The Up North Venues Sampler

Sept. 2, 2016

While many northern Michigan restaurants, coffeeshops, bars, and nightclubs showcase the occasional musical act, there are also some venues that make concerts and big music shows their major focus. So if you’re looking for some places to hear new sounds and standout headliners, get these hot spots on your radar:

Boyne City Performing Arts Center

1035 Boyne Ave., Boyne City

The Place: Fairly new to the list is the Boyne City Performing Arts Center, opened in the fall of 2002 and featuring a sloped seating design, pro lighting and sound systems, and a commons area for after-show events.

The Shows: When the auditorium was completed, 620 seats were eagerly anticipating the arrival of concerts in the Boyne Region — and the venue has delivered with a schedule that balances local performers and imported major-label acts.

Past Performances: The Voice country singer Morgan Frazier, Footloose the Musical, southern rockers Confederate Railroad, the Great Lakes Orchestra.

Find Out More: boyne.k12.mi.us/District/ Department/10-Performing-Art-Center or call 231-439-8190

City Opera House

106 East Front St., Traverse City

The Place: Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, Traverse City’s “Grand Old Lady” was built in 1892 and has been lovingly restored by a board of local citizens. It’s quite a sight to see on its own, but taking in a show underneath its vaulted barrel ceiling is even more spectacular.

The Shows: Music, poetry, theater, comedy, variety shows, benefits, film events, and writers’ conferences have all graced this stage, but hosting a diverse menu of musicians is the COH’s specialty.

Past Performances: Actor/musician Jeff Daniels, modern trumpeter Bria Skonberg, Irish dancing and singing troupe Celtic Nights, gypsy jazz artist Cyrille Aimee.

Find Out More: cityoperahouse.org or 231-941-8082

Crooked Tree Arts Center

461 East Mitchell St., Petoskey The Place: Art exhibitions, classes, lectures, and other special events are hosted in the elegant 1890 United Methodist Church the CTAC committee purchased in 1978. The building smoothly combines a vintage feel with modern equipment to make for a unique visiting experience.

The Shows: CTAC is well known for its performing arts series that features everything from ballet to rock. In addition to a near-annual staging of The Nutcracker for the holidays, CTAC seek out the less traditional with world and regional music of all genres.

Past Performances: The Dirty Bourbon River Show, ragtime blues musician Woody Pines, the New Reformation Jazz Band, gypsy outfit Harmonious Wail.

Find Out More: crookedtree.org or 231-347-4337

Dennos Museum Center’s Milliken Auditorium

1701 E. Front St., Traverse City

The Place: An extension of the Dennos Museum Center, Milliken Auditorium seats over 350 people, and you’ll hear every note via the Milliken’s state-of-the-art sound system. Bonus: A T-Coil Hearing Loop System is available so hearing-impaired patrons can enjoy the shows too.

The Shows: There’s a reason Grammy-winning jazz keyboardist Bob James recorded an album here; the room sounds that good. And the lineup of artists borrows from the cultural diversity of the museum itself with world music, jazz, classical, and pop all included on the schedule.

Past Performances: Brazilian-bluegrass fusion band Matuto, blues harmonica master Billy Branch, punk percussionists Street Drum Corps, Celtic group Dervish.

Find Out More: dennosmuseum.org or 231-995- 1573

Freshwater Gallery

217 South Lake St., Boyne City

The Place: Yes, the space is an art gallery, and it’s chock full of pieces selected and created by artist Tony Williams. But as one of the coowners is Williams’ wife, regionally-acclaimed singer-songwriter Robin Lee Berry, Freshwater Gallery is also a well-respected venue that draws unusually important performers for such a small space.

The Shows: Throughout fall and winter, Freshwater hosts concerts from a wealth of musicians whose back catalogs run deep and thick with folk music history. The intimate venue allows for upclose contact with the performers and a familial feel, with mingling encouraged and appetizers often served during intermission.

Past Performances: Folk/blues standout Chris Smither, “new folk” artist Antje Duvekot , Jewel collaborator Steve Poltz, Lone Star state icon Fred Eaglesmith.

Find Out More: freshwaterartgallery.com, 231- 582-2588

Gopherwood

4320 East 46 Rd., Cadillac

The Place: As befits a small but friendly town like Cadillac, Gopherwood Concerts shares its space with the Elks Lodge and has transformed its 200-capacity room with a professional sound and lighting setup. Michigan Tech grad Dan Wilson oversees the soundboard, and a beverage bar allows for light refreshments during the concerts.

The Shows: Thirty years of shows and a collaboration with Earthwork Music mean that Gopherwood knows its audience, and it celebrates regional music often with a mix of Earthwork’s artists, up-and-coming northern Michigan singer-songwriters, and blues favorites.

Past Performances: Americana band Roosevelt Diggs, New Orleans jazz-blues fusion artist Luke Winslow King, Ann Arbor world-beat band The Ragbirds, Grammy Award-winning harmonica player Peter “Madcat” Ruth.

