"There's Film in Lansing".. and Music Too!

The first annual Capital City Film Festival declares, “There’s film in Lansing.” Premiering in Michigan's state capital on April 14, the four-day festival finally brings local movie-lovers what they have been waiting for... talented Michigan-made films created by independent artists incorporating a medley of genres.

Capital City Film Festival now announces, "There's music in Lansing too!" While films will be featured in various venues in Lansing from April 14 to April 17, festival attendees are invited to complete their day while enjoying nightly live music performances by nationally acclaimed and local musicians. The Festival tickets will grant access to the viewing of the daily events including the viewing of films. The tickets for the nightly performances are separate from that cost.

To commence the Capital City Film Festival, The Loft in downtown Lansing will present the opening night party on Thursday, April 14. The Midwest-based indie rock group, Margot & the Nuclear So & So’s, will headline the night with performances by Maps and Atlases, The Blue Cords, and DJ Rachel P. playing downstairs in the Harem Lounge VIP room. The doors to The Loft will open at 7:00p.m. and will welcome all ages. Tickets are $15 in advance and can be purchased here.

Following the screening of the documentary “Respiration: Feel the City Breathing” directed by Matt Orlieb on April 15, the Loft will present a Hip-Hop spectacular featuring Detroit Rapper Danny Brown and other local acts, Othello, Third Coast Kings, SelfSays, Buff1, and DJ Ruckus. Doors open at 9p.m. with the Blat!Pack hosting the event. Tickets are $15 in advance and will be available soon at the Loft's website.

Tickets for the Capital City Film Festival are now on sale on their website. Stay updated with the latest news on their tumblr page.

Hometown Rock Crown: Local Talent's Battle for the Throne

For 24 local bands who work hard to promote their music, the fourth annual 97.5 Now FM Hometown Rock Crown is presenting them with a golden opportunity to showcase their musical talents to the local mid-Michigan community and claim the throne as the Hometown King of music.

Presented by several local businesses– Splash of Color Tattoo, Music Manor, Tanzmania Tanning, REVUE Magazine, Life in Lansing and Media Advantage– and hosted by Gravy from 97.5 Now FM, the Hometown Rock Crown will resemble a familiar “American Idol” format. Three respected members from the music industry will be judging the contest. The final vote will be based on the judge’s scores, the ticket presales, and the crowd votes.

The contest was open to all ages and welcomed a variety of musical genres. Over 100 bands submitted into the contest and 24 talented bands were asked to participate. Now, these chosen bands will have to “fight it out” in order to receive the ticket to advance to the final round. Each week for four weeks, six bands will perform at the Loft in downtown Lansing. One band from each week will progress to the final round on May 7th where a representative from a major record label will be in attendance.

The title as the Hometown Rock Crown will yield valuable rewards for one deserving band. To name a few prizes, the winner will receive $500 in cash, a cover story in REVUE Magazine, studio time, and one of their songs will be played on 97.5 Now FM.

To kick off the five-week competition, the bands Na Style Jaa, Versus the Ocean, Naiswan, Red Tin Trio, The Sunset Club and ThrillTrain will perform at the Loft in downtown Lansing on April 2nd.

The second week will showcase The Specktators, Sosaveme, Amir Pakray, The Classic, Stikyfüt, and Catalina Wine Mixer at the Loft in downtown Lansing on April 9th.

During the third week, Vinacious, Tree Hut Kings, Jimmy Flint, Finding Bliss, Goat Machine and The Blue Effect will perform at the Loft in downtown Lansing on April 16th.

The fourth and final week of preliminaries will feature Billiards Music, Green Skeem, Lyric’lee, Daybreak, Blissfield and Chris Rozsell and his band at the Loft in downtown Lansing on April 23th.

Come out and support local talent by purchasing tickets $7 in advance on the Loft’s website/band themselves, or $8 on the day of the show. Doors open at 7:00p.m each night of performance and all ages are welcome.

Lansingmusic.TV: Recording the Sights and Sounds of Lansing Music

After combining creative energies and a passion for music, three students at Lansing Community College- Sean Bradley, Casey Cavanaugh and Austin Howard- concocted a project called Lansingmusic.TV. Formed in the spring of 2010, Lansingmusic.TV is an online music source which provides viewers with a visual and auditory experience of Lansing talent such as Cheap Girls, Elliot Street Lunatic, Frontier Ruckus, and The Amature. The concept behind the project is to offer a personal view and intimate listen of local talent through filmed interviews and live concerts and also recorded acoustic performances.

Recently, Lansingmusic.TV received a grant via Austin Howard from the city of Lansing which provided them with production equipment to produce monthly content for Lansing's public access. Their debut on the city's broadcast will occur sometime in April.

The rest of the year for Lansingmusic.TV will be spent working with Lansing’s own Elliot Street Lunatic while making a documentary that reveals the processes involved in constructing their upcoming album. Lansingmusic.TV will also be recording the local videogame cover band, Year 200X, as they play an anime convention in Lansing called Shuto Con.

