened up the floodgates for us in terms 20monroelive.com, (844) 678-5483 Home of the Strange, and opened them up to of the writing process.” even more collaborations this time around.

Starting with new single Superposition, Cannata describes the 12 tracks on the band spent the last year working on Mirror Master as a good mix of all three of Young The the new record. With a more self-reflective, personal feel Giant’s previous records, and the band plans to thoroughly than its sometimes politically charged predecessor, Mirror mix the new songs into the “vast dynamic of the live show.”

Master found the band examining its own interpersonal The album’s lead single, Simplify, has one of the strongest relationships as the members of Young The Giant suddenly messages, which is why the band felt strongly about putting found themselves getting older.

16 | REVUEWM.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018

Young The Giant. PHOTO BY WESLEY YEN

it out first. “We get so caught up in everything other than what matters at the end of the day,” Cannata said. “I feel like we get caught up in worrying about what other people think, or in your material possessions or anything really.”

He’s sworn off social media for this very reason, and Simplify directly touches on the band’s willingness to let go of all the unimportant worries and hone in on their own lives.

“That particular song, for me, is a representation of taking a step back and being aware that all this worry and social anxiety with your relationships and anything in life isn’t important,” he said. “So many people have been searching their whole lives for the meaning of life, and they’re taking LSD or they’re going on these different medications, or they’re going on these transcendental meditation retreats.

“They’re just constantly searching, and what comes out of that is these people talking about love as the only thing that matters.” n

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REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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/// LOCAL MUSIC

Left: Fiona Dickinson performing at Lamp Light 2016. PHOTO VANESSA AUTUMN Right: Divino Nino performing at Lamp Light 2017. PHOTO CREDIT LAURA PARTAIN

LIGHTING A NEW PATH Intimate Eastown music festival expands beyond living rooms into Wealthy Theatre | by Eric Mitts

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

E

ACH FALL , JUST AS THE TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO DROP HERE IN WEST MICHIGAN,

one Eastown tradition has come to embrace the changing of the seasons in a truly special way.

Now in its seventh year, the annual Lamp Light Music Festival continues to add to its legacy as one of the most intimate concert-going experiences of the year, with up-close and personal performances, workshops and a sense of community unlike anything else in our area.

“Being at Lamp Light feels like a big hug,” co-organizer Vanessa Autumn told Revue.

Before joining on with Lamp Light’s small production staff, Autumn performed at the festival as the guitarist/vocalist for local Grand Rapids band Frankie & Myrrh.

As a performer, she fondly recalls the special way the festival cares for its artists. Yet as an attendee, she also remembers being wowed by the sense of reverence audiences have for the immediacy of the performances, sometimes occurring just inches away, inside the comforting, personal feel of someone’s actual home.

“There is just so much magic around the environment of people being vulnerable with their creativity and vulnerable with each other,” she said of her first experience.

Launched in 2012 by co-organizer/local musician John Hanson, alongside other artists affiliated with The Division Avenue Arts Collective (DAAC), Lamp Light brought a simple concept to life — what would happen if several houses in one neighborhood opened their doors to hosting live music?

“We created this space, these listening rooms where artists could really feel respected and appreciated in sharing their music,” Hanson said. “We had artisans selling goods, and all kinds of local food was donated and people were cooking.

18 | REVUEWM.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018

(There was) just this huge, collaborative nature of the project. with larger production a better place to perform, while giving It illuminated all this life and energy and warm fuzzy feelings. audiences a bit more breathing room as well.

“It felt really new and really exciting for Grand Rapids.”

“There were certain limitations that came with a house show That communal warmth has allowed Lamp Light to thrive festival,” Autumn said. “Most of the house venues were only as a seasonal festival for more than six years, while embracing physically accessible to people who are able-bodied, so getting the beauty of fall right alongside its powerful performances. wheelchairs in and out of the houses was pretty difficult.

“I think the festival would be very different if it happened “Also, we were always sort of limited in how (and) where in the summer,” Autumn said. “Part of the magic of it is that we could talk about the festival since it existed in residential spark of fall and kind of the warmth that comes with people houses and personal privacy was an element involved,” she gathering at that time of year. Everyone is eatadded. “So a lot of information was spread ing food and drinking tea and walking around by word of mouth. This meant that a lot in the neighborhoods and the leaves are all on of communities likely missed out on the LAMP LIGHT MUSIC fire and beautiful, and everyone is just kind festival happening because that word just FESTIVAL 2018 of cozied up in the living rooms together.” wasn’t reaching their ears because of personal WEALTHY THEATRE Taking advantage of many bands curnetworks. Our hope is that by hosting Lamp & AREA HOMES rently out on fall tours, the festival always has Light in a more public space, we’ll be able to 1130 WEALTHY ST. SE, blended together a diverse mix of local artists make better efforts to make sure that more GRAND RAPIDS NOV. 2-4, $10-$40, ALL AGES with emerging regional artists from Chicago, people know about these opportunities and LAMPLIGHTMUSICFESTIVAL.COM Detroit and around the Midwest. music events happening in their city.”

This year’s lineup includes everything While the Wealthy Theatre will act from acoustic singer-songwriters to hip-hop, as Lamp Light’s mainstage this year, the indie rock, electronica, baroque-pop, Latin fusion and weekend-long event will still include several house venues more. Performers include Grand Rapids’ own Cabildo and hosting intimate performances, with other events taking Turtledoves (featuring former members of beloved GR outfit place inside the Wealthy Theatre Annex.

The Soil and the Sun), Kalamazoo’s Last Gasp Collective, “It just felt like a healthy step in the right direction where Yolonda Lavendar, Chicago’s Wooden Rings, California’s we could be on more of a public platform, and it could be Sugar Candy Mountain, and many more. more accessible to the general public, and not just this kind Making a conscious decision to work on the sustain- of private niche festival that you have to know somebody ability and accessibility of the festival this year, Lamp Light to get into,” Hanson said. “We want music to be accessible organizers decided to book the Wealthy Theatre as the festi- to our community, and to foster a culture which appreciates val’s mainstage. Having maxed out living rooms — sometimes and shares music more prominently. So the more visibility leaving fans out in the cold — the theater space will give acts we can get to share our mission, the better.” n

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/// LOCAL MUSIC

AØK – WAVES EP RELEASE AND FAREWELL SHOW

Wsg. Lady Ace Boogie, Lipstick Jodi, Bevlove The Pyramid Scheme, 68 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 20, 8 p.m., $10 pyramidschemebar.com

AØK. PHOTO BY TONY NORKUS

OVER AND OUT

Grand Rapids electronic-pop duo AØK celebrates the end with one last party | by Eric Mitts

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

T

HERE’S NO EASY WAY TO SAY

goodbye. Whether in a relationship, a job or a band, most people can’t find that perfect time to call it quits.

But in life and music, there’s a secret to exiting on a high note: Always leave them wanting more.

And that’s exactly what local indiedance duo AØK intend to do when releasing a new four-song EP, WAVES, at its final show on Oct. 20 at The Pyramid Scheme.

“We’re really proud of these new songs,” AØK guitarist/producer/multi-instrumentalist Kyle Sullivan told Revue. “It’s a way for us to say thank you to everyone that’s helped us along the way and have one more party.”

Sullivan started AØK in 2011 with vocalist Angela Teeple, a.k.a. Angela B. The pair have known each other since attending Traverse City High School back in 2000, but didn’t start playing music together until shortly after college.

They paid their dues gigging around in a local funk/rock cover band for a few

20 | REVUEWM.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018

years before writing their own music and exploring what would become AØK. “It kind of started as an experiment,” Teeple said. “We had never written music together or played with electronic sounds or instruments.”

By the end of 2012, AØK had released its first EP, the five-song party-starting record Tracks. Issued by local Grand Rapids record label Hot Capicola Records, Tracks put AØK on the musical map, and the path to success.

It also brought the duo together with its now longtime friend, manager and Hot Capicola owner Luke Schmidt, who helped the band get its footing in the local music scene.

“For as many venues as there are and opportunities up for grabs, you definitely need to build relationships with people in order to be considered, or even included in the conversation,” Teeple said about AØK finding its place in the GR music community.

After a shaky start with some sparsely attended shows, the band went on to win an ArtPrize music award and book notable gigs,

including an opening slot for Canadian indie-pop favorites Tegan & Sara at Frederik Meijer Gardens last summer.

“Starting out, there are so many random gigs, but you start to learn which ones make sense,” Sullivan said. “One of the coolest things has been doing shows with (Flintbased musician/activist) Tunde Olaniran and getting to know him. We are huge fans, so having him support us has been amazing.”

The duo recorded WAVES earlier this year between Grand Rapids and Detroit, including work at Sullivan’s house in Eastown, Planet Sunday Studios in Rockford, and Assemble Sound’s recording studio inside a historic 1872 church in Detroit.

“We got to experience the full beauty of the building during sessions in the coldest week of January when all the pipes were frozen and we had to fight over space heaters,” Sullivan said. “It was awesome!”

Like the band’s previous efforts, the duo wrote all the songs on WAVES, with Sullivan acting as producer. Olaniran

helped co-write a couple of the tracks, while producer Jon Zott co-produced, mixed and mastered. Bryan Pope of Detroit indie-rock duo JR JR also added some keyboards and additional production.

“With our first EP, I think we were just scratching the surface and def ining our sound,” Teeple said. “This second EP, which had been slowly written over the last few years, is more personal, more meticulous.”

Influenced early on by artists as different as Prince, Santigold, The Black Keys and Led Zeppelin, both Sullivan and Teeple grew up listening to a lot of blues and rock.

“But when we first started writing, we were paying more attention to electronic pop and some of the unique sounds and feelings we could stir up,” Teeple said of the band’s sound, which mixes R&B vocals with 808 beats, experimental synths and loud guitars. “It just felt exciting.”

The duo describes the new EP as a little darker than its other material, although still capturing the same level of riff-driven intensity.

“The songs we selected for the EP all have a similar mood to them,” Sullivan said.

“They don’t always have a propulsive beat; parts can be more contemplative. There’s definitely a more pronounced low end to the songs that we haven’t had before. It’s like a late-night drive, or hanging after a night out, but wanting to continue the feeling.”

While the band hasn’t completely ruled out revisiting AØK in the future, the duo currently is devoting more time to their hectic work lives and families.

Sullivan will keep busy producing and performing alongside his wife Angie in the Irish rock family band The Wild Sullys, and the duo Heartwell. Teeple, meanwhile, will explore other creative outlets.

“We are (still) close friends,” Sullivan said as AØK comes to an end. “Angela stood in my wedding and we hang out a lot outside of music with our families. The time we’ve spent driving to gigs or to record, we’ve really talked through anything.” n

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THE BEER ISSUE Beer, what is it good for? Absolutely everything.

Relaxing, partying, camping, boating, reading — whatever you’re doing, beer makes a perfect match.

It’s been stated time and again, but West Michigan’s love for craft beer is undeniable. Just like any industry, there are ups and downs, but beer runs deep in the region’s veins.

In this issue, we take a look at the state of craft beer and where the future might lead, from new styles to new breweries and brewpubs. Veteran bar managers give us their take on where we came from and what’s to come. Then, check out our look at local hopyards, where we chat with Pure Mitten Hop Farms about one very important part of how your beer gets made.

We also have an Oktoberfest taste-off, a beer style that’s simply perfect for this time of year, as well as a look at some of the strangest beers made this year. We then travel up north for a look at the oft-overlooked beer scene in the Upper Peninsula, West Michigan’s second cousin.

That’s not to mention our round-ups of beer bars, products made with local beer, and 10 definitive beers of West Michigan. If you’re feeling a bit lost at this point, check out our massive brewery guide, which examines as many local breweries as we can muster.

Jak Mercer, Logan's Alley. PHOTOS BY SETH THOMPSON

Next to Explode Bar managers weigh in on the hottest new craft beer styles | by Jack Raymond

I

n the beginning, there was beer. It was fizzy and we drank it And how far we’ve come. I haven’t been legal that long, but and it was fine. You had it with your family, you had it with even in my short span, I’ve noticed shifts. When, for example, your friends, sometimes for dinner, sometimes upside-down, was the last time you had a black IPA? How about a six-pack of hoisted above a keg, suckling from the spigot like a binkie. Fat Tire? They say our taste buds change every seven years, and Maybe it tasted like old cream soda or a possum’s breath. Then with craft beer ready to complete its Saturn return, it only makes someone had an idea: what if we made beer good? The idea took sense that the landscape should look completely different from off like gangbusters. Now, there are roughly a billion craft breweries, decades ago. Let’s take a moment to consider the state of beer and the world will never be the same. in 2018 and the trends that will come to define our future pours.

24 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

Juice and Champagne First, we turn to craft beer luminary, Jak Mercer, the award-winning beverage director and GM at Logan’s Alley for the past seven years. Despite the accolades, Mercer remains humble, “I’m the local ornament. I hang out and I’m shiny.”

He’s a whip-smart conversationalist and if you’re not prepared for a verbal spar, it can feel like defending yourself in a batting cage with a wooden spoon. That said, his hot takes are grounded in a wisdom that can only come from a tenure at, as he puts it, “a neighborhood bar with a craft beer obsession.” For Mercer, it’s been impossible to ignore the sea change West Michigan’s beer scene has experienced.

“Twenty-two taps used to be a daunting amount; now I don’t have room for all my friends,” he said.

Because of good beer’s ubiquity, throwing a couple bones to the craft drinker — a Two Hearted here, a Perrin Black there — hardly cuts it anymore. The masses have evolved and are eager to dip their toes into unknown waters.

“We open at 7 a.m. and get the nurses. They deal with literal crap all day long and are still willing to break habit and challenge themselves with some new sour,” Mercer said.

While our tastes grow increasingly omnivorous and breweries flirt with more styles than you can shake a stick at, IPAs have proven to be both trendsetters and trend proof.

“People always gravitate toward them,” Mercer said. “First it was west coast, then black IPAs, then sessions.”

And if you’ve been hiding under a rock for a year, welcome back — the juice is loose. As the New England IPA lays claim to its manifest destiny, its haze has finally swept across our state. It’s hard to discuss this trendy style without mentioning the elephant in the room: Old Nation’s M-43. The two are inextricably linked, like siblings running a three-legged race.

I remember my first glass well, its opaque orange hue reminiscent of the surface of Venus.

But after all these pours, it does beg the question: how long can a beer coast on the coattails of a trend?

“As long as it’s quality, it’s sustainable,” Mercer said. “If it was just some crappy knock-off that would be one thing, but (Old Nation) happened to make a really solid tasting beer.”

With their low level of bitterness and unique appearance, New Englands are a great gateway to the IPA averse. We wouldn’t expect the bandwagon to lose a wheel any time soon, considering the exceptional choices popping up at places like Brewery Vivant, Odd Side and Transient Artisan Ales.

Even so, the Brut IPA trails hot on the heels of the haze craze. This trending style is brought to you by the enzyme amyloglucosidase, which sounds like a bio-weapon but actually reduces residual sugars, leaving a beer bone-dry and champagne-like after fermentation.

Steve Van Dommelen, bar director at Hops at 84 East, views the style as “the perfect antithesis to the New England style. It’s clean, complex and pairs great with a wide range of food.” Whether or not Bruts will rile the zeitgeist like their predecessor, the fact that brewers can continue to innovate within the hoppy genre proves to Van Dommelen at least that “IPAs will forever be the king.”

long-haul sours nailed down, but you don’t necessarily want to hand someone a flanders and freak them out.”

Historically one of the oldest styles, sours are obviously more than a diversion, and there’s still plenty frontier left to explore. “There’s a point of attrition with IPA’s where you burn out,” VanRadsky said. “I think sours reinvigorate your tongue.”

Sour Power

Keep it Simple

The hubbub for barrel-aged stouts has laid the groundwork for other specialty beers to ascend.

Mitch Ermatinger, proprietor and barrel wizard at Speciation Artisan Ales, has noticed how the pond has widened to contain some of his wackier, sour experiments.

“I think using odd or relatively unknown ingredients will become more common, along with beer/wine hybrids,” Ermatinger said. “I really enjoy wine but kind of hate wine culture, so I’d like to see more wine being incorporated into beer styles.”

Uncork a bottle of his Gram Positive, an open-fermented sour with obsidian barley and concord grapes and you’ll see — Ermatinger is clearly making good on his crystal ball promises.

J. VanRadsky, keg wrangler at The Mitten Bar in Ludington, commented on how quickly the public has wised up to style, “We’ve gone from what is this weird stuff, to the assumption that we’ll have one on draft. Some people walk in and if there’s no sour they’ll say, no thanks I’ll come again some other day.” Fortunately, access to more easily produced examples like Goses and Berliner Weisses helps with the introduction, “The number of quick and dirty ones have significantly increased. It’s a nice way to break people in,” VanRadsky said. “Places like Arbor and Vivant with their massive foeders have the

Rick Martinez, beer program manager at HopCat Grand Rapids, has a tight pulse on trends in the industry too.

“I think we’ve seen the beer in Grand Rapids change in the same way our palates do,” Martinez said. “It starts with malt-forward approachable ambers and browns. Then barrel-aged stouts stretch that capacity. IPAs became more prevalent and a fail safe. Entry sours like goses and berliner weisses follow from there.”

It all comes full circle, and now we see a reactionary movement forming as a foil to all these aggressive flavors. Breweries compete in an arms race to see who can create cleanest, simplest lager and you find a 24 pack of Founders Solid Gold wedged between racks of Bud and Busch. You have to wonder who’s going after whose piece of the pie. Van Dommelen has seen the scheme work firsthand.

“My dad drank Michelob Ultra like it was going out of style, but now he’s a Solid Gold convert,” he said.

It makes sense. After a hard day’s work, I’d much rather kick it with a kolsch than a hop bomb.

Another trend Martinez would like to see take hold is the appreciation of benchmark styles.

“When it comes down to sitting and drinking a beer, there’s nothing better than knowing exactly what you’re getting and finding nuances

Steve Van Dommelen, Hops at 84 East. COURTESY PHOTO

you missed before,” he said.

Maybe that means ESBs, the ultimate beer nerd style, are due for their moment in the spotlight. Like a Steely Dan record, they’re easybreezy and sophisticated, with undeniable depth under scrutiny, yet somehow left outside the pantheon of rock ‘n’ roll canon.

“Light beers are really appreciated in the craft beer industry because there’s nothing to hide behind,” Martinez said. “They don’t lack complexity but aren’t eye-catching like some gimmicky beers are.”

Ultimately, our future beers are impossible to predict, but we can take stock and appreciate how awesome West Michigan’s beer scene is presently.

“We have access to just about everything,” Martinez said. “It’s a unique dilemma to have.”

