Month: September 2026

Fifth Edition — Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert Marks First Major Milestone for Kalamazoo’s Sounds of the Zoo Music Festival

Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert. Courtesy photo.

For Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert, the fifth year feels special.

It marks the start of longevity and the first major milestone for Sounds of the Zoo, the free-admission music festival she’s hosted since 2022 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

“It feels pretty amazing to still be here,” said Hudson-Prenkert, founder, curator, and director of Sounds of the Zoo.

“Recently, Sounds of the Zoo was recognized by Local Spins as the No. 2 September music festival in Michigan—right behind Wheatland. That’s an incredible honor and something I’m really proud of. I’m trying to take a moment to sit back, take it in, and recognize that we made it to year five. But honestly, I also feel like I’m just getting started.”

Running September 21-27, the festival features more than 40 acts at several locations across the city. Some of the acts include Myron Elkins, The Mark Lavengood Band, Desmond Jones, The Go Rounds, MexiCuba, The Rupple Brothers, Grace Theisen, Kylee Phillips, Chris Canas, and others.

In addition to celebrating Michigan music, Sounds of the Zoo has become part of the city’s cultural movement and has built partnerships with local venues, Western Michigan University, and other organizations.

“Sounds of the Zoo is so much more than a festival,” Hudson-Prenkert said. “It’s rooted in community, but it also reaches beyond the community. I think that’s part of what makes it different. Festivals can sometimes have a certain stereotype or formula, and I’ve always wanted Sounds of the Zoo to feel different.”

I recently spoke with Hudson-Prenkert about preparing for the festival and celebrating its first milestone.

Continue reading “Fifth Edition — Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert Marks First Major Milestone for Kalamazoo’s Sounds of the Zoo Music Festival” →

Highway Companion — Joe Jaber Celebrates the Open Road on “Ride With Me” Single

Joe Jaber. Courtesy photo.

Joe Jaber relishes the freedom of the open road on “Ride With Me.”

The Novi, Michigan, singer-guitarist captures that sense of adventure and the enjoyment of sharing it with someone special on his latest blues-rock single.

“We all have so much in our daily to-dos, and sometimes we lose track of what’s important,” Jaber said. “Traveling with someone that lights your fire and exploring what’s on the open road without restrictions makes us feel alive.”

Backed by fiery electric guitar, upbeat piano, and pounding drums, Jaber sings, “Gotta get away / Can’t wait another day / The grind is going to beat me down / I know you’re the one / Let’s ride under the sun / Our destiny is now.”

“I hear a little Bob Seger inspiration in that one,” he said. “I’ve been releasing some of the deeper-side-of-life songs lately, and I wanted to put one of the many I haven’t released yet that has that roll-the-windows-down and crank-out-the-jams vibe for summer. I’ve been told this one will deliver.”

Once he had “Ride With Me” written, Jaber shared it with producer Bryan Reilly at Scramble Shack recording studio in Ferndale. The two recorded the song with guitarist Pete Peltier, who brought an explosive sound.

“It was especially fun in the studio with the band, and Pete Peltier is an excellent guitarist and so easy to work with,” Jaber said.

“He had a great tone and drive for the song throughout it. At the end, I heard an outro melody in my head that I loved. I verbalized it to Pete, and he nailed it. I love the final stamp on the song.”

Jaber and his band The Last Divide will share songs like “Ride With Me” and his previous single “Paper Doll” during a September 18 show at Cadieux Café in Detroit. He will also premiere the new video for “Paper Doll” at the show.

“The setlist will be a variety of songs … but we will also be playing some good-time Americana / blues rock,” Jaber said. “We are playing with up-and-coming artist Cami Rose, and we are still finalizing an opener. Both the opener and the closer will be great female artists.”

I recently spoke with Jaber about his background and recent releases ahead of the show.

Continue reading “Highway Companion — Joe Jaber Celebrates the Open Road on “Ride With Me” Single” →

Nothing Personal – Bill Edwards Explores Songs From Different Perspectives on “Enough About Me” Album

Bill Edwards. Photo – Jeff Fasano

Editor’s Note: For a related article, see the One Track Mind feature from Pulp.

Bill Edwards is satisfied with having one less personal collection of music in the world.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan, singer-songwriter adopts that mindset and overarching premise for his new album, Enough About Me, and its title track.

“I read American Songwriter magazine, and there’s an article on the cover that says, ‘So-and-so has put out their most personal album yet,’” said Edwards, who’s also multi-instrumentalist.

“I don’t think a statement is intrinsically more important because it’s your personal history. It can be, if it’s something you’ve gone through and it’s really important and something that people will recognize and feel themselves, but there are other ways to do it too.”

On the title track, Edwards sings, “Must we keep dronin’ on / About ourselves? / It’s a big ol’ world out there / Can’t we talk about somethin’ else?”

“I don’t mean anything against anybody,” he said. “People do what they need to do or what they want to do, but just for me at my stage of life and stage of music production, I was ready to say, ‘You know, I want to write about something else; I want to write about other people.’”

