Lead Sponsors

September 14 | 10:15 Am

​

Fusion rock orchestra

​

Established in 2008, Fusion is a student-led ensemble coached by Wendy Tenney, Director of Orchestras at Lowell High School. Fusion includes students in grades 9-12 from LHS Chamber and Symphony Orchestras who audition for membership in the exclusive extra-curricular ensemble.  Fusion Rock Orchestra has performed from the steps of the Capitol to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From Motown to Metallica to Mozart, Fusion has a style that will entertain all audiences.

​

September 14 | 11:30 AM

​

Hawks & Owls

​

Hawks and Owls has played for dances, festivals, corporate functions, private parties, weddings, fund-raisers, baptisms, and concerts, and has put together a great show of traditional old time fiddle music, folk, country blues, bluegrass, Irish music, and original compositions.  The audience is treated to colorful facts about the homegrown music of the 18th and 19th centuries in America, and the immigration of music from Ireland and Great Britain in those periods. 

​

​https://www.hawksandowls.com/

​

sEPTEMBER 14 | 1:00 pm

​

Bruce Matthews

​

​Bruce Matthews embodies everything it means to be a Roots Songwriter. His gift for storytelling and deeply connecting with listeners by laying his own life experience bare is just one of his many admirable traits as a songwriter and artist. Bruce reaches in and captures moments in time along the ever-changing and challenging trip of life, reminding us that while all the roads we travel may not be smooth and easy to navigate, the drive itself and what we learn along the way is what makes living so remarkable and worthwhile. A sincere storyteller with an absolute heart of gold, Bruce Matthews is truly one of Michigan's best.

​

https://brucematthewsband.com/home

​

sEPTEMBER 14 | 2:30 pm

​​

cold leather seats

​

An Americana band from western Michigan, the Cold Leather Seats’ sound can be described as, “if the Zac Brown Band recorded a folk album.” Composed of frontman and lead singer- Alex Svoboda, bassist- Issac Frisbie, vocalist- Elizabeth Ostoin, and violinist- Bella Worthing, the band has found success through their evocative story telling and genre bending performances. Ever committed to their values and their craft, the band is working relentlessly to bring authentic song-writing and spectacular performances to life.

 

https://coldleatherseats.com/home

​

SEPTEMBER 14 | 4:00 pm

​

THE WILD HONEY Collective 

​

​The Wild Honey Collective formed in the summer of 2020 to perform original songs and traditional American folk music. Singers and songwriters Tommy McCord, Danielle Gyger, Timmy Rodriguez, and Dan O’Brien, joined shortly thereafter by pedal steel guitarist Adam Aymor and drummer Joel Kuiper, launched the project in rural Michigan as a back porch acoustic gathering purely for the love of music in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

​

https://gtgrecords.net/thewildhoneycollective/

​

SEPTEMBER 15 | 10:15 am

​

whorled

​​

Whorled started as a band in the fall of 2019, when guitarist Thom Jayne, fiddler Keala Venema and accordionist Mariko Venema met at a Celtic session. The magic was immediate, and they set about creating their own experimental fusion style. When the pandemic closed musical venues, Whorled used this time to create their signature brand of improvisational folk melodies melded into surprising combinations. As 2022 opened up, Whorled quickly gained critical acclaim in West Michigan’s music scene and has released their debut album, Reimagined, in August 2023.

​

https://www.whorledband.com/

SEPTEMBER 15 | 11:30 am 

BLUE WATER RAMBLERS

​

The Blue Water Ramblers are a five piece Americana & Roots music band specializing in extraordinary folk music with contemporary themes in traditional stylings. Enjoy their unique take on some songs old, some songs new, some songs borrowed and some songs blues. Their hero Woody Guthrie would be pleased that they are singing and writing the people songs so they can join in and sing right along!

​

https://www.bluewaterramblers.com/

SEPTEMBER 15 | 1:00 pm

​

austin benzing

​

Austin Benzing is a West Michigan singer-songwriter and guitarist making a mess in the genre sandbox. His original releases boast a wide array of influences, resulting in Michigan made country-fied progressive rock with a sliver of acid jazz that is guaranteed to excite crowds of all ages and interests. Inspired by classic country and heavy metal influences like Buck Owens, George Jones and Metallica, it quickly became Austin’s focus to make his own mark.

​

https://www.austinbenzing.com/

​

SEPTEMBER 15 | 2:30 pm

​

red thyme

​

Red Thyme is an Americana and Folk Strings music collective which has flexible and rotating membership. The group is fronted by songwriting and vocal powerhouse, Hals Smedstad, and their partner, Jerry Wenger- Who is a clever composer, clean producer, and picks some of the tastiest guitar licks you have ever heard! Separate, they are forces to be reckoned with, and together they are a powerful musical unit that is constantly pushing the boundaries between traditional and contemporary Americana genres like; Traditional Folk, Bluegrass, Western Swing, Gypsy Jazz, Country, Post-Revival Folk, Blues, Jazz, and at times even traces of Indie and Psychedelic Rock music.

​

https://redthy.me/

​