New York's Bill Charlap, while a fan of classical and rock, was turned onto jazz when he was only eight. He has played with a host of jazz stars, as well as legendary stars Barbra Streisand, Phil Woods, and with Tony Bennett on an episode of 30 Rock for Liz Lemon's wedding. Listening to Charlap play is like being in the presence of an intimate lover’s voice in the middle of the night. This is not music to drink your fourth Starbucks to as you power through your day, but rather, music that asks us to slow down. Charlap invents a pace with his playing like only a jazz artist could ...

LaughFest is an annual festival in Grand Rapids that, on the surface, could be viewed as simply a chance to showcase to the locals (and those who will travel here over the course of this 10-day event) some of the freshest voices from the world of comedy. But LaughFest is so much more than just a comedy festival. Three very unique events are debuting at LaughFest this year. And while they are probably not going to get some of the same airplay as other comedy events, they deserve your attention. For starters, there are two "In Memoriam" free events -- a listening party of sorts -- ...

Fans of the five-piece The Outer Vibe not only go to great lengths to see the act, but they also encourage others to get into the fun this band is having whenever they take to the stage. Think of serious arena stage rockers of the past mixed with the guilty pleasures of The Darkness, and you land somewhere near The Outer Vibe. They are very happy to be able to play many dates outside our city, but the best part is the chance to come home. “Anytime we play a show in our hometown, it's like a reunion. We see tons of familiar faces, ranging from lifelong friends to fans we met only ...

Art can inform us of our humanity. When it’s done right, it can even change our world. Ian Swanson, executive director of the newly formed West Michigan Center for Peacebuilding (WMCP), a nonprofit based on the mission of the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, sought to create dialogue around diverse cultures when he brought the documentary The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye to Grand Rapids in 2012. Now in partnership with Ice Cream Gallery and Toys, a new gallery/toy shop in the Avenue for the Arts, WMCP will host their first event, Ancesteral Art, with a heavy emphasis on the ...

Tell me if you've heard this one: "A festival walks into a bar and suddenly... 'ouch!'" Okay, so maybe the only thing that will be hurting is your funny bone. But over the next 10 days, more than 200 events devoted to making you smile will occur all over town. Almost anywhere you go, someone will be sporting that big, yellow smile reminding us that LaughFest is here again. This year, LaughFest will attempt to break a new record. In year one, they achieved the world record for rubber chicken tossing, and last year, they went for the most people wearing a chicken beak while ...

Reputation is a funny thing. It is something certain folks in town will say you can buy with fancy PR if you simply toss enough money at your cause, goal, project, or whatever. But one's authenticity will always be suspect if the emperor is discovered sans pants upon delivery of the goods. One area where Grand Rapids is ramping up its reputation is within our filmmaking community. Feature films and thrilling film festivals big and small are popping up in our area, with millions of pixels burning bright in our area theatres and on our computers and handheld devices. The revolution is being ...

For many of us, it is very hard to imagine the indie music landscape before The Pyramid Scheme landed downtown. Sure, we had our smaller neighborhood clubs and a couple large-scale venues like The Intersection and The Orbit Room. But what we were always missing, that middle tier, was finally filled when The Pyramid Scheme arrived. In a short span of time, many local acts have developed a true fondness for this downtown venue. One of those acts, our very own Stepdad, shares this sentiment as they return to PS, the same venue where they launched their Fall 2012 tour. If you were there, then you ...

My guess is that over the last week, you've heard more than one person say, "I'm getting sick of winter." Lucky for us, Grand Rapids has Frederik Meijer Gardens providing a hefty selection of conservatories with warm temps and humidity levels for just about anyone's comfort level. Upping the ante on why a trip to The Gardens might be in order is the return of the annual Butterflies Are Blooming exhibit. On a daily basis, these naturally bedazzled creatures emerge from the darkness and take flight in the warmth of the main conservatory, often bathed in bright sunlight. ...