At the end of the day, your favorite beer should be the one in your hand. n

Rick Martinez, HopCat. COURTESY PHOTO

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

25

The Great Lupulin Harvest A look behind the bines with Pure Mitten Hops | by Jack Raymond

W

alking about the lengths of Pure Mitten’s hop bines — rows of them on trellises, tall as a giant’s overalls — it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sight, and more so, the smell of this farm out in Coopersville. Lupulin particles hitch to nose hairs like burs, lighting up the mind with scents of fresh-cut grass and grapefruit shandy.

The cones that hang are cute, tiny pupae. They look like they might hatch. After months spent climbing wire, braving the elements and warding off disease, they are finally ready to find a way into your glass. Let the great harvest begin.

Starting the first season in the spring of 2014, Pure Mitten Hops represents a labor of family love through and through. Parents Mary and Morrie Dieleman, both retired school social workers, decided to become unretired farm owners, investing in land, equipment and plants in hopes of creating a legacy.

“We looked at this as something for the next generation,” Mary said.

That next generation includes son Justin Dieleman, who of course appreciates the gift, but isn’t shy to call it for what it is.

“I don’t think any of us had any idea what this would entail when we started, how much it would take over our lives,” Justin said. “It’s super stressful but also fun and rewarding.”

The cycle looks a little like this: following winter’s dormancy, the hops shoot up their spikes in spring, cultivating and growing in rows until plump and defined. The painstaking part comes from the tying of 24,000 or so knots by hand for the bines to curl around.

You can only imagine how blistered this can make a finger. The hops reach the sky by June.

From there, the summer is mostly smooth sailing, with the exception of downy mildew, a scourge that if left untreated, can decimate a crop entirely. And then comes September — harvest season — the Dieleman’s most challenging month of all.

Pure Mitten Hops. COURTESY PHOTOS

26 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

Agriculture never sleeps. Clocking in a few 90-hour weeks, it’s a ceaseless flurry of clipping and feeding the plant into a separator that sets the hops on a journey of quality control and drying, ultimately ending in pelletization, which transforms the cones into cylinders that look a lot like a gerbil’s cereal.

I spoke with Justin, dripping on a 90-degree day, nearing the homestretch of this harvest.

“Right now, I’m dead tired,” he said, “but seeing all the healthy plants come down and get good yields, knowing that in three weeks from now I can go drink a beer with our hops, it’s pretty cool, because I know how much hard work went into making it happen.”

One such beer featuring the Dieleman’s hops is Founders Brewing Co.’s Harvest Ale, the annual wet-hopped IPA which releases this October. It’s a special beer, and it’s a privilege to be selected for use in the batch.

“Because we’re newer we have to prove ourselves,” Mary said. “We have great Grand Rapids brewers who want to buy our

hops and then they see the receipt and think, oh, maybe I should just go elsewhere. So the hops have to be right. Now we think we have the best practices going here. We’re excited because we have a track record.”

Tons of Pure Mitten’s Cascade hops were thrown directly into the Harvest Ale’s boil, imparting higher levels of acids, oils and aromatics.

“Between the lake and the climate, the terroir of our hops is different than anywhere else,” Justin said. There’s no way around it, “Hops from Michigan are going to smell and taste different than ones from out west. Our Cascades are totally different than Yakima Valley Cascades. It allows for brewers to create cool new recipes that you couldn’t get out of a Northwest Hop.” Breweries are taking notice. Found everywhere from Vivant’s flagship Hop Field to one-off’s from City Built, Trail Point and DeHop’s, Pure Mitten’s soil is producing amazing hops that us Michiganders can be proud to drink. n

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It’s Better With Beer Michigan-made products utilizing our state’s finest creations | by Kelly Brown

E

verything’s better with beer! From fall dinners to summer weekends with friends, beer really makes the world go ’round — especially for West Michigan folk. Fortunately, craft beer lovers across the state are finding new ways to incorporate our favorite beverage into non-alcoholic products. Local makers are utilizing the intense and creative flavors in Michigan’s craft brews to inspire a whole new world of beer-based beauty products and edible delights.

Start your day off right with eggs and a slice of Shorts’ Soft Parade Artisan Bread from Stonehouse Brewery. This light and chewy, slightly sweet loaf smells of fresh fruit. Great by itself or paired with a charcuterie board and sandwich meats. Short’s Soft Parade Bread can be found at Kroger, Spartan locations and Meijer.

A quick trip to the meat aisle at your grocer of choice will get you one step closer to a true Michigan beer brat. Meijer carries a variety of beer brats that rotate seasonally — just like craft beer. Check out flavors like Arcadia Whitsun brats, which are a great late summer/early fall grilling

option. D&W’s Open Acres line offers a variety of Founders brats with flavors like Dirty Bastard, PC Pils and All Day IPA. Kingma’s Market in Grand Rapids sells Perrin brats, and Dublin Jerky in Grandville makes Beer and Bacon Breakfast Brats with Founders’ KBS. Nothing pairs better with a brat than topnotch stone ground mustard. Founders’ Dirty Bastard mustard is crafted with a combination of yellow and brown mustard seeds and a good kick of Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale. Or try the Centennial IPA Honey Mustard, which is packed with aromatic hop flavors; this sweet and spicy mustard is made with 100-percent Michigan honey!

And you can always spice life up with BLiS Blast Pepper Sauce, which is rich, complex and not too hot. It’s been aged in barrels that once contained Kentucky bourbon, BLiS famous maple syrup and Founders KBS. Top off your savory meal with a delicious, malty treat from Mokaya chocolates in Grand Rapids for their Beer Flight. Flavors include Elk Coffee Porter dark chocolate, Grand Rapids Brewing Co. Rosalynn Bliss white chocolate, The Mit-

ten Stretch dark chocolate, Founders Porter dark chocolate, Harmony Black Squirrel burnt caramel and Brewery Vivant Farm Hand butter caramel.

For more crunch, Mel’s Toffee sells Right Brain CEO Toffee with a chocolate-y, espresso-y, toffee flavor. Available in resealable packages online.

When it comes time to treat yo’self, consider basking in a bath filled with beer … products. Grand Rapids-based Herb & Soap created a line inspired by some of your favorite beers.

The Bell’s Beer Robust Porter is made with fresh macadamia milk, whole oats, colloidal oatmeal, dark Dutch cocoa, organic milk chocolate, Ferris sugar cookie coffee grounds, a coffee/chocolate fragrance oil, titanium dioxide and Bells’ Robust Porter reduction.

Meanwhile, Founder’s Breakfast Stout is used in Joshua Tree Skincare lip balm and Brickyard Farms oatmeal-honey soap. Finish up your routine with Wicked Soaps Dragon’s Milk Beard Balm, which conditions and softens while taming pesky beard flyaways. n

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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FOOD ISSUE

The Year in

We’ve got the WEST MICHIGAN arts scene COVERED.

Weird Beers

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WINCHESTER

GUIDANCE FROM TTHE GARDEN | by Joe Boomgaard

hose crazy creative brewers are at it again, ready to put it all on the line to push boundaries and move the craft beer scene into a new direction — just not always in expected ways. Let’s take a look at some of the stranger brews that have crossed the bar over the last few months.

childhoods, its 8-ounce barrel-like bottle enthralling Gen Xers and Millennials alike with its bounty of sugary fruit-flavored liquid. Little Hugs left such an impression on brewers at Pennsylvania-based Imprint Beer Co. that they decided to use the blue raspberry drink — some 800 bottles worth — as the only source of liquid in the brewing process for a special, one-off beer dubbed Little Hugs. The resulting “obnoxiously sweet” green-colored beer clocked in at 3.4 percent ABV with a slightly sour finish, according to Beer & Brewing Magazine.

ALL THAT How toGLITTERS… grow your own food, and why The sparkly new trend that took craft beer by

storm this year had breweries dumping edible BY DOMINIQUE TOMLIN

In an era of dwindling local arts coverage, we are expanding. From hard news and inspiring feature stories, to critical online reviews and our culture calendars, REVUE Arts covers what’s going on at the region’s symphonies, theaters, ballets, museums, galleries, dance ensembles and more.

DINING SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

You can find REVUE Arts each month in the center of REVUE magazine, but did you know it’s also distributed as a stand-alone magazine at 180 locations across West Michigan? Pick up a copy or read it online at revuewm.com

32 | REVUEWM.COM 2018 REVUEWM.COM || OCTOBER APRIL 2018

glitter into perfectly normal beers to create something that polarized the internet beer dorks. ReacApril bring May flowers, tionsf fell intoshowers two diametrically opposed camps: Eithernow’s the glitter the marketing spawn thewas perfect time toploy start a of Satan or it was something to liven up theand craft garden.

With produce, flowers beer herbs scene. Local brewers available looking to shine includall readily from loed Thornapple Co. (Unicorn Umbrage), cal stores,Brewing you may ask yourself if Brewery aVivant (Strawberry Glitter Sparkles and starting garden is necessary.

Brandon Glitter Stud), Co.“Yes!” (Gloss Bananas) Iker offers upPerrin Brewing a resounding, andIker Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. (Shake That Blue manages the garden for Winchester, Razz ForRapids Me). Forrestaurant. all the hype and perhaps a Grand Thedrama, Winchester Brewery Vivant summed best: “Independent Garden is currently usedittoupsupport education small craft brewers are produce, supposed while to havealso fun and awareness of local with beer,food right?” providing for the restaurant. Anything

I

harvested from the garden is utilized in garBLAZIN’ HIGHPAweekend specials, den parties THE and summer Thetotoker-friendly folksstocked at Lagunitas Co. and keep the bar withBrewing flowers, teamed marijuana products company herbs andupof with course: cucamelons.

AbsoluteXtracts to produce the Hi-Fi Hopswaterline of “(A cucamelon) looks like a tiny THC-infused, IPA-inspired sparklingbetween waters. The melon and tastes somewhere a new alcohol-free beverage is even and diet friendly, green grape, crisp cucumber fresh clocking in atrind,” zero calories and zero carbs. Online watermelon Iker said. publication Leafly said Hi-Fi Hops “tastes like a Along with garnishing many bar drinks, La Croix frolicked in a hop field.” The beverage, the cucamelon makes its way into several which comes in THC doses of 5 mg and 10 mg, dishes at Winchester and Donkey Taqueria. is sold at recreational dispensaries at $8 per can.

According to Iker, starting a garden has It’ll keep you elevated and hydrated at the same personal, financial, social and environmental time. Sorry to harsh your mellow, Michigan: For benefits.

It’s freeing to always have a reason now, Hi-Fi is only available in California. to be outside, along with fresh produce and flowers at your fingertips.

HUGS NOT DRUGS? Of course, along with the benefits come While memories from childhood may be getting limitations. “Gardens are sort of like humans. hazier by the day, most people born in the last They require about the same conditions — 40 years will still remember Little Hug Fruit Barnotrels. tooThe hotkids andbeverage not too cold, plenty of water, was a staple of many nutrients. They require about the same

FUNGUS US?good relationship,” amount of AMONG time as any Whensaid. was But the last sipped a beer and Iker liketime all you good relationships, thought, this isthe good, but what would make it it’ll be worth effort. better would be to some fungus? Yeah, us You’ll need theadd right equipment to put neither.

However, craft brewers taken to in that effort correctly though.have “A gardener beers isusing onlymushrooms as good asinhistheir tools,” Iker— typically said. Since stouts —supplies to give them a subtle earthy quality. finding can be difficult, Iker sugLocally, City Builtfor Brewing Co. in Grand at Rapids gests searching hand-me-downs yard has dabbled fungal beers with Chaga Khan, a sales or flea inmarkets. stoutAlong brewedwith with tools, Chaga mushrooms.

According high-quality comto most industry reports, it’s not overpowering post is essential. “We like to get ours from and musty, but rather done and to enhance the local Flowerland here in town use it liberally terroir or “taste of place” in beers.

If that’s the at the Winchester Garden. Their leaf and case, the morel the merrier.

— Reported by Joe mushroom compost is some of the best allBoomgaard purpose compost for the price,” Iker said.

After tearing up the sod with a shovel, Iker recommends topping it with four to six inches of compost to keep weeds buried in the ground. Quality seeds are also a must.

Since rainwater is best for a garden, Iker also recommends investing in rainwater harvesting.

If that all sounds like hard work, just remember that gardening is really about taking it slow and relaxing. Move at your own pace and just do the best you can. Iker said you’ll reap more than just some tasty herbs and vegetables.

“Starting your own garden can lead to great improvement in your health,” Iker said.

“One overlooked benefit of gardening is to promote mental and physical wellness by creating a quiet place to work and reflect.” n

OCTOBER 2018 REVUEWM.COM/ARTS

FREE

IN PURSUIT OF HUMANITY Saugatuck exhibit reveals objects stripped from migrants searching for a better life SEE PAGE 14A. STORY BY MARLA MILLER.

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SEE SAW GRS’s unique performance

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UNTAMED GR Ballet’s wild, sweet dance

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ALL THE BUZZ Holland’s comedic spelling bee

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[THEATER]

Inner Child Holland Civic takes its cast back to the start

BY MARLA R. MILLER

With adult actors playing tweens, Holland Civic Theatre takes on the comedy, awkwardness and anxiety of adolescence in its delightful fall musical.

Set at a spelling bee and filled with a quirky cast of characters, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is based on the book

by Rachel Sheinkin and features a catchy score by William Finn. The opening song highlights what’s at stake: “Plasma TV, fancy hotel, Washington, D.C. — all because you love to spell. It’s a marvelous memory if you win the spelling bee.”

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Holland Civic Theatre 50 W 9th St, Holland Oct. 4-20, $20, adults, $18, seniors hollandcivictheatre.org, (616) 396-2021

But the play also explores the idea that winning and losing isn’t everything, and the contestants discover their own voice through the process.

The Broadway musical typically has college-age students playing the tweens, but HCT Director Sue Ann Culp decided to cast middle-age and older adults.

“I wanted to give older actors the opportunity to stretch and be in touch with their inner child and it’s working really, really well,” she said. “It won’t be your traditional show that people may have seen in the past; the flavor will be a little different.”

Billed a “riotous ride” and “a delightful den of comedic genius,” the action revolves around six eccentric 12-year-olds, all from different schools and all vying for the spelling bee title to advance to nationals.

As they spell their way through a series of words, the audience has a frontrow seat to witty self-disclosure, parental pressures and humorous details about their personal lives. There are some adult themes, but it’s PG-13.

“It’s definitely a comedy, but with any comedy, there has to be moments of poignancy,” Culp said. “It’s a very fun show.”

The audience learns about each speller’s background through flashbacks and songs including I’m Not That Smart, My Unfortunate Erection and Woe Is Me. Jason Craner plays Leaf Coneybear, an awkward homeschool student who placed third in his qualifying competition and is there because the top finishers couldn’t attend. While he’s not as smart as the others, and often called dumb by his family, “he loves it because he’s finally part of something,” Craner said.

Editor Joe Boomgaard / joe@revuewm.com Managing Editor Josh Veal / josh@revuewm.com Design Kaylee Van Tuinen / kaylee@revuewm.com Kristi Kortman / kristi@revuewm.com Publisher Brian Edwards Associate Publisher Rich Tupica

Contributing Writers: Jane Simons Kayla Sosa Dana Casadei Marla Miller Michaela Stock

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. COURTESY PHOTO

There are laugh-out-loud moments and poignant moments, where the students are finding out what they really want and coming into their own in spite of pressures and disappointments.

“They are starting to figure out who they are and it takes the spelling bee to do that, but it’s also super funny because you’re dealing with children who are navigating that and don’t know what to do,” Craner said. “The audience can really find things about themselves when they were kids and they can laugh at it.”

At 34 years old, Sonnet Quinn is the youngest of the spellers and plays Marcy Park, a recent transfer from Virginia who placed ninth at last year’s nationals. She excels at everything and attends parochial school. She doesn’t speak one language or even two — she speaks six, which she sings about in an aptly named song, I Speak Six Languages.

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“The kids and their situations are funny, but I don’t think they know it,” Quinn said.

“It’s a musical that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s funny, it’s silly.”

The spellers are trying to avoid the dreaded “ding” — signaling their elimination — and ask for usage-in-a-sentence definitions that also provide some comic relief. Adding to the antics: Audience participation and a comfort counselor doing community service who gives out juice boxes to the exiting contestants.

Craner grew up in a family of thespians and has acted in several area productions.

He praised the cast of the Bee. “This is the most talented cast I have worked with,” he said. “Everyone is perfectly fit for the characters they were cast as. The singers are so good. This is not going to be a typical local theater production” ■

For advertising and distribution inquiries, email: Rich Tupica sales@revuewm.com REVUE is published monthly by Revue Holding Company.

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REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[THEATER]

History Played Out Ebony Road Players delivers impactful theater this month

BY KAYLA SOSA

Ebony Road Players — Grand Rapids’ self proclaimed black theater — has two important, impactful shows for the community this month, Lines: The Lived Experience of Race and The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington.

THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON Oct. 4-13 SiTE:LAB, 415 Franklin St. SE, Grand Rapids

LINES: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF RACE Oct. 25-26 1213 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids

MARTHA WASHINGTON’S RECKONING Miz Martha is a raw, emotional story about white privilege and complicity told through a fictional tale born from the realities of slavery.

Miz Martha, or Martha Washington, is on her deathbed and begins to have fever dreams. In these dreams, her slaves try to convince her to free them before she dies.

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Through these dreams, Washington faces hard truths about her own complicity to slavery and racism.

Director Randy Wyatt explained that this is not a historical story, but an exploration of race relations.

Some of the slaves see Miz Martha as “one of the good ones,” but the show examines how this is part of a survival mindset, and Washington is still completely guilty in her complicity with the system.

“If you have a soul, by the end of the play you’re really questioning, was she one of the good ones? What does that even mean in this context?” Wyatt said.

“Because she wasn’t going to give up the comforts and the benefits that this system of slavery bought her.”

Wyatt emphasized that this show really dives into the story that needs to be heard of African Americans’ built-up frustration from being ostracized by society, beginning with slavery. The points made will draw a mirror to the audience members to really look at their implicit biases and their own collusion to racism.

“The (show examines the) howl of collective frustration and unheard perspective,” Wyatt said. “And that isn’t something that you have to teach calmly and making sure your tone is fine, so that white people get it. It has so much more impact when it’s raw and real and people have to look at what silent things they are complicit with.”

Quianna Babb, who plays Priscilla, said this is a unique show in how it tells the story.

“It’s a really imaginative way of depicting things that happened,” Babb said. “It’s very different than any way I’ve seen the story of slavery played out. It’s told from a very up-to-date, current lens telling a story from the 1800s that is very vivid.”

With a show centered around black experiences, Wyatt said he and Edye Evans Hyde, president of Ebony Road Players, discussed whether having a white man direct this show was in line with her organization’s mission.

