Get ready, Marshall! We are gearing up for the sixth annual Fridays at the Fountain concert series, a beloved tradition that brings together music enthusiasts of all ages. Hosted at the iconic Brooks Memorial Fountain, this summer event promises an unforgettable lineup of live performances, spanning various musical genres. The 2024 series will feature five different bands, and run every other Friday, starting June 14th through August 9th, from 7 – 9pm each night. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
*In case of rain, FATF will move to the beer garden covered area at Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Date: Thursday, May 30, 2024 Time: 5:30PM – 8:00PM EDT
Location: Franke Center For the Arts 214 E. Mansion St. Marshall, MI 49068
Every last Thursday of the month, join us at 5:30 for an evening of fun in The Franke Center’s Downstage Club! For May’s event, we’ll be hosting 80’s and 90’s karaoke. The mic will be hot, the bar will be pouring your favorite cocktails, there will be yummy food and treats on hand!
So dust off your favorite power ballads, grab your friends, and come on down.
Every last Thursday of the month, join us at 5:30 for an evening of fun in The Franke Center’s Downstage Club! For May’s event, we’ll be hosting 80’s and 90’s karaoke. The mic will be hot, the bar will be pouring your favorite cocktails, there will be yummy food and treats on hand!
So dust off your favorite power ballads, grab your friends, and come on down.
John Jorgenson is perhaps best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters. Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. Known for his blistering guitar and mandolin licks and mastery of a broad musical palette, Jorgenson has earned a reputation as a world-class musician, as evidenced by his collaborations with Earl Scruggs, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti, Bob Dylan and many others.
First coming to national attention in the mid ‘80s as co-founder of successful country-rock act The Desert Rose Band, an eclectic array of artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger and Barbra were drawn to add Jorgenson’s artistry to their own recordings. While a member of the Desert Rose Band, Jorgenson won the Academy of Country Music’s “Guitarist of the Year” award two consecutive years.
In the ‘90s The Hellecasters gave audiences a chance to experience John’s fretboard fireworks in an unrestrained venue and the trio’s three original albums remain favorites of guitarists everywhere. Having been a fan of the Desert Rose Band, Elton John invited Jorgenson to join his band in 1994 for an 18 month tour that stretched into a six-year stint of touring, recording and TV appearances with the British superstar, in addition to collaborations with other artists including Sting and Billy Joel.
2010 marked the 100th birthday of the great gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Since discovering Django in 1979, Jorgenson has become “the US Ambassador of Gypsy Jazz” which is quite an honor given the distinctly European slant of the music’s heritage. Over the years Jorgenson has continued to honor the legacy of Reinhardt by bringing his unique brand of Gypsy Jazz to the masses with his John Jorgenson Quintet.
Jorgenson continues to expand his dynamic range of musical offerings, exploring new elements of world music, bluegrass, rock and classical as he captivates and enlightens fellow musicians and listeners along the way. Touring with multiple musical configurations such as the John Jorgenson Quintet, the John Jorgenson Electric Band, the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band and the Desert Rose Band. Jorgenson annually plays dates across the U.S. and Europe. Each permutation allows him to make prodigious use of his mastery of many instruments; no matter which band Jorgenson is playing with, his brilliant guitar work leads the way with music that is a combination of groundbreaking playing full of soaring melodies and driving rhythms.
His contribution is utterly one of a kind by not only Jorgenson’s skillful guitar playing, but also his solo clarinet, bouzouki, and vocal performances as well.
Legends like Elton John, Earl Scruggs and Duane Eddy along with fellow guitarists such as Tommy Emmanuel, Peter Frampton and Brad Paisley have sung Jorgenson’s praises, and the best way to find out what they already know is to check out this artist who is leaving a lasting legacy in the art of guitar performance.
Independent filmmakers – submissions are now open for #WolfTreeFilmFestival2024!
Key Dates
Deadline for Submissions: NOVEMBER 12, 2023
Filmmaker Notification Date: DECEMBER 11, 2023
Wolf Tree Film Festival: JANUARY 20, 2024
The Franke Center for the Arts is gearing up again for the popular community event, The Wolf Tree Film Festival (The Youngish Professionals Committee). The submission site, FilmFreeway.com, is now open for entries.
Everyone is welcome to attend, including cinema fans as well as industry professionals. The Wolf Tree Film Festival is in its 6th year and is set for January 20, 2024 at 7:30pm ET. The festival will once again showcase short films (under 30 minutes) set in the Great Lakes region or that include themes or topics related to the region, as well as the work of filmmakers who reside in or grew up in the Great Lakes region.