Many great works of literature began as a reaction to the time in which they were written. And in the arena of theatre, history is full of examples where the play unfolds in exciting ways and in a variety of devices. Arthur Miller's The Crucible chose to illustrate the witch hunts of the ‘50s McCarthy era with a real witch hunt set in the early days of American settlers in Salem. When Dustin Lance Black's (Milk, Big Love, Virginia) latest piece of literature, 8, arrives in Grand Rapids, it will be celebrating a page of our recent history, and often with the very words as they ...

"After so many years, why do the Jammies still matter?" This is the question I sent to Kevin Murphy, WYCE Station Manager. His reply? "I think the Jammies matter more than ever." This is just the kind of response many of us have come to expect from a man who has shown over his tenure at community based radio station 88.1 FM that he is more concerned with the integrity of the event and how it relates to our arts scene. "No two Jammies are alike, so that right there is a big reason why they still matter to an audience of music lovers who love West Michigan music ...

It is hard to imagine it was really just a short time ago that an ad appeared in the back of On The Town for a new brewery called Canal Street Brewery, offering an old-time perspective of the traditional art of beer making. This brand would go on to become Founders and as they say, the rest is history. Craft brew has become one of the chief exports as well as one of the top attractants, bringing thousands of folks to this region. Since the Winter Beer Festival landed at Fifth Third Ballpark, this one-day mega Michigan beer celebration has spawned not one, but two other events as a result, ...

It is no accident that I have chosen to highlight two very unique events surrounding the struggle for civil rights in America this week. One -- Dustin Lance Black's newest stage play 8 -- is about an event happening in real time and is really too fresh to produce the scholarly work that will surely follow a decade from now. The other is a look at African American history keenly focused on Grand Rapids' role in the struggle for freedom, brought to us by Todd Robinson, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Nevada. On Thursday night, Robinson will be in town to discuss his ...

Whenever you meet a filmmaker in Grand Rapids, their eyes light up as the tale they hope to film unfolds. And while in some cities, their bright-eyed pitch might invite eye-rolling from the listener (L.A.,anyone?), in this region, we've learned to sit up and take notice. Chances are, that early pitch is already underway to becoming a cinematic reality. So, it is not shock to learn that Daniel Falicki, the multi-talented actor, computer geek, filmmaker, and Dr. Sketchy's model, is about to unleash another dark cinema gem on the audience of West Michigan.   The Last Vampyre On Earth is a ...

An event that began with just one band (The PotatoeBabies) has quickly become the go-to event for indie music fans and cat lovers alike. Migrating from a tiny hall on Division Ave. nine years ago, the Benefit for Crash's Landing Kitties has finally has landed across the river becoming affectionately (though unofficially) known as the Westside Anti-Valentine Five-Band Bowling Cathouse of Fun. Crash's Landing is a nonprofit devoted to removing at-risk strays from the streets, providing them with veterinary care, and housing them until a permanent home can be found. This year's guest ...

The creative process is often a lonely space as most artists work in the solitude of their studios. Yet once in a while, we get a chance to watch the process unfold. The biggest event in Grand Rapids that allows this window to appear is UICA's annual fundraiser, Live Coverage. Inspired by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's BareWalls fundraiser, UICA gained permission to create their own version 12 years ago, now one of the hottest tickets on the fundraising circuit of Grand Rapids. Guests will be able to view more than 50 artists up close as they create works in pop-up studio ...

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times: the best way to prove your community is truly committed to inclusion is to place inspiring people on the big stage who do not look like everyone else. It is not to perform some form of empty or fancy window dressing, which still happens much too often in our world, but to show a new generation that there is room for them on that big world stage, often in the form of a simple platform. To a person on the outside, this is huge. The12th annual "Symphony with Soul" concert and Legacy Awards is an opportunity to showcase excellence ...

If your cultural card is like most folks', you have been scratching off a "must-see" bucket list that probably includes samples of items including opera, symphony, art, and even dance.   But if your dance card is punched via holiday classic The Nutcracker, that sugary confectionary that people line up for, then you really have not experienced dance. Okay, so my pronouncement there is probably borderline bully, but my gesture is meant to get you off the couch to see a series of modern dances including one that involves The Sofa. You may have remembered The Sofa, choreographed by ...