Featuring 14 tracks, the country-bluegrass album explores songs from the perspectives of several characters, including women, men, teens, veterans, sanitation workers, and drifters.

Continue reading “Nothing Personal – Bill Edwards Explores Songs From Different Perspectives on “Enough About Me” Album” →

Remember the Time — The Brothers Harrington Return With “Experience the Music of 1971” Show in Canton

Amy Petty and Jason Briggs perform as part of “Experience the Music of 1971” at the Canton Village Theater in 2025. Courtesy photo.

The Brothers Harrington are musical time travelers.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan, musicians and siblings are building a metaphorical portal to 1971, a year that featured era-defining music from iconic artists like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, and David Bowie.

That portal is in the form of a live revue-style show called Experience the Music of 1971. After debuting at the Canton Village Theater last fall, the show is back for a two-night run—October 1-2—at the same venue.

“It will be a completely organic performance, and that’s in the spirit of the music,” said Billy Harrington, a drummer who’s co-producing the show with his younger brother, guitarist Michael Harrington.

“We’re doing it the way that people did in the early ‘70s, given the tech that we have. It’s live instruments and live music in a room, and hopefully, we’re connecting with the audience and reminding them, or introducing them to this music.”

The Brothers Harrington developed the concept for the show after discussing a shared love of songs and albums from that transformative year with friend Mark Jay, owner-engineer of Immersifi Recording Services in Ann Arbor, and a sponsor of Experience the Music of 1971. (Immersifi Recording Services specializes in live recording, audio preservation and restoration, and noise and vibration consultancy services.)

“It kept coming up, and Mark was one of the inspirations to push it into the show world,” said Billy Harrington, who’s also performed and toured nationally with different tribute shows.

Last year’s inaugural show sold out and featured a roster of Michigan musicians performing songs like “Stairway to Heaven,” “What’s Going On,” “Roundabout,” and “Baba O’Riley.”

“It’s a lot of really challenging music, and it’s on our shoulders [again] to perform and do it right,” said Michael Harrington. “I think it will be fun, but it will be a lot of hard work and really rewarding.”

Continue reading “Remember the Time — The Brothers Harrington Return With “Experience the Music of 1971” Show in Canton” →

25 Years Later – Kitty Donohoe Marks Milestone Anniversary of Her 9/11 Song, “There Are No Words”

Kitty Donohoe. Photo – Tim Anderson

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of both 9/11 and Kitty Donohoe’s folk song, “There Are No Words,” which pays tribute to the fallen heroes, family members, and friends we lost that day.

Donohoe, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, singer-songwriter, wrote the song in response to the day’s tragic events.

On the song, Donohoe sings, “In one single hour in one single day / We were changed forever, something taken away / And there is no fire that can melt this heavy stone / That can bring back the voices and the spirits of our own.”

“I think it’s the hope of every artist to create something that affects people in a strong way, and I’m honored that ‘There Are No Words’ has played a part in the healing process of our country for so many people,” wrote Donohoe on her website.

Continue reading “25 Years Later – Kitty Donohoe Marks Milestone Anniversary of Her 9/11 Song, “There Are No Words”” →

Escape Room — OMO x Le Dawg Create Alternate Sonic Worlds on Their Electronic Music Album

OMO, aka Javan Cain, and Le Dawg, aka Evan Haywood, in Ann Arbor. Photo – DJ Cataclysmic, aka Jacoby Simmons.

Editor’s Note: For a related article, see the One Track Mind feature from Pulp.

OMO x Le Dawg’s self-titled album provides a brief respite from the outside world.

On their debut release, the Ann Arbor, Michigan, electronic duo creates different vibes and sonic spaces for people needing an escape.

“I want to get into that place where I’m no longer in my consciousness, but I am depersonalized completely into the music,” said Evan Haywood, aka Le Dawg.

“When you’re in that music, it frees you from all of the other things going on: all of the bills you have to pay, all the things you have to worry about, all the craziness in the world. It’s like a place of peace, and it can sound like anything.”

Featuring six tracks, the album is a collection of minimalist, ambient techno that explores a spectrum of sounds, ranging from meditative and percussive to dreamlike and intergalactic.

The music emerged over a series of jam sessions the duo had at Haywood’s home studio.

“We met once a week for a good couple of months,” said Javan Cain, aka OMO. “It turned into a lot of different jams, and there’s going to be a lot of different projects with different sounds. We were jamming together and growing within that, seeing what we could build because it’s endless if you really think about it.”

Those jam sessions quickly reflected the different roles the duo had while making the album: OMO as the creative force and Le Dawg as the editor and observer.

“It’s great because we both have so much going on musically, especially me with my studio work and Javan with all of his live performances that he’s been doing,” Haywood said. “It’s like we’re both bringing those skills and bringing those sensibilities into the process.”

To learn more, I spoke to OMO x Le Dawg about the creative process for the album.

Continue reading “Escape Room — OMO x Le Dawg Create Alternate Sonic Worlds on Their Electronic Music Album” →