Kristi Kates | Author

March 3, 2018

Libraries have come a long way, Baby. Long known as vast repositories of books, audio files, movies, and research/history archives, libraries today are luring card-carrying members of all ages with even more programming: how-to classes, lectures, social events, film screenings, video game... Read More >>

A New Life Abroad

March 3, 2018

Have you ever dreamed of walking away from it all? Completely uprooting your current life to try a new lifestyle in a foreign land? Don’t let your dreams wither on the vine — be like these three northern Michiganians who hit their 50s and decided to shake off th... Read More >>

Superchunk – What a Time to Be Alive – Merge

March 3, 2018

Quietly strolling out of its four-year hiatus is Superchunk, which seems to have returned to musically comment on the current state of the U.S. and its political climate. This is definitely an urgent, opinionated set of tunes, if a challenging one to listen to, from the direct reprimands ... Read More >>

Paul Simon is So Over It

March 3, 2018

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon has announced that he’s done performing live concerts — except for the occasional charity or honorary event — and will be staging a farewell concert for his fans on July 15 in London’s Hyde Park. Simon will be joined by... Read More >>

Eight Great Dates

Feb. 24, 2018

Thanks to the recent warmup, springtime — and its usual counterpart, love — is in the air. Like all species coming out of hibernation, you might be in the mood for a little romance. But what to do to help love bloom at this melty, slushy, weird in-between time of year? Here&rs... Read More >>

Pangea's: Movin’ On Up

Feb. 24, 2018

Take a good look around the narrow, cozy, eclectically adorned interior of Pangea’s Pizza Pub in Traverse City next time you stop in for one of their award-winning artisan pizzas. Because by this summer, you might not recognize it.

A major renovation, expansion and branding ... Read More >>

Chris Lemanski's 6,000-mile Stroll

Feb. 24, 2018

To experience a different kind of life.
        
That’s the reason Chris Lemanski moved to South America after growing up in Santa Rosa, California; he wanted to try something new. So he found a translation company to work... Read More >>

Bardo Pond – Volume 8 - Fire America

Feb. 24, 2018

Philadelphia’s drone-jammers take another one of their Pink Floydian treks through sound on their latest set, 40 minutes of soundscapes that morph from track to track with nary a change in audio atmosphere. Was it the band’s intention to craft what’s essentially one long... Read More >>

Bear Creek Organic Farm’s Whiskey Barrel-Aged Honey

Feb. 24, 2018

Whether you enjoy honey on biscuits, in your tea, or drizzled over fruit, this very unusual take on the sweet stuff is made right here in northern Michigan — with a bit of southwestern spirit.

Bear Creek Organic Farm might hail from the rural hills of Petoskey, but for t... Read More >>

Mundos’ Affogato

Feb. 24, 2018

The crew at Mundos — Dan, Sarah, Jack, and John — do more than just brew regular coffee. They focus on specialty coffee, aka any coffee that scores above 80 points on the 100 point scale of certified coffee tasters that are licensed Q coffee graders. Mundos only purchases and ... Read More >>

Smashing Pumpkins Make a Bright Return

Feb. 24, 2018

For months, there’s been rapid-fire talk of the the “will they or won’t they” variety in reference to the Smashing Pumpkins. The verdict is finally in, and the answer is yes: The Pumpkins are reuniting, with most of their original lineup, and hitti... Read More >>

Three Wow-worthy Vocal Shows in March

Feb. 24, 2018

A dose of terrific live music is a certain antidote to these long, dark northern Michigan winter days. Check out these three subtly spectacular shows coming up in Petoskey and Traverse City:

Six Appeal
March 10
They’ve sworn off... Read More >>

Ben Frost –Fortitude – Mute

Feb. 17, 2018

The Australian composer based in (appropriately) Iceland was the perfect choice for the soundtrack to the British psychological thriller television series. His chilly synths and electronic experiments set up a virtual wall behind the storylines of the show; and on its own, the album bring... Read More >>

Birds of a Feather Cook Together

Feb. 17, 2018

Sometimes the best ideas happen during something as small as a chat between friends. That was all it took to get the ball rolling on the upcoming Birds of a Feather dinner happening this March at The Little Fleet in Traverse City: several great culinary minds thinking alike.

Th... Read More >>

Camp Greensky Springs Into Festival Territory

Feb. 17, 2018

Kalamazoo jam-band-turned regional phenomenon Greensky Bluegrass (pictured) have announced the launch of their inaugural Camp Greensky Music Festival, set to run May 31­–June 2 at a location to be determined (the band posted a “save t... Read More >>

The Hit List

Feb. 10, 2018

A good DJ is the lifeblood of any wedding reception. They serve as master of ceremonies, keep the spotlight on the bride and groom, encourage the timid to dance, and keep the dance floor jamming all night long. Because they’ve quite literally heard — and seen — it all, w... Read More >>

Belle and Sebastian – How to Solve Our Human Problems, Part 2 – Matador

Feb. 10, 2018

The second of Belle and Sebastian’s trio of planned companion EPs has arrived (the third will surface late this month), with all three together comprising a full album’s worth of music. This one is a kind of vague, delicate sketched overview of the band’s current sound, ... Read More >>

A New Shot of Rock from The Vaccines

Feb. 10, 2018

After three years with nary a release in sight, The Vaccines are returning with their much-anticipated fourth full-length album, Combat Sports, a collection of big, bold indie-rock tracks that alternate between brooding lo-tempo numbers and ecstatic rockers. The ... Read More >>