“I don’t want to be whitesplaining all over the stage,” Wyatt said. “But what I came back to was, first of all, listen to the black woman in charge of the company and let her make that decision. Also, I just

Miz Martha Rehearsal. PHOTO BY KAYLA SOSA

surrounded myself with people of color on the other side of the tables.”

Miz Martha is being performed at this year’s SiTE:LAB, 415 Franklin St. SE, which is an abandoned high school building.

“I think one of the keys to doing site-specific work is treating the site like a character and really trying to understand, what does this site give you that you would have to work really hard to make happen in a theater,” Wyatt said. “The space has levels built into it, and allows for an interesting place for characters to exit the stage that is not off the sides. It allows for brand new movement patterns.”

Evans Hyde said this show fits right into her mission with Ebony Road.

“We’re trying to tell these stories that don’t get told,” Evans Hyde said. “And we’re trying to be progressive on how we tell it and hope that all the audiences that we have in Grand Rapids come to see it and take away something positive, even if it’s just learning a little about history.”

DRAWING A LINE LINES: The Lived Experience of Race is a locally made show by Stephanie Sandberg, being directed for the third time in Grand Rapids by Emily Wetzel.

“The power of this type of theater and

especially this show is that the people in the audience will be hearing the actual words of people who lived in Grand Rapids,” Wetzel said.

The show centers on housing discrimination and the Fair Housing Act. This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of that act, which protects the buyer or renter from seller or landlord discrimination.

The play and its history are so important, local realtors Shelley Frody and Lola Audu plan to share the show with the local real estate and business community.

Frody saw the show a few years ago at Wealthy Street Theatre, while Audu visited the National Association of Realtors annual meeting, where they celebrated the Fair Housing Act and the minority realtors who have championed changing attitudes and policies.

Wetzel said she has a good group of actors who are excited to perform and articulate this message and important historical and current issue.

“This is a lasting piece; it’s a living piece,” Evans Hyde said, referring to how the show has changed over the years as times have changed. “Being part of it now makes me realize there’s still a lot of work to be done and people are noticing it and needing some way to communicate this out to the community.” ■

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[theater]

preview There is a massive number of excellent musicals this month, ranging from sequels of international hits to a mystery within a play-within-a-play. There’s also mystery, comedy and some ghost stories. Check it out! BY DANA CASADEI

THE NEW VIC THEATRE 134 E. Vine St, Kalamazoo, MI 49001 thenewvictheatre.org, 269-381-3328

GHOST STORIES: CHAPTER 2, Oct. 6-27, $25+

JEWISH THEATRE GRAND RAPIDS 2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids jtgr.org, (616) 234-3595

MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET, Oct. 10-21, $25 In this play about a play, Ruth Nowak does some family digging and finds a secret so interesting, she decides to write an entire show around it.

Turns out she isn’t the only one who thought it was fascinating, because her play is about to premiere in New York. But before the lights go up and the audience is settled, she wants her family’s blessing, leading to her calling a family meeting at her mom’s house. In this Tom Dudzick play, that family meeting will change all of their lives forever.

HOLLAND CIVIC THEATER

are currently reviewing. But then, it turns out the body under the sofa on stage is actually a missing theater critic in this hilarious spoof of Agatha Christie-like melodramas. They then set forth a series of events that run parallel to the play they are watching. You’re going to have to see it to find out who actually did it.

GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE

30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org, (616) 222-6650

NUMBER THE STARS, Oct. 12-21, $16+

FARMERS ALLEY THEATRE KALAMAZOO 221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com, (269) 343-2727

BEYOND THE RAINBOW: THE JUDY GARLAND MUSICAL, Through Oct. 14, $32+

FESTIVAL PLAYHOUSE Kalamazoo College, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo reason.kzoo.edu/theatre, (269) 337-7333

50 W. 9th St., Holland hollandcivictheatre.org, (616) 396-2021

SENIOR PERFORMANCE SERIES, Oct. 18-21

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Oct. 4-20

GILMORE THEATRE/ WMU THEATRE

MILLER AUDITORIUM 2200 Auditorium Dr., Kalamazoo millerauditorium.com, (269) 387-2300

1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre, (269) 387-3227

ALMOST, MAINE, Through Oct. 7, $20 THE CHOIR OF MAN, Oct. 17, $35+ SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, Oct. 6-14, $20

DOG STORY THEATRE 7 Jefferson Ave., Grand Rapids dogstorytheater.com, (616) 425-9234

THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, Oct. 12-21, $12+ When critics are reviewing a play, they don’t ever plan to get involved in the action, but that’s exactly what happens in Tom Stoppard’s one-act play. Critics, and frenemies, Moon and Birdboot are swept up in the whodunit they

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WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, Oct. 26-Nov. 4, $23 Adapted from Pedro Almodóvar's film of the same name, this Tony Award-nominated musical follows a group of women in Madrid who have some complicated relationships with men, leading to 48 hours of love, confusion and passion. The comedy was written by Jeffrey Lane and David Yazbek, who also created Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Love Never Dies at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. COURTESY PHOTO

KALAMAZOO'S CIVIC THEATRE

WHARTON CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

HELLO DOLLY!, Through Oct. 7, $25

LOVE NEVER DIES, Oct. 9-14, $43+

329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com, (269) 343-1313

LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE, Oct. 5-14, $10

IN SONG: 1928-2018, Oct. 26-28, $10

MUSKEGON CIVIC THEATRE

425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org, (231) 722-3852

750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing whartoncenter.com, (517) 353-1982

He had already written one of the most successful musicals of all time, The Phantom of the Opera, but Andrew Lloyd Webber decided the tale wasn’t over, and created the sequel, Love Never Dies. Taking place 10 years after the Phantom disappeared from the Opera House, he’s now in New York, living among the weirdos of Coney Island. While he may have finally found a place where his music can soar, he’s still thinking about his one true love and musical protégé, Christine Daaé.

ALADDIN JR., Oct. 20-21, $10

OPERA GRAND RAPIDS 1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids operagr.org, (616) 451-2741

THE MAGIC FLUTE, Oct. 26-27, $26+ Opera GR is performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beloved final masterpiece this month.

The two-act opera, performed in English, has had audiences coming back again and again for more than 200 years. In the opera, the Queen of the Night hopes to get her daughter back from captivity under the high priest Sarastro, so she persuades Prince Tamino to go rescue her. Of course, nothing goes as planned.

BROADWAY GRAND RAPIDS

122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com, (616) 235-6285

FINDING NEVERLAND, Oct. 9-14 Based on the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, Finding Neverland tells the story of J.M. Barrie’s friendship with a widowed mother and her four young boys. The family would ultimately inspire him to write Peter Pan, thanks to the boys’ make-believe adventures and a little bit of pixie dust. ■

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[Music]

Left: Jean-Yves Thibaudet Right: Grand Rapids Symphony. COURTESY PHOTOS

Saw, Heard, Felt Grand Rapids Symphony goes to great lengths with October show

BY DANA CASADEI

During the second movement of Aram Khachaturian’s Concerto for Piano, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s audience will hear a sound unfamiliar to many.

“We’re having a real saw onstage for that piece,” said Music Director Marcelo Lehninger. “It’s such a special moment in the piece. I think the audience will really enjoy experiencing that.”

Even though it was part of the piece’s original score, the saw is rarely seen.

When the Soviet Armenian composer and conductor came to the U.S., Khachaturian had to alter his concerto, according to Lehninger. While he was used to seeing performers playing the musical saw with a bow on the streets of Armenia, it was rarely found in his new home. He decided to adapt, and the saw was substituted with the flexatone, a percussion instrument that remains the preferred choice during live performances and recordings.

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After selecting the concerto for the program, however, the GRS had the idea to play the piece as it was originally written. A plan was then put into motion after mentioning it to Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the concert’s solo pianist, who happened to know someone who specialized in the musical saw.

Getting a live musical saw is hard enough, but the piece itself is notoriously difficult to perform. In fact, it hasn’t been performed live by the GRS since March 19, 1953.

“You need to have a pianist that is truly incredible to perform a piece like that,” Lehninger said.

Enter Thibaudet, who is currently one of the leading pianists in the world and has performed the Khachaturian piece before, most notably with the Orchestre de Paris.

Lehninger joked that the GRS has the advantage though, because the Orchestre de Paris didn’t perform it with a saw.

This concert will mark Thibaudet’s first time performing with the GRS. He and Lehninger have played together before, when Lehninger was working in Boston, and had hoped to work together again.

Lehninger was delighted when Thibaudet accepted the invitation.

Knowing Thibaudet will be there also makes conducting the piece for the first time slightly less daunting for Lehninger.

It’s a showpiece that pits soloist against orchestra in an epic battle — calling it “tough” would be an understatement, according to Lehninger.

“For me to be doing that piece for the first time with a soloist like that is a huge responsibility, but we’re friends; I’m sure he’ll guide me and help me throughout the process,” he said.

The show’s other pieces will not be a first for Lehninger, however. There’s Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to Abu Hassan, which Lehninger described as a fun, short, uplifting piece to start the program.

Then there’s the concert’s grand finale, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a four-movement score based on the tale of The Arabian Nights. It has been beloved by audiences for more than 130 years, and Lehninger thinks the

SCHEHERAZADE DeVos Performance Hall 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Oct. 5-6, 8 p.m., $18+ grsymphony.org

melodies are part of the reason why audiences keep coming back to it.

“Even though it was written in the 19th century, you have a feeling of super romantic music,” he said. “It could be movie music. It probably is.”

It’s also a chance to showcase many of the orchestra’s individual members. Scheherazade includes solos for the first violin and the principal cellist, as well as the oboe, flute, bassoon, clarinet, and harp.

A piece that has been performed so many times and is so beloved has potential to add extra pressure, but Lehninger isn’t worried.

“To be very honest, I don’t really think about that much,” Lehninger said. “I just try to be as honest as I can, have musical integrity and musical honesty, and try to present an interpretation that respects what the composer wants and asks in the score, but also reflects my understanding and my love for the piece.”

Scheherazade also has its own set of difficulties. Lehninger hopes it will inspire audiences, and make them proud to have such a high-level orchestra in their community performing such high-level works.

For Lehninger, the concert has one other bonus, as it’s the week of his birthday, as well as his daughter’s.

“It will be a great way to celebrate my birthday with a really cool program I’m looking forward to conducting,” he said. ■

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[MUSIC]

PREVIEW There are some legendary artists coming to Michigan this month.

Some have multiple Grammys, others have careers that span across decades, and one group probably heard some good gossip at this year’s Royal Wedding. There are also two film concerts, in case you love the silver screen. BY DANA CASADEI Nightmare Before Christmas - GR Symphony. COURTESY PHOTO

FONTANA CHAMBER ARTS

359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 200, Kalamazoo, fontanachamberarts.org, (269) 382-7774

AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS, Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m., $35 Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, one of the most revered instrumentalists of his time — with a bunch of nominations and awards to prove it — will be in Kalamazoo this month. The composer and bandleader, who hails from New Orleans, will be playing with pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner. Their program will be announced from the stage.

GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m., $32+ Guests will get to watch the beloved 1993 Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas as the symphony plays along to Danny Elfman’s Golden Globe-nominated film score. Follow as Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, then tries to bring it to his home, which doesn’t go as planned.

GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY YOUTH CHORUS CONCERT, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.

GRAND RAPIDS YOUTH SYMPHONY CONCERT, Oct. 28, 3 p.m.

HOPE COLLEGE GREAT PERFORMANCE SERIES

300 Ottawa NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org, (616) 454-9451 ext. 4

Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, hope.edu/arts/great-performance-series, (616) 395-7222

SCHEHERAZADE, Oct. 5-6, 8 p.m., $18+

THE QUEEN’S SIX, Oct. 18, 7:30 p.m., $23

THE BAROQUE COFFEE CONCERT, Oct. 12, 10 a.m., Free

THE BAROQUE CONCERT: BACH AND BEYOND, Oct. 12, 8 p.m., $26+ THE BAROQUE CONCERT AT HOPE COLLEGE, Oct. 13, 8 p.m., $26+

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Established in 2008, the year of the 450th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth I, from whom the group gets their name. The Queen’s Six often plays for the Royal Family.

Yes, that includes this year’s royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Now, the group has come together to bring its unique style of entertainment to a much wider

audience, with a huge repertoire that reaches from upbeat jazz and pop music to austere early chant, haunting folk songs and florid Renaissance polyphony.

HOLLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 96 W. 15th St., Suite 201, Holland, hollandsymphony.org, (616) 796-6780

CLASSICS II: PULLING OUT THE STOPS, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m., $5+ Since 1990, Welsh-born organist Huw Lewis has been teaching at Hope College, while also keeping up with regular national and international performances throughout the year. His playing has been featured on broadcasts in the U.S. and Great Britain. For this performance, Lewis is joining the Holland Symphony Orchestra for classics like Rheinberger’s Organ Concerto No. 2.

KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 100, Kalamazoo, kalamazoosymphony.com, (269) 349-7759

STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Oct. 11-12, 8 p.m., $25+ The KSO is presenting another Star Wars film concert this month with The Empire Strikes

Back, the fifth episode of the legendary saga.

Conductor Daniel Brier will take audiences to a galaxy far, far away — and make them feel the force within — while leading the KSO through Academy Award winner John Williams' musical score from the 1980 film.

SCHUBERT'S 5TH, Oct. 27, 8 p.m., $12+

ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER

24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, Scmc-online.org, (616) 459-2224

POKEY LAFARGE, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m., $30+ ARTURO SANDOVAL, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m., $45+ Protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval has become legendary in his own right. He’s won 10 Grammys, six Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. (He got the Emmy for composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, For Love or Country.) He also has been seen live by millions at the Oscars, Grammy Awards and Billboard Awards. Gillespie has got to be proud. ■

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[VISUAL ARTS]

In Pursuit of Humanity Saugatuck exhibit reveals objects stripped from migrants searching for a better life

BY MARLA R. MILLER

It started with cans of tuna, corn and beans.

Then Tom Kiefer saw the more touching items — clothing, Bibles, rosaries and family photos — tossed out as trash, and couldn’t let them be.

While he was working part time as a janitor at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Center, Kiefer salvaged food and personal items belonging to migrants detained while crossing the border in Why, Ariz.

They became deeply personal to the professional photographer. Dismayed, angry and morally moved to save them, Kiefer began photographing the items in a digni-

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| REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

fied and respectful way. His work highlights the humanity of the discarded items and prods viewers to question their own.

A special exhibit created and curated for Saugatuck Center for the Arts, El Sueño Americano: The American Dream, features more than 100 photographs of the confiscated personal effects and belongings of migrants crossing the border in southern Arizona from 2007-2014.

“This is really a humanity show,” said SCA’s Education & Exhibitions Manager Whitney Valentine. “It’s about people. The photographs prompt a lot of conversations and reactions. No matter what, you have to feel something looking at them.”

The exhibition includes some new works by Kiefer and actual items that men, women and children carried as they set out for America, including bordados,

a culturally significant hand-embroidered cloth often used to transport food and given to the person leaving on a journey.

Kiefer didn’t intentionally set out to create art out of the items, but to document them as living artifacts that tell a story. Besides offering some insight on the people who risk their lives for a better life, the images also shine a light on what happens during capture and processing. Border agents take away everything that is considered “nonessential” or potentially dangerous, often belongings that give people a sense of dignity, hope and faith. Stripped of belts, shoelaces and jewelry, they are left with just the clothes on their back, Kiefer said.

Thoughtfully arranged by color, shape, size and subject matter, the photographs reveal both the practical and personal items migrants and asylum seekers chose to

pack for their long and dangerous journey.

Nail clippers, combs and brushes. Cologne, condoms and car keys. Half-used bars of soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Baby food, stuffed animals and personalized trinkets.

“I didn’t know at first what this was going to turn into,” he said. “It took me a good five years to figure out a way to arrange and present these items in a way that I felt was appropriate.”

Kiefer estimates he has far beyond 10,000 items, which he collected over seven years. But he never predicted his life would follow this path — for these discarded items to find refuge in his studio and become the focus of his work.

He started out as a graphic artist and ran an antique business in Los Angeles.

In 2001, he decided to move to the small

arts community of Ajo, Ariz. to live simply and spend time photographing America, its landscapes and cultural markers.

After about a year in Ajo, an old mining town about 40 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, Kiefer needed a job to supplement his photography and answered an ad for a part-time janitor at the customs facility.

“When I first started working there, the agents would collect the food, dig it out of the trash themselves and bring it to the local food bank,” he said.

With a change in leadership, the food collection stopped. From 2005-07, Kiefer watched it all get thrown out. The sheer weight and volume of the food was hard to manhandle, but the senseless waste is what really bothered him.

“You just don’t throw out perfectly good food. It’s beyond wasteful; it’s disrespectful on so many levels,” he said. “About my fourth year working there, I went to the supervisor on duty and asked, ‘Can I bring this food to the food bank?’ His exact words were ‘Bless you.’ They didn’t like seeing the food thrown out any more than I did.”

Rummaging through the trash, he was horrified and shocked to see the number of personal items bound for the dump.

“I couldn’t in good conscience let a Bible or rosary remain in the trash,” he said. “It was more important to me to recover those objects than losing my job.”

Kiefer started to secretly collect the items and take them home, while continuing to take the food to the local food bank.

According to the manager, Kiefer brought in more than 60 tons of food over five years.

Now, Kiefer hopes the items eventually will become part of a historical and archival collection, similar to the coins and personal items of the people who came through Ellis Island.

“This is just a reflection of this period of our history, this mass migration from 2007-14,” he said. “Immigration is always going to be part of our history and how we manage and deal with it is too.”

Kiefer’s gained media coverage and more Instagram followers since President Donald Trump’s controversial family separation policy, but the SCA is one of the first art centers or museums to host an exhibition of his work. He hopes to travel El Sueño after its run in Saugatuck.

Last year, Kiefer packed up his car and drove cross-country to bring some of his photographs to ArtPrize, where he met Valentine.

Valentine felt an immediate connection to Kiefer’s work, and reached out to him about organizing a special exhibition of new work, partially because the SCA provides art education to migrant school children through its a Growing Young Artists program.

“I was incredibly moved by his images, so many intersections and layers that relate to the lives we impact all year long,” she said.

Kiefer’s works tell intriguing stories and remind viewers how ordinary items can be extraordinary, Valentine said.

“The photographs of the migrant's personal objects remind us that at the heart of this issue is people — children who treasure their teddy bears, people trying to feed themselves and their families, and those who can't imagine taking a trip without brushing their teeth,” she said.

From an artistic standpoint, the aesthetics and composition of the images are striking and help tell a story. But the stories behind the objects, especially the mysteries, are what give the photographs real power.

“In making the invisible, (confiscated) objects left at the border visible to all of us, he affirms the existence of oft-overlooked people whose existence is primarily talked about in temporary terms,” she said.

