Summer ’21 Mega-Music Guide

Live music is back! Here’s where to be, when.

By Ross Boissoneau | June 5, 2021

After a summer of silence, musicians are ready to retake the region’s stages. From free shows in the open air to large-scale performances in state-of-the-art concert halls, the sounds of rock, pop, classical, jazz, folk, and more will once again rise up to rock local audiences Up North.

There is one huge caveat, of course: COVID-19 restrictions might force sudden changes to schedules or, worse, cancellations. Different venues and events may opt to continue requiring such things as masking and social distancing, too.

So while this list is long and far-reaching, it’s not necessarily complete, nor is it set in stone. Restaurants, bars, wineries and other places will also be welcoming music artists. And some other excellent venues — hello, Interlochen! — might still announce plans to host live music for the public. So continue to check the listings here at Northern Express, and if you know about a summer music event we don’t, email us at events@traverseticker.com, and we’ll do our best to include them in future issues.

For now, get off the couch, get out your calendar, and make a plan to see and hear the kind of musical experience you’ve missed out on for more than a year.

Charlevoix Live on the Lake
Thursdays 7pm-9pm at East Park Odmark Pavilion. Charlevoix City Band plays at 8pm Tuesdays in July and August. charlevoixmi.gov/341/Summer-Concerts

July 1              Tracy Kash

July 8              Hurricane

July 15            Charlie Millard Band

July 29            Dags Und Timmah

Aug. 5             Matt Gabriel

Aug. 12           Enemy Line

Aug. 19           Brett Newski

Aug. 26           Distant Stars

Lavender Hill Farm
Live music concert series held in a renovated, multi-use barn. Enjoy a picnic on the lawn overlooking fields of lavender. LavenderHillFarm.com

June 26           The Rough & Tumble

July 10            Cousin Curtiss

July 17            Morgan Myles

July 31            Horton Creek Bluegrass

Aug. 7             Gaines & Wagoner

Aug. 14           Stella!

Sept. 4            Horton Creek Bluegrass

Boyne City
The Evenings at the Gazebo Concert Series has moved to the pavilion in Veterans Park for the 2021 summer season. Concerts will take place each Wednesday evening. BoyneChamber.com/Gazebo-concerts

June 16           Full Moon Jam Band

June 23           Wyatt & Shari Knapp

June 30           On Tap

July 7              Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra

July 14            Pete "Big Dog" Fetters

July 21            Full Circle

July 28            Billie McAllister

August 4         Nelson Olstrom

August 11       The Real Ingredients

August 18       Matt Gabriel

August 25       Full Moon Jam Band

Grand Traverse Pavilions
The Concerts on the Lawn have grown into one of the summer’s most popular musical events. Performances are 7pm–8pm Thursday evenings. These free events celebrate and support local artists in the community. gtpavilions.org/news-events/2021-concerts-on-the-lawn/

July 1              Elvis Tribute

July 15            Remembering Patsy Cline

July 22            Petoskey Steel Drum Band

July 29            Peter, Paul and Mary Remembered

Aug. 5             Bay Area Big Band

Aug. 12           K. Jones & The Benzie Playboys

Aug. 19           The Backroom Gang

Aug. 26           Miriam Pico & Friends

Northport Music in the Park
Hosted by the Northport Performing Arts Center. Socialize, picnic, and mingle while enjoying live music and views of Northport Bay at G.M. Dame Marina Park. The music begins at 7pm and runs until 9pm. northportomenachamber.org/musicinthepark 

June 25           Looking Forward

July 2              Soul Patch

July 9              Mulebone

July 16            Time Machine

July 23            Jeff Tucker Band

July 30            Thunderude

Aug. 6             New Third Coast

Aug. 13           Ben Daniels Band

Aug. 20           Ol’ Microtones

Aug. 27           Don Julin/Ron Getz Quartet

Sept. 3            Dune Brothers

Downtown Beulah
7 p.m., downtown (not in the park)

July 1              Jazz North

July 8              Jake Allen

July 15            Standing Hamptons

July 22            TBA

July 29            The Way Outs

Aug. 5             TBA

Aug. 12           The Ole Microtones

Aug. 19           Dig A Pony

Aug. 26           The Accidentals

Coyote Crossing Music Series
Coyote Crossing, 8593 S. 13 Rd., Cadillac. coyotecrossingresort.com/live-music/

June 5             Zak Bunce & GrooveGround

June 12           Ward Davis w/Myron Elkins

June 19           The Moonhowlers

June 26           Roosevelt Diggs

July 10            Drew Hale Band

July 17            Rachael David & Luke Winslow-King

July 24            Adam Joynt Band

July 31            Myron Elks & Dying Breed

Aug. 7             Michigan Rattlers

Aug. 21           Drew Hale Band

Aug. 28           Matt Sayles w/special guests

Sept. 4             The Insiders

Upbeat Cadillac
7pm at Rotary Arts Pavilion. CadillacMichigan.com

June 24           Wendell Harrison Quartet

July 1              Holly McGuire

July 8              Tell Yo Mama

July 15            Nick Moss Band

July 22            Serita’s Black Rose

July 29            Greg Nagy’s Men of Leisure

Aug. 5             Rodney Whitaker Quartet

Aug. 12           Planet D Nonet

Aug. 17           Chris Foreman’s Soul Message Band

Aug. 26           U’Neek Soul

Odawa Casino, Ovation Hall, Petoskey.
See website for showtimes: odawacasino.com/entertainment/ovationhall.php

