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YEARS » SEPTEMBER 2025 SAMANTHA BEE: HOT FLASHES WHILE THE WORLD IS ON FIRE 10 BANDS TO WATCH
WHAT'S INSIDE
JOSH VEAL , Managing Editor | josh@serendipity-media.com
Throughout our conversations for this issue, one theme kept popping up: West Michigan is home to a world-class arts and music scene.
From the only professional ballet company in Michigan (Grand Rapids Ballet), to professional Equity theaters such as Saugatuck Center for the Arts and Barn Theatre, to venues like the newly opened Big Room pulling together top behindthe-scenes talent—the quality and passion are immense.
To be clear, this isn’t just locals patting ourselves on the back. Arts professionals who come here from across the country and around the world say that West Michigan is unique in the caliber of its offerings.
We dig into that discussion in this issue with our first Arts Roundtable in many years, bringing together the leaders of local organizations to talk about the challenges and success they’re seeing in recent years. Then, we highlight just a few local artists who are doing great things, from painters to photographers, printmakers and metalworkers (sorry to ruin the alliteration).
This issue also looks at the local music scene, with our annual roundup of Bands to Watch, and deeper profiles on artists like folk trio The Rebel Eves, or Kanin Wren, who’s quickly established herself across the country as the premier Taylor Swift cover artist.
Of course, you’ll also find the annual Arts 2025-26 Season Preview, which aims to act as a guide to just about every arts event and exhibition imaginable from now until the end of the season. I reference it all year-long, and you can too!
Let’s be honest: Right now, times are tough, and it’s easy to feel lonely or bereft. Getting out and enjoying art, whether it be on your own at a gallery or with a crowd at a performance, can be a solution to both. It’s a balm for the soul and an opportunity to make connections with your fellow humanity. Plus, it’s just fun!
‘Til next time,
WHO'S WHO
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Managing Editor | Josh Veal, josh@serendipity-media.com
Art Director | Courtney Van Hagen
Marketing Specialist | Kelsey Shoemaker
Distribution | Kelli Belanger
Contributing Writers | Allison Kay Bannister, John Kissane, Eric Mitts, Michaela Stock
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WHAT’S GOING ON, SEPT '25
9/5
KALAMASHOEGAZER
Bell’s Eccentric Café & General Store
355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo Sept. 5-6 bellsbeer.com
The longest running Shoegaze & Dreampop festival in the US is hosted right here in Kalamazoo. Now in its 16th year, Kalamashoegazer is back with 12 bands performing at Bell’s Back Room across two days, including Cigarettes for Breakfast, Origami Phase, Desert Liminal and more.
9/6
EASTOWN STREETFAIR 2025
415 Ethel Ave SE, Grand Rapids Sept. 6, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. facebook.com/eastowngr
The Eastown Streetfair is a familyfriendly celebration of arts, crafts, food, drinks, music, and the Eastown neighborhood; one of Grand Rapids’ most eclectic districts! Stroll through 150+ local vendors, listen to live music all day, indulge in delicious local food, and get a drink at the beer tent. And for the kids, have a blast at our Full Filled Fairgrounds, with Arts in Motion Studio, Bricks 4 Kidz, a mobile library and more!
ONE WELL BLOCK PARTY
4213 Portage St, Kalamazoo Sept. 6, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. onewellbrewing.com
Mark your calendar for another party of the year at One Well Brewing, featuring live music with partners at Sounds of the Zoo, pinball, foosball, darts, duckpin bowling, games from amazing community partners, food and drink specials, and so much more!
GRAND ARMORY BREWING’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY
17 S. 2nd St., Grand Haven Sept. 6, 3-11 p.m. facebook.com/GrandArmoryBrew
Grand Haven’s very own Grand
Armory Brewing is turning 10 and you’re invited to the party. Join rain or shine as they celebrate a decade of drafts with righteously good food, delicious and unique pours, live music from bands like The Reverend Jesse Ray, and more.
9/13
KDL VIBES
Kent District Library Cascade Branch 2870 Jacksmith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids Sept. 13, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. vibes.kdl.org
There’s no better way to enjoy summer than with a music festival featuring your favorite West Michigan artists from the KDL Vibes collection (a free platform supporting local musicians). Enjoy coffee and classic cars, bring your kids to the bounce house, chat with other music fans, and get introduced to your next favorite band—all while hanging out at the library.
9/14
POPPY - THEY’RE ALL AROUND US TOUR
GLC Live at 20 Monroe 11 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Sept. 14, 7 p.m. glcliveat20monroe.com
Poppy is a pop chameleon who refuses to be pinned down. Emerging from YouTube with surreal, uncanny videos, she’s since shapeshifted through bubblegum pop, industrial metal, and avant-garde electronica, all with a wink of performance art. Always blurring the line between satire and sincerity, Poppy is less an ever-evolving experiment in what pop music can be.
9/17
WEIRD AL YANKOVIC: BIGGER AND WEIRDER TOUR
Miller Auditorium 1341 Theatre Dr., Kalamazoo Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m. millerauditorium.com
Weird Al brings his legendary fullproduction multimedia comedy rock show back to the concert stage with the BIGGER & WEIRDER 2025 Tour, playing his iconic hits as well as some never-performed-livebefore fan favorites. Al’s long-time band is joined by four additional players to create a super-sized concert experience.
9/18
ARTPRIZE 2025 Grand Rapids Sept. 18-Oct. 4 artprize.org
During ArtPrize, the city transforms into a canvas filled with the works of artists from around the world. Wander through streets, parks, galleries, and restaurants to discover sculptures, paintings, installations, and more—with artists up for $600,000 in grants and awards. On Friday, Sept. 19, it all kicks off with an opening celebration at Rosa Parks Circle, including live music, community activities, interactive art and fireworks along the Grand River.
THE FRONT BOTTOMS - 10 YEARS OF BACK ON TOP
The Intersection 133 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Sept. 18, 7 p.m. sectionlive.com
With Back On Top, released a decade ago, The Front Bottoms leaned into their scrappy charm while cranking up the ambition. The New Jersey duo, known for turning awkward honesty into anthems, sharpened their storytelling on tracks like “Cough It Out” and “Help,” mixing acoustic grit with bigger, punchier production. It’s an album
that balanced singalong hooks with the band’s trademark stream-ofconsciousness wit.
9/20
DUMPLING FEST: AROUND THE WORLD
555 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Sept. 20, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. grapf.org
For one day only, explore dumplings from cultures across the world, all in one location—presented by the Grand Rapids Asian Pacific Foundation. From savory to sweet, steamed to fried, discover flavors that will make your heart and stomach happy, in this beautiful, family-friendly riverside setting.
CRESTON PRIDE FESTIVAL 2025
123 Caledonia St. NE, Grand Rapids Sept. 21, 12-6 p.m. envivochurch.org/crestonpride
Join this autumn Pride celebration for The World’s Smallest Pride Parade, live entertainment, food trucks, an artist market featuring local creators, engaging community booths, and more surprises still to be announced.
POKEY LAFARGE
Park Theatre
246 S. River Ave., Holland Sept. 25, 7 p.m. parktheatreholland.org
After crisscrossing the nation looking for a home, Pokey LaFarge, the Illinois-born singer/songwriter/ actor, pursued a major life change, working 12-hour days on a local farm—a turn of events that catalyzed an extraordinary burst of creativity and redefined his sense of purpose as an artist. See it in action at Park Theatre this month.
9/26
OKTOBERFESTGR
Riverside Park
2000 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Sept. 26-27
oktoberfestgr.com
This annual party celebrates German and Bavarian heritage with tons of delicious and authentic imported German beer, German food like doner kebab, bratwurst and wiener schnitzel, live music and games—and it’s fun for all ages!
9/27
WEALTHY STREET BLOCK PARTY
751 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids Sept. 27, 12-6 p.m. facebook.com/EastHillsGR
Join for a day of local flavor and festive vibes at the Wealthy Street Block Party, featuring live music, kids’ activities, food trucks, craft drinks, and a street full of neighbors, makers, and music lovers. Just don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket!
TRANSFUSE NIGHT MARKET
Fulton Street Farmers Market 1145 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids Sept. 27, 5-10 p.m. facebook.com/transfigureprintco
Join for the 3rd annual TransFuse Art Market, a special collab between Transfigure and GR Trans Foundation. This year, the event will be a night market held outdoors at Fulton Street Farmers Market. With queer and trans art, live performances, local food and drink, and community resources, the goal is to invest in each other’s lives and give strength to each other through communal celebration.
VINTAGE IN THE ZOO
Grand Rapids Downtown Market
435 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids Sept. 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. vintageinthezoo.com
This FREE, single-day outdoor true vintage & handmade market offers 60+ fresh and unique small businesses & entrepreneurs an opportunity to sell their goods at the Downtown Market. Shop the region’s best vintage and handmade vendors, and enjoy delicious food and drinks from some of the Market Hall local vendors. Plus, vinyl sounds will be live from WIDR FM’s DJ Dan Steely.
10/1
THE LUMINEERS
Van Andel Arena
Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m. vanandelarena.com
Since their breakout 2012 self-titled debut album, the Lumineers have achieved incredible milestones. With foot-stomping folk anthems and tender ballads alike, the band has built a reputation for turning raw storytelling into sing-along moments. The band is touring now in support of their fifth studio album, Automatic, released early 2025— with special guest Chance Pena.
Poppy, OktoberfestGR, Pokey LaFarge, Vintage in the Zoo. COURTESY PHOTOS
Samantha Bee has never been one to shy away from uncomfortable topics, whether she was skewering politicians on her late night show “Full Frontal,” or diving headfirst into the absurdities of American life.
Now, she’s taking on a topic too many people pretend doesn’t exist: menopause.
With her new one-woman show “How To Survive Menopause,” (coming to the Wealthy Theatre Sept. 25) Bee turns hot flashes, mood swings, and midlife revelations into a sharp, hilarious, and surprisingly cathartic evening.
As she prepared to hit the road for her latest tour, she talked with Revue about finding humor in the hormonal apocalypse, the highs and lows of life after late night, and why comedy might be the last tool left to survive politics, aging, and the nightly news.
“When I entered that phase of life, I had a really hard time talking about it myself,” Bee said about why she wanted to do a show about menopause. “As a person who is very vocal about
SAMANTHA BEE: Hot Flashes While the World is On Fire
| by Eric Mitts
difficult stuff, I usually don’t shy away from hard topics. And even I felt so vulnerable any time I would bring up perimenopause, or menopause.”
Bee continued to talk about it for longer, and as time passed, she got more comfortable with the topic, sharing her experiences, and joking about it.
“It was such a long process for me to be able to freely talk about it,” she added. “And I thought that feels really important because if I, as a person who is very used to speaking publicly, am having trouble talking about this, then I cannot imagine what it might be like for someone who is not as used to jumping into the deep end of an unknown. So that’s what really what led me to do the show. It’s the only show I could really imagine performing right now. It just is such a natural, organic extension of where I am at right now.”
Bee first entered perimenopause while she was working on her hit TBS show “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”
Formerly a correspondent on “The Daily Show,” Bee has broken
down barriers her entire career. She was the only female correspondent for her first five years on “The Daily Show,” and the first non-American (she’s Canadian and now holds dual citizenship). She spent 12 years there, becoming the longest-serving regular correspondent, before launching “Full Frontal” in 2016, where she became the first woman to host a late night satire show.
So it isn’t surprising that when some of the symptoms of perimenopause started to occur, she first thought it was just stress from her fast-paced new job.