Check them out!
Official website
Youtube Page

Frontier Ruckus at The Loft, March 26

There is sure to be a tuneful ruckus on March 26 when East Lansing’s folk-rock, Frontier Ruckus, headlines at the Loft in Lansing. Frontier Ruckus, originally assembled in the Michigan State college town, has been touring the world (yes, Europe was involved) promoting their lyrical, Michigan-influenced ensemble and is back to play for their home-base.

Frontier Ruckus was sparked by two metro-Detroit high school students, Matthew Milia and David Winston Jones. When Jones attended the University of Michigan, Milia went to the rival Michigan State University. In East Lansing, the band developed into a six-piece group with the addition of drummer Ryan Etzcorn, vocalist Anna Burch, bassist Eli Eisman, and multi-musician Zachary Nichols.

Last year was a busy year for the band; In February they recorded an in-studio Daytrotter session and became a four-member team (when Eisman and Burch left). With the release of their album Deadmalls and Nightfalls they toured all the way to Europe and then returned to the states to play at Bonnaroo 2010- a set which Rolling Stones Magazine listed as a “must-see.”

Come join Frontier Ruckus on March 26 when they team up with other Michigan folk artists, Sacred Strays and Jeff Pianki, and return to the city which originally brought all the Ruckus members together.

Doors open at the Loft (harem lounge) at 8p.m. Buy tickets here for $10 in advance.

Pretty Things Peep Show: The Loft, February 27

Have you ever had the urge to walk on top of glass, eat a ball of fire, or swallow a sword? Well, here is your chance to experience these life-threatening and dicey maneuvers without risking your fragile life. The Pretty Things Peep Show, presented by Pretty Things Productions, will be featured at the Loft in downtown Lansing on Sunday, February 27. This traveling vaudeville phenomenon features the best in burlesque and sideshow.

Pretty Things Productions never takes a break from touring the globe- providing global entertainment and astonishment- and also never ceases to amaze audiences. This one-of-a-kind show will feature the thrilling team of the sexy sword-swallowing Miss Heather Holliday, chainsaw-juggler Donny Vomit, vaudeville vixen Go-Go Amy, and the “midget of mischief” Lil Miss Firefly. Glass will be walked on, contortionists will bend at extreme angles to amaze, and you can't forget the dancing, comedy, singing, and even the cracking of whips.

Doors will open at 6pm, unveiling an engaging performance for those who are 18+ to enjoy. Tickets can be purchased here for $10 in advance.

Frost Fest 2011

January was cold and February is not expected to get any warmer but, hey, at least the city of Lansing knows how to heat things up. On Saturday, February 19, the second annual Frost Fest presented by Downtown Lansing Inc. will turn the 200 block of S. Washington St. into a festive glacier. Beginning at 6p.m, Frost Fest welcomes everyone to come out and party like an Eskimo while playing euchre, listening to live music, drinking up special microbrews…all you really need for the night are some snow-shoes and earmuffs.

This event is for those chilled, beer-drinking winter-enthusiasts, Valentines Day lovers who want to continue the holiday, Valentines Day haters who want to forget the holiday, euchre-extraordinaires, music-lovers, and those who simply just want to chill and have a good time (pun intended). To make sure no one freezes, the event takes place within a heated tent to thaw off in.

Throughout the night, enjoy the “Plaid Penguin,” the exclusive Frost Fest Microbrew, and Badass American Lager. Live music starts at 7p.m. with performances by Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers, and Elliot Street Lunatic. Atomic Tom is headlining Frost Fest on their Rolling Sound and Ready Lights Tour and will take stage at 9:30p.m.

Don’t get cold feet when playing the “Cold Butt Euchre” game, which starts at 8p.m. The seats are made of ice which means that only the true Eskimo will be the champion, winning a cash prize of $250 bucks. If you are not a fan of Euchre you can play some chilly games of chess, checkers and pool made completely out of ice, provided by Cooley Law School, Lake Trust Credit Union and Touch Audio.

When the clock strikes midnight, shuffle on over to the Tin Can located just down the street at 414 Michigan Ave where there will be Ice games, frozen pudding shots and $1.75 cans of beer.
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and can be purchased at www.fusionshows.com. 21+ are welcome, and tickets include a frosty keepsake mug and one drink ticket. Visit www.frostfest.org for more information!

Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire at The Loft, February 11, 2011

Mark your calendars because February 11 is going to be a rockin’ night full of alternative-folk, country, blues, and of course, rock n’ roll, at the Loft in downtown Lansing. Grand Rapid’s Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire are traveling eastward and will be joined by other friends from around the mitten; country-rock Dirt Road Logic, folk Jack Grendel and the Twelve Armed Bandits, and the lovely Cat Midway.

You may remember Kalish’s face plastered on the front of our June 2010 music issue in Revue West Michigan; long haired, bearded, and looking like a badass. It is a hard face to forget.
After a year full of touring, a solo release by front-man Kalish, and a boat-load of exciting press in 2010, the Wildfire are making the Midwest proud as they maintain their pace into the New Year.

The music of the Wildfire is a mix between the vocals of Jack Johnson and a younger Tom Petty during his American Girl days with a thick layer of rock and rock. They truly capture the essence of good ole quality American music; a little folk, a splash of country, and a lot rock.

The cover is $7 for 21+, $10 for 18+, and the doors open at 9p.m. For more information visit http://theloftlansing.com/?p=1119.