Lansing’s Old Town was immersed in the mournful crooning of harmonicas, the sweet plucking of guitars, and the thunderous beat of drums this past weekend during the annual BluesFest.
Many see Greg Robertson on Grand River Avenue during the week strumming his guitar and singing a folk song.
Country boys and girls from Lansing and beyond gathered to hear melodic, sweat-drenched and Michigan-made musicians Gunnar & the Grizzly Boys on Sept. 14 The Loft. As folk, rock and country poured from the downtown Lansing venue, patrons danced, drank and reveled in the sound of well-tuned guitars and gritty ballads that concert-goers said could only be found in Michigan.
When the Common Ground Music Festival began in downtown Lansing, it originally focused on classic rock, but as the festival progresses into its 14th year, it now headlines some of the nation’s brightest stars along with upcoming local and regional talent. “We bring in a wide variety of diverse acts of all types of music,” said Scott Keith, board chair of Center Park Productions.
For East Lansing resident Irene Blanchard, music is “an expression of a happy heart.”
I know what you’re thinking. “Oh no, another music elitist who thinks MP3 sound quality is inferior to vinyl when, in all actuality, they sound the exact same.”
It all started with a lone ukulele. When his band members went their separate ways post-graduation in 2009, MSU alumnus Dylan Rogers longed to stay in Lansing, where he grew up.
For “Latin IS America” Festival co-director Ricardo Lorenz, the event was organized to celebrate the long-standing culture and relationship between the United States and Latin America.
I am a sucker for reality television. I hardly ever miss episodes of my favorite reality shows or singing competitions, that is, until recently.
Like many other college students, I have spent weeks anticipating this year’s lineup release for Lollapalooza with the tenacity of a small child on Christmas Eve. Many of my friends are veterans of the festival and already had planned to take the trip out to Chicago, regardless of the performers. But having never been to Lollapalooza — or any large music festival, for that matter — every musician counted.
Marc Kanitz is a singer and drummer in the band Audio Monarch. Comprised of himself, MSU students Austin Spencer and Hannah Pilarski and Grand Valley State University student Alex Rushlow, the band has a laid-back, acoustic sound. Because of this, Kanitz said performing for the Noontime Concert Series suits the band well.
The idea began with music, MSU football and charity.
As a Spartan, former basketball player Maurice Ager was known for his high-flying dunks and formidable backcourt with then-teammate and current Phoenix Suns player Shannon Brown.
After months of anticipation, Common Ground Music Festival finally has announced part of its lineup.
With only standing room available and the accompany of applause, Joshua Davis stepped into the yellow light flooding the stage Friday night.
Depending on who you ask, online piracy might appear a clear-cut issue.
6:30 p.m. — Like many other MSU students, I ventured into the cold night on Tuesday with two people in mind: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
Ladies and gentleman, Justin Timberlake is finally back with a new album.
Dustyn Frolka doesn’t have a TV in his room. What he does have is music production program FL Studio 10, a sound card to convert his microphone recordings into a digital format, and recording software Mixcraft 5.
Since its founding in 1958, producers of the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, Calif., have striven to transform the event into a mirror in the face of the contemporary jazz world.