Soon she realized that her hair falling out in clumps and her agonizing frozen shoulder were something far more significant.
“Seven or eight years ago no one was talking about (menopause) at all then,” Bee said. “And I mean, like nobody. Zero people, only doctors and science. And so I had no information at all. I didn’t recognize anything that was happening to me. I thought that I was just really stressed out. And that’s why my hair was like falling out. But it was so confusing.”
Ultimately she went to her doctor, who explained that what she was experiencing was perimenopause, something she had not considered at first, because she thought she was too young.
“Once someone put a name to it, it just made it easier to deal with,” she said. “Like, OK, it’s not you. And it’s funny, when I reflect, I think, ‘Wow, can we really only have been talking about this out loud for, like, less than 10 years?’ A lot of people are like, it’s so trendy to talk about menopause right now. But, it’s not really a trend. It’s not. It doesn’t go away. You just get used to it, because now we talk about it.”
“How To Survive Menopause” isn’t just a stand-up show; it’s part group therapy, part rallying cry, and part reminder that laughter really is a survival skill.
Although the show is available
as an audiobook now exclusively on Audible, Bee developed it as the starting point for a larger, ongoing conversation. So taking it out on tour really gives her a chance to evolve the show with the audience.
“During the course of the show, I’m asking people to tell me stuff about their bodies that I’ve never heard before,” Bee said.
One of the biggest surprises she’s seen from doing the show is just how diverse the audience is age-wise, with far more men in the crowd than she had initially anticipated.
“I have a 17-year-old son, and he definitely does not love it,” Bee said. “He’s definitely like, ‘Can you just go one day without saying that word to me?’ And I’m like, ‘I respect your wishes,’ but it’s going to feel really normal for him later in his life. Even when he obviously doesn’t want to talk about it with me now.”
Although the show is very personal, Bee admits that politics still play a huge part in the discussion, as recent federal budget cuts have come at the expense of further research into women’s health.
“Those DOGE boys were really searching for those keywords and canceling those research initiatives,” Bee said. “So I feel like we’re in a real holding pattern on research into women’s bodies for very evident reasons. I’m not really sure that Big Balls was all that interested in women’s health research. That was the first to go.”
As for looking back on working in late night, and the future of the format, Bee said she feels like television is at a contraction point.
“Look what happened to Stephen (Colbert),” she said about her longtime “Daily Show” friend who’s “Late Show” was recently, and controversially, canceled by CBS. “There’s certainly not a broad appetite at the network level
in the entertainment industry to embrace political satire right now. People are on their phones all day. So they actually are very well aware of what’s happening in the world. And maybe there’s a role for TV to play. And I think there is an evolution. It’s very difficult to broadcast it in that way.
“I would say that I think that online people are doing a great job, like on TikTok and on YouTube,” she added. “People are doing really great out there, which is really admirable. It’s like, ‘how do you keep your energy going? How do you keep your energy moving forward when 10 different terrible things happen every single day?’ Since my show ended, I actually reflect on that. Sometimes I’m like, I don’t know what we would choose to talk about if we were just doing one story for a week, because we would have to accept three storylines per episode, and reject like a hundred equally important stories. It’s just a landfill of terrible stories to make a single episode. Not to get so dark, but it’s so dark! It’s crazy!”
Since the cancellation of “Full Frontal” in 2022, Bee said she’s cut down her daily media diet, but remains a news junkie. Nowadays she prefers things like yoga to distract her from the daily chaos, but she can never just bury her head in the sand. So in addition to touring with her show, she’s currently writing a new project, and busy getting her kids into college. ■
THE PYRAMID SCHEME PRESENTS SAMANTHA BEE: HOW TO SURVIVE MENOPAUSE
Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids Sept. 25, 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, $55.33 - $99.62 Samanthabee.com, Pyramidschemebar.com, grcmc. org/theatre/events
CHEWING THE SCENERY
| by Allison Kay Bannister
The funny thing about summer feeling like it’s winding down, is that in some ways it’s just hitting its peak. This is true at the many farmers markets and produce stands around town where we can finally get locally grown goods. In West Michigan, it takes as long as it takes, and it’s worth the wait! We were at Fulton Street Farmers Market a few Saturdays ago, braving the crowds to get our hands on our favorite flowers, fruits, and veggies from our preferred growers, and decided to stop at Crane Dance Farm’s stall to chat.
A staple at the market for decades, they tend to a different kind of agriculture that many of us may not have front of mind: livestock and poultry. Over the span of our adult lives, our household has thought a lot about the to-do or not-to-do of eating meat, and have fluctuated between vegetarian, less meat, and full-on carnivorous bacchanalia.
I know we’re going to have readers from all dietary walks and myriad opinions on the subject. The truth is, meat happens. And, with that in mind, the overarching philosophy here should be around how to
make it the best version of itself.
That’s exactly what Crane Dance Farm is doing and has been for more than 20 years. Located in Middleville, they’re an environmentally regenerative, pasturebased farm that uses sustainable practices, eschews chemicals, and provides their animals with a humane existence. They’re also GMO free, as well as certified grassfed and animal welfare approved by A Greener World (AGW). They even grind their own GMO-free corn and soybeans for feed.
Co-owners Mary and Jill, along with a wily, hardworking team, raise a diverse range of animals, including sheep, cows, pigs, chickens (and chicken eggs), turkeys, geese, and bees on about 200 acres of land that they own or manage. The massive property they and their animals reside on allows for regeneration—an approach to farming that focuses on soil health, biodiversity, managed grazing, composting, crop rotation, and whole lot more.
I know all of this not only because of that convo at the market awhile back, and tons of online research, but because I got to
tour the farm, accompanied by a couple of curious friends.
After several GPS-directed turns, we arrived at Crane Dance on a sweltering Friday afternoon, clad in comfortable clothes, doused in sunscreen, armed with water bottles, and wearing shoes that we wouldn’t mind the possibility of getting poop on. Mary, who just celebrated a monumental birthday—a w-eighty one, you might say!—led the tour, taking us through chicken roosting barns, beside pastures with resting sheep, over rocky terrain, and across a busy road to see the larger areas where many of the animals make their homes.
We saw pregnant sows, nursing piglets, a Red Devon bull and his many mistresses, Cornish Cross chickens, roosters and laying hens, and plenty of rolling, green, open space. All of this on which creatures graze and roam casually, yet strategically. Talk about the great outdoors!
I thought I might leave the farm feeling attached to the animals and rethinking my meat consumption, but, if anything, (for
me) it reinforced the notion of pursuing options that are better for our bodies, better for the land, and better for the earth. It was easy to connect to the wisdom and realize that this process is a more conscious way to be a meat consumer.
And, just in case you’re wondering, the animals are raised on the farm, but are processed in a USDA-certified facility. Yes, the inevitable happens upon leaving Crane Dance farms, but under conditions in which these wards live happily, healthily, and gently.
If this appeals to you, know that you don’t have to drive all the way out to Middleville to shop. You can buy on their website and pick up at Fulton Street Farmers Market on Saturdays. In addition to meats, they sell eggs, honey, bone broth, tallow, and pet food, as well as Fertrell organic fertilizer. And, they’re currently ramping up for Thanksgiving turkey season. The best way to stay on top of what is happening when is to visit cranedancefarm.com or follow them on Facebook. ■
| by Josh Veal
SIP BY SIP: Grand Rapids Coffee & Tea
Coffee isn’t just coffee, and tea isn’t just tea. They’re experiences that bring people together. We have a massive amount of fantastic cafes here in Grand Rapids—more than we cover here, and each offering something a little different, whether it’s an atmosphere of creativity, a mission-driven purpose, unique eats, wine or even community events.
Here’s your guide to finding the right cup, depending on what you’re craving.
LOTUS BREW | 211 Diamond Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
If you want your latte to make a social impact, Lotus Brew is your spot. This cozy café doubles as a banned books library and hosts regular community events, from queer mixers to potlucks, writers groups, fiber arts, board games and more!
SCORPION HEARTS CLUB | 1035 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids
For the adventurous and “badass dreamers,” Scorpion Hearts Club (formerly home to Sparrows) keeps things playful. Their bold drink menu always features seasonal specialty creations, alongside magazines and local art.
HAS HEART | 22 Sheldon Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
This veteran-owned coffee shop carries a powerful story behind every cup. HAS HEART pairs good coffee with a mission: Creating a space where veterans and civilians connect through art, design, and shared experience.
THE STRAY | 4253 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids
Looking for coffee with a creative streak? The Stray is equal parts café, performance venue, and art gallery. Grab a cappuccino while listening to live music or browsing local art, not to mention artisan foods and pastries.
STOVETOP ROASTERS | 944 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
A roaster with roots in Ann Arbor, Stovetop brings quirky vibes and approachable expertise to Grand Rapids. Come here if you’re looking for carefully crafted coffee in a chill setting, and a staff who’s always happy to talk beans.
SQUIBB | 955 Wealthy St., Grand Rapids
A long-time favorite in the Uptown area, Squibb strikes the balance between cozy and cool, serving both coffee and alcohol. It’s a reliable place to sip a pour-over and catch up with friends, then transition to charcuterie and wine as the night goes on.
MADCAP
98 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids | 1041 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
If you want the name that put Grand Rapids on the coffee map, Madcap is it. Sleek, modern, and serious about their beans, Madcap is where you go when you want the full craft coffee experience.
LANTERN COFFEE BAR AND LOUNGE
100 Commerce Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
Lantern is a spot where everyone is welcome, but they’re especially great for coffee aficionados, with a focus on quality beans and precise brewing. Located right downtown, with a cozy woodfocused interior and moody lighting, it’s the perfect place to relax all day with a good book, or hunker down and get your work done.
MORNING RITUAL COFFEE BAR
150 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
This warm, welcoming shop makes the everyday feel special, whether you’re grabbing a quick cortado or lingering with friends. That’s why they’ve developed such a strong following, growing into a new spot downtown with plenty of drinks, a new photobooth and regular events.
QUICKWATER COFFEE ROASTERS
8 E. Bridge St. NE, Rockford | 220 Quimby St. NE, Grand Rapids
Local roasting meets small-town friendliness at Quickwater, committed to providing you with a quality experience through meaningful hospitality. Their coffee is carefully sourced and roasted—delicious and approachable, alongside tasty food options like fresh biscuits and quiche.
FIKA | 1359 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
Aside from fantastic coffee provided by Squibb, Fika’s real claim to fame is their entirely plant-based, gluten-free menu of tasty eats, alongside a market serving grab-and-go food, drinks, and ingredients, plus flowers from Good Good Good.
GLOBAL INFUSION
143 Diamond Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
If you want to travel the world in a teacup, Global Infusion is the place. With a massive selection of dozens of loose-leaf teas and fair-trade goods, it’s as much a shopping destination as a tea stop. You can weigh out exactly as much tea as you’d like and create your own blends—while grabbing your friend’s birthday gift.
HIGH TEA
1522 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids
For those who love a touch of elegance, High Tea offers a classic tea service experience—tiered trays, dainty sandwiches, and all. Perfect for making an ordinary afternoon feel like a celebration.
MOONDROP HERBALS
638 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
Part apothecary, part tea haven, Moondrop Herbals specializes in herbal blends that heal and soothe. Head here for a calming cup that’s as much about wellness as it is about flavor.
KAVA KASA
962 Cherry St. SE, Grand Rapids
If you’re looking for a different kind of buzz, Kava Kasa offers a unique twist on the café experience. Specializing in kava and botanical teas, this laid-back lounge is about relaxation and mindful sipping. It’s the place to wind down, connect with friends, and explore drinks that calm instead of caffeinate (though they have both). ■
Fika, Quickwater Coffee Roasters, Squibb, Global Infusion.