Through his photography, Kiefer wants to create a personal connection for the viewer to a migrant and their pursuit of el sueño Americano. For him, it is personal and political.

As the guardian of these items, Kiefer struggles with the fact they were just taken and trashed.

“We do not have a proud history of how we treat other people,” he said. “If anything comes of this project, it’s just to foster this healthy dialogue about our policies.”

“I want people to think about this,” he said. “Let people think for themselves about what’s right, what’s humane. Taking away someone’s rosary or Bible, how is that ever considered humane? To take this hardline bullying dehumanizing path is just … we have to ask ourselves, is this the nation we want to be?” ■

EL SUEÑO AMERICANO: THE AMERICAN DREAM WORKS BY TOM KIEFER Saugatuck Center for the Arts 400 Culver St., Saugatuck Oct. 25-Dec. 22, free opening reception 6:30-8 p.m. sc4a.org, (269) 857-2399

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[VISUAL ARTS]

Three’s Not A Crowd GRAM’s fall exhibits have something for everyone

BY DANA CASADEI

With two exhibitions debuting, and another being showcased throughout October, the Grand Rapids Art Museum has quite a lot going on this fall.

“It’s a huge perk of the job, I have to say,” said Jennifer Wcisel, GRAM Curatorial Assistant. “It’s always changing and we’re always working on something new.”

While ArtPrize 10 at GRAM ends Oct. 14, Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present and Dylan Miner: Water is Sacred // Trees are Relatives arrive Oct. 27. Together, the three exhibits offer guests

EXHIBITIONS ARTPRIZE 10 AT GRAM Through Oct. 14

WHO SHOT SPORTS: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY, 1843 TO THE PRESENT Oct. 27-Jan. 13

DYLAN MINER: WATER IS SACRED // TREES ARE RELATIVES Oct. 27-March 3

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| REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

a variety of themes and mediums, while pushing the GRAM to do what it hasn’t before, such as hosting a full art installation in the lobby for the first time.

The piece Flag Exchange by Mel Ziegler consists of 50 American flags, each collected by Ziegler from a different state. It’s part of the ArtPrize exhibit, chosen from more than 2,000 pieces that Wcisel and GRAM Chief Curator Ron Platt considered.

“A lot of artists are dealing with how to communicate their thoughts and their feelings about pressing social issues or political issues, and we really started to respond to works that had some element of struggling with that,” Wcisel said.

In the end, they selected pieces by four Michigan artists — something Wcisel said they try to do every year — and others coming from Finland, Ghana and Venezuela. The exhibit also is hosting three projects awarded ArtPrize Artist Seed Grants.

One of the Michigan artists is Billy Mayer, a Hope College art faculty member who died last November. Wcisel said it isn’t typical to have a deceased artist in their ArtPrize exhibit, but they decided to make an exception after a studio visit to Hope College, where she learned he had planned to submit a piece.

“We thought it would be a great memorial for him to still include that work he had intended to enter,” she said.

After ArtPrize ends, the other exhibits arrive, including a collection of works by an East Lansing-based artist, activist and former ArtPrize participant, Dylan Miner. Water is Sacred // Trees are Relatives debuts a whole new collection focused on the natural environment of West Michigan and its history. Wcisel said the museum has been interested in working with him again since he was part of ArtPrize a few years ago.

The exhibition features large-scale cyanotype photographs — a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print — which portray images of cloudy

Dylan Miner: Water is Sacred // Trees are Relatives. DYLAN MINER Avi Torres of Spain sets off at the start of the 200m freestyle heats, Paralympic Games, Athens, September 1, 2004. COURTESY OF BOB MARTIN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

skies and water surfaces. Miner also made site-specific sculptural elements for the exhibition made from old-growth timber and other arboreal materials.

The exhibition includes a series of workshops where Miner, who is of Wiisaakodewinini (Métis) descent, will work with West Michigan Indigenous youth at selected regional locales to produce cyanotype pieces. This was done in collaboration with two younger Indigenous artists based in Grand Rapids.

“He has a lot of environmental messages in the work, too,” Wcisel said.

“When you talk about the sky and the water, that kind of becomes unavoidable in thinking about it and how pollution has affected that.”

The last exhibition, Who Shot Sports, may not have any environmental message, but it does include a very low-key political one. That’s to be expected when you’re looking at more than 200 images that span across centuries.

“The history of sports is really the history of humanity,” Wcisel said. “It sounds a

little cheesy, but within the photographs, you see six different continents, different struggles with race, the struggles black athletes faced, and you see the struggles that women have faced.”

Curated by the distinguished photographic historian Gail Buckland, Who Shot Sports was organized by the Brooklyn Museum and has been traveling the country since 2017. GRAM is the last stop on its current schedule.

At the GRAM, it will be broken into nine different sections. One shows the very beginnings of sports photography, for instance, while another focuses on the Olympics, and another on the fans, watching games in stadiums and bars across the world.

Wcisel said they think it will engage a lot of different people, ranging from photographers and those interested in the medium’s history, to people who simply love sports.

“Hopefully, there’s a little something for everybody,” she said. ■

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[VISUAL ARTS]

Making It Happen

Kalamazoo Institute of Arts combines resources to end iconic show’s run

BY JANE SIMONS

This October, one of the longestrunning and farthest-reaching exhibitions to ever take place will end its 25-year run with a stop at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

From top to bottom: Sol LeWitt and Erwin Wurm do it instruction at NuMu in Guatemala City, 2015. Sol LeWitt do it instruction at Frac des pays de la Loire/HAB Galerie in Nantes, 2016. Do it instruction by Louise Bourgeois at Frac des pays de la Loire/HAB Galerie in Nantes, 2016.

COURTESY OF INDEPENDENT CURATORS INTERNATIONAL.

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The do it exhibit began in Paris in 1993 under the direction of curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and has travelled all around the world ever since. While its staying power is unique, what really sets it apart is the concept, which includes a call for full-on community participation in the creation of art and a discussion about what constitutes art.

The anchor art in the exhibit is created by local artists, art instructors and community organizations who have received their instructions from the do it book, which contains ideas from more than 300 artists, including Yoko Ono. Don Desmett, curator for the exhibit, said at least 20 instructions had to be picked, but the KIA ended up selecting 30.

“Those will be spread out among organizations and artists and some will actually happen in the gallery with the audience,” Desmett said.

Participants include the Kalamazoo Children’s Chorus, the Black Arts & Cultural Center and Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers. Although he doesn’t know for sure, Desmett said he thinks Wellspring will do a performance of some kind and have it videotaped, but they also may be invited into the gallery to do live performances.

“We don’t normally get to work with other organizations in this capacity,” he said.

Wellspring’s instructions came from Lucy Lippard, an art critic and activist. Her directions are to “to do something that is visually striking, socially radical, sustainable in the public domain, hurts no living thing, and will change the world.”

Artist Robert Barry, who also contributed to the do it book, keeps his instructions short and to the point: “Do something unique that only you in the world can do, and don’t call it art.”

If this sounds open-ended, it is — as are most of the instructions, according to Desmett.

“It could be an instruction that could have more than one interpretation,” Desmett said. “The Chil-

dren’s Chorus and a local artist will do different interpretations using the same instructions. So the Children’s Chorus is going to do something and we have no idea what the end result will be.”

While some organizations were given more than one instruction choice, others were given just one.

Participation could be one person or a group.

From a curator standpoint, Desmett said, “It’s fascinating and scary at the same time. I’ve been putting shows together for about 30 years now and I always know what the show is and where things are going, and with this show, everything is coming in at the last minute.”

The exhibit opens on Oct. 27 and runs through March 3. Desmett said he and KIA staff will likely be working to put it together right up to the opening.

Each do it exhibition is uniquely site-specific because it engages the local community in a dialogue that responds to and adds a new set of instructions, while it remains global in the scope of its ever-expanding repertoire. Ono’s Wish Tree instructions have been followed in cities around the world, including New York, Paris and Dublin.

Hers is an ongoing art installation series started sometime after 1981, in which a tree native to a site is planted under her direction. Viewers are usually invited to tie a written wish to the tree, except during the winter months, when a tree can be more vulnerable. Her 1996 Wish Piece had the following instructions: “Make a wish. Write it down on a piece of paper. Fold it and tie it around a branch of a Wish Tree. Ask your friends to do the same. Keep wishing.

Until the branches are covered with wishes.”

Katie Houston, KIA spokesperson, said the Wish Tree is something tangible that can be left behind.

“I’m excited about the community feature of the do it exhibition,” she said. “It’s different every time and every place. We’re broadening the definition of what art is.” ■

KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS 314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo Oct. 27-March 3 kiarts.org

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[VISUAL ARTS]

PREVIEW

With ArtPrize almost over, it’s time to check out what you may have missed since it began in September and see what new shows are coming toward the end of the month. There’s mixed media, sports photography and sculptures that will make you wish you could make stuff that cool out of doorknobs. BY DANA CASADEI

LOWELLARTS!

223 W. Main St., Lowell, lowellartsmi.org, (616) 897-8545

GIVE & LET GO, Through Oct. 20

KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS 314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kiarts.org, (269) 349-7775

THE WAY FORWARD: NEW ACQUISITIONS AT THE KIA, Through Dec. 2

CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND MORE!, Through Oct. 28

FALL BONSAI SHOW, Oct. 6-7 At this annual show, the Japanese art form is featured, from trees in their early stages to much older ones. It’s all thanks to members of the West Michigan Bonsai Club. If you want to watch a demonstration of how to take care of a bonsai, buy one of the small trees or just feel like voting for your favorite, this fall show has it all.

GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM

Through Jan. 6

101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, artmuseumgr.org, (616) 831-1000

GLOBAL GLASS: A SURVEY OF FORM AND FUNCTION, Through Oct. 14

ANILA QUAYYUM AGHA: INTERSECTIONS, Through Oct. 7

DO IT, Oct. 27-March 3

MIRROR VARIATIONS: THE ART OF MONIR SHAHROUDY FARMANFARMAIAN,

INKA ESSENHIGH: A FINE LINE,

FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS & SCULPTURE PARK 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org, (888) 957-1580

PROCESS AND PRESENCE: CONTEMPORARY DISABILITY SCULPTURE, Through Jan. 6

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Through Oct. 7

ARTPRIZE 10 AT GRAM, Through Oct. 14 WHO SHOT SPORTS: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY, 1843 TO THE PRESENT, Oct. 27-Jan. 13 Organized by the Brooklyn Museum, and curated by legendary photo historian Gail Buckland, the traveling exhibit will make it to Grand Rapids this month. Split into nine sections, it showcases just what its title suggests,

Inka Essenhigh at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. COURTESY PHOTO

sports photography from 1843 to today. Buckland has collected pieces that include classic portraits of epic players, historic action shots, behind-the-scenes photos, and some on the sidelines. There are also photos of sports fans cheering on their favorite teams across the world.

DYLAN MINER: WATER IS SACRED // TREES ARE RELATIVES, Oct. 27-March 3 Dylan Miner’s newest works, all debuting for the first time at GRAM, focus on the natural environment of West Michigan and its history. The Michigan native — an artist and activist who currently lives in East Lansing — produced a series of large-scale cyanotype photographs on fabric that portray images of cloudy skies and water surfaces for this exhibit. For those who don’t know, cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print, and was first used in 1842. That just so happens to be the year that the Treaty of LaPointe was signed, the

last of the eight major treaties ceding land that is now Michigan. He also created site-specific sculptural elements from old-growth timber and other arboreal materials for this exhibit.

URBAN INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS 2 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids uica.org, (616) 454-7000

MICHIGAN EMERGING GRADUATE ARTISTS 2018, Through Dec. 2 COMING HOME, Through Jan. 25 ARTPRIZE TEN: UICA OUTSIDE, Through Oct. 7

MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART

MARS: ASTRONOMY AND CULTURE, Through Oct. 20

296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org, (231) 720-2570

JO-ANN VAN REEUWYK: FACULTY EXHIBITION, Through Oct. 20

90TH MICHIGAN REGIONAL EXHIBITION, Through Nov. 7

TIA WIERENGA AND ELIZABETH BRANDT, Oct. 29-Dec.15

ARMAND MERIZON: HIS LIFE AND ART, Through Jan. 6

FANTASMENAGERIE: THE SCULPTURE OF NAT ROSALES, Oct. 18-Jan. 13 Scrap metal, found and manipulated objects, and mechanical parts are what make Nat Rosales’ fantastical vehicles and creatures. The Michigan artist will feature more than a dozen recent works at this showcase, each of which were inspired by Rosales’ life and culture. His pieces might just inspire you to create something awesome from my decorative lamp.

CALVIN COLLEGE CENTER ART GALLERY 106 S. Division, Grand Rapids, calvin.edu/centerartgallery/studio, (616) 526-6271

PRINTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION, Through Jan. 23

Two West Michigan artists will have works on display starting at the end of October. Wierenga, an alumna of Calvin College, creates mixed-media pieces. Brandt makes sewn constructions as a contemporary quilt artist.

SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS 400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org, (269) 857-2399

ART À LOAN, Through Oct. 19 EL SUEÑO AMERICANO: THE AMERICAN DREAM, Oct. 25-Dec. 22 CITY OF LOST THINGS, Oct. 25-Dec. 22 Tori Pelz’s series of mixed-media drawings feature a city long deserted by its former residents, and now only consists of the objects they left behind. This exhibit was actually inspired by Kiefer’s El Sueño Americano: The American Dream. ■

JOSÉ GUADALUPE POSADA EXHIBIT MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2018 During open hours | Level 4 View a selection of prints from the GVSU Art Gallery’s Print and Drawing Cabinet

PIXAR’S COCO MOVIE SCREENING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2018 10:30 am | Ryerson Auditorium | Level 3

ALTARS ON DISPLAY

DID YOU KNOW? Revue Arts critics regularly review classical and jazz music, theater and dance performances all over West Michigan.

All reviews are posted online the next day.

Read them at revuewm.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018 During open hours | Ryerson Auditorium | Level 3

FAMILY DAY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2018 1:00 – 4:30 pm | Ryerson Auditorium | Level 3 Families are invited to learn more about the Día de los Muertos holiday, have your face painted, and make a craft. The day will include bilingual storytimes, live music, and food from local restaurants.

MAIN LIBRARY 111 LIBRARY STREET NE

WWW.GRPL.ORG/DAYOFTHEDEAD 616.988.5400 This program is free and open to the public thanks to the funding of the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation. Consider a gift today: 616.988.5399 or www.grplfoundation.org.

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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[Dance]

Untamed, Unbound Grand Rapids Ballet premieres Wild Sweet Love this fall

BY MICHAELA STOCK

Satin pointe shoes, shimmering tiaras and embroidered tutus may seem like the most fundamental elements in ballet, but to the Grand Rapids Ballet, the art is not just its stereotypical image.

“Ballet can be so much more. It can be very relative to now,” said James Sofranko, the company’s new artistic director. “We’re definitely going to keep alive the rich tradition of classical ballet, but I’d love to show that this ballet company is very versatile.

We can do the old stuff, the new stuff and everything in between.”

The Grand Rapids Ballet’s season opener, Wild Sweet Love, is set to showcase that versatility and innovation. The repertory performance is composed of four ballets: Allegro Brillante by George Balanchine, Ghost Light by Penny Saunders, Wild Sweet Love by Trey McIntyre,

WILD SWEET LOVE Grand Rapids Ballet 341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 19-21 grballet.com

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and an original work by Sofranko.

“I do believe that all of these ballets we’re doing this year have never been seen before in Grand Rapids, or at least at Grand Rapids Ballet, as far as I know.

Except for The Nutcracker, of course,” Sofranko said.

George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante is “go-for-broke dancing,” according to Sofranko. The work is set to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concer to No. 3 and features high-energy movement.

“It’s beautiful music. It’s gorgeous dancing, and I’m really excited to see the dancers bust it out in this piece,” he said.

Balanchine’s work is followed by the world premiere of Sofranko’s original ballet that he’s choreographing specifically for the Grand Rapids Ballet Theater.

He has some of the storyline and music in mind already, but for the dancers and audience members, the work remains suspensefully under construction.

“I’m still pretty much forming it in my head as we speak,” he said.

Also this season, Penny Saunders, the choreographer-in-residence, is bringing her piece, Ghost Light. The show features unique lighting effects accompanying the music and movements.

“It’s mysterious and moody,” Sofranko said. “A ghost light refers to the light that’s always on in the theater so it’s not pitch black.”

Finally, the Grand Rapids Ballet is performing the season’s title piece, Wild Sweet Love, by renowned choreographer Trey McIntyre. The work muses on love and follows a central female character through different romantic experiences. It features pop music from artists like Queen and Roberta Flack, giving the show a progressive feel.

Trey McIntyre’s Wild Sweet Love. PHOTO BY PETER MUELLER COURTESY CINCINNATI BALLET

Yuka Oba in George Balanchine’s ©The George Balanchine Trust Allegro Brillante.

PHOTO BY ISAAC AOKI

“It’s fun and lighthearted,” he said. “I think the audience is going to walk out skipping and humming.”

Between Balanchine, Sofranko, Saunders and McIntyre’s pieces, The Grand Rapids Ballet Theater’s dancers and choreographers are spending long days in the city’s downtown studio spaces rehearsing, teaching and learning the ballets for the upcoming season.

“It’s a wonderful thing to sit in an audience and see these dancers, who have worked their whole lives, dancing just for you in this moment, right here, right now,” Sofranko said. “You’re not at home watching it on Netflix.”

Sofranko is confident that the Grand Rapids Ballet Theater’s upcoming season, Wild Sweet Love, is “going to be great.

I don’t want people to miss it.”

The four ballets marry tradition and innovation in a way that is emotional and romantic, while maintaining a dramatic air of mystery and abstraction. According to Sofranko, the evening has something for everyone.

“I would love to show that ballet is not just its stereotypical image, which is tutus and tiaras,” he said, referencing Wild Sweet Love’s combination of Tchaikovsky and pop scores as well as classical and modern choreography performed back-to-back.

“Ballet is bigger than we are,” Sofranko added. “It’s bigger than me, it’s bigger than Grand Rapids Ballet, and it has a rich tradition that has come down for generations and centuries. We’re playing our part now to continue it for the next generations too.

It’s a beautiful thing.” ■

| REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 GR Ballet. COURTESY PHOTOS

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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| REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

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REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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A Superior state of mind: U.P. beer scene impresses | by Joe Boomgaard

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or decades, the Mackinac Bridge served as a cultural time machine, transporting visitors back to a bygone era.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was the place where lumberjacks roamed the forests, miners donned their hardhats to search for copper and pasties were part of the daily cuisine. Until recently, Yooper drinking habits also seemed stuck in a forgotten age when choices amounted to various iterations of macro lagers — especially Wisconsin-made staples such as Blatz, Schlitz and PBR — often consumed in mass quantities.

