Tag: The Intersection

Hitting the Road — The Soods Embark on Midwest Fall Tour This Week

Jason Roy of The Soods. Photo – Matt Ten Clay

The Soods are ready to hit the road.

The indie-rock collective is embarking on a short Midwest tour, which runs October 11 to 16.

The tour includes shows in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan, as well as Chicago; Davenport, Iowa; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. It will also celebrate a milestone for one of The Soods’ side projects—Elroy Meltzer.

“This one will just be Steven [Meltzer] and me,” said Jason Roy, frontman and co-producer for The Soods, who’s based in Grand Rapids.

“It actually marks 10 years this year since we started Elroy Meltzer together, so we actually will be doing some songs off those first two albums. Steven still actively writes, records, and performs as Elroy Meltzer and has an album coming out on October 10 called 9 Out of 10 Ain’t Bad that people should check out as well.”

For its tour, The Soods have prepared an extensive setlist filled with new songs, old favorites, and covers.

“I think we have rehearsed about 25 or 26 songs, five covers ranging from Bruce Springsteen to Gorillaz, and then a pretty even split of Soods songs and the aforementioned Elroy stuff,” Roy said. “We’re pretty excited to play five unreleased ones as it’ll be the first time we played a few of them.”

I recently spoke with Roy about the collective’s tour and recent releases.

Continue reading “Hitting the Road — The Soods Embark on Midwest Fall Tour This Week” →

Sounds Like Michigan — Michigan Music Alliance Celebrates Relaunch With November 23 Fundraiser Show at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre

Editor’s note as of November 23, 2024: Frontier Ruckus is unable to perform at tonight’s Sounds Like Michigan show due to COVID.

The Michigan Music Alliance is ready to take center stage and shine a spotlight on the state’s music community.

The statewide nonprofit is marking its official relaunch with Sounds Like Michigan, a live music fundraiser taking place November 23 at the Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“We’ve spent the last year working behind the scenes to set the organization up for long-term success, especially when it comes to the educational programming we provide to Michigan musicians,” said Nicholas James Thomasma, interim executive director of the Michigan Music Alliance. “Now, it’s time to celebrate, and Sounds Like Michigan is a celebration of Michigan music.”

Detroit-Ypsilanti indie-folk-rock trio Frontier Ruckus is headlining the event, which also includes Detroit R&B artist ARI B, Grand Rapids alt-Latin band Cabildo, and Grand Rapids indie-rock band The American Hotel System.

“It’s an eclectic bill with a mix of well-known and up-and-coming artists from both sides of the state,” Thomasma said. “It’s bridging the gap between the two communities and showcasing the collaborative spirit of the Michigan music scene.”

During the show, the Michigan Music Alliance will unveil its programming for 2025 and acknowledge grants awarded for more than $23,000 from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council and the Great Lakes Energy People Fund.

It also will feature a Sounds of the Zoo-hosted silent auction for attendees to bid on exclusive items, including:

In addition, attendees can purchase 50/50 raffle tickets and limited-edition merchandise. Meanwhile, VIP ticket holders will receive a private performance and meet-and-greet with Frontier Ruckus before doors open. All proceeds from the show will go to the Michigan Music Alliance.

Local Spins editor and publisher John Sinkevics will emcee Sounds Like Michigan, which features the West Michigan music website as an event partner along with WYCE (88.1-FM) and Triumph Music Academy. Event sponsors include Our Family, Founders Brewing Co., Studio C, and Tee See Tee.

Tickets for Sounds Like Michigan are on sale now via the Grand Rapids Community Media website. VIP tickets are $100 and general admission tickets are $35.

The Michigan Music Alliance’s Sounds Like Michigan fundraiser show is November 23 at the Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Doors are at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. For details, visit the Michigan Music Alliance’s website.