ARTS
& MUSIC
WEST MICHIGAN ARTS SEASON PREVIEW: 2025-26
Arts exhibitions and performances have returned in full swing to West Michigan. This season, there’s absolutely no shortage of concerts, symphonies, plays, musicals, ballet, visual arts and beyond. We have big Broadway shows like & Juliet , The Lion King and Beetlejuice coming through; plenty of live performances with symphonies, ensembles and dancers taking to the stage; and powerful art exhibitions exploring race, culture and the future. With any luck and lots of work, all these amazing events and more will be coming to West Michigan in the year ahead. Here’s our annual guide to arts events for the coming season.
MUSIC
FONTANA CHAMBER ARTS
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 200, Kalamazoo fontanamusic.org
» Akropolis Reed Quintet, Sept. 21
» VOCES8, Oct. 22
» Meg Okura Trio, Feb. 22
» Anthony Ross (Cello) & Timothy Lovelace (Piano), Apr. 19
FRAUENTHAL CENTER
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon frauenthal.org
» Beatles vs Stones—A Musical Showdown, Oct. 17
» A Celtic Christmas, Nov. 21
FRANKE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
214 E Mansion St., Marshall thefranke.org
» Chameleon, Sept. 13
» Bluegrass Night, Sept. 20
» Djangophonique, Sept. 27
» Dixon’s Violin, Oct. 24
» Mississippi Heat, Nov. 15
» Irish Pub Night, Jan. 10
» Ember & Ash, Jan. 16
» Ice, Wine, Beer & Blues, Jan. 30-31
» Tinsley Ellis, Feb. 21
» Hannah Laine, Apr. 17
» Tito Puente Jr., May 23
» Tom Franke Gala, May 30
GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY
300 Ottawa Ave. NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids grsymphony.org
Richard and Helen DeVos
Masterworks:
» Opening Weekend! Beethoven’s Ninth, Sept. 12-13
» The French Masters, Sept. 26-27
» Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Oct. 17-18
» Brahms’ Fourth, Nov. 14-15
» Boléro, Jan. 9-10
» Ravishing Rachmaninoff, Jan. 23-24
» Celebrate America @ 250!, Feb. 6-7
» Mahler’s Sixth, March 6-7
» Seductive Ravel, March 27-28
» Orchestral Fireworks!, May 8-9
Coffee/Chamber Masterworks:
» Coffee/Evening with Marcelo, Nov. 7
» Coffee/Evening with Duo, Mar. 13
» Coffee/Evening with Bob, Apr. 24
Fox Motor Pops:
» Music of Hans Zimmer, Oct. 24-25
» Holiday Pops Presented by Meijer, Dec. 5-7
» Boston Pops Tribute, Jan. 16-17
» Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, Mar. 20-21
» SOUNDS OF LAUREL CANYON: 60s & 70s Rock Legends, May 1-2
Symphony Specials:
» Mariachi Cobre, Sept. 20
» Ben Folds with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Oct. 4
» Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring in Concert, Oct. 31-Nov. 1
» The Polar Express in Concert, Nov. 21-22
» Trisha Yearwood, Dec. 17
» Shrek 2 In Concert, Jan. 2
HOLLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
96 W. 15th St. Ste. 201, Holland hollandsymphony.org
» Orchestral Fate, Sept. 6
» Heroes & Villians, Oct. 4
» Holiday Concerts, Dec. 13
» Dreams of Heaven & Earth, Mar. 28
» Romantic Connections, Apr. 25
HOPE COLLEGE
GREAT PERFORMANCE SERIES
100 E. Eighth St., Holland hope.gps
» Koresh Dance Company, Sept. 18
» Miguel Zenon Quartet, Oct. 9
» Neave Trio, Nov. 13
» Dudok Quartet Amsterdam, Jan. 22
» Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mar. 12
» Reduced Shakespeare Company, Apr. 11
KALAMAZOO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo kalamazoosymphony.com
» Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven, Sept. 27
» Composing Tomorrow, Oct. 9
» Mozart & Tchaikovsky, Oct. 18
» Oktoberfest, Oct. 22
» Brahms & the Schumanns, Nov. 15
» Carols by Candlelight, Dec. 17
» Ragtime, Jan. 14
» Sounds of the Middle East, Jan. 29
» Mahler’s Third Symphony, Feb. 21
» Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Mar. 28
» West Side Story, Apr. 18
» 90s Throwbacks, May 20
» The Nutcracker, Nov. 22
» Sibelius & Dugan, Feb. 7
» Music Takes Flight, Mar. 10
» Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Mar. 21
» Improv Meets Symphony, July 9-10
» Beatles in the Beer Garden, June 17
» 80s & More, July 15
SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org
» Music from the Mitten, Sept. 3
» California Dreamin’: Music from the 60s & 70s, Sept. 18-19
» Music That Raised Us: The Motown Sound, Oct. 9-10
ST. CECILIA MUSIC CENTER
24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids scmc-online.org
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
» Gilbert Kalish & the Viano Quartet, Nov. 20
» Quintet Revelations, Apr. 16
» Schubertiade, May 14
Spectacular Jazz Series
» Catherine Russell, Oct. 9
» John Pizzarelli Trio, Jan. 15
» Emmet Cohen, Feb. 26
» Branford Marsalis Quartet, Mar. 19
Acoustic Cafe Folk
» The Milk Carton Kids, Sept. 9
» Leo Kottke, Sept. 23
» Sierra Hull, Sept. 25
» Chris Thile, Oct. 23
» Josh Ritter, Nov. 2
» Yonder Mountain String Band, Dec. 4
» Sam Bush, Mar. 26
THE GILMORE
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo thegilmore.org
» Chelsea Guo, Sept. 21
» Luther S. Allison Trio, Oct. 4
» Giorgi Gigashvili, Oct. 5
» Miki Yamanaka Trio, Dec. 6
» The 2026 Gilmore Piano Festival, Apr. 30-May 10
WEST MICHIGAN SYMPHONY
360 W. Western Ave. Ste. 200, Muskegon westmichigansymphony.org
MAIN SERIES
» The Music of ABBA with Direct from Sweden, Oct. 3
» Orchestra’s Greatest Hits, Nov. 14
» Home for the Holidays
- Around the World, Dec. 19
» Superheroes at the Symphony, Jan. 30
» Gershwin’s Piano Concerto, Feb. 27
» Fiesta Sinfonica, Mar. 20
» Guitar Romance, Apr. 17
» All-Star Finale, May 8
THE BLOCK
» Alvin Waddles Trio, Sept. 26
» BLKBOK, Oct. 17
» Dmitri Matheny Quintet, Oct. 24
» Charlie Albright, Nov. 15
» Paul Keller Quintet, Dec. 13
» Jordan VanHemert Quartet, Feb. 7
» Robert Johnson & Friends, Feb. 13
» Michelle Cann, Feb. 28
» House of Hamill, Mar. 13
» Camille Zamora, Mar. 21
» Varo String Quartet, Apr. 18
» Stéphane Wrembel Quartet, May 1
THEATER & DANCE
ACTORS THEATRE
160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids actorstheatregrandrapids.org
» Spain, Sept. 11-20
» Hyenas, Oct. 9-18
» Dance Nation, Mar. 5-14
» cullud wattah, May 7-16
AQUINAS CONTEMPORARY
WRITERS SERIES
1700 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids aquinas.edu
» Jeff Zentner, Sept. 25
» Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Nov. 6
» Christopher Merrill, Mar. 26
BROADWAY GRAND RAPIDS
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com
» Water for Elephants, Oct. 7-12
» The Boom of Mormon, Nov. 4-9
» Kimberly Akimbo, Jan. 27-Feb. 1
» & Juliet, Mar. 10-15
» Disney’s The Lion King, Apr. 8-26
» The Outsiders, June 9-14
» The Great Gatsby, July 21-26
CENTRAL PARK PLAYERS
421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven centralparkplayers.org
» I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Oct. 17-26
» Let Nothing Dismay You, Dec. 12-21
» Marjorie Prime, Feb. 27-Mar. 8
» She Kills Monsters, Apr. 24-May 3
CIRCLE THEATRE
1703 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids circletheatre.org
» Jesus Christ Superstar, Sept. 4-20
DEOS CONTEMPORARY BALLET
1595 Galbraith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids deosballet.com
» The Tempest, Nov. 21-23
» Cracked Nuts, Dec. 19-20
» Ember Series 26, Mar. 20-22
» Awaken Series 26, Spring 2026
FACE OFF THEATRE
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo faceofftheatre.com
» The Colored Museum, Nov. 7-16
» Mahalia: A Gospel Musical, Dec. 2025
FARMERS ALLEY THEATRE KALAMAZOO
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com
» Come From Away, Sept. 25-Oct. 12
» A Very Kalamazoo Christmas, Nov. 20-Dec. 7
» Primary Trust, Jan. 22-Feb. 1
» Misery, Mar. 5-15
» Good Night, Oscar, Apr. 16-26
» Into the Woods, May 28-June 7
» Dear Evan Hansen, July 9-26
FOREST HILLS FINE ARTS CENTER
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids fhfineartscenter.com
» Illuminate The Tour, Oct. 26
» Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Nov. 23
» Stomp, Apr. 19
FRAUENTHAL CENTER
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon frauenthal.org
» World Ballet Company: The Great Gatsby Ballet, Oct. 1
» An Evening of Buster Keaton Films, Oct. 4
» Grand Kyiv Ballet Presents – Snow Queen, Nov. 15
» Sister’s Christmas Catechism, Dec. 20
GILMORE THEATRE/WMU THEATRE
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre
» Utopia, Sept. 26-Oct. 12
» Cats, Oct. 24-Nov. 9
» The House That Will Not Stand, Nov. 14-23
» Next Stop, Broadway!, Dec. 4-6
» The Coast Starlight, Jan. 30-Feb. 15
» Much Ado About Nothing, Mar. 20-29
» Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Apr. 10-25
GRAND RAPIDS BALLET
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grballet.com
» Sherlock, Oct. 24-26
» The Nutcracker, Dec. 12-21
» Swan Lake, Feb. 27-Mar. 1
» Jumpstart 2026, Mar. 27-29
» In the Countenance of Kings, Apr. 24-May 3
GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org
» Rock of Ages, Sept. 12-Oct. 5
» Pete the Cat, Oct. 14-19
» Disney’s Frozen, Nov. 14-Dec.14
» Ain’t Misbehavin’, Jan. 16-Feb. 1
» The Lightning Thief, Feb. 27-Mar. 15
» Dial M for Murder, Apr. 17-May 3
» Legally Blonde: The Musical, June 5-28
JEWISH THEATRE GRAND RAPIDS 2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids jtgr.org
» Coney Island Christmas, Dec. 4-14
» The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, Feb. 5-15
» Wiesenthal, Apr. 16-May 3
» Games, June 11-21
KALAMAZOO CIVIC THEATRE
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com
» Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, Sept. 19-28
» You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Oct. 10-19
» Disney’s Frozen JR., Oct. 24-Nov. 2
» The Colored Museum, Nov. 7-16
» Annie, Dec. 5-21
» The Cherry Orchard, Jan. 16-Feb. 1
» The SpongeBob Musical, Feb. 6-15
» Dogfight, Feb. 20-Mar. 1
» Angels in America, Mar. 13-22
» The Odd Couple, Apr. 10-19
» Mirror of Most Value, Apr. 17-26
» The Producers, May 1-17
MILLER AUDITORIUM
2200 Auditorium Dr, Kalamazoo millerauditorium.com
» Swan Lake, Oct. 1
» Girls Night: The Musical, Oct. 4
» Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Nov. 7-8
» A Celtic Christmas, Nov. 29
» A Carpenters’ Christmas, Dec. 6
» Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Dec. 16
» CHICAGO the Musical, Jan. 20-21
» Blue Man Group, Jan. 28-29
» Clue, Feb. 4-5
» TINA - The Tina Turner Musical, Mar. 3-4
» Beetlejuice, May 8-10
» Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’, May 16
Akropolis Reed Quintet, BLKBOK. COURTESY PHOTOS / The Outsiders. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW MURPHY
MUSKEGON CIVIC THEATRE
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org
» Frozen Jr., Sept. 6-7
» Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, Oct. 10-25
» Bright Star, Nov. 21-Dec. 7
» Once On This Island, Jan. 16-25
» Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Feb. 14-22
» Anastasia, Apr. 30-May 3
NEW VIC THEATRE
134 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo thenewvictheatre.org
» Folk Songs and Memories, Sept. 5-20
» Ghost Stories, Oct. 17-Nov. 1
» A Christmas Carol, Nov. 21-Dec. 21
OPERA GRAND RAPIDS
1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids operagr.org
» H.M.S. Pinafore, Oct. 10-11
» Chorus Concert, Nov. 13