No one can fault them for drinking. After all, there’s not much to do during the eight months out of the year when the snow is elbow deep.

But over the last few years, the same craft beer movement that’s taken hold in so many cities and towns across Michigan has started to revolutionize the Yooper beer culture. Spurred on by the Finnish cultural DIY ethos, Yoopers wholeheartedly have come to embrace the craft of brewing.

“I learned how to deconstruct beers and do it for myself,” said homebrewer turned

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pro Matt Burling, head brewer at Ishpemingbased Jasper Ridge Brewery & Restaurant. “For a lot of people up here, that kind of attitude resonates with them. There’s a lot of that do-it-yourself attitude up here and the craft beer scene evolved from that notion.

“There’s a lot of passion that goes through the beer scene up here.”

Now it’s also become easier for Trolls from below the bridge to access Yooper breweries thanks to higher speed limits of 65 mph on select two-lane roads and 75 mph on many sections of highway throughout Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. That means spirited drivers can go door-to-door from Grand Rapids to Marquette in 6 hours or less, so long as Johnny Law doesn’t get in the way.

And there’s plenty of reason to consider Yooper beer tourism, as evidenced by the quality of the offerings produced by breweries across the U.P. sampled on a recent trip along the M-41 corridor from Escanaba north to Marquette and then west to Ishpeming.

Here are some highlights.

BLACKROCKS BREWERY

424 N. 3rd St., Marquette blackrocksbrewery.com

You’d never know it from the industrial exte- Allow me to editorialize for a moment: Blackrior, but Upper Hand’s taproom is equal parts rocks has what I profess to be one of the best a cozy Yooper camp and a tribute to the U.P.’s brewery taprooms in the country. Whether brewing heritage. The Bell’s-owned operation snuggled up under the heaters on the front functions separately from its downstate par- porch or bellied up to the bar, patrons will ent company, brewing its own unique beer feel welcomed into the Blackrocks community. brands — none of which are available below Co-owners Andy Langlois and David Manson the bridge. They skew toward the session- — both “reformed corporate lackeys” — have able end of the spectrum with Upper Hand built an operation that takes pride in its highLight (a crushable 4.2-percent ABV light lager), quality beers and embraces the lifestyle afYooper Ale and UPA (both well-balanced pale forded by living in the U.P. “With Yoopers, ales) and Laughing Fish (a refreshing Kolsch). you have a commonality, you want to talk to However, the brewery also experiments with people and share your endeavors and talk brawnier styles. A favorite from our stop was about your enjoyment of … the lifestyle here,” The Sermon, an oaky and complex 9-percent Manson said. “We wanted to create an atmoABV Belgian strong ale aged in French char- sphere where people can do that.” According donnay barrels. to Langlois, the local craft beer scene has helped put Marquette on the map for outdoors Side note: Drinking craft beer in the U.P. is in- enthusiasts who also come to the area to hike, credibly affordable. Most pints at Upper Hand mountain bike, kayak, ski, fish, hunt or just cost $3.50, with the most expensive pour on visit waterfalls. More people are also paying a the 12-beer tap list clocking in at $4.50. The visit to the burgeoning city specifically for beer same goes for retail: Meijer stores in the U.P. tourism, he said. “There are definitely brewwere selling Upper Hand beers starting at eries that have grown faster than us, but we $6.99 per six-pack. grew a lot faster than we thought we would,” Langlois said. “We’re not in a race here; we’re just trying to put out good beer.” Recommended pours: Whatever’s on the tap that day (you won’t find any duds on the menu), although I’m always partial to the Classic Pilsner.

COGNITION BREWING CO. ORE DOCK BREWING CO.

ORE DOCK BREWING CO.

114 W. Spring St., Marquette ore-dock.com

While craft beer often takes hipster snootiness to the extreme, another benefit most U.P. breweries share is their unpretentious atmospheres. That’s certainly true at Ore Dock’s taproom. Nestled in an old building just off the main drag in downtown Marquette, Ore Dock offers a friendly vibe that encourages interaction — you’re almost certain to engage total strangers in interesting conversation.

Additionally, most Yoopers are incredibly affable, but the bartenders and staff at Ore Dock really take that quality to another level. To an outside observer, they appear to pay attention to company culture, which pays dividends in the customer experience. Favorite beers during our stop included the Queen City Kolsch, Brut Spring Street IPA and Loose Juicy IPA.

JASPER RIDGE BREWERY & RESTAURANT 1075 Country Lane, Ishpeming jasperridgebrewery.com

Jasper Ridge is yet another unpretentious Yooper watering hole that invites you in with its friendliness. Within seconds of pulling up a stool at the bar, we were introduced to a colorful cast of characters, including Knute, a proud Norwegian well into his ninth decade

EW ER JASPER RIDGE BR

. COUR TESY PH Y & RESTAURANT

who enjoyed spinning yarns of the old days.

Call it the quintessential U.P. experience.

On our visit, head brewer Matt Burling was bartending and talked us through his various creations. While the brewpub often brews beers to style, Burling — also a former homebrewer — has been able to push boundaries with additions ranging from coffee to peppers. “The thought was that drinkers would be more closed-minded and just want wheat beers and blondes, but they’ve really opened up,” he said. “Their palates are more open to try new things.” As a newer brewer on the scene, Burling says he loves all the learning that’s involved in the brewing process, as well as being able to get behind the bar, “talk to people and shoot the shit” with regulars. “It’s always nice to be able to talk about the product you’re producing,” he added.

COGNITION BREWING CO.

113 E. Canda St., Ishpeming cognitionbrewingcompany.com

“The Cog” is one of those places that you just happen upon while on an adventure and it leaves you with a lasting impression. Tucked away in the basement bar of the historic Mather Inn in downtown Ishpeming, Cognition’s dimly lit taproom featuring dark wood feels snug and comfortable, like a favorite leather glove. Like with so many breweries, Cognition was founded to give a platform for

OTO

homebrewer Brian Richards to showcase his creations, according to owner Jay Clancey.

The 7-barrel brewery launched with a sophisticated reverse osmosis water filtration system that allowed Richards to “build the water we wanted to start with” and produce clean beers — often to great acclaim. “We’ve been proud to serve everything we’ve brewed here,” Clancey said. “The beer has been just fantastic.” The company specializes in offering a mix of the traditional — pilsners and lagers, ESBs, etc. — and the exotic. The rotating tap list — and the addition of a 1-barrel pilot system — also allows the brewery to get creative and play around with “super interesting” foraged ingredients while also brewing mainstays like Gnome Wrecker Belgian Pale and Deep Scream Cream Ale. “Experimentation is something we love to do,” said Clancey, who added the brewery has become a gathering place for Ishpeming locals and visitors alike. “For me personally, one of the most satisfying things has been meeting the people from around the state and in the brewing community. Everybody wants you to succeed.” n

Other choices: THE VIERLING RESTAURANT & MARQUETTE HARBOR BREWERY

119 S. Front St., Marquette thevierling.com

This O.G. of the Michigan brewing scene has been around since 1995.

The Blueberry Wheat is legendary.

BARREL + BEAM

260 Northwoods Road, Marquette barrelandbeam.com Fresh on the scene in Marquette, Barrel + Beam specializes in delicious farmhouse ales. Look for bottles in select stores in West Michigan.

HEREFORD & HOPS STEAKHOUSE AND BREWPUB

624 Ludington St., Escanaba herefordandhops.com

This award-winning brewpub serves up killer beer and gourmet dishes.

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35

tAPs ON

tAPs A short guide to West Michigan beer bars | by Kelly Brown

I

t would be impossible to list every brewpub, beer bar and taphouse in West Michigan in one article. In fact, it would likely take an entire issue just to cover this side of the Mitten state. But that’s kind of a fantastic problem to have, isn’t it? Us West Michigan folk are spoiled with beer-specific restaurants and bars popping up on almost every corner. Here’s just a sampling of some of the best spots for craft beer lovers around.

36 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

Left: Gravity Taphouse. Right: Hops at 84 East. COURTESY PHOTOS

HOPS AT 84 EAST 84 E. 8th St., Holland hopsat84east.com

that serves exceptional gastropub fare in a relaxed setting. The two locations have different aesthetics and menus but offer the same service and a stellar offering of beers.

The pickled eggs (a real Northern MI classic) pair really, really well with just about every single beer.

Previously known as 84 East Food & Spirits and Froggy’s, Hops at 84 East is a retro beer bar offering more than 70 beers, meads, wines and ciders on tap alongside cocktails and a share of local offerings. The walls throughout Hops are decorated with the his- KALAMAZOO BEER EXCHANGE 211 E. Water St., Kalamazoo tory of Holland and that history extends into the kitchen with pizza dough from DeBoer kalamazoobeerexchange.com Bakery in Holland and potatoes from Visser The stock market of beer! This Playboy 2017 Farms. Their pizzas, baked in a 600-degree “Weirdest Themed Bars” winner features brick oven, are perfection, slathered in prices that fluctuate depending on supply house-made tomato sauce and an assort- and demand – much like the stock exchange. ment of toppings.

Up-to-the minute popularity determines pricing for each brew and periodic “market crashes” offer special beer prices at remarkHOPCAT ably low rates.

25 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids 2183 E. Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids 300 E. Water St., Kalamazoo LOGAN’S ALLEY hopcat.com 916 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids logansalley.com This award-winning tap house doesn’t need an introduction. If you’re from Michigan, you know their crack fries rule. You know they have an amazing selection of beers. And you know it’s always going to be a good time. HopCat continues to dominate the beer bar scene with its third West Michigan location in Knapps corner, which opened last month.

7 MONKS TAPROOM

740 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids 7monkstap.com This beer bar, originally from Traverse City, might be one of the best in Michigan. In fact, DRAFT Magazine named it one of the 100 Best Beer Bars in America in 2014 and 2015. A newer addition to Michigan Street, 7 Monks is a multi-tap destination

This locals’ favorite features 23+ taps and 200+ bottles in one of the chillest neighborhoods in Grand Rapids. The beers are wellcurated, with sours and rare brews regularly available. A small “hole-in-the-wall” style bar, Logan’s has minimal seating, loud music and an awesome patio/porch for the summer months. The “world-famous” smothered tots are a perfect late-night snack.

Need one more perk to get you to Logan’s Alley? Free popcorn!

CRAFT BEER CELLAR

404 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grandrapids.craftbeercellar.com A beer bottle store allowing patrons to purchase beer in single bottles/cans and drink them on-site, Craft Beer Cellar is the first of

its kind in Grand Rapids. The full bar in the back, complete with numerous taps, snacks and hot dogs, is staffed by a smaller team who are Cicerone Beer Server Certified. The board games and free Wi-Fi make it a great spot to hang with friends or catch up on podcasts or emails after work. Their in-house tastings, food pairings and events are run throughout the year and give local breweries a chance to show off new products.

GRAVITY TAPHOUSE

3210 Deposit Dr. NE, Grand Rapids gravitytaphouse.com Filling a void in Grand Rapids, Gravity Taphouse offers upscale, sophisticated dining in a high-energy restaurant space with more than 60 taps. The cozy booths and wooden accents, along with the indoor/outdoor dining space, make it a great location for a date night. The tap line-up features local favorites, Michigan standards and some selections from around the world. The menu covers everything from American to Asian and, like so many of the taphouses on this list, Gravity serves up delicious tater tots in truffle oil and salt.

SHAKESPEARE’S PUB

241 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo shakespearespub.com It’s a pub you can call home. Shakespeare’s has all the cozy, friendly, “where everybody knows your name” vibes you want in a local pub. The bar features numerous beers on tap, heart-warming comfort food, an outdoor seating space and a live music venue, Shakespeare’s Lower Level. Check out the Facebook page for regular updates on recently tapped beers (which also can be found on untappd.com). n

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37

Meet the brewers

David Sawyer started his c areer as a homebre wer in 2004 a nd has been bre wing profess ionally now for over 11 years. Mov ing from 5 gallon to 5 barrel batch es, then all the way u p to 200 bar rel batches has provided David with un ique challenges as well as growt h opportunitie s. Wanting to rekindle the relations hip with raw materials, David has mo ved to Pike 5 1 to begin his nex t chapter as a brewer.

Ciaran Leas k is a fresh face in the b lifelong pass rewing field, ion for craft but has a beer that or the U.K. A gr iginated in p aduate of GR ubs in Packaging a CC’s Craft Br nd Service Op ewing, erations pro Ciaran is eag gram in Apr er to have fo il 2018, u n d practicing sk an opportun ity to contin ills and to g ain more exp ue Ciaran spent erience as a several mon brewer. ths brewing Company prio a t L ake Ann Brew r to acceptin ing g a brewing They are exc position with ited to be pa Pike 51. rt of the tea look forwar m at Pike 51 an d to the opp d ortunity to g row as a bre wer.

New brews to pike 51 8-

-

-

,

,

. 25

,

3768 Chicago Drive, Hudsonville, Mi - Pike51.com 38 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

3rd

10 Definitive West Michigan Beers | by Joe Boomgaard

W

est Michigan breweries have made a name for themselves with their creativity and everimproving quality. It’s what’s helped put the region on the map as a beer destination, one that attracts people the world over. This selection is intended to nail down

Plead The 5th Imperial Stout

Amber Ale

Here comes a heavy hitter. If you ever need to plead the fifth in a court of law, you may want to calm your nerves ahead of time by downing this massive imperial stout from Dark Horse.

Clocking in at 11 percent ABV, Plead the 5th is all about dark malts, with chocolate and coffee notes that last for days. It’s one of those beers that’s universally respected in the local craft beer scene for taking imperial stouts to the next level.

While the explosion in popularity of Two Hearted and Oberon have allowed Bell’s to expand exponentially, the company credits Amber Ale as “the beer that helped build our brewery.” Amber is a lovely, clean, workaday beer that’s all about balance. As tame as it seems today, Bell’s made waves with this beer when it hit the streets in 1985. In that sense, Amber helped pave the way for the craft beer revolution in West Michigan and beyond.

DARK HORSE BREWING CO.

BELL’S BREWERY INC.

the 10 beers brewed in West Michigan that best exemplify the region’s craft beer. These are not necessarily the 10 best West Michigan-made beers, but rather the creative brews that have helped establish our beer culture, that have helped define the scene — or that helped move it forward.

Dirty Bastard FOUNDERS BREWING CO.

When Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens stared imminent failure in the face, they famously decided to brew beers that were different and stand out from the other breweries. The first “brewed for us” beer was Dirty Bastard, a giant, irreverent middle finger to the naysayers. For an 8.5-percent ABV scotch ale, it’s massively complex and malty — and frighteningly drinkable.

It set the stage for Founders’ massive growth and put craft beer fans on notice that this was a new day for the brewery.

Pilgrim’s Dole NEW HOLLAND BREWING CO.

It will never sell like Dragon’s Milk — or get put out in dozens of different variations — but Pilgrim’s Dole has become a quiet favorite for many in New Holland’s vast catalog. The barleywine has won so many national competitions that the brewery probably had to build a new wing just to house the awards. And it’s easy to see why — Pilgrim’s Dole is rich and malt-forward, featuring complex notes of dried fruits. This is the beer you want to sip while snuggled up in a blanket in the middle of winter.

Continued on page 41

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39

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40 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

Did you know?

You can get a free listing on our online event calendar.

Just visit our calendar, click “submit event” and enter the details.

revuewm.com/ calendar

THE ONLY BREWERY IN ALLEGAN! 8 Rotating Beer Taps Cider & Wine Live Music & Food Trucks 633 114th Ave #3, Allegan (269) 512-7016 tantrickbrewing.com

10 Definitive West Michigan Beers Continued from page 39

Farm Hand

Genetic Drift

Big Red Coq

BREWERY VIVANT

SPECIATION ARTISAN ALES

BREWERY VIVANT

The French and Belgians have perfected the farmhouse tradition of brewing for centuries, and that’s what Jason and Kris Spaulding wanted to emulate when they opened Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids in 2010. Summed up in beer form, that vision comes to life with Farm Hand, a rustic, unfiltered saison that celebrates Michigan terroir, with more than enough complexity in its interplay of flavors.

Two Hearted Ale

BELL’S BREWERY INC.

Just one whiff of this beer conjures up scenes of Hemingway’s autobiographical character Nick Adams as he does battle with giant brook trout in the log-strewn Two Hearted River in the Upper Peninsula. The piney aroma and flavor from the all-Centennial hop bill dominate this Kalamazoo classic, but it’s Two Hearted’s balance that really shines. It defined the IPA style for craft beer drinkers in West Michigan and across the Midwest, and continues to gain fans as Bell’s empire spreads nationwide.

If ever there was a beer to celebrate West Michigan, Genetic Drift would be it. Speciation harvested the yeast locally that it uses in this house Brett Saison, which it open-ferments to allow other microflora to add an extra layer of “local-ness” to each beer. The result is a complex melange of citrus, funk and various other flavors depending on the hop bill, which varies from batch to batch. By launching with Genetic Drift, Speciation showed the local scene just what all this wild ale hype was about. Many others have joined the bandwagon since.

Red’s Rye

FOUNDERS BREWING CO.

Once upon a time, in an era long ago, beer stores used to carry six-packs of Red’s Rye as a seasonal release in Founders’ lineup.

Sadly, a few years ago, the brewery decided to stop bottling the beer — except for a brief return this year as part of the pub-only Mothership release — because of its notoriously short shelf life.

(It’s still available on draft.) A favorite of Founders’ employees and hopheads in general, Red’s Rye offered a massive dose of Amarillo hops in a gorgeously red pour that finished with a bit of spice from the rye.

Born in the early days of Brewery Vivant, Big Red Coq bends the lines of what a red ale can be. While other reds lean more malty, Big Red Coq bursts with citrusy hops, a testament to head brewer Jacob Derylo’s masterful ability to create a new fusion style. Although Brewery Vivant only intended to brew the beer once, it gained traction with customers, becoming one of the company’s top-sellers today. Plus, it’s always fun to hear how customers attempt to get by without having to utter the beer’s full name aloud when ordering it. (Our suggestion: Just hold the giggles, look your bartender in the eye and go for it.)

Black

PERRIN BREWING CO.

Out of nowhere, Perrin Black became ubiquitous on taphandles across the state when the brewery launched in 2011. Who was this upstart that seemed to take off over night? While everyone else duked it out with IPAs, Perrin played the contrarian card with a smooth, roasty ale that manages to be light and drinkable despite its dark appearance. It’s helped win over many a drinker who says he doesn’t like dark beers.

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Beer Bonanzas Where to party with a brew in hand this fall | by Elma Talundzic

L

ike apple cider and pumpkin pie, beer always hits the spot in the fall. There’s something special about stepping out into cold weather and warming up with a great brew. Here’s a look at some of the upcoming beer bashes that are anything but basic, with food, music and cider in tow.