This year’s event will again include screenings of each selected film, a meet and greet with the filmmakers and an awards presentation. Selected films will include a variety of genres, including comedy, drama, documentary and others.
Submissions can be submitted at the button below. Deadline for the submissions is November 12th.
Guess who’s returning to #FridaysAtTheFountain? Marshall local and fan-favorite: Norman Light!
Performing at previous FATF’s with Chameleon and Rae of Light, we’re excited to have him close out this year’s event by bringing back Norman Light & Friends. The only thing guaranteed is that there’ll be a night of good music, with fantastic musicians. Playing songs that everyone knows from a wide range of genres, every show brings a different line-up that makes each experience unique and memorable. Don’t forget to join us for our last show at the fountain – August 18th at 7pm EST!
AUGUST 18 – Norman Light & Friends
Please give a warm welcome to FATF alum, Norman Light & Friends, and we’ll see you August 18th at 7pm EST!
THE YPC: What kind of music/instruments do you enjoy playing the most? NL: Favorite instrument – guitar of course 🙂 And music? I love playing songs from all eras and all genres. I like playing a mix so that the youngest kid will find a song they like, all the way up to the grandparents enjoying the music together.
THE YPC: What is your funniest memory about playing a show or being on tour? NL: Too many to remember, but so many funny times driving back and forth to Florida with my band Rae of Light.
THE YPC: What are you most excited about for FATF? NL: Praying that we actually play at the actual fountain. We’ve been scheduled twice before: once it got canceled, and the other we relocated to Dark Horse. Still a great show/venue, but not the fountain!
THE YPC: What is your biggest achievement thus far? NL: Writing our own songs that we’re proud of.
THE YPC: If you could make an instrument out of a piece of food, what would it be? NL: A pineapple-tar.
The RockShow: The Ultimate Tribute to Journey must be seen and heard to be believed. This fun 80s rock tribute band will take you back to the days when Journey topped the charts playing all your favorite hits. When the band takes the stage, you will see and hear why fans all over the nation are raving about their Journey experience as Tommy K’s remarkable ‘Perryesque’ vocal performance will leave you amazed that it is not Steve Perry himself. Levi Goodwin (bass/vocals) and Chris Bartnikowski (drums/vocals) round out the Journey Tribute. The RockShow also performs covers from a variety of different 80s rock bands. Come rock out with us and The RockShow – August 4th at 7pm EST!
AUGUST 4TH – THE ROCKSHOW
Get ready to rock out 🤘with The RockShow at FATF on August 4th! But first, let’s go on a little Journey with them in this interesting interview:
THE YPC: What kind of music/instruments do you enjoy playing the most? TRS: Performing the music of Journey.
THE YPC: What is your favorite thing or special memory about Michigan? TRS: Opening up for many National Artists such as Great White, Eddie Money, April Wine, Whitesnake, Tesla, Blue Oyster Cult, Firehouse, Ratt, The Guess Who, and many more!
THE YPC: What are you most excited about for FATF? TRS: It will be our first time in Marshall in about 5 years.
THE YPC: What is your biggest achievement thus far? TRS: Fremont Street, Las Vegas. (3 times) and opening up for many National Artists.
THE YPC: If you could compose a movie soundtrack, what sort of film would it be? TRS: I (Tommy K) actually wrote the music for a documentary on the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes by Ric Mixter called “DEEP SIX” Titanics of the Great Lakes. It aired on PBS and is available online to purchase.
Grace Theisen is an Americana/Blues artist originally from Kalamazoo. Grace won Cari Cole’s Best New Artist of 2021, was named “Artist To Watch” by Local Spins in 2022, and was one of the “Top 10 Bands Heating Up The Summer” by Revue. From her 3rd EP, Dance With The Shadows, the Down To The River official music video won Best Americana Video & The Audience Choice Award at the 2022 Michigan Music Video Awards. Her newest single, “Wild Wild Woman”, is out now across all streaming platforms. Be sure to join us July 21st at 7pm EST for the highly anticipated performance of rising Americana/Blues artist, Grace Theisen!
Please give a warm welcome to rising artist (and Michigan native) Grace Theisen, in our pre-FATF interview, and see her live – July 21st at the Brooks Memorial Fountain!