» Stuck Elevator, Feb. 20-21
» Opera is Lit, Mar. 12
» Madama Butterfly, May 15-16
WHARTON CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing whartoncenter.com
» A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, Sept. 16-21
» Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Oct. 14-19
» Dog Man, Nov. 1
» Chicago, Nov. 12
» The Wiz, Dec. 9-14
» Back to the Future: The Musical, Jan. 13-18
» Hadestown, Jan. 30-Feb. 1
» The Choir of Man, Feb. 24
» Kimberly Akimbo, Mar. 10-15
» The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Mar. 22
» Clue, Apr. 7-12
» & Juliet, June 23-28
VISUAL ARTS
FOREST HILLS FINE ARTS CENTER
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids fhfineartscenter.com
» Raymond Trujillo, Aug. 26-Sept. 26
» Bertha Verbrugee, Oct. 1-30
» Cyn Tennant, Jan. 7-Feb. 6
» Jennifer Gould & Suzanne Ditsler, Feb. 10-Mar. 12
» Betsy Ratzsch, May 20-June 26
FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org
» BUSTED: Contemporary Sculpture Busts, Through Sept. 21
» Jaume Plensa: A New Humanism, Oct. 24-Mar. 15
» Mums at Meijer Gardens, Oct. 1-31
» ENLIGHTEN, Nov. 24-Jan. 3
» University of Michigan Health-West: Christmas & Holiday Traditions, Nov. 26-Jan. 4
GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org
» David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed, Through Nov. 2
» Pablo Picasso: Relentless Innovation, Through Oct. 26
» ArtPrize 2025 ft. Luis Fernandez, Sept. 17-Oct. 5
» The Matter of Awe: Landscapes in Art, Nov. 22-Aug. 16
» As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic, Dec. 6-Apr. 26
» Parisa Ghaderi: For Dancing in the Streets, Dec. 6-Apr. 26
» Decadent Spirit: French Art at Turn of the Century, May 26-Sept. 6, 2026
GHOSTHOUSE FINE ART STUDIO
929 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids ghosthousegr.com
» Gourage for Living These Days, Sept. 19-30
KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS
314 South Park St., Kalamazoo kiarts.org
» 2025 West Michigan Area Show, Through Sept. 14
» Leo Villareal: Interstellar, Through Sept. 21
» Ink Rhapsody: The Art of Lingnan Masters in Hong Kong, Through Oct. 26
» Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper, Oct. 4-Jan. 11
» Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks, Feb. 7-June 7
LOWELLARTS
223 W. Main St., Lowell lowellartsmi.org
» Sol Seven, Through Oct. 4
» Artist Market, Nov. 6-Jan. 10
» West Michigan Art Competition, Jan. 31-Mar. 28
GVSU ART GALLERY
1 Campus Dr., Allendale gvsu.edu/artgallery
» Mathias J. Alten, Through 2028
» Crisscrossing: The Art of Henk Krijger, Through Dec. 13
» La Voz de mi Gente: Luis Fernandez, Dec. 13
» fishladder 2025, Through Oct. 10
MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org
» 96th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition, Sept. 18-Nov. 19
» Art Nouveau: Age of Elegance, Oct. 2-Jan. 11
» Cups, Oct. 16-Nov. 9
» Crossroads: Intersections of Black Family Culture, Dec. 11-Mar. 15
» Expressions, Mar. 26-May 10
OX-BOW SCHOOL OF ART 3435 Rupprecht Way, Saugatuck ox-bow.org
» Harvest Dinner, Oct. 4
» Bloody Brunch, Oct. 18
» Ox-Bow Goes to Heck, Oct. 18
SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS 400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org
» Sōw [in sorrow], Through Sept. 5
» A Caregiver’s Butterfly Garden, Through Jan. 9
» Flourish, Nov. 8-Apr. 24
AVENUE FOR THE ARTS/106 GALLERY
106 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids avenueforthearts.co
» Make It Take It!, Sept. 5
» Jamie Weinfurter, Oct. 1-15
» Looking Back | Moving Forward: TheAvenue Turns 20, Nov. 1-15 ■
Muskegon Museum of Art (Cups), Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Jaume Plensa, Hortense in Slumberland). COURTESY PHOTOS
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& MUSIC
ARTS ARTIST PROFILE:
LADISLAV
HANKA
Ladislav Hanka was born in America, the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants. If his parents seem to have emerged from another time, it’s because they did; while automobiles were not unknown in Czechoslovakia, only the rich owned them. Most people rode horse-drawn buggies.
Hanka’s father studied medicine until 1939, when the Nazis closed Czech universities. He resisted; he survived. After the war, on March 29th, 1948, he married a young woman named Eva. The allies pulled up stakes, leaving the country to its own devices and to the appetite of the Soviet Union. In 1950, the couple fled. The money they’d managed to scrimp together was lost. They made their way through forests and bogs, careful not to be seen by police, military patrols, or smugglers; in time, they made their way to Germany, and to America, where they would find peace and meaning, and where they would raise their children.
Ladislav, their boy: he would be an artist, his mother was sure. It was his destiny.
“I just drew ceaselessly,” Hanka told Revue. Compliments from older people proved more frustrating than flattering: couldn’t they see that his art didn’t look the way it was supposed to? “Rembrandt did it right. I didn’t.”
Learning to do it right takes time. It takes ten thousand hours, in fact; at least, it does according to researcher Anders Ericsson. Hanka finds the idea convincing. “There’s something to that. Hand a guitar or a violin to a kid, and for two years they’ll make squeaky, awful noises. A few years later, they aren’t sounding too bad. And in time they make it their own.”
He wandered the beautiful forests and trout-filled rivers of West Michigan. He drank from streams. He took in the vibrancy of young trees and the depth of fully ensouled older trees. Nature was both peaceful and inspiring. It wasn’t something separate. “We are nature,” he said.
When it was time for college, he studied biology and zoology, partly for practical reasons—he would need to make money, as his father reminded him—but also because he had a great affection for the creatures of the world. The studies gave him insight into anatomy, into underlying structures, something critical to drawing well. “That was very important. The point isn’t to make it super-realistic but to be enough of an expert to make it believable. You can stylize from there, but you need the understanding first.”
He continued to learn. In time, he went back to art school, where he was shown “a lot of academic art that no one likes. I succeeded in un-learning quite a bit.” (Think you’ve learned your mother’s face? Try drawing a three-
quarter profile of her from memory. Seeing is something you learn to do).
He got good. His work, often focusing on birds, fish, trees, landscapes, and people, is remarkable: technically accomplished, it has at times a haunting, nostalgic quality, as if the subjects were seen once and recalled years later. Sometimes, that’s literally true. He was ten years old when, while on a fishing trip with his father, he met an old black man. The man had been born a slave, he said; he had been three years old when the Emancipation Proclamation took effect. He looked stunningly old. Writing about the encounter decades later, Hanka drew the man from memory. He was startled to discover how well he remembered the man. “It was him. It was really him.”
At times, he will sit with his sketchbook on his knee and draw a tree. “I stare. Trees have pulses; there’s a contraction and an expansion. It’s clear that this is a living creature.” There are trees in Michigan that existed long before Europeans came to the continent (in Fayette, MI are trees estimated to be 1400 years old). In talking with him, you come to understand that Hanka feels honored to capture something of their spirit.
Nature collaborates. In 2014, he contributed to ArtPrize The Great Wall of Bees. In a locked cabinet, 5,000 bees made honeycombs on prints he’d created, introducing a layer of randomness (or seeming randomness). This both deepened the natural themes of his art and made the case that bees are extraordinary, that they matter.
He avoids digital techniques, prefers methods that are either by hand or as close to being by hand as possible. In galleries, he finds himself walking by digital content. “Photographs are kind of bankrupt,” he said, even if some photographers are great. He wants the real thing. He isn’t a Luddite; he has a website and an email address, for instance. Then again, he still uses a rotary phone.
When he teaches, he finds himself telling students to worry less about making money than making something meaningful. “You don’t need a lot of the things they say you need.” He isn’t opposed to commercial art—the drawing of a trout on every bottle of Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale is his—but he thinks most people can get by on less than they think. Beans aren’t expensive, and, besides, they’re probably better for you than most restaurant meals.
He marvels at what other artists have accomplished over the centuries. “I find myself interested in those that leave an impression that goes really deep,” he said. “Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Whistler.” His art makes deep impressions, too. Like the heartbeats of trees, those impressions are available to anyone willing to slow down and look. There. See? ■
Cottonwood Squared Up, Two-Hearted Trout - Recovered, Cottonwood Trinity, Hanka-Ribs & Staves Best.
ARTWORK BY LADISLAV HANKA
& MUSIC
ARTS ARTIST PROFILE:
METAL ART STUDIO
Scott Carey and Carol Wagen are the husband and wife co-owners of Metal Art Studio, a well-known entity at the corner of Cherry and Diamond in East Hills (Center of the Universe).
For decades, they’ve been a presence in the district, bringing their signature designs and hand-selected jewelry pieces to shoppers with a distinctive eye for quality and style. We recently chatted with Carol to learn more about this artistic community destination.
You started your business in 1990. What was it like in those early years of building your business?
We always knew we would own our own company (I designed our logo and letterhead a year before we started). Scott had so many ideas and we didn’t have a way to promote them. We started by doing trade work (jewelry repair) for other stores to support ourselves, and Scott’s custom designs sold exclusively by word of mouth. We were a trade shop where people could get great custom jewelry designed and made, if they knew someone who knew someone. The repair work slowed our growth, but it also allowed us to bootstrap the retail part of our business as our vision grew.
How did you bring the storefront and studio to life?
We didn’t know we were going to be a jewelry store, we just knew we loved designing jewelry. Eventually it became obvious we needed to be a store and we opened a retail space in 2000. I don’t know how we survived because soon after opening, the street in front of us was torn up and remained under construction for almost a year.
You’ve been a fixture in East Hills since 2014. Why do you feel this neighborhood is a good fit for your shop?
We love being in East Hills. It’s a charming business district full of independent stores and restaurants on a brick street, so it has a creative feel, which suits us. We value being the anchor building of our neighborhood, and our parking lot makes it easy.