LZ Granderson is a man on a mission and one that plays on many fields -- and almost all of them are devoted to his love of sports. In fact, when we finally did catch up to discuss his upcoming appearance in his hometown of Grand Rapids for the Diversity Lecture Series at Fountain Street Church, he was out of breath as he was racing to catch his flight out of New Orleans. (Yes, he was at the Super Bowl.) Granderson, a weekly columnist at CNN.com, is also a senior writer and columnist for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. And if, by chance, you are channel surfing, you might even catch him on ...

Michigan's longest running professional opera production company, Opera Grand Rapids, presents Don Giovanni. Running the weekend before Valentine's Day, this delicious sexual romp (with a hearty moral center) is considered one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's greatest works. Mozart, no stranger to conflict in his own creative life as documented in books and films, has created a seducer for the ages that is still a favorite today. Based on the character of Don Juan, a legendary (and yet fictitious) casanova of his time, Mozart has woven a lusty tale of intrigue ushered through the ...

Let's face it. For all our talk of big, Grand Rapids is still the best little-small-big town with a few moments of grandness. Well, maybe our grandness is growing, but that comfort of a friendly small town is still there. And while there have been many occasions to look around a party to see the wave of new faces migrating to this region, there are few places in town where you can get a million dollar view for simply the price of a drink. Cygnus 27 provides such a view from high atop the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and recognizes that people crave community. As such, they are spicing up their ...

You have to appreciate an artist or curator (or in this case, both) when over the course of your discussion, they reveal such witty and honest observations like, "I'll seize upon an opportunity, and then just assume that I'll figure out the details later." This sounded quite familiar to my style. But then, there's a transition to this laugh-out-loud confession. "I overestimated the appeal of this theme, as well as the number of people who know what the word 'quotidian' means. I could have used 'commonplace' instead of quotidian, but I liked the idea ...

Typically, one does not associate the cold month of February as a time for genre films that are meant to make your heart pound as your blood runs cold. But for third year in a row, the planners of Thriller! Chiller!, Grand Rapids' film festival devoted to bringing the best of world-class independent sci-fi, action, suspense, and horror to our community, assert this is the perfect time for many reasons. The obvious reason is that this time of the year is the best to host a special screening of two, 90-minute short film collections of works they have showcased over Thriller! Chiller!’s ...

Art history is full of those moments where someone challenges the validity of a (fill-in-the-blank) being displayed on the walls of a museum. It has happened to many forms of art, from photography during its early days, to a massive abstract expressionism by Hitler at his Entartete Kunst exhibition, to even the small (yet no less powerful) signing of a urinal readymade by Marcel Duchamp. The best part of a modern society is that we begin to loosen our grip of what art is once we realize it is often many things and in many forms. This can be applied readily to "Graphic Design: Now In ...

Over the last few weeks, an interesting trend has emerged that many have been proclaiming for a long time. DJs, double decker bowling alleys, the neighborhood strip club just steps from the newly relocated Kent County GOP, and the land grab conducted by a handful of insiders and outsiders show that the Westside is truly the best side. We have seen everything from The Salon to WelcomeWest's WinterWest carry on their business on this side of town. Nestled in a former bakery is the Office of Public Culture, a unique temporary art project headed up by Professor Paul Wittenbraker through ...

Between 1973-1975, nine out of 10 of our state’s residents were more than likely consuming contaminated meat, dairy, and poultry during the two years it took to discover this tragic human error that has impacted so many lives. This is just one important fact illustrated in Tainted Michigan: 40 Years of PBB Contamination, a new short-form documentary by Val Lego of WZZM’s Healthy You premiering at a special public reception at Cygnus 27. The path to this documentary began when a co-worker of Lego shared a personal story of the 1970s PBB contamination. The contamination resulted in ...

