Ross Boissoneau | Author

On Trend: House Concerts

Feb. 24, 2018

For many musicians, gathering together in a friend’s house to strum their guitars is how their career started. But what if that was their career? Or at least a large part of it?

House concerts are a fact of life for many artists, both newcomers and established performers. Th... Read More >>

Black Star Farms' Half-million Dollar Flash Détente

Feb. 17, 2018

Northwestern lower Michigan is well-known for its wine, but the weather can throw a wrench into the works. Frigid winters, late frosts, or summer storms can damage, even destroy an entire year’s crop. Witness the harvests — or lack thereof — in 2014 and... Read More >>

Igoe’s Last Show, Your Last Chance

Feb. 17, 2018

Those who were in the audience the last time Tommy Igoe played the City Opera House might think they know what to expect. After all, the masterful drummer and his powerhouse Birdland Big Band roared through a supercharged set of tunes, mostly from his then-recent recording Eleven... Read More >>

The 2018 Weddings & Bridal Issue

Feb. 12, 2018

Most wedding receptions follow the same format. It doesn’t really matter where it’s held or who the participants are. “You eat, drink, dance and go home,” said Tracy Magoon, an events planner with Social Butterfly in Traverse City.

That doesn’t mean t... Read More >>

With the Band?

Feb. 10, 2018

The flowers. The dress. The cake. And, oh, the music. All the elements of a wedding and reception are important, but oftimes it’s the lattermost that gets the most attention and offers the most variables. String quartet? Pianist? Rock band? Polka band?

While DJs are still a ... Read More >>

See Me

Feb. 5, 2018

Some see the world in black and white — you’re this or you’re that. For teens in the Grand Traverse area and their parents who appreciate the shades and contours, there’s Grayscale. The story-based advocacy program for LGBTQ+ students 13–17 years old is hoste... Read More >>

Traverse City’s Calypso Grill

Feb. 5, 2018

There’s really no better time to go to the Mediterranean than midwinter — especially since it’s so close. Calypso Mediterranean Grill on Traverse City’s Miracle Mile offers a taste of the region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, though sorry to say, not the same t... Read More >>

Whose T-shirt is it Anyway?

Jan. 20, 2018

Of course Michiganders are happy to showcase the Great Lakes State. And who doesn’t want to look good?

Welcome to the Michigan T-shirt. More and more people are proudly displaying their home state in clever and colorful ways. That’s true whether it’s M-22, the Mi... Read More >>

Cabin Fever

Jan. 13, 2018

Plummeting temperatures tend to leave the less hearty among us housebound. Which is fine, until cabin fever sets in. Before your own four walls drive you to the brink of insanity, drive yourself to a new set of walls to experience winter Up North at its warmest, quaint-est best.

Hop Lot Brewing in Suttons Bay

Jan. 13, 2018

Brothers Steve and Drew Lutke knew they wanted to do something special with their microbrewery on the south end of Suttons Bay. Even before building their facility, they had begun researching the style and aesthetic they wanted to draw in customers. So they decided to showcase what brough... Read More >>

Subzero Swimmers

Dec. 30, 2017

Taking a quick dip in the bay is almost de rigueur in the summer. In the off-season, when temperatures go from highs in the 80s to the 40s, 30s or colder, you have to be made of sterner stuff. Or almost crazy, you decide.

For your consideration, exhibit A: Evan Smit... Read More >>

Clare’s Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm

Dec. 16, 2017

It’s not every day you see a gaggle of Santa Clauses, but where better to do so than when they’re surrounded by reindeer? That’s the case each fall at Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm outside Clare. “We had about 100 professional Santas,” said Dave Aldrich, the ... Read More >>

"The Nutcracker" turns 125

Dec. 2, 2017

The dancers whirl around the floor, before coming together to toast one another, then spin away again. The director watches closely, holding off for several minutes as the action continues, before stopping things and then starting it over. In the corner, the rehearsal piani... Read More >>

2018 Ski Report

Dec. 2, 2017

The early blast of winter gave heart to winter enthusiasts across the region. With cool ocean temperatures in the Pacific, indications are that this will be a La Nina year, with more storms in the Midwest and Great Lakes; Accuweather suggests the Great Lakes region will have cold temperat... Read More >>

27 Years In, The Iceman Still Cometh

Oct. 28, 2017

Even the name sounds foreboding: The Iceman Cometh. Kind of gives you the shivers. And while participants may warm up on the 30-mile race from Kalkaska to Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort on the eastern edge of Traverse City, the weather might not be especially cooperative. Over th... Read More >>

After a 100-year Absence, Michigan’s Hop Crop is Coming Back Strong

Oct. 21, 2017

With apologies to Dr. Seuss, it’s no longer “Hop on Pop.” It’s now hops on top.

Given the continuing explosion of microbreweries and tap houses across the state and the region, it seems only logical that the production of hops would increase as well. And th... Read More >>

If the Day Ends in "Y" ...

Oct. 7, 2017

Brian Confer has had some crazy ideas. There was the one where he turned from his successful gig as a photographer to brewing beer for a living. Then there was the time he enlisted an entire town to tout the virtues of beer.

Welcome to the Fourth Annual Frankfort Beer Week. Stormc... Read More >>

Interlochen Takes Stock

Sept. 2, 2017

Ian Anderson has left the building, and the crowds have followed suit. The Jethro Tull frontman’s flute might still be echoing from the rafters of Kresge Auditorium as the curtain falls on Interlochen’s summer concert season. But Rory Baker is already looking ahead, as he&rsqu... Read More >>

The Best Live-Music Venues You’re Missing in Northern Michigan

Sept. 2, 2017

So you know about the shows at Interlochen Center for the Arts. Ditto Traverse City’s City Opera House, Manistee’s Little River Casino, and Northwestern Michigan College’s Milliken Auditorium. But what about Red Sky Stage, Dhaseleer Events Barn, Rotary Park Pavilion, or ... Read More >>

Mozart of the Guitar

Aug. 19, 2017

For some artists, their instrument becomes an extension of themselves. Rather than playing the piano or trumpet, they are simply playing music. That’s no doubt the case with Pierre Bensusan.

The French guitarist performs at Sleder’s Family Tavern in Traverse City... Read More >>