What’s a typical day like at Metal Art Studio? Who are your customers and what is happening behind the scenes?
Anyone who visits our store will notice we are a working studio with jewelers making new designs or repairing customers’ jewelry. Our jewelers are on the shop floor behind a sheer curtain and we make no attempt to hide the sounds of their tools or the smell of their torches.
Let’s talk about your craft. Who is designing and creating (or reimagining) the pieces you sell?
For the jewelry made in-house, it all used to be made by my husband Scott. As we’ve added jewelers, they contribute to the items in the cases. Sometimes the jewelers brainstorm ideas together, sometimes one jeweler has an idea and they work on it alone. Our jeweler Molly has been with us full time since 2014 when we moved to East Hills, and she has some of her work in our cases. Madeline is our newest jeweler, and she’s very busy working with customers on custom designs, as well as repair.
The collaboration that happens between the jewelers and their design process is so exciting. Another sound from the shop is their chairs rolling from bench to bench as they inspect something or share ideas on how to solve a problem. I have no idea what they will draw when we brainstorm with a customer. Each of them has such different ideas and I enjoy the surprise as much as our clients.
How do you curate your selection?
I love the collections we carry from other studio jewelers from around the world. I like to offer their creativity to my customers. When customers see case after case of jewelry they didn’t know existed, and ideas they never thought of, they finally find styles that truly represent their individuality. This will never get boring.
What pieces have you been most proud of or excited about over the years? What stands out?
Seriously, this is like asking me which child I’m most proud of. I treasure all our designs, but the most exciting part is when a customer connects with a design. The process is so magical. I’m addicted to guiding people to a piece that says so much more than they expected; the one that truly represents their esthetic, or their relationship, or their memories. And it reminds them of the most important things every time they put it on.
What else do you really want Revue readers to know?
We enjoy helping people find the perfect diamond, the perfect gem, the perfect piece, whether it’s in our case, or repairing something they have, or redesigning, or starting from scratch. When the jewelry comes back for a refinish, we’re flooded with memories of our experience together. ■
GRACE CLOSE
Grace Close has been drawing ever since the moment her mom put a crayon in her hand and a paper in front of her, at around the age of 3.
She immediately fell in love with creating things with her hands. Every birthday and Christmas, her wish list consisted exclusively of art supplies. Now, she’s an illustrator, painter and printmaker making all kinds of art that effortlessly blends cool and cute, while capturing snapshots of daily life.
Tell us more about how you got started on your art journey.
My family played a huge role in this journey, having many talented members including my uncle Alan (@apocdesign) who creates art professionally. Seeing him make a career out of his craft made me wonder if maybe that was something I could do as well. Art was one of the only things that ever truly interested me. With my dad being an art major in college and the consistent encouragement from my parents (even when my art was mediocre) they always pushed me to keep creating. Their support led me to Grand Valley State University, where I impulsively chose printmaking as my major, based solely on how it stood out to me as the most interesting in the program pamphlet. At the time, I’d only ever created one linocut, but I decided to go for it, setting my sights on receiving a bachelors in printmaking.
How did that time influence you?
I’m beyond grateful for my experience at GVSU. Through college, I deepened my love for art and more specifically printmaking. I became mesmerized in the making of linocuts, the incredibly fine details you could accomplish with etching and the subtle contrast that you could achieve with aquatints. Almost every day of class, I would think of how incredibly lucky and privileged I was to be able to study and hone my skills in something I was so passionate about. I spent most of my 4 years staying up into the wee hours of the morning at Calder Arts Center. I practically lived in my studio there, and I loved every moment of it. I owe so much of my growth to my incredible professors Jill Eggers, Brett Colley, and Dellas Henke, they pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of.
What are your biggest influences?
My artistic influences are rooted in the media I consumed while growing up. I found inspiration while watching Ghibli movies, Looney Tunes, and Laika Studios films. More recently, it’s been through artists like Aya Takano, Dana Schutz, Kim Jung-Gi, and Yoshitomo Nara. But that’s just a short list—I’ve found of so many amazing artists through social media and their creativity always drives me to work harder on my own skills.
What do you hope to evoke with your work?
Recently, a prominent aspect of my artistic direction involves nostalgia and innocence. I often depict obscured female figures in a way that invites viewers to unravel the mysteries and confront the disquieting elements lurking beneath the surface. I really enjoy playing around with the tension between the known and the unsettling, between innocence and imminent danger. I am inspired by my own childhood and young adulthood and the slow but eyeopening realization that I was sheltered and naive to the world, coming from a small town and protective but loving parents I attempt to express that relationship with wanting to stay naive to the world while showing the inevitably of growing up and being exposed to it all.
Do you feel like Grand Rapids is a good place to be an artist?
Grand Rapids has now been my home for around 7 years and I’ve found so much inspiration through the creative people I’ve met, it’s been lovely to find a community that loves art almost as much as me.
What have you worked on recently that you’re proud of?
Recently to get out of a creative block, I set up a challenge for myself to create a comic everyday for a whole year, starting on January 28 of 2025, and I’ve been successful thus far and haven’t missed a day! I’m quite proud and excited to continue for the rest of this year. ■
I’m planning to show the body of work at some sort of studio or exhibit, and if you’d
& MUSIC
ARTS ARTIST PROFILE:
JAKE ORR
Jake Orr’s specialty is capturing the energy and presence of music and artists both on and off the stage.
What started as a love of music later combined with his exploration of photography, and it all fell into place. Since then, he’s been shooting concerts all over Grand Rapids and around the country, including artists like For King & Country, Matt Kearney, Toby Mac, Lecrae and many more.
He was also voted Best Photographer in Revue ’s very own Best of the West readers poll in both 2020 and 2022—and he’s just getting started.
Tell us about your artistic journey.
My start to being an artist isn’t like many others. I didn’t pick up a camera early. I was always creative deep down but didn’t find the right creative outlet until college. I always struggled in school—specifically, having anything to be excited about. My mom encouraged me to try a photography class at GRCC and she went and got me my first camera. That is where I started to learn about photography and my love for it grew from that point.
A couple of years later, a friend of mine had a tour stop at Van Andel Arena. I was asked to shoot that show and immediately fell in love with photographing concerts and documenting artists’ journeys. That show was 9 years ago and my passion has grown everyday. Since then, I have shot at pretty much every venue in Grand Rapids as well as many others across the country.
What are your artistic influences?
I am greatly influenced by the film industry. I have always been a big lover of the art of movies. One of my biggest influences are the Safdie brothers. Their films bring grit and their stylistic choices really connect with me. Their films are often a little bit chaotic and I appreciate how they use cinematography to add to that.
As far as music photography, I have always looked up to Brad Heaton and Harry Benson. Heaton’s photo compositions have always stuck out to me and Benson’s iconic photos speak for themselves. They are both legends. Folk music is also something that influences my art. Growing up in the country, I resonate with a lot of the lyricism and storytelling.
My last two influences cater more towards motivation and a strong mindset. Those two are Kobe Bryant and my dad (Doug Orr). Growing up watching Kobe, I could see
in a special way. I love looking back at all of the cool experiences that have come from photography and it is cool to see how my work has evolved over the years. Specifically with concerts, the energy is unmatched. Whether it is a small and intimate show or a big show in an arena, each one brings a unique way to tell a story. Concerts can be a little chaotic, unpredictable, and crazy which always brings adrenaline and adds to the fun of it.
the willpower and determination he had to be the greatest. I was inspired to approach photography with a similar mindset towards greatness. From a young age I looked up to my dad and have always thought that he was a hero of mine. He always strove to be the best at his craft, just as I do. He is the executive pastry chef at Amway Grand and watching him grind every single day to be the best he can be has inspired me to do the same.
What do you love about concert photography?
There is so much that I love about photography! I love creating something that tells a story or captures a moment
What have you done recently that you’re proud of? Last fall, I had the amazing opportunity to shoot a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. That was a bucket list moment for me and it felt unreal to be able to shoot at one of the most beautiful venues in the country. These last two summers I have been working with Frederick Meijer Gardens as a house photographer for their summer concert series. It’s been an awesome opportunity to be a part of such a legendary thing in Grand Rapids.
What are you looking forward to?
I have been enjoying shooting film, and that has been a fun creative venture that has helped me look at photos in a whole new light. I also have been working on a few covers for some really cool artists! I am really looking forward to creating more covers in the future. I look forward to connecting with new artists and shooting at new venues as well. I’ve also been getting into sports photography which has been a fun challenge for me. I am always trying to learn and get better. ■
When you see Nick Hartman’s work under the alias Chapel of Ghouls, the message is clear: Life is hard. Live it to the fullest.
While always fascinated by art, especially music and film, he didn’t necessarily see himself as an artist. But a series of tragic deaths and visits to the hospital throughout his youth later bubbled up in the form of panic attacks, and also as an interest in the dark side of life—goth culture, horror movies, metal music and beyond.
While studying film and dealing with increasingly common panic attacks, he one night grabbed a notebook and just started drawing. “That was this kind of moment, a feeling of release, where, when I looked down at the paper, I didn’t see a random sketch. I saw my anxiety being displayed on a page.”
Fast-forward a decade or so and Hartman has now firmly established Chapel of Ghouls as not only an outlet but a community, while also working as the film curator at Wealthy Theatre.
So, what has this project done for you?
Art has always been within me, but I just never said, “Hey, this is going to be a career.” And then it kind of fell into place. I feel like sometimes, you don’t have a choice with things like this, like I’m meant to be an artist. And all the trauma I went through and all the pain I experienced, the only way that I could deal with it was through art and, of course, going to therapy and all that stuff was how I medicated. But some of the best artists suffer, have trauma, have addiction, have issues. Anyone that’s completely happy, normal, healthy, you don’t really see them making art.
Find my work: I draw on clothes for my wife’s store, Rock Paper
Scissors Consignment Boutique, I’m a featured artist at both Broad
Leaf Brewing locations, and I’m on Instagram @chapel0fghouls.
Most importantly, it made me feel like I was normal. What’s the old saying? Misery loves company. Being a human isn’t easy. Life is such a beautiful thing. It’s such a gift. I am so grateful to be here. Every morning, I wake up and I look at the sun shining, I look at my hands and look at my eyes in the mirror, and I’m like, “How is this even happening?” It’s such a beautiful thing, but on the other side, there’s so much pain that’s involved, just the daily struggles of life and hearing of things that happen in the news. And so, I’ve had people approach me on the street, I’ve had people comment, I’ve had people send me private messages being like, “Thank you so much for always sharing your art, being positive.”
One message said, “You’ve helped me from stop taking my own life.” And that right there, it’s like, it is not my goal by any means to make money. My goal is, one, to help heal my inner demons, my inner struggles. Two, to help other people. If I can help pull someone out of the darkness that they’re in and see the beauty of life, then that’s payment to me, to give another person another day.
Where did the name Chapel of Ghouls come from?
If you know anything about me, I’m a huge metalhead. There’s a band called Morbid Angel, and they have a song, Chapel Of Ghouls. And I liked the ring to it, but for me, it was looking in this deeper meaning of what that is, because I realized I was drawing these monsters, so I started calling them ghouls, and reflecting deeper into it. I felt like for me to understand and overcome my anxiety, I had to put my anxiety on a pedestal, like in a church, in a way, to worship them, to understand them, to overcome them, to befriend them.
What’s a recent project you’re proud of?
I’m gonna be honest with you, one of my proudest moments as an artist, three or four years ago, me and my wife my traveled to Italy. And we went to the Vatican, and I snuck in a Chapel of Ghouls sticker and I put it in the bathroom. That’s probably my proudest moment, spreading the gospel.