In the grand tradition of the cliffhanger, when we last left Alexis' Matt Forbush and Dan Hurst -- our dynamic duo of electronic synth music -- they had disrobed to their grape leafs at the 2011 Halloween concert at Founders, vowing when they returned, they'd do so with a new set of surprises. After many months of beta testing new tracks with eye raising stage antics and a dark arts-inspired music video for the forthcoming “Fantastic Magic,” the band Alexis is returning to Founders' vast beer hall with a group of acts guaranteed to deliver the sweetest hangover. Alexis, ...

Last year, global warming nearly ruined Welcome West's annual WinterWest as they cancelled event after event as the temps continued to rise. But with the sudden cold snap and fresh powder, it is all systems go! Over the next two weeks, fans of the Westside's Richmond Park will gather for a series of crazy winter sporting events for the return of WinterWest, a community-driven event meant to showcase the beauty of this urban park and the neighborhood that surrounds it. “WinterWest is presented by a group of residents who care deeply about this neighborhood and are seeking new, ...

There is no shortage of crime drama programming on TV and our cinema screens, and it is just as plentiful to see crime in real time in our world. But theatre is yet another place where they tear away the fourth wall and allow us to peer voyeuristically into something pretty darn close to reality. And in this arena, intimacy and access create the perfect storm for a crime-based thriller to work its magic within the viewer.   When Keith Huff’s A Steady Rain opens in Grand Rapids , this inspired-by-the-headlines play will have been workshopped in our neighboring city of Chicago and received ...

When you mention jazz, some imagine cocktail-infused brunches or trying to get little Timmy to calm down without his pills so he (and they) can get some rest. And while the jazz they often select would probably place one in a more passive mode, what of those other forms of jazz where active listening is essential? This is probably the best way I could explain the artistry of Dave Holland, who will take to St. Cecilia Music Center’s stage as a part of their 2012-13 music series campaign “NYC2GR," which has featured top-notch New York City caliber performances in Grand Rapids on ...

It used to be common knowledge that before a musical would open on Broadway, it would have to do time at a regional theatre in a city in upstate New York or in theatrically savvy places like Chicago or Philadelphia first. But Grand Rapids? In the words of everyone’s favorite mama bear from Alaska, “You Betcha!” When Flashdance arrives here on stage, it will be a part of an aggressive new change of pace with this new musical playing to 25 North American cities before its August 2013 opening on Broadway. Clearly, this is very different from how things have been in the past, and ...

What if I told you there was a town where so much carnival-like energy is being directed towards discovering the next and the new that you can almost feel it on the streets? What if this city’s latest startup is not a unique bottle for delivering water or a weather phone app that picks out your shoes, but a new venture that uses a real live human circus and debuts on Friday night? You’d be excited, right? Well, that place is Grand Rapids and it is exactly what this city will witness when the stage lights go up at The Pyramid Scheme for the debut of the Bangarang Circus Arts troupe. ...

These days, you cannot walk two feet in any of the numerous downtown drinking establishments without running into someone who has a great idea he or she wants to run past you. Honestly, if I had a drink for every pitch, my liver would press charges. But this weekend after 10 p.m., you can be sure that if you do stumble upon a group huddled especially close together, scratching away on notepads and coding on laptops, these folks are a part of the fourth annual Startup Weekend Grand Rapids. This annual event welcomes entrepreneurs, designers, developers, and startup enthusiasts to cram 54 ...

There are plenty of opportunities to listen to great comedy in our region these days. Among the comic clubs, bars, theatres, and our nationally recognized Laughfest, Grand Rapids’ funny bone is exposing itself more and more. But have you ever wondered who the funniest person in our city is? Well, you can have a hand in awarding that title. Starting on Jan. 16, Dr. Grins Comedy Club will set the stage for our area comics to compete in the preliminary rounds of the annual Funniest Person In Grand Rapids. Each week, eight comics will take to the stage for eight minutes each. At the end of ...