THE YPC: What kind of music/instruments do you enjoy playing the most? GT: Well obviously acoustic guitar because that is what I play but I am learning bass right now which has been a blast to learn! I LOVE swampy/blues slide guitar and that is my next venture to learn.
THE YPC: What is your funniest memory about playing a show or being on tour? GT: In March I toured with my girlband, The Rebel Eves, and for the longest time people thought our name was actually “Therapy Elves” because our website (www.therebeleves.com) does look like that when the letters are so close together. We thought it was so hilarious and so accurate as to what our band is all about so we designed a summer festival t-shirt around it that will come out in July when we go on tour!
THE YPC: What are you most excited about for FATF? GT: To expose Marshall to my incredible trio featuring the percussion queen herself, Carolyn Koebel and my main guitar Maestro, Adam Main!
THE YPC: What is your biggest achievement thus far? GT: While it hasn’t happened yet. We get to play Frederick Meijer Gardens on June 6th which feels like a super huge honor. But also at the end of the day the fact that I get to call “playing music” my full-time job feels like a really huge deal considering Covid almost knocked out our entire industry. I am very new to pursuing this as I ran a nonprofit for almost all of my twenties so it’s only been the last 3 years that I have seriously pursued music as a career.
THE YPC: If you could make an instrument out of a piece of food, what would it be? GT: Oh hands down I would make a guitar out of Werthers! They are my favorite candy… I literally eat them every night because, yes, I am 80 years-old in my soul.
Zion Lion is the “baddest band to hit the Kalamazoo music scene”. FATF fans may remember them from last year’s series. Our crowd was up dancing and having a great time! The members are a combination of several bands from the Kalamazoo area that crossed each other’s path along the way and decided to form what we believe to be the right mix of reggae, African zouk, mucosa, zoukous, and some Afro-Latin influences. Mark your calendars for July 7th at 7pm EST as Zion Lion returns to FATF with good vibes and good times!
JULY 7 – ZION LION
Who are the members of the “baddest band to hit the Kalamazoo music scene”? Find out in our interview with Myra Atkinson (lead vocalist & steel pan for Zion Lion), and catch their exciting performance at FATF July 7th!
THE YPC: What kind of music/instruments do you enjoy playing the most? ZL: We love playing reggae and socca. For me it’s the steel pan.
THE YPC: What is your funniest memory about playing a show or being on tour? ZL: We were headed to a festival in Kentucky and one of our former members from Africa asked if we could stop and get Kentucky Fried Chicken.
THE YPC: What are you most excited about for FATF? ZL: Love the ambience of the fountain in the background while performing!
THE YPC: What is your biggest achievement thus far? ZL: Opening up for international reggae acts that we only dreamt of.
THE YPC:If you could make an instrument out of a piece of food, what would it be? ZL: A carrot into a flute.
The Brothers Proper power trio hails from the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area and bring an eclectic set of original takes on classic blues, jazz, soulful Motown funk, as well as some heartfelt originals. Known and loved for their low volume, easy listening groove, Brothers Proper will bring a musical energy that will transport you to “The Center of the Universe”. Though not proper brothers, the energy and musical connection of these 3 musicians become one united sound and groove, leaving you knowing why they are called the “Brothers Proper”. Get groovy with the Brothers Proper – properly – June 23rd at 7pm EST at The Youngish Professionals Committee’s first #FridaysAtTheFountain show of 2023!
JUNE 23 – Brothers Proper
Get to know the Brothers Proper in this fun interview with lead guitar & vocalist, Tom Hutchinson!
THE YPC: What kind of music/instruments do you enjoy playing the most? BP: Funk, Blues and jazz are my favorite genres and I only play Fender Telecasters.
THE YPC: What is your funniest memory about playing a show or being on tour? BP: As most Brothers Proper fans know, always play barefoot. I was once playing a backyard party & I stepped off the stage onto the wet grass (with my electric guitar). I got shocked so bad, it threw me into the drum-set. However, the band never stopped playing and I eventually got up and finished the song.
THE YPC: What are you most excited about for FATF? BP: This will be our first time playing at FATF and we are excited to play such a beautiful location.
THE YPC: What is your biggest achievement thus far? BP: Opening for Backyard, Burgers and Brews festival in BC and playing to 5k people, what a rush!
THE YPC: If you could make an instrument out of a piece of food, what would it be? BP: A guitar every day, and I made a Telecaster-Style guitar once out of a solid chunk of African Mahogany.