But I’m also proud of the Cemetery Art Cruise that I’ve done, and I’m planning to do one or two more this summer. It’s encouraging people, anyone, to come up, even if you’re not an artist, if you just want to be together with people, but come to the graveyard. Bring a canvas, bring a book, bring a sketchbook, whatever you want to bring, and just be reminded of the fragility of life and the beauty of it, and just paint together, draw together, talk together, get to know strangers. And I’ve had a lot of people walk away out of that, they felt they accomplished something. ■
ARTWORK BY NICK HARTMAN, CHAPEL OF GHOULS
& MUSIC ARTS BEHIND THE CURTAIN: AN ARTS ROUNDTABLE
Like just about everything in life, the arts community here in West Michigan has seen some huge shifts over the past five years.
There was a time where it felt like the spotlights may never come back on and galleries would remain empty. Fortunately, not only is that not the case, but people here seem more excited about the arts than ever. We’re looking for ways to connect, to feel seen, and even just to get out and have some fun. The arts provides all of that and more.
To talk more about this, we invited some local organizations to chat about what they see as the state of the arts. We could have talked for hours longer, and we could have invited dozens of other amazing groups to join, but there’s only so much time in the day and only so much room on the page. Looks like we’ll just have to host another!
Here’s who participated in our roundtable, graciously hosted at St. Cecilia Music Center.
PARTICIPANTS:
Christopher Klapwijk, Marketing & Communications Manager, Grand Rapids Ballet | Noddea Skidmore, Jennifer Onuigbo, Senior Director of Community Engagement & Education, Grand Rapids Symphony Cathy Holbrook, Executive + Artistic Director,
How would you describe the state of the arts in West Michigan right now?
HOLBROOK: I’ll just say that I do hear a lot of boohoo for the arts right now, but we are not feeling that. We did feel it, yes, Covid was sort of traumatic. But I feel the people that are coming out to live music for us, they want that, they missed it, they’re happy to be doing it, and they’re happy we’re doing it. So, the challenge is still a lot of fundraising and filling seats, but I don’t feel that people aren’t going out anymore, which I think was sort of this plight everybody was having. Now, people really want to have that opportunity to see live music, to go to the art museum and things like that.
KLAPWIJK: There’s an economic tracker put out by Cambridge, starting from 2020, following the effects of Covid on the economy. They have it broken down into different sections, and most have kind of leveled out, like retail sales and a few others. But really interesting, the one that’s completely accelerated is experiences and activities. I think we were all stuck inside, and we’re in kind of an economic environment where we don’t really know what next year is going to look like. Therefore, people are saying, “Let’s get out now instead of waiting to see.” Right now, people would rather buy smaller, little experiences and get that bit of dopamine versus trying to save up for a house, which seems unrealistic to most people. And all of these things that are disheartening, they need some bit of culture just in them to feel human.
SKIDMORE: I think something really similar to that, is that we are seeing across the board, season subscriptions just continue to go down, but one-time-only tickets are going away up.
KLAPWIJK: That’s interesting, because we just had our best subscription year ever. We got maybe 100 more subscriptions than last year.
ONUIGBO: Our subscriptions are up too.
SKIDMORE: That’s fantastic. What we are seeing is that there are so many people that are coming to this musical or this play, and it’s like, okay, can that be your gateway to get you here for the whole season? But it’s fascinating, because overall, we’re seeing some base numbers dwindle, but then other things spike, and a lot of first-time theatergoers. But I think that also has to do with our accessibility efforts, welcoming you as you are for relaxed environment nights, or for pick your price nights. That’s giving people more motivation to show up, where you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on a ticket to try something you’ve never done before. And it’s our hope that would maybe turn people into subscribers, or bring people through the door for even more.
KLAPWIJK: I’ve been trying to turn the ballet into a lot more data-forward, look-at-the-numbers situation, and a lot of analytics on that. One big thing is, we have the census data available to us, it’s just very messy, but I’ve been trying to build a cultural heat map of Michigan, based on about 40 different variables out of the census.
MOTT: That’s brilliant. Muskegon had one that looked at who is coming to various spots in Muskegon. The visitors bureau had it, and it would tell us where they were coming from and where they were going to following their experience, which was really helpful, because we always thought that we had heavy Chicago, but we actually had heavier Detroit. So, that led our marketing for that.
KLAPWIJK: I think it would be valuable if we could make a hub of information, so we all show where our traffic is coming from, which ZIP codes are really into the arts, and any interesting sort of facts, such as subscriber trends, the donor level. If we can all come together and kind of show this cultural dataset, I think it would help all of us.
MOTT: For us, in the past five years, we started our capital campaign prior to Covid and then launched it the month of Covid, and then there’s lots of great price increases to that expansion. So, $9 million went to $15 million. But I think the positive of it is that people showed up, and we were successful in creating the program in the building that we needed and wanted, and so now, as we opened it this year, it’s been amazing to show people that it can be done and what a driver it is for each community and for why people want to be here. It drives the breweries and the restaurants and those types of things. And the way in which we program has always been very conscious of partnership. When we launched a Julia Child exhibition this summer, we partnered with the Playhouse at White Lake, and they did the Julia opera, and then they partnered with a restaurant who made a Julia-inspired meal, and they sold out. So, we could see how as a community we can make one program become bigger and really support us as a collective whole.
ONUIGBO: I recently heard the phrase “collaboration is the new currency.” That really related to me because, I mean, even at this table, the partnerships and strategic work that we’re doing, we’ve got a performance coming with the ballet, we use St. Cecilia, and hopefully in the future, we can do something with Civic. So, I think when we pull our resources and each do what we do well, bring it together, we create some synergy that is really unmatched.
SKIDMORE: I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that an organization that provides grant dollars or sponsorships, they’re much more likely to fund something like a big collaborative effort and programming, with a lot more dollars, than to fund the same project they’ve funded again and again. And in pre-pandemic times, we were extremely lucky, where we’re putting out a really solid product, but we didn’t have to think a ton about strategy. Things were just happening for us. And it is a different ball game now. It used to be that usually 60 to 65% of all of your costs are covered by ticket sales. And in post-pandemic times, it’s 35% for us. It is a very, very different ball game, because the audiences are smaller, and while we’ve had to increase general ticket prices, we’re doing a lot of accessibility programming as well with lower ticket price points. So, that money coming in is a little bit less, even though we’re seeing some really exciting new patrons and younger patrons.
What are you seeing that works in connecting with the younger generations, or people who don’t feel the arts are “for” them?
HOLBROOK: I think it’s programming. If we bring Judy Collins, everybody’s over 60. We bring The Lone Bellow, they’re 40, and it’s a party. Those folk shows have been very interesting because they are very artist driven. Whereas our chamber music, those are the older folks, they’re buying subscriptions and coming to those. The jazz is a little older, too, and we sell pretty decent subscriptions to that, because they’re of that mindset that it’s okay to buy a subscription and commit.
MOTT: I think for us, it’s twofold. It’s savvy marketing, various lines of social media, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, whatever. Our marketer Kristina Broughton is creating more lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek stuff that doesn’t feel so heavy. Sometimes that can draw people in. An experience will draw them in. But also, you have to meet people where they are, and we have a community where the arts might not be their biggest priority. There are other really hard things in their life that coming to the art museum is not a priority, but whenever we have family events, I always say to the staff, “Someone needs to be at the door and someone needs to be greeting them.” Because it’s like going to a party that you don’t know anyone, and you don’t know where you should go. And if you’re not comfortable in our space, then you don’t want to be there. So, it’s always, “Welcome. We’re so glad you’re here, the classroom is here, the galleries are upstairs, the bathrooms are over here.” And then you can see this weight kind of come off them.
I think it feels like there are boundaries and rules to the places that we’re in, but there aren’t. They’re there for everyone. And I always say to kids too, the beautiful thing about the arts is that you get to like what you want, and it doesn’t have to be what your friend likes. I think helping them to understand that the arts are about fulfilling you is also a huge part of welcoming in that next generation.
ONUIGBO: For us, we start young. We start with our Lollipops series, which is for pre-K, and then we go all the way up to 90, 100 year olds. So, we really have a wide breadth. We have like 16 different educational and community outreach programs right now. And I think a lot of it is kind of demystifying what the symphony is. People have this image of it, and just realizing, no, it is Ben Folds, it’s Mariachi, it’s the Lollipops with the ballet. There are just so much different things we do that are really cool.
HOLBROOK: If you can get young adults who have children, that’s a big thing, because kids aren’t going to do that on their own. Their parents have to bring them. So, that’s where you really need to focus. And we go into the schools and all that too, and that’s so meaningful, I think. If there’s 50 kids watching this, and we’ve sparked and opened a window in their mind for two of them? Success.
SKIDMORE: 100 percent.
KLAPWIJK: We’re very lucky to have the school with us too, and having our matinees, that gives the opportunity of our older audience, grandma, grandpa coming and taking grandkids to something. It’s an experience that they can go to together, that also shouldn’t break the bank. The issue with the ballet is it’s very much on a pedestal. It’s very unattainable mentally to a lot of people, and very Eurocentric. If we look at Grand Rapids demographics, it’s actually quite cosmopolitan, and our stats are still like 80 to 90% white, just because that’s what ballet is. We are trying to fix that, but the art form itself is difficult to break that mindset. So, we are trying with different shows, but you do need the programs that are really going to blast, like how we have Sherlock coming up. The name itself has almost sold out completely before we did any ads.
SKIDMORE: One of the other things that I think is really interesting, as a community theater, there’s huge, huge benefits to the people that you see on stage. It’s your neighbors, your doctor, your barista, your bartender, your server. It’s just very cool. And so, it’s exciting for us to watch the peer to peer enthusiasm. Like, this is literally your community performing onstage, and we offer all of our cast members a friends and family discount, where it’s like, please share this with your close colleagues. It’s really neat. I am a patient at Grand Rapids Women’s Health, and one of the lead doctors on the team is one of our onstage performers. Like, I have watched her throw on a baseball cap and stealthily walk out of the green room after a show to go deliver a baby and come back the next day and do a show again. It’s a really cool thing.
How does this all affect how you interact with donors?
KLAPWIJK: When people are following 10 of our dancers, that’s coming up a lot more on their social media, and they grow a lot more attached, and that’s when they donate, when they have an emotional trigger attached to whatever part of it. One of our donors this year, as an example, we told them how much new ballet shoes for the year costs for the dancers. It’s about $45,000 for the year just in shoes. And that was like a big light switch to some of our donors and board members. They were like, checkbook right there.
SKIDMORE: Because you can’t do it without that. It’s such a core piece.
MOTT: For us, it’s also educating about operations, because I think that’s kind of the unforeseen things that sometimes grants might have covered or other things might have been covered that are now very different. For example, we had one woman who was like, “I don’t want to name anything after myself. Just, what do you need?” And we were like, “Well, we’re doing this new building, and we need a scissor lift, and it’s $15,000.” And she said, “That’s what I want to do.” So, we jokingly called the scissor lift Linda, because that’s her name. She just thinks it’s the greatest thing ever. There are different ways that we can engage them for giving that really help us function in a completely different way.
HOLBROOK: We can’t do the programs here if the building doesn’t exist. I mean, we have this wall thing, where we had to fix some brick on there, because it was literally falling off, because the little brick ties rolling into the inner wall were loose. It seems so unsexy, right? But it’s super expensive.
SKIDMORE: It’s historic, so it’s also doubly expensive.