Have you ever been seated next to an overly loud foodie in a pub pontificating about the lack of culinary options in our region, only to wish you could fire back a list to counter their claims? This week, a new magazine debuts, promising to make it easier for your stomach to gastro-navigate our oft-dissed culinary landscape. But how does Flavor616 stand out from other magazines? “The big difference is that we are a little edgier than most and border on rated-R side of things,” says Rod Glupker, who acts as co-publisher of Flavor616 with Liz Smigiel. “We only share stories ...

No bats will be harmed, you won’t have to sign a pledge to Satan, and I am pretty certain I am not asking you to put your self or your mortal soul in danger by attending this event. But I am asking you to shake up your cozy comfort level this week by attending the 13th Annual Heavyweights of Metal at The Intersection. “Metal in West Michigan is really something to see because it crosses over so many ages,” says Heavyweights of Metal and MLive writer John Serba. “And what is really great to see is the level of seriousness each of these acts apply to their bands as they ...

A few years ago, while catching up St. Cecilia Music Center Executive Director Cathy Holbrook, I was happy to learn that after decades of operation, this rather recent director had unearthed an exciting revelation after peering over their mission. "We had always interpreted our mission to mean music in the vein of classical or jazz," said Holbrook. "But as we dug into our history, it became very clear that it was very open." And just like one's eyes adjusting to the luminance of a new day, Holbrook, armed with possibilities, would navigate through a series of new ...

If you are reading this and it is after Dec. 21, then the world has not ended and you are probably looking for something to do in the aftermath of what ever just happened (or didn’t happen). One thing to consider over this weekend of pre-parties before the big New Year's Eve events is adding a little soul back into your life at the end of the year party for Grand Rapids Soul Club. This monthly music event has not only been electrifying our local nightlife scene with its eclectic and rare soul and R&B programming, but our local promoters are also opening doors for guest DJs from ...

What is red, white, and laughs all night long? Anyone who gets on board the annual GRBarcrawl's Santa Crawl, where guests dressed as Santa Claus will be transported all over town for a special holiday edition of this uniquely Grand Rapids-focused pub hopping event. The Santa crawl asks people to dress up in their finest attempt to pay tribute to the jolly old character who showers toys on good boys and girls on Christmas. But since this is a few days prior, your Santa will more than likely be showering down drinks at the six or seven stops. And while the list of stops is top secret, like a ...

As Corey Ruffin (aka Mr. Happypants) reflects, he settles into a long string of observations as the ringleader for one of the nation's hardest working touring burlesque troupes. “We are self-funded, self-produced, self-manage," he says. "That shit takes years off 'ya." Anyone who has managed to find extra time to be in a band, an artist, or a weekend novelist knows too well the pain and pleasures of returning year after year to the well of inspiration. So, I will admit I did a double take when I saw the title of Super Happy Funtime Burlesque's 50th Anniversary ...

The best part about any of the end of the world prediction is always experienced the morning after. It is often in the bright light of the morning that many will turn off their phones or a pop a pill before the public relations exercise of backpedaling begins. While our local Mayan faithful may be discovered doing naked handstands on the JW Marriott’s Helipad awaiting a cosmic anal probe, clearly UICA has not drunk the Mayan Kool Aid as they commemorate this occasion with an art show and local music. On Friday night, not only are they opening a brand new art exhibition that has... wait ...

Grand Rapids is experiencing a bit of a theatrical renaissance at the moment. No, I do not mean that over-coiffed men are racing through the streets chasing after scantily clad women while holding a spicy piece of meat (unless you are on Ionia over the weekend). Rather, I am talking about how much talent is being produced on our area stages, from the intimate and funny shows at Dog Story Theatre, to the established and ground–breaking pieces of education and real world experience at Spectrum Theatre’s Actor’s Theatre. As a way to honor that relationship, Actors’ ...

For the last eight years, Reverend Charles of The PotatoeBabies has grabbed Santa by the balls and presented one of the most unholiest of celebrations of the Christmas season. If you are easily offended, then this is not your slice of angel food cake -- unless you like your cake dipped in the beer that Santa was just dipping his jingle balls in (and on stage). Okay, he doesn’t really dip his real ones, but this rock 'n roll master of vaudeville has perfected the role of West Side Agent Provocateur with his band and the guest artists who will be on the newly renovated stage at the ...