Founders Harvest Party. COURTESY OF FOUNDERS BREWING CO.

JOLLY PUMPKIN VINTAGE BEER CAVE RUN

HopCat 25 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 4, 5 p.m. hopcat.com, (616) 451-4677

If you love a good sour, join HopCat for four vintages from Jolly Pumpkin that have been hiding away. The tap list includes: 2014 Dandelion Rhubarb, 2016 Madrugada Obscura, 2015 La Roja Oak BA Sour Red Ale and 2015 iO Saison with rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus.

VANDER FEST

Vander Mill 14921 Cleveland St., Spring Lake Oct. 6, 4-10 p.m., $10-35 vandermill.com, (616) 842-4337 The Michigan Cider Association presents Vander Fest 2018. The event features live entertainment, local food truck eats and excellent cider and beer.

With more than 15 local cideries and breweries participating, this is a party you don’t want to miss. A general admission ticket gets you a complimentary event glass, eight drink tokens and live entertainment.

42 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

HARVEST PARTY: A TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN HOPS

Founders Brewing Company 235 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Oct. 13, 11-2 a.m., $10 foundersbrewing.com, (616) 776-1195

Harvest Party is a celebration of American hops and Founders’ awardwinning Harvest Ale. The $10 cover will get you a class-one pour, commemorative glass and sticker. Enjoy live music from Ghost-Note, The Truth, El Brandino and more, as well as special seasonal fare, Harvest Ale, CBS, KBS, Blushing Monk and other thirstquenching beer options.

BONTEBOKTOBERFEST

Binder Park Zoo 7400 Division Dr., Battle Creek Oct. 13, 6-10 p.m., $25-70 binderparkzoo.org, (269) 979-1351 Raise a glass with the bonteboks (a kind of antelope) at Binder Park Zoo. This after-hours event features live music, food and some of the best Michigan craft brews, ciders, meads and wines. Guests can sample beer from several local breweries, go

home with a souvenir Bonteboktoberfest tasting glass and get the opportunity to have the first taste of Arcadia Ales Brewing Co.’s Binder Park Zoo brew. Admission includes 12 drink tickets, small-plate food pairings, live music, free train rides and adorable animal viewings.

music festival. This 21+ event features more than 20 craft beers, all you can eat wings and live entertainment. A portion of the event ticket purchases will be donated to local food recovery partners and national charities.

FALL COLOR TOUR

Romence Gardens and Greenhouses 265 Lakeside Dr. NE, Grand Rapids Oct. 26, 5-9 p.m., $45 breweryvivant.com, (616) 719-1604

Grand Rapids Beer Trolley 861 Emerald Ave. NE, Grand Rapids Oct. 19-20, 5-7:30 p.m., $40 grbeertrolley.com, (616) 439-4677 Enjoy a scenic ride through the colorful fall trees with a drink in hand. The GR Beer Trolley tour highlights the best hard cider spots in West Michigan, such as Vander Mill, Farmhaus and People’s. One flight of cider is included with a ticket purchase.

CHICKEN & BEER FESTIVAL

Arcadia Brewing Company 701 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo Oct. 21, 3-8 p.m., $25-45 arcadiaales.com, (269) 276-0458 Chicken wings and a cold glass of beer is a classically delicious pair. Join Arcadia Brewing Company in celebrating this combo with a food, beer and

FORK FEST PRESENTED

BY BREWERY VIVANT

The 8th annual Fork Fest, presented

by Brewery Vivant, is an evening of samples from more than 40 local restaurants, farms, grocers, bakeries, breweries and more. It’s all hosted in the beautiful Romence Gardens, and admission gets you all samples and one drink ticket. Vendors and more will be announced soon.

WINE, BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL

DeVos Place 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Nov. 15-17, $15-40 devosplace.org, (616) 742-6500

Entering its 11th year, the Wine, Beer & Food Festival presents 1,500 wines, beers, ciders and spirits from around

the world. This event is not only for the beer connoisseur but for those who appreciate a whole range of libations and plates from the area’s finest restaurants.

14TH ANNUAL WINTER BEER FESTIVAL

Fifth Third Ballpark 4500 W. River Dr. NE, Comstock Park Feb. 22-23, tickets on sale Nov. 30 mibeer.com/winter-festival

This one isn’t in the fall, but it’s too big not to mention. The Annual Winter Beer Festival is a craft beer enthusiast’s paradise. This year’s festival will feature more than 140 Michigan breweries and brewpubs. Each ticket comes with 15 tasting tokens and additional tokens can be purchased for 50 cents. Tokens can be exchanged for three-ounce samples, but good luck choosing from more than 1,000 different craft beer options. Along with the brews, the event features local music, beer-friendly eats, ice sculpture demonstrations, other entertainment and fire pits to cozy up with. n

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43

Michigan Marzen Madness: An Oktoberfest Taste-off | by Joe Boomgaard

O

ktoberfest beers conjure up images of oversized beer mugs, lederhosen, boisterous beer halls, and loud oompah music.

Like many traditional German-style lagers, the marzen or Oktoberfest style also serves to showcase the malt as its central focus.

Where hopheads have their IPAs, malt fans venerate the marzen style.

Traditionally, the style was brewed in March and lagered over the summer months in caves and caverns. The style praised for its drinkability, yet subtle complexity would eventually come to take center stage at Oktoberfest celebration in Munich.

Marzens should be clean and bready in flavor, with a rich malty aftertaste and nonexistent or muted hop bitterness, according to the Beer Judge Certification Program style guidelines. They also feature a “dry finish that encourages another drink.”

It’s a combination Grand Rapids-based The Mitten Brewing Co. pulled off well in its seasonal Oktoberfest, which was released in mid-September.

The Mitten’s example was the highest-scoring beer in

Highly recommended Oktoberfest

Mitten Brewing Co., Grand Rapids 6.5% ABV

Pours clear with a deep coppery color. Malts and bready notes dominate the aroma and carry over to the flavor, where the malts take on an interesting complexity. This is the stereotypical flavor you expect in a festbier. Four of the five tasters on the panel picked this as their top choice. It’s a great representation of the style.

Score: 88.6

44 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

a blind tasting of Oktoberfest beers conducted by Revue.

Co-founder Chris Andrus said the scoring was interesting because marzen “is a style where we don’t generally expect to play,” given the brewery is known more for its American craft styles.

With its Oktoberfest, Mitten focuses on brewing a very traditional marzen with all German malts and saaz hops.

The particular beer has evolved over the last couple of years to improve the underlying target of “malty and clean.”

While Andrus and co-founder Max Trierweiler are lager fans, Mitten patrons should expect to see them only occasionally, given the added cost, time and tank space needed for the lagering process.

Still, Andrus said Mitten’s investments in improving beer quality — particularly with its on-site quality lab — have allowed the brewery to produce versions of the style in which the brewing team can take pride.

“What shines is the process,” Andrus said, noting that just brewing a marzen is only one piece of the puzzle. “Taylor Darling is our cellarman, and never is his job more important than with a lager. Lagering is a cellarman’s job. He did a great job, and it shows.”

Left: Oktoberfest, Mitten Brewing Co. Right: Oktoberfest, Wolverine State Brewing Co.

Cedar Springs Brewing Co., Cedar Springs

Kusterer Marzen

center. It features a lovely bready/malty flavor, with a slight sweetness that finishes dry. Very well-balanced, while also being very malt-forward.

Oktoberfest

6.7% ABV

Score: 80.2

Score: 70

The bready and malty goodness welcomes you in with a slightly sweet hug. It’s a very clean, traditional take on what we think of in the style, plus it’s highly drinkable yet rich and complex — if you want to look for it. Lovely dry finish. Spot on.

Recommended

Also tasted

Roaktoberfest

Oktoberfest

Score: 81.8

Oktoberfest

Roak Brewing Co., Royal Oak 6.5% ABV

Score: 76.6

Wolverine State Brewing Co., Ann Arbor 6.1% ABV

Octoberfest Beer

Almost bronze/amber in color, this beer totally smells the part, showcasing the malts front and

Score: 76.4

Bell’s Brewery Inc., Comstock 5.5% ABV

Griffin Claw Brewing Co., Birmingham 5% ABV

Pigeon Hill Brewing Co., Muskegon

Oktoberfest

Rochester Mills Beer Co., Rochester

THREE BLONDES BREWING OFFERS A FULL MENU with creative and eclectic pub fare, specializing in tacos, hamburgers, pizza, and shared plates (including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options).

WE ARE THREE SISTERS WITH A TON OF HOMETOWN PRIDE, who came together to create a gathering place on the shores of Lake Michigan. We are committed to creating quality, inspired beer that evokes the same laidback, refreshing sensation as our small beach town. In true Blonde fashion, we don’t take ourselves too seriously; experimentation and challenging your palate is totally our jam! Chance made us sisters, hearts made us friends, and beer helps our husbands put up with us. Come join us for a pint!

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REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 | 45 1875 Phoenix Street, Suite B, South Haven, MI 49090 (just a mile east from I-196, Exit 20) • 269-872-3911 • ThreeBlondesBrewing.com

Stacked line-up. Stacked tap list.

A perfect combination.

For our full event schedule and further venue details, visit bellsbeer.com/events

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46 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

BReWeRy GUiDe Revue’s compendium of breweries in West Michigan | COMPILED BY REVUE STAFF

grand rapids area 5 Lakes Brewing 1638 142nd Ave., Dorr 5lakesbrewing.com

Big Boiler is the first to bring self-brewed malt, hops and yeast to Lowell, with simple styles like hefeweizens, brown ales and IPAs. Meanwhile, the food menu is ambitious, featuring all kinds of sharables, burgers and sandwiches. Open: 7 days.

B.O.B.’s Brewery

20 Monroe ave. nw, grand rapids thebobsbrewery.com

5 Lakes has become well-loved for its solid brews and self-distilled spirits. Start off with a Citrus Vodka, then move on to the Huron Gold and a burger, pizza or other entree from the food menu. Open: 7 days.

B.O.B.’s Brewery, located in the lower level of The B.O.B., offers a variety of different food options, but the real treat lies in the multitude of beers available year-round.

Be sure to check out the Hopsun, a Belgian summer wit, or the Grapefruit Song, a citrus IPA. Open: Thursday-Saturday.

Atwater Brewing

Brewery Vivant

201 Michigan St. NW, Grand Rapids atwaterbrewing.com

This Detroit-based brewery joined downtown Grand Rapids’ ranks two years ago, serving up classics like the Dirty Blonde, a pale wheat ale, and the Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale. The brewery has a nice patio along Monroe, upon which to eat pizza, sandwiches and appetizers. Open: 7 days.

Bier Distillery

5295 W. River Rr. NE #100, Comstock Park bierdistillery.com

In the taproom and brew room alike, spirits and beer go hand in hand — it’s right there in the name of Bier Distillery, owned by Joel and Sara Bierling. Alongside its large selection of original liquor and cocktails, Bier offers a wide variety of brews. You’ll find classics like the IFB Pale, a refreshing pale ale, as well as unique beers like the Strawberry Fields, a strawberry wheat beer. Open: 7 days.

Big Boiler Brewing 318 E. Main St., Lowell bigboilerbrewing.com

925 Cherry St. SE, Grand Rapids breweryvivant.com

Since 2010, Brewery Vivant has been making farmhouse beer and promoting the sustainability of beer in cans. Lately, the brewery has stood out with its Plein de Vie project, a series focusing on special wood-aged and wild-fermented brews. On top of that, Vivant has taken second place for Best Burger and Best Fries in Revue’s Best of the West awards three years running. Open: 7 days.

Brew Works of Fremont 5909 S. Warner, Fremont thecommonsoffremont.com

Alongside its beer, this brewpub has a full food menu featuring bratwurst, stuffed burgers and quesadillas. As for beer, you’ll find a wide range of ales and stouts from Brew Works itself and other breweries all over Michigan. The taproom is adjacent to a bowling alley, arcade and golf course.

Open: 7 days.

Cedar Springs Brewing

95 N. Main St. NE, Cedar Springs csbrew.com

This German-centric brewery is all about authentic Bavarian food and light, refreshing lagers and weissbiers. The big beer

hall-style taproom creates an atmosphere of socialization as well, making Cedar Springs a destination spot for beer lovers from all over the region. Open: 7 days.

Cellar Brewing Co.

133 E. Division St., Sparta cellarbrewingco.com

Cellar is a business of many talents. With more than 20 beers on tap, the brewing company also has a winery and onsite distillery. Stop in for brews like the Maine Squeeze, a New England IPA, or the Mango Tango, a fruit blonde ale. The brewery also recently added a full food menu, with burgers, entrees and appetizers like the Irish Nachos — a plate of hand-sliced Russet potatoes with corned beef, cheddar cheese and green onion. Open: 7 days.

Creston Brewery

Creston Brewery. COURTESY PHOTO

Founders Brewing Company

1504 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids crestonbrewery.com

235 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids foundersbrewing.com

Grand Rapids’ love of craft beer can’t be contained within the confines of downtown. Creston Brewery has brought delicious Latin American fare to its eponymous neighborhood, along with a wide variety of brews. The menu (and brewmasters) describe the beer by flavor profile and color, not style. It’s both innovative and tasty. Open: 7 days.

The Colossus of Craft needs no introduction. In fact, Founders has seen so much success on an international level that it recently ascended the ranks beyond the official craft designation. The brewery’s footprint continues to grow as it sends out classics like the Breakfast Stout and new favorites like the Mosaic Promise.

Open: 7 days.

Elk Brewing

700 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids Elk Brewing Comstock Park 400 Dodge St., Comstock Park elkbrewing.com

Despite being tucked in a very competitive crevice of the Wealthy Street District, Elk Brewing has thrived since opening in 2014, expanding to a second location with three times more brewing capacity in Comstock Park. Head to Wealthy for a more cozy atmosphere with local music and games, or to Comstock Park for a full food menu and patio overlooking West River Drive.

Open: 7 days.

Fountain Hill Brewery

151 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids grcc.edu

Owned by Grand Rapids Community College, this brewery is only open on specific dates, when the general public gets to taste the exciting results of the Craft Brewing, Packaging and Service Operations certificate program. Open: Check website for dates.

Grand Rapids Brewing Co.

1 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grbrewingcompany.com

GRBC reinvented itself last year, bringing on a new brewmaster and new head chef, as well as building a free game room in

the back. Fill your pint with a piece of Michigan history: the Silver Foam Lager, or try something new like the Sur La Lune, a tart farmhouse saison aged in Chardonnay barrels. Open: 7 days.

Gravel Bottom Brewery

452 Ada Dr., Ada gravelbottom.com

Earlier this year, Gravel Bottom opened its new location, expanding from six taps to 20, along with a larger production facility, more room for customers and a new kitchen. Don’t miss brews like the Heart of Darkness, a massive Belgian quad. Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

Greyline Brewing Co.

1727 Alpine Ave. NW, Grand Rapids

When it opened two years ago, Greyline Brewing garnered a reputation instantly, winning Best New Brewery in Revue’s Best of the West poll. Since then, the brewer y has continued to release solid beers like the Mosacca IPA and the Humblebee, a honey oat ale. Open: 7 days.

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REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

47

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48 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

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Harmony Brewing Company

1551 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids

Harmony Hall

401 Stocking Ave. NW, Grand Rapids harmonybeer.com

This year meant some big changes for Harmony, including a huge expansion at its Eastown location and a move away from sausages at Hall. The two locations are now on more equal footing, offering the same award-winning pizza and reliable beer, such as the Fiddlestix, a juicy IPA with grapefruit flavors. Or be adventurous and try the Los Conejos, a Mexican hot chocolate stout brewed with marshmallows, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and cayenne. Open: 7 days.

Hideout Brewing Company 3113 Plaza Dr., Grand Rapids hideoutbrewing.com

Where else can you go to play Super Mario World, practice your disc golf putt and have nearly 20 different batches of original beer to choose from? Stop in for creative brews like the Blueberry Vanilla Cheesecake Stout or the Butterscotch Toffee Brown. Open: 7 days.

HopCat

25 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids hopcatgr.com

Rated as one of the best beer bars in the world by Beer Advocate, HopCat just keeps on spreading its winning concept around the country. This brewpub’s housemade beers have always been top-notch, and unique brews like the sour Unicorn On Acid and Brett Not Bite have drawn more eyes to the in-house section of the menu.

Open: 7 days.

Jaden James Brewery 4665 Broadmoor, Kentwood jadenjamesbrewery.com

Jaden James lacks the usual bravado-laden atmosphere of West Michigan breweries, but it makes up for that in spades. Regardless of whether you prefer beer, wine or cider, Jaden James has the perfect adult beverage to oblige your thirst. Open: Monday-Saturday.

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales 428 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids 13512 Peninsula Dr., Traverse City jollypumpkin.com

If you seek a pleasant sour, look around you. Jolly Pumpkin has been brewing up approachable sour and wild ales for years now, offering beers like Oro de Calabaza, an

oak-aged golden sour, and Clementina, an oak-aged sour fruit saison. This year, the brewery opened in Grand Rapids with pizza, sandwiches and salads. Open: 7 days.

Kitzingen Brewery

1760 44th St. SW, Wyoming kitzingen-brewery.com

This brewery’s owner, Rommie Bailey, was stationed in Kitzingen, Germany when serving in the U.S. Army in the 1980s. The building’s interior is meant to tell the story of the relationship between Americans and Germans, with a military twist. Not surprisingly, the beer and food focus on those cultures as well, with both IPAs and authentic Hefeweizens on tap.

Open: Monday-Saturday.

Mitten Brewing Co.

527 Leonard St. NW, Grand Rapids 329 Water St., Saugatuck 112 W. Nagonaba St., Northport mittenbrewing.com

Pizza and beer seems to be a popular duality in Michigan, and The Mitten Brewing Co. does both superbly. Head in for a flight of both, mixing and matching classic beers and specialty pizzas like the Westerdog, with chili bean sauce, all-beef franks, Colby-Jack cheese, diced white onions, shredded kosher pickles, ketchup and yellow mustard. Open: 7 days.

New Holland Brewing Co.

417 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids New Holland Brewing Co. 66 East 8th St., Holland newhollandbrew.com

While not at all identical, both of New Holland Brewing Co.’s locations offer well-loved beer, killer cocktails and beer gardens. The brewery has become known for its Dragon’s Milk, a bourbon barrelaged stout released with a number of different flavors, but the Mad Hatter IPA and Poet oatmeal stout are West Michigan mainstays as well. Open: 7 days.

