Hannah Rose Graves and The Graves Tones Live at Founders Brewing Company: Fantastic Show!
Despite a 9 pm showtime start that would normally deter some show attendees, a large amount of people came to support Hannah Rose Graves and The Graves Tones! January 15th was a fun night for all of the groups involved in the show! Starting off the night were The Sleeping Gypsies, a group out of Charlevoix that came ready to hang, merch and good vibes in tow! "The Sleeping Gypsies are a musical outfit consisting of four young men from northern Michigan who deliver a rollicking yet classy live performance. They assault unsuspecting listeners with an infectious blend of rock, swing, soul, and blues that is both interesting and accessible, recalling classic acts such as T.Rex and Van Morrison while also showing similarities to contemporary artists like The Black Keys and Mayer Hawthorne." (taken from their Facebook bio). They were a fun opener for the show!
Following this group were the Hip Hop stylings of rap duo Sultan Satire and Bubba, paired with a live DJ dropping some great beats! My lack of accurately articulating their musical performance comes simply from seeing them combine so many great elements into their performance. Some great trading on verses, some catchy hooks to get the crowd singing along, and having different costume changes throughout that added a little bit of comedy to their stage presence (the DJ himself remaining in a bear suit). The group was a great follow up and a nice contrast in styles, showcasing a group that is a great group to have in the mix of local artists in Grand Rapids.
Finishing the night was Hannah Rose and The Graves Tones, a group that continues to be a crowd favorite and one that I'm happy to have joined. Expanding the band for such a larger show, Hannah Rose Graves picked a wide variety of local talents to keep the grooves going and the crowd moving! The staple group includes Mario Copeland shredding on the drums, Justin Avdek holding down the bass, Justin Wierenga providing some great licks and tricks on guitar, myself on keys, and of course Hannah Rose serenading the crowd with her soulful, passionate singing. At Founders, a horn section consisting of Rolland R. Smith (sax), Forrest Evans (trombone), and Troy Macqueen (trumpet), harmonica player Craig "Griff" Griffith, and Eric Engblade (acoustic guitar, banjo, backing vocals) were added to really boost the sound and enhance the experience. The music played highlighted a variety of styles, mainly funk, blues, and soulful music that included items off of their debut album, "Everything We Already Knew" and tunes by Erykah Badu, The Doobie Brothers, Nina Simone, and James Brown, to name a few.
The show overall was a huge success and a great way to spend the night! Hannah Rose Graves and The Graves Tones have more show coming up soon, so come on out to enjoy the experience!
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCY7E7J9-IY[/embed]
You can find info about all of the groups at these links below: Bamfomania: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bamfomania/592120010842243?sk=info&tab=page_info The Sleeping Gypsies: http://www.thesleepinggypsies.com/ Hannah Rose Graves and The Graves Tones: Debut Album - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hannahrosegravesandjusti Schedule/Other Content - http://www.hannahrosegraves.com