There are many great options this weekend in G-Sync that point to clever and just downright fun ways to celebrate the holidays. But one has proven to be a powerful event that can change people’s perspectives through its diverse programming and scope of storytelling. When the 45 members of the West Michigan Gay Men’s Chorus takes the stage at the East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center, it will be on the occasion of their 5th anniversary, also offering a chance for them to reflect on the advances they have made. “Our new show, "It’s a Colorful World," will be ...

This week, G-sync events are dedicated to the great holiday-themed musical programming happening this weekend in the city. When the Kent County String Band returns to the retro-influenced Tip Top Deluxe Bar and Grille, it will not be with just their new musical program, Westside Wonderland. They will also be bringing a few guest artists who will also be stepping out of their comfortable present as they journey back into the past. It is not a secret that the KCSB loves to discover and present music from a period of time that many have forgotten. Part of their charm and attraction is ...

I want to take you back to a time when there was only one yoga studio and one teacher. At the time, it was a very small subculture in our city, but now, this impossible-to-miss practice of health and balance is found all over town. And before you get your hot and funky smelling yoga spandex in a bunch when I say hooping could be the next thing, I ask you remember all that went with that stereotype. If you are with me on this cross-generational journey, then you know that both groups have had to overcome stereotypes. And after a half hour with Miss Audacious of Audacious Hoops, I am reminded ...

Don’t tell the filmmakers behind Scrooge & Marley that they don’t own the rights to tamper with Dickens' A Christmas Carol. From a musical theatre version to Scrooged, where Bill Murray plays a TV executive gone wrong (and then right), this beloved classic has been re-worked 101 times for the era in which it lives -- and literature lives across the ages for our enjoyment. The latest reworking, Scrooge & Marley by directors Richard Knight Jr. and Peter Neville, is set in a gay Chicago nightclub where the owner is a real life Scrooge. The reworking of the classic means ...

If I have learned anything from my friends with kids, it is that when it comes to childrearing, their lives are an endless bargaining session -- as much as they might deny it. Sure, some claim to be off-limits, but the bargaining is always there in some form, even in the most disciplined homes. So when looking for a vigorous activity with animals, loud music, and raucous singing that a parent can offer up in the day time so that when night arrives, the little kids will be worn out, look no further than the annual Grand Rapids Symphony’s Holiday Pops Spectacular, a pre-concert event ...

As the holidays approach, the last of the major artists markets and shop local events return with three exciting stops in three sections of the city this weekend. Thursday night is the ever-expanding Uptown Holiday Shop Hop (or as cleverly suggested via their advertising this year, the Ho Ho Ho). More than 50 businesses spread throughout the three Uptown business districts offer some of the best of local shopping with Thursday night deals at almost every stop. This year’s lead sponsor, Griffin Properties, along with other area sponsors have added six shuttles to transport you quickly to ...

After a host of accolades for our region -- from being named Beer City USA (a tie with Ashville, NC) to an expansive exhibit on the history of Grand Rapids' beer at the Grand Rapids Public Museum -- comes another first that is worth shouting from the rooftops of our city. We proclaim now and forever that Grand Rapids Brewing Co. is home to the Midwest’s very first organic brewery. When the doors open to the public on Dec. 5 at 3 p.m., one can expect to see lines down Ionia and onto Fulton as beer fans from all over will flock to try one of the 12 brand new beers slated to be ...

After taking WOTV Healthy Eats Specialist Marguax Drake’s 28-day cleanse, I had a chance to see our city through a different set of eyes. What I learned is that while the city’s locally owned restaurants are getting better with their vegan/vegetarian choices (often a response to our community’s changing palate and health concerns), there are some places that are clearly out of sync. So on the heels of new downtown chain restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings and the soon-to-arrive Bagger Dave’s -- where I found nearly vegan zero choices on their website beyond the ...