New Union Brewery

400 W. Main St., Lowell newunionbrewery.com

More than 150 years ago, Union Brewery opened in downtown Grand Rapids. The beer scene may have changed a bit since then, but New Union is trying to keep the spirit and history alive in Lowell with beers like the Citra Revival Session IPA and Red Arrow Amber. Stop in throughout the week for community events, Geeks Who Drink and live music. Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

Newaygo Brewing Company

19 State Rd., Newaygo newaygobrewing.com

Newaygo Brewing Company continues to grow as a cornerstone of the community and a key destination along M-37. The atmosphere is welcoming, located in a building with decades of history, and the farm-to-table pizzas have made the taproom a go-to choice for a night on the town. Plus: quality brews, both true-tostyle and wholly unique, including a cask ale selection. Open: 7 days.

Rockford Brewing Company. COURTESY PHOTO

OpenRoad Brewing Co.

128 S. Main St., Wayland openroadbrewing.com

Wayland’s been yearning for a brewery for some time now, and OpenRoad satisfies that need pretty perfectly. The beers span the gamut of classic styles, and the in-house coffee shop means the space is welcome to all from sunrise to after dark.

Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

Osgood Brewing

4051 Chicago Dr. SW, Grandville osgoodbrewing.com

The people of Grandville demanded a brewery and were not disappointed when Osgood Brewing rose from the ashes of Hiram Osgood’s legacy in 2012. Since then, the brewery has maintained quality craft beverages and imaginative pizza creations.

Open: 7 days.

Perrin Brewing

5910 Comstock Park Dr., Comstock Park perrinbrewing.com

Since opening, Perrin has made tremendous strides with releases like No Rules, a 15-percent ABV Vietnamese Porter, and Lotsa’ Problems, a bold double IPA. Meanwhile, Perrin Black has become a mainstay in just about every bar in Grand Rapids, thanks to its unique but extremely approachable character. Open: 7 days.

Warrior IPA and Bike Ride Blonde. Open: Monday-Saturday.

Rockford Brewing Company

12 E. Bridge St., Rockford rockfordbrewing.com

Huge advocates for West Michigan agriculture and multi-year winners of our Best of the West poll, Rockford means local and they mean business. The American pale, Paradigm, is Pure Michigan approved, with all ingredients sourced from Michigan soil.

The farm-to-table kitchen is serving up nothing but quality as well, with dishes like the Braised Pork Belly BLT. Open: 7 days.

Schmohz Brewing Company

2600 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids schmohz.com

Schmohz is the proud home of Michigan’s first female head brewer and offers up to 20 different unique draft beers with the coziness of your favorite dive bar.

Open: Monday-Saturday.

Speciation Artisan Ales

3720 W. River Dr. NE, Comstock Park speciationartisanales.com

When it came on the scene last year, Speciation instantly made a name for itself with wild, sour and spontaneous ales. The small brewery’s methods take time and consideration, resulting in a Railtown Brewing 3595 68th St., Dutton monthly release schedule and limited railtownbrewing.com purchases per person so that no one gets This year, Railtown expanded in a huge left out. It’s a good move, since beer lovers way to a building next to its original go wild for these unique ales, such as the strip mall location. The new space has Protoconsciousness, a mezcal barrel-aged two floors, an outdoor patio, twice as golden sour with grapefruit, limes and salt much seating as the last taproom and an — just for example. The owners hope to in-house kitchen, for the first time in the have a taproom open in the near future brewery’s life. The rotating tap list fea- Open: Monthly. tures quality selections from top to bottom, but be sure to check out mainstays Citra

300 S. Steele St., Ionia steelestreetbrewing.com

Steele Street aims for quality, true-to-style beers without too many frills in the heart of Ionia. Stop by for a cask ale, homemade soda and great pizza on homemade bread.

Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

Thornapple Brewing Co. 6262 28th St., Grand Rapids thornapplebrewing.com

Thornapple was opened by two Steelcase workers who decided to get out of the office and into the brewhouse. The brewery offers its own beer, cider, mead and wine, alongside spirits and cocktails. You’ll find creative brews like the Salted Caramel Brown and BA Tr3y Way, a brandy barrelaged Belgian trippel. Open: 7 days.

Trail Point Brewing Company 6035 Lake Michigan Dr., Allendale trailpointbrewing.com

As Allendale’s first brewery, Trail Point focuses on creating straightforward beers with quality and care. Beers like the CIPApotamus, a citra IPA, and the Henry Lee, an old ale, focus on nailing classic flavors in a nuanced way. Open: 7 days.

Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro

105 E. State St., Hastings walldorffbrewpub.com

Walldorff recently changed its food menu, adding sandwiches and entrees to its wood-fired pizzas, but the real star here is the beer. IPA fans will love Hopnoxxious and Cobain’s Double Dark, or head to the lighter side with BS Honey Rye and Bistro Blonde. Open: 7 days.

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Steele Street Brewing

REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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It’s the classic homebrewer goes pro story at Macatawa. The family-run brewery operates out of 8th Street Grille and brews beers ranging from IPAs to wheats, stouts and blondes. Open: 7 days.

Odd Side Ales

41 Washington Ave., Grand Haven oddsideales.com

Unruly Brewing Company. COURTESY PHOTO

LAKESHORE Big Hart Brewing Co.

4086 W. Polk Road, Hart bighartbrewing.com

Offering a full spread of “beer & food made with Hart,” it’s especially hard to forget some of this brewery’s unique names, like Gluten For Punishment, a German style wheat ale, and Screeching Sands, an amber ale brewed with blue agave syrup. Open: 7 days.

Big Lake Brewing Co.

13 W. 7th St., Holland biglakebrewing.com

Big Lake is one of Holland’s longestrunning breweries, starting out strong and only improving over the years. The tap list is robust, with styles ranging from a signature rye IPA to a blood orange NEIPA and a chocolate wheat with toasted coconut.

Open: 7 days.

Brewery 4 Two 4

321 Douglas Ave., Holland brewery424.com

Brewery 4 Two 4 pumps out top-notch beer on a system only slightly larger than most homebrewers. The 20 taps host a wide variety of brews like the Brute Sasquatch, a super dry, champagne-like IPA, and the Kings Cross, a smooth and malty ESB. Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

following on the lakeshore for its seasonal brews like the Smolder, a smoked chipotle porter that warms the town every fall.

Open: 7 days.

Grand Armory Brewing Company

16 S. 2nd St., Grand Haven grandarmorybrewing.com This Grand Haven brewery has paired up with Righteous BBQ and Aldea Coffee to cover all your bases in one room. The beer is solid, true-to-style and pays homage to the lake town’s history. Try the Wheezin’ The Juice IPA, which lives up to its name, or the Dewey Hill On Fire, an American amber ale flavored with serrano and ghost peppers. Open: 7 days.

Jamesport Brewing Company 410 S. James St., Ludington jamesportbrewingcompany.com

Jamesport operates from a piece of historic Ludington real estate. The Victorian storefront was constructed in 1890 for the purpose of running a saloon. So, in a way, opening up a brewery was the most faithful way the owners could have honored its memory. Open: 7 days.

Ludington Bay Brewing Co. 515 S. James St., Ludington ludingtonbaybrewing.com

As the name suggests, Odd Side is enamored with crafting creative and experimental beer, while providing a unique atmosphere. We can’t think of another place in the Midwest where you can drink a Mexican hot-chocolate stout and play bubble hockey as you watch a dartthrowing league compete. Open: 7 days.

Old Boys’ Brewhouse

971 Savidge St., Spring Lake oldboysbrewhouse.com A man should never have to choose between his dog and his beer. At Old Boys’ Brewhouse, this crisis is not only averted, it is disregarded completely with its walls adorned with the pictures of patrons’ canine companions and a patio section perfect for the pooch. Open: 7 days.

Our Brewing Company

76 E. 8th St., Holland ourbrewingcompany.com

At Our Brewing Company, you can count on a tap list that never stays the same for very long. The brewers are always trying new styles, from passionfruit goses to cream ales with pineapple and coconut.

Open: 7 days.

Pigeon Hill Brewing Company

500 W. Western Ave., Muskegon pigeonhillbrew.com

Pigeon Hill is well known for its Oatmeal Cream Pie ale, made with oats, marshmallows and “other secret ingredients,” but the lakeshore brewery also excels in cream ales, IPAs and more. Open: 7 days.

Pike 51 Brewing Company

3768 Chicago Dr., Hudsonville pike51.com

100 W. Colby St., Whitehall fetchbrewing.com

Ludington Bay has one focus: Good beer. Stop in for a plethora of true-tostyle brews, from an Oktoberfest to an American wheat, West Coast IPA and tropical stout. As for food, you’ll find burgers, pizza, tacos, mac & cheese — just about everything. Open: 7 days.

Having 16 beers on tap is impressive, considering that Pike operates as the on-site brewery at Hudsonville Winery. You won’t want to sip, sip, pass the dank Kush IPA, but if you’re trying to take it easy, Pike 51 has you covered with its homemade root beer. Open: 7 days.

Fetch Brewing focuses on great beer in a chill atmosphere and historic building, complete with a former vault open for seating. The brewery has developed a

20 W. 8th St., Holland macatawaalecompany.com

Macatawa Ale Company

Saugatuck Brewing Company

Fetch Brewing

50 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

2948 Blue Star Highway, Douglas saugatuckbrewing.com

This expansive microbrewery combines the charm and character of an Irish pub with the bold, contemporary elements of a gleaming microbrewery. You’ll find Saugatuck’s beers on just about any shelf in the region, including the Oval Beach Blonde and Blueberry Maple Stout.

Open: 7 days.

Starving Artist Brewing Co.

634 S. Stiles Rd., Ludington starvingartist.beer

Starving Artist’s brewhouse and storage facility is roughly the size of most people’s first apartment, but owner Andrew Thomas has shown you don’t need much space to create some of the best beers in the state. Beers like Blood Forge, a blood orange double IPA, show how an artist approaches the craft — with creativity, balance and boldness. You won’t find a taproom, but feel free to stop by for a few tastes Friday and Saturday, or call to make an appointment. Open: Friday-Saturday.

Tripel Root

146 East Main, Zeeland tripelroot.com Tripel Root has swiftly grown a reputation for its commitment to sustainable business practices and handcrafted stonebreads. Head in for classic brews like the Perception Defines Reality, a Belgian tripel, or the Ace in the Valley, an IPA brewed with hops grown in Ada. Open: Monday-Saturday.

Unruly Brewing Company

360 West Western Ave., Muskegon unrulybrewing.com The people who created Unruly Brewing don’t just love beer — they love beer, music and art. Unruly Brewing Company combines all three to create a lively atmosphere all bundled up in a restored 1890s building. Open: 7 days.

White Flame Brewing Company

5234 36th Ave., Hudsonville whiteflamebrewing.com

The tap list at White Flame offers a little bit of everything, but you’ll want to head there for the brewery’s killer selection of IPAs, including the Lupulunatic, a big and juicy IPA, or the Hard Ball, a triple IPA. Open: 7 days.

KZOO AREA & BATTLE CREEK Arcadia Ales

701 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo arcadiaales.com Arcadia may have begun in America’s cereal capital, but this brewery has since expanded to Kalamazoo and specializes in handcrafted British-style ales. By combining the best malted barley across the pond and the best hop offerings of the Pacific Northwest, Arcadia produces beer with exceptional character and flavor. Open: 7 days.

Bell’s Brewery

355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo bellsbeer.com

Bell’s has become such a rock star of the industry that the perennial Oberon release is somewhat of a Michigan holiday, and Two Hearted Ale has been receiving constant accolades as the best IPA in the world for years. Simply put: Bell’s is the proverbial high bar of craft beer in the Midwest. Open: 7 days

Boatyard Brewing Company

432 E. Paterson St., Kalamazoo boatyardbrewing.com

If you enjoy the “sah-moooth” groove of yacht rock — or if you’ve ever harbored the desire to join a yacht club but always settled for drinking a cold one instead, Boatyard Brewing Company is just the place. Batches are brewed with local ingredients and artistic fermentation at this Kalamazoo microbrewery. Open: 7 days.

Bravo! Restaurant and Café 5402 Portage Rd., Kalamazoo bravokalamazoo.com

Bravo! concentrates on pairing its stellar fine dining experience with small batch brews, featuring bold offerings like the Sour Power Berliner Weisse, a blackberry sour. Open: 7 days.

Dark Horse Brewing Company

511 S. Kalamazoo Ave., Marshall darkhorsebrewery.com

The History Channel was truly onto something special when it decided to film a 12-episode reality show about Dark Horse. The brewery’s attitude is crass and its beer is badass, from the Black Ale to the Smells Like A Safety Meeting, a hop-bomb of an IPA. Open: 7 days.

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Distant Whistle Brewhouse

118 S. Main St., Vicksburg distantwhistle.com

Distant Whistle has honed in on the four elements of what every brewery strives for: great location, great beer, great people and great times. The brewery wanted to be the go-to beer destination in Vicksburg and has accomplished just that. Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

Gonzo’s BiggDogg Brewery

140 S. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo gonzosbiggdoggbrewing.com Gonzo’s is all about dogs, and we’re all about that. Head in for about 15 beers to choose from, including the Cloak of Darkness Black IPA and the awardwinning Geyser Brown Ale. Open: 7 days.

Latitude 42 Brewing Company

7842 Portage Rd., Portage 6101 W. Main St., Kalamazoo latitude42brewingco.com

If you want to bring back something interesting from Portage or Kalamazoo, pick up Latitude 42’s Nectar of the Goddess, a blood orange, passion fruit, honey and wheat ale. The cooks also know how to make a mean pizza. Open: 7 days.

Old Mill Brewpub

717 E. Bridge St., Plainwell oldmillbrew.com In addition to its great handcrafted beer, Old Mill also serves some delicious food, along with wine and liquor, from the century-old Historic Eesley Mill, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Open: 7 days.

Olde Peninsula Brewing Company

200 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo oldepenkazoo.com The first brewpub in the ’Zoo, Olde Peninsula offers its own beer along with cocktails, wine and American food. With a tap specifically dedicated for hot pepperinfused brews, you know it’s worth the trip.

Open: 7 days.

One Well Brewing

4213 Portage St., Kalamazoo onewellbrewing.com When it opened, One Well wanted to be a symbol for the prosperity of society (you know, like a well), and it has since doubled its taproom size with a robust food menu, pinball machines and loads of board games. The brewery also has excellent, unique beers like Sweet Water Street,

52 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

made with donut holes and a special roast of coffee from Water Street Coffee. Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

and more. The taplist has something for everyone, from clean lagers to explosive double IPAs. Open: Thursday-Tuesday.

Rupert’s Brew House

The Livery

773 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo rupertsbrewhouse.com

190 5th St., Benton Harbor liverybrew.com

Rupert’s has cheap beer, live music, pizza and lots of puppies. What more could you ask for? Check out the Multigrain Mutt Pale Ale or the Blackberry Sour. Open: 7 days.

Hand forged by the Benton Harbor brew gods, these guys pump out some of the best barrel-aged brews in the state, including the Bourbon Barrel Aged Trippel Weizenbock. Open: 7 days.

Territorial Brewing Company 256 N. Helmer Rd., Springfield territorialbrewing.com

We don’t see many breweries in Michigan who are resolved to brew almost exclusively in the German tradition. Territorial not only does that, but focuses on German cuisine as well. And guess what? It’s all absolutely to die for. Try a Schnitzel and wash it down with a Kenny Lagers, which expertly showcases freshly milled malt.

Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

Texas Corners Brewing Company

6970 Texas Dr., Kalamazoo texascornersbrewing.com

North Pier Brewing Co.

Transient Artisan Ales.

PHOTO BY WES KITTEN

Barn Brewers Brewery

114 N. Main St., Lawton barnbrewersbrewery.com

Barn Brewers was established in 2014 by a group of friends who liked to congregate in — you guessed it — a barn. The brewery is their ode to camaraderie, live music and jovial libations.

Open: Wednesday-Monday.

Final Gravity Brewing Co.

Despite the name, TCBC regularly uses local ingredients to create its classic beers and ciders. Open: Monday-Saturday.

103 N. Phelps St., Decatur 246 N. Burdick, Kalamazoo finalgravitybrew.com

Tibbs Brewing Company

Now with two locations, Final Gravity is serving up beers of all styles, from the Uranos On Fire, an amber brewed with roasted jalapenos, to the Polski Szampan, an oak-smoked wheat ale.

Open: Wednesday-Monday.

402 S. Burdick, Kalamazoo tibbsbrewing.com

Tibbs set up shop in 2013, adding to Kalamazoo’s growing beer scene. While competing in an industry of typically deep pockets, the owners bootstrapped the business and now excel at delivering small-batch brews, many brewed in the Belgian tradition. Open: 7 days.

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN Arclight Brewing Co.

544 N. Main St., Watervliet arclightbrewing.com Arclight may be tucked away in the small farming town of Watervliet, but its beers easily stand up to the standard-bearers of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Along with all the classic styles, Arclight is pumping out some killer sours with its two 40 BBL foeders, including a mango sour, a cherry sour and a kriek lambic. Open: 7 days.

Greenbush Brewing Co.

5885 Sawyer Rd., Sawyer greenbushbrewing.com

Greenbush has always been known for its propensity for experimentation and a willingness to accept trial-and-error as an essential cog of the craft-brewing machine. Some breweries have an impressive gift shop — Greenbush has an entirely separate facility right across the street where you can get beers, charcuterie and other nibbles. Open: 7 days.

Haymarket Brewery & Taproom

9301 Red Arrow Hwy, Bridgman haymarketbeer.com Most breweries in West Michigan can’t boast to have another location in Chicago, but Haymarket isn’t most breweries. The brewery has won dozens of awards for its Belgians, Pilsners, barrel-aged beers

670 N. Shore Dr., Benton Harbor northpierbrewing.com North Pier is all about that yeast, focusing especially on Belgian-inspired ales and other ester-filled styles like wits and saisons. It’s flavorful, modern and community-based above all else. Open: 7 days.

Paw Paw Brewing

929 E. Michigan Ave., Paw Paw pawpawbrewing.com Paw Paw has it all — beer, mead, cider.

Try the seasonal Coconut Porter or a mainstay like the KUA American Pale Ale, and then pair that with a panini. Open: 7 days.

Round Barn Brewery

9151 First St., Baroda roundbarnwinery.com

Round Barn is a winery that just so happens to make beer too, and plenty of it. The staff uses more than 30 years of fermentation experience to create quality beer for customers who crave more than just wine. Open: 7 days.

Silver Harbor Brewing Co.

721 Pleasant St., Saint Joseph silverharborbrewing.com

Alongside the tableside-smoked Kumbaya Brown Ale, there are plenty of great brews at Silver Harbor. Nearly 20 taps host scotch ales, sours, marzens, porters, belgians and more. Open: 7 days.

Sister Lakes Brewing Co. 92500 Co. Road 690, Dowagiac facebook.com/sisterlakesbrew

The town of Sister Lakes has 10 lakes in a 5-mile radius, and now one brewery. They offer classic beers, live music and a whole fleet of soda floats — root beer, chocolate milk stout and more. Open: 7 days.