Find Out More: Facebook.com/gopherwoodconcerts or 231-846-8383

Harbor Springs Performing Arts Center

500 North Spring St., Harbor Springs

The Place: This fairly new facility to Harbor Springs boasts the familiar look of red theater seating in an arrangement that ensures there’s not a bad seat in the house, plus such performerattracting amenities as a Yamaha grand piano, a projection system, and stellar sound equipment.

The Shows: Thanks to 470 seats, the Harbor Springs Performing Arts Center is able to host sizable crowds and big musical extravaganzas.

Past Performances: Irish band Beoga, The Young Americans, Broadway singer Franc D’Ambrosio, Seussical the Musical Find Out More: www.harborps.org/community/ performing-arts-center or 231-526-4842

InsideOut Gallery

229 Garland St., Traverse City

The Place: Tucked into Traverse City’s warehouse district is InsideOut, a passion project of its owner that was, in fact, constructed from a 7,000 square foot warehouse. It’s loaded with avant-garde art (no watercolors of cherries allowed) and has its own dedicated concert stage.

The Shows: This destination is a little more rough ’n’ tumble than some of the other venues on our list, but it’s a fun diversion made even better by the colorful interior and the owner’s keen ear for breaking bands and edgy new performers. Past Performances: Ska legends Mustard Plug, jam band Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, pandemic dance band One Hot Robot, Chicago singersongwriter Dick Prall

Find Out More: facebook.com/insideoutgallerytc or 231-929-3254

Interlochen Center for the Arts

4000 Highway M-137, Interlochen

The Place: Interlochen technically has seven different venues on its beautiful campus, but the two most people know best are Kresge Auditorium, an open-sided amphitheater full of fresh air from the shores of Green Lake, and Corson Auditorium, an indoor space with a striking architectural interior.

The Shows: As would be expected from an acclaimed school of the arts, Interlochen’s production values and sound are always top-notch, and its audiences are appreciative — just two more reasons why some of the biggest names in music, dance, and theater perform here.

Past Performances: Prairie Home Companion live with Garrison Keillor, nine-time Grammy Award-winning rock singer Sheryl Crow, legendary folk artist Loudon Wainwright III, indie ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro.

Find Out More: interlochen.org or 231-276-7200

John M. Hall Auditorium

1725 Encampment Ave., Bay View (Petoskey)

The Place: Opened in 1915, the John M. Hall Auditorium well suits its setting in Bay View, the Victorian-era resort community that’s been designated a National Historic Landmark.

The Shows: With its pipe organ and proscenium curtain featuring artwork of Little Traverse Bay, the John M. Hall Auditorium is a classic space to see a show. Enormous windows on both sides of the audience slide open to let in the Little Traverse Bay breezes during shows.

Past Performances: Irish ensemble Moxie, swing rockers Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, indiepop band Blind Pilot, progressive bluegrass outfit The Punch Brothers.

Find Out More: bayviewassociation.org, bayviewfestival.org or 231-225-8877

Ramsdell Theater

101 Maple Street, Manistee

The Place: The remarkable Ramsdell was built in 1903 and is as much a historical destination as it is a destination for the arts. While modern touches like an elevator have been added, much of the original theater has been preserved, from the wooden armrests to the dome painting and lunettes in the lobby.

The Shows: The theater seats 467 in an oldfashioned configuration that includes four boxes — two on each side of the stage and two in the lower balcony — plus an exhibit hall and ballroom that offer extra space for after-show events, art events, and more.

Past Performances: Celtic band Finvarra’s Wren, rockers The Ben Daniels Band, folksinger Joel Mabus, pop vocalists Three Men and a Tenor.

Find Out More: manisteemi.gov/259/Ramsdell-Theatre or 231-398-9770

Red Sky Stage

445 East Mitchell St., Petoskey

The Place: Conveniently located across the hall from the northern Michigan Artist’s Market in downtown Petoskey, Red Sky Stage pays homage to the town’s million dollar sunsets.

The Shows: Converted from a building that used to house an old Montgomery Ward store and a Studebaker garage, the venue has an acoustic-friendly sound, thanks to high ceilings and a wooden stage. It seats 150 people, all with great sight lines.

Past Performances: The Up North Big Band, harmonica virtuoso Todd Parrott, East Indian music trio Ananda, Tennessee folk music duo Sparky and Rhonda.

Find Out More: redskystage.com or 231-487-0000

Studio Anatomy

140 E. Front Street, Traverse City

The Place: The newest kid on the block is Studio Anatomy, fashioned out of the old Good News music store in downtown TC. It offers a modern venue complete with performance area, production studio, sleek hangout lounge, and eclectic lighting and artwork.

The Shows: Keeping the venue alcohol-free also keeps the audience’s ears on the music, which ranges from open jam sessions in a variety of genres to fully staged concerts with a heavy emphasis on local projects and indie bands.

Past Performances: Folk-rock singer Sarah Brunner, buzz duo Oh Brother Big Sister, Detroit dynamic-rockers Undesirable People, country diva Missy Zenker.