HOLBROOK: Right. We own this building, and it is our responsibility to keep this National Register of Historic Places building functioning and maintained and in good condition. And so when something like that happens, we have to hire a forensic engineer to come and take a look, and then we have to hire the company to do it, and it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Some of you aren’t from West Michigan. How are we unique in the art world?
ONUIGBO: I’m from Iowa, I just moved here in January, and I worked at a performing arts center there. So similar, but different. I’ve been so impressed at Grand Rapids, the art scene here. There’s just so many vibrant arts organizations here. Yeah, these are our neighbors, but this is also worldclass art. I mean, the quality and caliber of the art that’s being produced here is phenomenal. I went and saw The Color Purple at the Civic, and I was blown away. I’ve seen Broadway a lot, and I’m like, this is phenomenal. I’ve seen the ballet, I’ve seen shows at St. Cecilia. I mean, it’s really phenomenal. Iowa has an art scene, but Grand Rapids is really pretty special.
KLAPWIJK: I’ve been in Grand Rapids just under two years. Now, I’m from South Africa originally, and my wife went to Kendall, so she knows Grand Rapids well, and I did have perception of Grand Rapids being quite an art city, yet also fairly conservative at the same time. And I am very amazed to see how many people care. The arts is happening because there’s so many groups trying to keep it going. It feels the public isn’t supporting as hard as they could, for how strong Grand Rapids is. There’s world-class art in your backyard. But I’ve been blown away by how inspired and motivated every group that I’ve met is about the arts.
HOLBROOK: I was here as a high schooler, then I went to California for almost 20 years, and I wasn’t going to land here when I came back. It was sort of a stop gap. My initial feeling in coming back was like, it was a ghost town, and there wasn’t stuff going on. It wasn’t a vibrant downtown, and everything was closed on Sunday. I think now, it’s so different in such a positive way. It is a community that’s engaged, and there are people doing things, and they want to be doing things. ■
ARTS &MUSIC
10 BANDS TO WATCH 2025
Our annual Arts & Music Issue is the time when we here at Revue have the opportunity to bring attention to many bands, musicians, and other artists who are right on the cusp of breaking through to a bigger and wider audience. Across all genres, and coming from all around West Michigan, it’s both a challenge and an honor to handpick only 10 of the countless talented acts putting in the work onstage, on tour, and in the studio, finding their voice, and mastering their craft. So, take this list as just a start, and come back every month to dive deeper into our local music community.
Sonny Ski
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Rap/Hip-hop
Recommended If You Like: NF, Logic
Aiming to quite literally put Grand Rapids on the musical map by writing the definitive anthem for the city, rapper Sonny Ski, aka CDL Sonny, aka Jameson Botwinski, has a love for West Michigan that’s undeniable. His passion for his hometown, and the criminally underappreciated music scene, stands out front and center on his Jammienominated album, “States of Mind,” where he namechecks numerous landmarks and icons, all while introducing his own personal story. Alongside his contributions to last year’s ArtPrize-winning “Trauma Project,” Ski has a fresh lyrical voice that shows true respect for the old school greats, while speaking to a new generation.
Hannah Fae
Hometown: Battle Creek
Genre: Indie/Folk-pop
Recommended If You Like: Stevie Nicks, Suki Waterhouse
With a background in musical theatre, singer-songwriter Hannah Fae’s strong voice and sense of storytelling enraptures listeners with a captivating, often cinematic sound. Rooted in nature, while exploring personal discovery, and even fantasy – with nods to her love for Dungeons & Dragons – her debut album, “Underneath The Terracotta Moon,” released late last year, is filled with lush live instrumentation that accentuates her witchy vibes, and light whimsical soprano.
Blüejay
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Dub-step/Riddim
Recommended If You Like: Rezz, Rusko
No other artist has taken off like GR DJ Blüejay, aka Andrea “AJ” Jefferies, over the past year. She has burst onto the scene, opening for acts like Rusko and Subdocta, and landing not one, but three, appearances at last month’s Breakaway Music Festival, including opening up the mainstage, and performing at the official after party at The Intersection. Rising fast, she has explored her own sound, unafraid to get weird and wonky with deep dub pulls. The first resident DJ at The General Woodshop in GR, her sets should continue to become more and more a part of the vibrant and exciting EDM scene.
Yellowhouse
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Indie-Rock, Alternative Fusion
Recommended If You Like: Paramore, Lola Young
Made up of students from Kalamazoo College, WMU, and MSU, Yellowhouse updates classic ‘90s college rock vibes with an energy entirely their own. Lead singer Lucy Wallis has turned her experience with the band into her senior project, and it’s her powerful voice, with its striking similarities to Hayley Williams, that immediately grabs the most attention on their self-titled debut album release earlier this summer. But the band – also made up of guitarists Colin Frieben and Drew Jepson, drummer Nick Loken, and bassist Sam Vinkle –draws from a highly varied mix of influences spanning decades and continents.
Cuu Jousama
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Hip-hop/Spoken Word
Recommended If You Like: Chance The Rapper, Lecrae
ArtPrize-winning artist Joseph “Cuu Jousama” Spicer, creator and curator of “The Hai-Cuu Experience,” has played a pivotal part in bringing together poetry, hip-hop, movement, and visual art. A modern content creator, his blend of styles, and emphasis on open creative collaboration, engages his audience in a different way that’s more than hosting an open mic, or a “jam.” It’s about building a true community, breaking down barriers, taking over unconventional venues, and letting the message speak. Earlier this year he expanded even more, teaming up with GR comedian Mike Logan for a new experience merging the worlds of art and comedy.
Kat Karnage
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Punk/Riot-Grrl
Recommended If You Like: Bikini Kill, Hole
Describing themselves as “queer kids making music we want to hear,” teenage punk trio Kat Karnage formed early last year, and has already clawed their way onto the local scene. Ranging from 14-15 years old, vocalist/guitarist Margaret Buist, bassist Eleanor Wellniak, and drummer Miles Vargic have a four-song EP out called “Sucker Punch,” where they tackle tough topics like mental illness and the transgender experience – and, of course, cats. They embrace the anti-establishment ethos of early punk, with the support of their parents, and their music encourages their growing fans and peers to celebrate individuality and live openly.
Sinder
Hometown: Based in Grand Rapids
Genre: EDM/Performance Art
Recommended If You Like: CloZee, Lindsey Stirling
Originally from Georgia, Sinder (Ali Johnson) moved to Grand Rapids in 2017 to work with Glovation and Blue Crow Talent, where she showed off her skills in fire spinning, swing dancing, character acting and more. After the pandemic, she pivoted to DJing and music production, taking her unique combination of talents to surreal places like Electric Forest and Burning Man, along with local venues. She’s also a member of the SAW WAV Collective, and the founder of Melty Face Productions, where she creates her own custom merch, art installations, and immersive events.
King Ink
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Alternative/Rock
Recommended If You Like: Bleachers, The Killers
Originally formed around the songwriting project of lead vocalist JD Waldvogel, the group solidified as a four-piece in 2024 with Sean DeWard on drums, and siblings Becca and Evan Coberly on guitar/bass/saxophone. Heavily influenced by the heartland rock of legends like Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, the group creates driving anthems with a modern edge. Their latest single, “Good News,” bursts with their signature big, bold choruses, complete with a three-piece brass section, accenting Waldvogel’s warm voice. It’s defiantly uplifting music, rich with personal reflection, and perfect for these dark times.
Mighty Big Rig
Hometown: Kalamazoo
Genre: Hard rock/Prog-psychedelic
Recommended If You Like: The Band, Umphrey’s McGee
Massive is really the only word to describe the three-headed rock beast that is Kalamazoo’s Mighty Big Rig. Featuring three lead vocalists/guitarists: Austin Whipple, David Balanda, and Steven Earegood – along with drummer Andrew Chiu and bassist Eric Culver – the band formed in 2019, but its members all have extensive formal training, ranging from college marching band and chorus, to the US Army Band. Featuring two or three-part harmonies on every song, and at least as many ripping guitar solos, their latest album, “Stitches,” released late last year, shifts gears with nearly every song, going from yacht rock chill to full-on heavy metal.
The Winter After
Hometown: Grand Rapids
Genre: Alternative/Hard Rock
Recommended If You Like: Badflower, Nothing More
The afterburner guitars on the latest album from hard rock band The Winter After shred right from the start. But it’s the band’s mix of sad, slow ballads, with facemelting guitar solos – reminiscent of peak Alice In Chains – that really distinguishes them. Released back in July at the Park Theatre in Holland, and available now on all streaming platforms, their new album, “War Theatre,” finds guitarist/vocalist Matt Clark, drummer Erin Paralee Stein, guitarist Luke Jones, and bassist Corey McClary, fighting the good fight, both internally and externally, with the aim of keeping rock eternal in every season. ■
ARTS &MUSIC
KANIN WREN:
BEGINNING HER OWN NEW ERA
Although she’s still only 19 years old, singer/songwriter Kanin Wren wants to be a role model for younger kids.
Already known for her popular touring Taylor Swift Experience—where she covers many of the megastar’s biggest hits, while performing a few songs of her own—the rising Michigan-based pop star surprisereleased her debut studio album, Wren, back in late June.
The eight-song record marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her career, as she shifts in a more pop-oriented direction with her music, including developing a new tribute show featuring songs by some of her other influences including Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo, and more.
This fall she is also starting her first semester at the University of Michigan, where she will study music, after taking a gap year off to tour and record her album since graduating from high school in her small town of DeWitt, Michigan, last year.
“It’s just been my dream school,” Wren said about attending U of M. “When I was younger, I had some troubles with learning at school. I have a learning disability, so that made things a little bit hard for me when going through elementary school, middle school, high school. And by the time I did get to middle school and high school, I kind of started to figure out my study habits, which was very much a turning point in my academic career, because my grades weren’t always fantastic.
“At the beginning of middle school, or in elementary school, I used to spend hours at the dining room table with my dad at night, just trying to figure out my homework. And music was something that I turned to as a creative outlet, as a release because if I wasn’t good at something at school, I was good at music.”
A natural talent from a very young age, Wren had dreams of playing stadiums when she was six years old, and by nine years old she had already released her first song.
“When I was younger, I would record a
cover every week, and I brought those CDs into my teachers because I wanted them to know that I was good at something, even if I wasn’t good at math or science or reading,” Wren said.
Her musical gifts soon found her onstage. She started performing locally at around 12 or 13, and by 16 or 17 she was on tour, learning not only her subjects in school, but how to juggle her concert schedule with her class schedule.
“I know college is definitely different, but I’m still very excited to be able to perform on weekends, or when I have a break from school,” she said. “And obviously during the summers, because summer is our busiest season. I’m very excited about going off to school, and being able to study music, but I’m also very excited that I get to continue performing, because performing is something that I would never want to give up.”
Performing played a huge part in Wren deciding to take a gap year after high school. With her Taylor Swift Experience, she’s played in over 15 different states, having just wrapped another run down the East Coast at the end of the summer.
“There are a lot of little girls on the East Coast now that will come to multiple shows, which is really exciting because every once in a while, I’ll get a little girl that knows all the words to my songs in the crowd,” Wren said. “And I absolutely love that. It’s just a little bit of a dream come true for me to have somebody in the audience that has taken the time to memorize my lyrics, not only the Taylor Swift lyrics.”
Wren said she probably knows about 50 of Swift’s songs at this point, and continues to want to learn more. She credits doing the tribute show with building her up confidence as a performer, and although she gets asked a lot if she knows Taylor, she doesn’t, but she would love to meet her one day.