Tapistry Brewing Co 4236 Lake St., Bridgman tapistrybrewing.com

While Tapistry looks like it’s aspiring to be Emerald City, it fits right in with the Midwest craft beer scene thanks to strong products that make it hard to click those heels and head home. (Hint: Don’t miss the kick-ass double IPAs.) Open: 7 days.

Transient Artisan Ales 4229 Lake St., Bridgman transientartisanales.com

Transient’s brews are truly transcendent, specializing in beers that take time. The Buckwheat Saison, a farmhouse ale, is undeniably impressive, as is the Shepard, an oak-aged sour with blueberry and black currant. Do they have food? No. But can you bring your own, and your dog too? Yes. And that’s all that really matters.

Open: Thursday-Sunday.

Watermark Brewing Co.

5781 St. Joseph Ave., Stevensville watermarkbrewing.com

Watermark wants to serve good beer, plain and simple. The Leisure Ale description explains it all: “Nothin’ snooty. Just beer.” The taproom is large and welcoming, with an indoor and outdoor patio.

Open: Tuesday-Sunday.

UP NORTH Short’s Brewing Co.

121 N. Bridge St., Bellaire shortsbrewing.com You know Short’s. It’s pretty much impossible to get into craft beer without having downed a Soft Parade (or six) at some point, or even a Bellaire Brown, Huma Lupa Licious or Space Rock. That’s not to mention the more than 250 (we counted) beers the brewery has pumped out over 15 years. Open: 7 days.

Right Brain Brewery

225 E. 16th St., Traverse City rightbrainbrewery.com Right Brain is one of the best of the northwest, producing crushable brews like Cake Walk, which tastes just like its namesake without being too sweet, and Blue Magic, a perfectly balanced lavender wheat ale.

If you’re looking for something heavier, the Concrete Dinosaur is a brown rye IPA that will do you right. Open: 7 days. n

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Left: North Channel Brewing. Right: Big Lake Brewing. COURTESY PHOTOS

NEw Kids in Town Revue’s guide to breweries that have opened in the past year | by Josh Veal Brass Ring Brewing (2404 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids) opened, bringing craft beer to the Alger Heights neighborhood. The brewery offers a simple food menu, with sandwiches, soup, cheese boards and a variety of appetizers. The taplist hosts 10 or so beers focused on executing classic styles well, from ESBs to pilsners, browns and more.

DeHop’s Brewing Co. (363 Cummings Ave. NW, Walker) opened doors in Standale, bringing more craft beer and food to the area, along with a couple pool tables. The brewery has 16 taps, featuring beers like the Cluck Norris, a malty dark beer, and multiple IPAs. The food menu features burgers, salads and more.

Jolly Pumpkin (428 Bridge St. SW, Grand Rapids) joined the Bridge Street renaissance with 20 of its signature wild, farmhouse and sour beers, along with 12 North Peak taps for the more guarded palate.

The Dexter-based brewery took over Black Heron’s previous space, featuring a comfortable taproom with counter service and delicious food.

Three Blondes Brewing (1875 Phoenix St.) opened doors down in South Haven. Launched by three (blonde) sisters and their husbands, the brewery is attached to their parents’ VanDerZee Motorplex. Head Brewer Jake Demski comes from Greenbush Brewing Co. and is brewing up a wide variety of beers.

IPA. Musicians gather to perform, while local food trucks arrive occasionally to offer food for the laidback taproom out in Allegan.

Wax Wings Brewing Co. (3480 Gull Rd., Kalamazoo) opened with bold, interesting brews, from double IPAs to mixed-culture saisons and a blueberry sour with lactose and vanilla.

Cognito Brewing Co. (142 W. Monroe St., Bangor) opened within the Bangor Elevator, an event space created from a restored grain elevator. The brewery hosts a variety of beers, leaning toward malty and darker styles over IPAs. ConfluxCity Brewing Co. (110 N. Water St., Portland) is the latest stop on the way to Lansing, brewing up all kinds of IPAs, sours, cream ales and more. The brewery is all about community and family, hosting live music and sports-viewing sessions regularly.

The Decatur-based Final Gravit y Brewing Co. opened a new location at 246 N. Burdick St., Kalamazoo. The brewery continues to keep up-to-date with the latest styles, such as the Exsiccated Brute IPA and the Mango Gose.

Hopland Brewstillery (977 Butternut Dr., Holland) arrived, offering original beer and spirits, such as Blue Waves, a blueberry brandy. Hopland plans to add alcoholic kombucha, cold brew nitro coffee and more.

Latitude 42 Brewing Co. opened a second location at 6101 W. Main St., Kalamazoo, expanding the reach of many area favorites, such as the Nectar of the Goddess, a blood orange, passionfruit, honey wheat ale. The new site has nearly 20 taps, along with burgers, pizzas, tacos and other entrees.

Tantrick Brewing Co. (633 Hooker Dr., Allegan) opened with a solid selection of classic brews, like the Tilted Kolsch, Golden Mosaic Smash and Hopademic

Alongside unique food — such as the fried green tomato sandwich — TwoGuys Brewing (2356 Porter St. SW, Wyoming) brought beer to Wyoming,

54 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

and plenty of it. Fans love brews like the Mosaic Quest IPA and Black Hole Sun, a smoked and salted saison.

Kayla Rae Cellars (31 Courtland St., Rockford) introduced its own onsite brewery in the form of MI Brewery, currently serving beers on tap alongside rotating, seasonal hard ciders and sangria.

and impressive beers, such as the NoCha APA and the Admiral Piles, an imperial pilsner. The brewery also has a large menu featuring BBQ, tacos, burgers, sandwiches and more.

South Haven Brewpub (515 Williams St., South Haven) moved into the lower level of the Old Harbor Inn, offering a wide variety of self-made brews Big Lake Brewing’s new spot at 13 W. 7th St., — from a blood orange gose to a cookie stout — alongHolland is ready to visit. You’ll find small plates, sand- side guest beers from other local breweries. The food wiches, pizza and more, plus some dang good beer. menu hosts burgers, sandwiches, wraps and pizza. n

The Mitten Brewing Co. opened a third location at 329 Water St., Saugatuck. The new location offers Mitten’s signature pizzas and beers, including the Country Strong IPA and Triple Crown Brown.

Gravel Bottom Brewery’s (452 Ada Dr. SE Suite #100, Ada) new location is open for business. The new bar has 20 taps, a larger production facility, more room for customers and a new kitchen with locally sourced, seasonal dishes.

Railtown Brewing Company (3595 68th St. SE, Dutton) expanded in a huge way to a building next to its original strip mall location. The new space has two floors, an outdoor patio, twice as much seating as the last taproom and an in-house kitchen, for the first time in the brewery’s life.

Kelsey Block Brewing Co. (41 N. Main St., Three Rivers) is a small, community-centered brewery bringing beer to the people of Three Rivers, including cask, S.M.A.S.H. and pale ales. The food menu features a handful of bar food options.

North Channel Brewing (86 Washington St., Manistee) opened last year with a lot of personality

Brass Ring Brewing. COURTESY PHOTO

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by Missy Black

STYLE NOTES

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DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

WE’RE IN A DARK MOOD OVER HERE — DARK LIKE THE BOTTOM OF A WITCH’S CAULDRON. Come October, we like to get a little gloomy and mysterious, and ​MODRN GR​is down for it too.

The new retail shop offers eclectic urban and modern furniture and accessories for your house, condo, apartment and dorm — those smaller living spaces. It’s city living meets The Addams Family, the kind of well-curated lifestyle pieces that’ll haunt you.

“It was challenging to find what I wanted for what I was willing to pay,” said owner Katie Lyons-Church, whose mother was a decorator (so her birthright is good taste).

“I could afford to spend more than IKEA but also didn’t want to break the bank with a $4,000 couch. It was best for me to find a sweet spot, managing quality and price.”

From occasional chairs to quality, down-filled pillows, the shop is warm and modern with a West Elm or Crate & Barrel feel. MODRN GR is also the first store to carry local furniture refinishing artist Julie Peterson of Simple Redesign (a huge score).

If you’re in the market for a little gothic home décor, the store has that too in shades of tragically-black, pitch-

Decidedly dark and designed to hold loosee-leaf tea, pinch salts or herbs, these porcelain finished jars temp with 22k gold, celestialinspired illustrations. $48-$58.

56 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

Believe it or not, this is n​ ot o​ ff the set of The Matrix, but the Jessa Faux Leather Lounge Chair in black is otherworldly, no? This modern option for additional seating doesn’t skimp when it comes to style and comfort, $250.

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black and inky. Check out the goods at 1 Carlton Ave. SE inside the Fulton Square building, right across from Schnitz Deli in Grand Rapids. n

Set a murky tone with the Baughman vanilla-scented essential oil-based premium soy wax candle. This best-selling, rich scent brings a pleasant aroma to dismal surroundings, $28.

Is it black magic? The chic, black Malika jean has the most gorgeous lace hem and flattering features, including a high waist and skinny ankle, $85 at ​LA Miller Boutique​.

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REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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/// SEASONAL

TURNING UP THE TERROR

Directors, actors, costume and makeup designers make for a full production at The Haunt | By Kayla Sosa

O

ne of West Michigan’s most iconic haunted attractions, The Haunt, returns this year with a new location, new owners and new standards.

Ethan Turon is the new creative director and general manager for The Haunt, under the new owner, Doug Sheldon.

Turon said the haunted house process starts right at the end of the prior season.

So, in January, Turon made the move from Pittsburgh to Grand Rapids to start preparing for September’s opening.

The planning starts with drawing out what the area will look like — each room, entrance, lighting, sound and much more.

“Once all that’s put together, it’s going in and seeing what kind of material we’re going to use for the sets, where the scares are going to come from,” Turon said. “Once that’s all determined, it’s talking about costumes, m a keup, how t he characters are going to interact with the sets, if there’s going to be animatronics in the set, how we’re going to light the sets.”

Turon said a lot of people ask him what he does after he’s done working on the haunted house. Little do they know, this is a year-round full-time job.

“October is the easy time of the year; it’s the fun time,” he said. “This is where we get to see the people scream and interact with our creation. The rest of the year is the hard work, the build out, the staging of everything, getting everything together, the prep work.”

Additionally, Turon is bringing his own new style into The Haunt.

“I’m just really excited to open this show because it’s so different than the show has been in the past,” Turon said. “We moved in a new direction with the show and I’m very

THE HAUNT

1256 28TH ST. SW, GRAND RAPIDS SEPT. 15-NOV. 3, VARIOUS DATES, $25 THE-HAUNT.COM

excited to share that with the community and see how people take our new take on our Halloween tradition that we want to create with them.”

The primary difference is the step up in quality, Turon said.

“We’re a lot more intense,” he said.

“The sets are much more refined. They’re Hollywood quality. And we are much more aggressive in our show than the old show.”

Matt Ablan, community actor in Grand Rapids, is the new theme and costume director for The Haunt. He’s responsible for the 68 actors and 200 costume pieces this season. He also worked under the old ow ner ship, a nd has seen the changes first-hand.

“The attention to detail is much stronger now, so when you walk through the kitchen, for example, it looks lived in,” Ablan said.

Ablan sees the production of The Haunt the same as a theater show.

“The actors all have specific call times,” he said. “We’ve staggered it because there’s different levels of difficulty for the makeup and costumes. When people get bored, their minds wander and I’d rather have them focus on the show. Once we get the call times, I walk through just like a stage manager does.”

Actors say this production of The Haunt is more professional than in the past, and the audition process is more intense. Ablan focuses on three aspects during the audition: voice (sounding scary), physicality (moving

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

“This is a high-caliber, high-scare, run-foryour-life-screambloody-murder show.”

58 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

creepily) and dedication to character (being able to stay scary for a long amount of time and without laughing).

“I want to make sure they can maintain that character all night, through 1,000 scares a night,” Ablan said. “On a busy night, you’re going to be doing it every 30 seconds when a new group’s walking through.”

Actors get a lot of freedom in the rehearsal process, where they get to adlib their own lines onto their assigned character.

Alicia Mullens has been working for The Haunt for six years. She said her favorite part is working with everyone and becoming like a family with the rest of the cast, and scaring people.

“Scaring people is fun,” Mullens said, laughing.

She said this year is different with Turon and Ablan at the helm of actor training. This year, she’s playing the Psycho Friend Security Officer in Deranged, the Vox Sanitarium.

“Here, they put you in a role and they make sure you know what you’re doing and that’s your character,” she said.

This year, the acting is much more focused, Mullens noted.

The Haunt. COURTESY PHOTOS

Turon hopes to see the community show up to the new production of West Michigan’s The Haunt, and continue to come each year.

“This is a show, obviously to scare people, but to bring in that Halloween tradition,” he said. “This is a high-caliber, high-scare, run-for-your-life-scream-bloody-murder show.

This isn’t just a kid’s show.” n

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/// SEASONAL

Left: Night Terrors at the B.O.B. Right: Haunt Park. COURTESY PHOTOS

HALLOWEEN HAUNTS, HANGS AND HAPPENINGS | By Eric Mitts

Halloween has become more than just a time for tricks and treats. It’s the end of a season, when autumn leaves give way to the ominous chill of brisk winter air lurking around the corner — we’ve found it’s the perfect time to get freaked, freak out others and otherwise embrace your inner freak. In the spirit of the season, we’ve compiled a quick list of some of the most scream-worthy scares and other fiendishly fun events held in honor of All Hallow’s Eve.

THE MOST HORRIFIC HAUNTS Haunt Park

DINING | SIGHTS | SOUNDS SCENE

7656 Ravine Rd., Kalamazoo hauntpark.com Oct. 6, Oct. 12- 27 (Friday & Saturday nights), Oct. 29-31 Those still shaking from last year’s remake of Stephen King’s It should steer clear of this year’s Haunt Park in Kalamazoo, where the demented Drupo and other cannibalistic clowns make visitors run for their lives inside the all-new District of the Dead’s Clown Chaos. This latest attraction at this fan-favorite fright piles on even more paranoia, alongside the park’s popular Psycho Ward, Zombie Revenge Firing Range and the return of the sense-shattering intensity of the Extreme House of Terror, which pushes even the strongest to their very limits.

60 | REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018

New Salem Corn Maze

4516 24th St., Dorr witchesofnewsalem.com Sept. 28-Nov. 3 (Friday-Sunday, Halloween Night) The “Witches of New Salem” invite you to choose your own brand of horror with four unique experiences at this expansive outdoor location.

Whether you’re looking to blast a few zombies with paintballs, work your way through a haunted corn maze or survive the twisted trail of these witches’ woods, there’s something for everyone at this ghoulish gathering, with family-friendly activities taking place before dark every weekend.

Niles Scream Park

855 Mayflower Rd., Niles haunted.org Oct. 5-31 (Friday-Sunday) Ranked as one of the top haunted attractions in the country for years now, this hit near the Indiana border is worth the trip because of its sprawling 44

acres of unrelenting terror. Professionally designed, the park packs in endless frights, from its classic haunted house to its Haunted Hayride and the Field of Screams. Those brave enough can take on the demented Doll Factory or Grimm’s Funeral Services, or for those older than 18, there’s “Hooded,” a truly unnerving experience where visitors enter alone and are blindfolded among seemingly unknown horrors.

The Haunted Mall

(Inside Lakes Mall) 5600 Harvey St., Muskegon hauntedhall.com Oct. 5-27 (Fridays & Saturdays) Following a strange twist of fate, this longrunning lakeshore haunt has found itself inside the mall, like some sort of reverse Dawn of the Dead. Taking over multiple open retail spaces, the event welcomes you into its recreations of the Muskegon State Hospital, a gruesome meatpacking plant, an evil circus and a looming tunnel of terror, all for one price of admission. It’s the perfect combination for those looking to mix a little shopping with their spine-tingling torment.

THE HOTTEST HANGS Monster’s Ball 2018

20 Monroe Live, 11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids 20monroelive.com Oct. 27, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., $15-100 Anyone looking to throw on a mask and let loose this Halloween should not miss out on what’s billed as “Grand Rapids’ Biggest Halloween Party.” Now in its second year, the event will feature haunted circus performers including aerialists, acrobats, illusionists and more bewildering the massive crowd, while some of West Michigan’s top DJs keep the bodies moving – dead or alive! Dress up or dress down, the 21-and-older event welcomes all to the freakiest night of the year.

Night Terrors

The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids thebob.com Oct. 27, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., $20 At the same time as the Monster’s Ball, the B.O.B. is getting a Halloween makeover, with six dance floors of spiders, clowns, zombies, snakes and more. This also means six DJs and six distinct ways to party, as well as a massive costume contest, with prizes $500 and up. Attendees can pick up a Dual Access Pass for $75 to freely move between this party and the Monster’s Ball.

Zombie Dash

Downtown Grand Rapids thezombiedash.com Oct. 20, 6:45 p.m., $39-$45 for runners/walkers, free for zombies (in zombie garb) Fast zombies or slow zombies? It’s one of the most hotly contested debates in all of horror fandom, and it’s at the core of this one-of-a-kind event in GR. Fusing fitness with fear, this fun 5K pits runners against your more traditionally slow “zombies,” who will shock and scare as they attempt to rip away participants’ “life strips.” It’s all in good fun, with cider and goodies at the finish line, and costume prizes for the best zombie volunteers.

Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival

Wealthy Theatre 1130 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids grcmc.org/theatre Oct. 23-27

Primarily a showcase for cult classics and independent genre films, this annual festival celebrates all things action, horror and sci-fi. For more than a decade, it has pulled in works from around the globe, debuted the work of local filmmakers, and offered fans in-depth discussions of some of the best horror flicks of all time. n

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61

LAST CALL

BY NICK MACKSOOD PHOTO BY KATY BATDORFF

NEWY NUI RESERVE WINE & FOOD

Reserve’s take on an original “Don the Beachcomber” cocktail, the Nui Nui, the Newy Nui departs from what you might expect of a tiki drink. It’s as suitable for October as it is any other month of the year, the little zing of allspice and cinnamon balancing the brightness of the citrus.

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 oz. lime juice 1/4 oz. cinnamon syrup 1/2 oz. fresh orange juice 1/4 oz. allspice dram 1 1/2 oz. Gray Skies spiced rum Dash Angostura bitters

DINING SIGHTS | SOUNDS | SCENE

Combine all ingredients into an iced shaker and mix thoroughly. Pour all contents of the shaker into a tiki glass of your choosing and garnish with an orange peel and, of course, the cocktail umbrella.

62 | REVUEWM.COM | SEPTEMBER 2018

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$2 Beef Tacos $5 Burger & Chips $3 Well Drinks & Select Drafts $4 Woodstinis & House Wine REVUEWM.COM | OCTOBER 2018 |

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