“We had a show in Northern Michigan, and one of her team members was there, which was really cool,” Wren said. “And I got to talk to him for a little bit after the
show, and he had said something that has just stuck with me since the minute he said it. He said that he thinks that Taylor would be really proud of my performance, and of my show, which just honestly made my entire life, because I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan.”
While her own music started out sounding more pop-country and Americana, Wren’s debut album establishes more of her own voice. She’s spent time in Nashville, collaborating with songwriters and producers, including Aron Rosing, who she worked with on her album, including the single, “Fake,” which has taken off online.
“I didn’t want to wait to put it out,” Wren said about forgoing the usual promotional build up to the release of her debut. “I think I wanted to release it so that the people coming to my shows had something to listen to afterwards, because a lot of the people coming to the Taylor Swift shows, they come for the, you know, Taylor Swift, and I perform a few of my songs at the show, and so by the end of it,
they kind of fall in love with me and my brand and my songs as well. And I just wanted to release it for those people who come to my shows and they leave wanting to listen to my music.”
While attending U of M, Wren wants to continue to make her own music, and said she is excited about learning more instruments, studying music theory, and spending more time in the studio.
“Just continuing on this path where I’m continuing to grow myself as a musician, and grow these shows that I’m playing, and just getting better,” she said. “I’m also really excited about this pop show, kind of a transition from the Taylor Swift stuff into my stuff, and also other artists that have influenced me. I think that’s going to be something that’s really fun, too. Me and the band have already started working on it, and we’ve done a few shows already, and they’ve gone really well. So I’m excited to do more.”
For more on Kanin Wren, including upcoming shows all across Michigan, visit kaninwren.com. ■
Kanin Wren. COURTESY PHOTO
ARTS &MUSIC
THE REBEL EVES:
CONNECTION
OVER PERFECTION
The Rebel Eves—singer/songwriters Katie Pederson, Grace Theisen, and Jilian Linklater—emerged in 2022, after countless Zoom sessions, and one fateful lakeside songwriting retreat, determined to build something more than just a band.
A fearless, sister-powered musical movement, grounded in honest storytelling, three-part harmonies, and shared struggles as women in the male-dominated music industry, the trio calls their music “Empowered Americana.”
All established solo artists on their own, working out of three different cities across the country—in Seattle, Nashville, and Kalamazoo—The Rebel Eves each have Michigan roots, with Pederson growing up in Saline near Ann Arbor, Theisen in Kalamazoo, and Linklater having recently moved back to her hometown of Lake Orion.
Individually, the three all have over a decade of recording, touring, and performing experience. But they found something special by joining together shortly after the pandemic that helped them come back even stronger as something of a super-group.
“Had it not happened, I’m not sure I would have met Katie because our first cowrite was actually during the pandemic,” Theisen said. “So people were very excited to be out, and to see shows by the time we were on the road for the first time. And I think that just made it feel even more special, and gave us a little bit more of a boost, especially starting in Michigan where we’re all from originally, so we have a pretty solid fan base up here.”
The Rebel Eves have performed with fellow Michigan artists The War & Treaty and The Accidentals, as well as touring acts like The Wood Brothers, in addition to playing festivals all across the Midwest. Here in West Michigan, they made their debut at Frederik Meijer Gardens Tuesday Evening Music Club in July, and took the stage at Kalamazoo Pride in June.
Both Theisen and Linklater have come out as queer in recent years, and with Pederson as a strong ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, the group wants their shows to serve as safe spaces, both as a way to reflect the closeness of their collaboration with their audience, and as a place of support for those whose rights are under attack.
“It started with us,” Pederson said. “We were creating a space between the three of us that we felt comfortable, and we felt safe, and we felt OK to ask questions, and to disagree, and to experiment, and try different things. You know, try and fail and try and succeed. We just wanted that at the core of it. We really were, just the three of us as friends, like, ‘Let’s do this for each other.’ And then at the end of the day, we still have to always come back to that, because if we’re not doing it for ourselves, it’s not really like transmitting out, I don’t think, at our shows, or through our music or in the communities we’re in. We embodied it, and we started doing it,
and then it kind of started transferring outward. We want any Rebel Eve to come in and be a part of that with us. And that safety just continues to grow outward.”
This month, The Rebel Eves will perform at Wheatland Music Festival in Remus, Michigan, on Sept. 5, when they will also release their debut EP, “Shake The Ground.”
The band started the recording process for the record about a year ago, with most of the songs going back as far as two years.
“We have been working with Amber Buist, who’s the manager of The Accidentals,” Pederson said. And after she heard the song ‘Shake the Ground,’ she was like, ‘We need you in the studio. Like yesterday. We gotta get in there now.’ So she really helped us get the ball rolling for recording music because it’s really expensive.”
The band launched a successful crowdfunding campaign, and plans to release all their music on vinyl hopefully in time for their show at The Ark in Ann Arbor on Nov. 6.
“It’s hard to get the scheduling together,” Pederson said about recording a band based in three different cities. “There’s so much coordination and people involved. And Amber was, no pun intended, instrumental in getting everything together and organized.”
The EP will include six songs, including two versions of the title track, “Shake The Ground,” one rock, and one acoustic. The recording also features the work of Rebel Eve live collaborator and Kalamazoo-based world percussionist Carolyn Koebel.
“Then we have five more that we’re working on that will turn into an LP that we’re hoping to release in the spring,” Pederson said. “So it’s been a long process. We wanted to make sure that it’s exactly right, and that the songs have the justice that we feel like they deserve. And I think that we’ve accomplished that.”
The Rebel Eves’ have something of a motto for themselves and their music: connection over perfection, and it’s become something that has bonded them together as a band, and brought them closer to their fans.
“We’re all pretty hard on ourselves,” Linklater said. “We’re our harshest critics at times. When we step out on stage, there’s things that we like to say to ourselves, and remind ourselves and kind of hype ourselves up. And I think it came out of one of those times where it was like, ‘You know what? I might not play this solo perfectly, or I might mess up this note or whatever, but really at the end of the day, the goal is not to play a perfect show. It’s to connect with the audience. So we started saying it that way, and it started taking on different meanings, and can really apply in a lot of different areas.
“But I think for me, that’s something I try to remind myself before every show. The goal is to connect. The goal is not to play the perfect show and to do it seamlessly. Of course, it’s awesome when both happen at the same time; that feels really good. But, I do think too, that connection can come from our imperfections. I feel like sometimes in shows when you mess up, there’s an opportunity for the audience to connect to you in a more human way, and then that can even be your pathway to connection, is those imperfections.”
Look for the “Shake The Ground” EP available Sept. 5. For more on The Rebel Eves, visit therebeleves.com.
The Rebel Eves. COURTESY PHOTOS
ARTS &MUSIC
DREAM BIG FOR THE BIG ROOM:
GRAND RAPIDS’ NEWEST VENUE
The past meets the future with the recent opening of Grand Rapids’ new large events and entertainment venue, The Big Room.
Connected to Silva (975 Ottawa Ave. NW)—the innovative “dinnertainment” complex that combines a restaurant, bar, Bocce ball and more—The Big Room held a soft opening back in May, with a free performance by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Valerie June.
Since then, the space has hosted an Adult Prom, and a Cacao and Sound Ceremony over the summer. This fall they will welcome folk/punk singer Sunny War, along with blues guitarist/singer Buffalo Nichols on Sept. 5, an evening with acclaimed singer/songwriter Brett Dennen on Nov. 22, a talent show featuring staff called Silva’s Got Talent Sept. 22, and a merchant and makers market on Nov. 28-29, with many more events to be announced.
“The Big Room is clearly about more than just conventional concerts,” Big Room Talent Buyer Quinn Mathews told REVUE. “While we are for sure a music venue, The Big Room is an open space with a blank slate for a variety of programming and mixed use. We have an internal creative team eager to produce events whether theatrical, variety, music, interactive events. We will bring in touring artists, we’ll throw parties, we’ll host theatre groups, variety programming, the sky is the limit.”
Living up to its name, The Big Room has a capacity for 1,500 guests, while the entire building, which was once the Berkley & Gay Furniture Company Factory complex, sprawls over 55,000 square feet.
“The history of the room has contributed so much to our vision,” Director of Operations Sarah Andro said. “When (Silva/Big Room owner) Mark Secchia purchased the building he had a historian do a report, and it came back 184 pages long. We learned the Berkey & Gay Auditorium was constructed as a multi-use space for the employees of the Berkey &
Gay Furniture Company, and they allowed them to use the room for basically anything they wanted. There were variety shows, 50-piece bands, roller skating, farmers’ markets, movies, indoor baseball, boxing. We really feel inspired to recreate those kind of community-centered events.”
Mathews added that what makes the space so special is that it can adapt and be whatever it needs to in order to cater to the event taking place.
“We can be packed and decorated for an interactive ‘Alice In Wonderland’ experience, where the room is taken over in a fairy tale, but by midnight the crowd is gone and the room is struck, and back to four walls and a stage,” he said. “By morning, it could be set with tables and chairs for a catered lunch for a presentation event, then by that evening we could load in a touring performer for a 7 p.m. concert.”
Embracing history, The Big Room also features stained glass windows reclaimed from a historic church in Kalamazoo, adding to its distinct charm, and already capturing attention.
“Valerie June posted a picture of our unique stained glass cathedral windows that are backlit by LED lighting and called it ‘The Ryman of Michigan,’” Mathews said, referring to the famed Nashville auditorium. “And I can’t help but want to steal that quote for sure.”
Mathews has a long history of his own in the Grand Rapids music scene, having previously worked as the station manager at WYCE, and director of programming and music at Midtown (previously The Listening Room) since its opening in 2018. He also performs as part of the indie-folk duo Channing & Quinn.
“After finishing up at Midtown/ Listening Room last October, I was working contract with some booking agencies and various venues, then connected to the team at Silva/Big Room, and had a fantastic chat about possibilities and programming for this venue,” Mathews said. “Once I saw the space and chatted with the team, I wanted
in. I think I started the next day. It’s been really great to have the background of previously opening a venue, so I have been able to utilize some of my experience in being brand new on the scene locally, nationally, and even internationally, by connecting with folks in the industry that I utilized when opening that previous space back in 2019.
“However, it is another ballgame. That project was 200 capacity, all seated, with a pretty narrow programming scope for performances. Whereas this is 1,500 capacity with a wide variety, or dare I say ‘big’ variety of capabilities in the space for programming. My first day on the job I had already booked an aerialist, a magician, and I think a stilt walker, which I can for sure say were all firsts for me.”
Mathews said that they are excited for the fall and the holidays, and heading into 2026, as that’s really when programming at The Big Room begins to ramp up. Later this fall, the venue will host several touring musicians, a local album release show, a special Halloween event, a weekend featuring a specially choreographed dance company, and more.
“It’s a tough time for the arts and live entertainment, that’s no surprise,” Mathews said. “I believe in live art and entertainment, and we’ve got to have teams behind it, people literally building venues, investing in venues and performers. From the artists, to the agents, managers, promoters, tech crew, literally every last person involved in any sort of live entertainment, I’m just beyond proud when anything new is brought in to our community, whether I’m involved or not, and to join this team in this community really means the world to me.
“West Michigan has an insane amount of professional entertainers and touring artists. I’ve honestly never seen anything quite like it. It’s hard to just call it a ‘local music scene’ because what it really is, is professional artists that live in West Michigan, (and) I can’t imagine a better spot to be to find professional artists for a stage than West Michigan.” ■
THE BIG ROOM
975 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids Thebigroomgr.com
The Big Room. COURTESY PHOTO