July 2              The Buckinghams

July 30            The Box Tops

Portage Lake Association Concerts in the Park
7pm Mondays, Onekama Village Park

June 28           Miriam Pico and David Chown

July 5              Shrock Brothers Band, featuring Madcat

July 12            Elvis Tribute by Jake Slater

July 19            Benzie Playboys

July 26            Ben Traverse

Aug. 2             Peter, Paul & Mary Remembered

Aug. 9             Michael Trixx

Aug. 16           Wally Pleasant

Aug. 23           Awesome Distraction

Manistee Shoreline Showcase 2021
7pm at First Street Beach Rotary Gazebo, Douglas Park ManisteeShorelineShowcase.org

June 22           Wendell Harrison

June 29           Holly Maguire w/the Kevin O’Connell Trio

July 6              Tell Yo Mama

July 13            Nick Moss Blues Band

July 20            Serita’s Black Rose

July 27            Greg Nagy’s Men of Leisure 

Aug. 3             Rodney Whitaker Quartet

Aug. 10           Planet D None

Aug. 17           Chris Foreman’s Soul Message Band

Aug. 24           U’Neek Soul

Aug. 31           Headwinds Blues Project

Manistee Roots on the River
July 8              Harper and the Midwest Kind
Other shows TBA

Old Town Playhouse Theatre Under the Tent
Old Town Playhouse offers a variety of shows in its parking lot on Union Street in Traverse City. OldTownPlayhouse.com

June 17, July 15, Aug. 19       Bo Bossa

June 18                                 Rigs & Jeels

June 19; July 9 & 10               The Belle of Amherst

Tuesdays June 22–Aug 31       Dance Night with JazzNorth

June 23                                  Comedy with Derek Richards & Sal Demilio

June 30                                  Golden Voices

July 2                                     Comedy With Marti Johnson

July 3, 17                               East Bay Blue

July 7                                     ReBooted

July 8                                     Cherry Blossom Ramblers

July 14                                   Top of the Pop

July 16                                  Pico, Chown & Sears

July 21                                  Big Fun

July 22                                 The Old Town Playhouse Radio Hour

July 23, 24, 29, Aug. 6          "I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change" (musical theater)

July 28                                 East Bay Drive

July 30 , 31, Aug. 1               Showstoppers

Aug. 4                                  Strum

Aug. 5, 7, 14                        Hate Mail

Aug. 11                               Beach ’N’ Buffet

Aug. 13                              Toma’s Mime Time

Aug. 18                       Jeff Haas Quartet

Aug. 20                       Let’s Sing Again

Aug. 21, 26, 27           Love, Loss & What I Wore (theater)

Sept. 1                       Around the World 

Pit Spitters Stadium
Home of the Traverse City Pit Spitters baseball team. northwoodsleague.com/traverse-city-pit-spitters

Sept. 17          Old Dominion

Music On Bear Lake
Shows are performed at 1pm Saturdays on a boat on the lake. tinyurl.com/3628nad5

June 26           Clear Heels
July 24            Straits Shooter
Aug. 28           The Real Ingredients

Elk Rapids Evening On River Street
Taking place at 6pm Wednesdays in downtown Elk Rapids … on River Street, of course. elkrapidschamber.org/evening-on-river-street/

June 30           Plumville Project
July 7              Brotha James
July 14            Dags Und Timmah
July 21            Matt Mansfield
July 28            Leanna Collins
Aug. 4            Sweetwater Blues Band
Aug. 11           TBD

Elk Rapids Summer Concert Series @ The Harbor
At 7pm Saturdays (except as noted) at the Harbor on Cedar Street. elkrapids.org/harbor/events/
June 26           Royal Guard
July 4             On the Sun (Sunday)
July 17            Nathan Walton
Aug. 1             1000 Watt Prophets (Sunday)
Aug. 7             Delilah DeWylde w/Harbor Days and Fireworks
Aug. 21           Gasoline Gypsies

Bay View, Petoskey
The summer community on the north side of Petoskey was founded as an educational and cultural community by Michigan Methodists “for intellectual and scientific culture and the promotion of the cause of religion and morality.” It’s since expanded to include and feature the arts, including music and theatre. BayViewAssociation.org

June 27-Aug. 8 Vespers concerts with guest artists at 8pm Sundays

June 30           Bay View Wind Quintet

July 3              Brass Transit

July 14            Bay View String Quartet

June 30           My Favorite Sings

July 21-24      La Traviata

Great Lakes Center for the Arts, Bay Harbor
The performance hall is located at Bay Harbor south of Petoskey. GreatLakesCFA.org

June 19           Outdoor Season Kickoff with Max von Essen and Billy Stritch

June 26           Bruce in the USA

July 2              Naturally 7

July 10            Gladys Knight gala

July 17            Vanessa Williams

July 22            Ryan Hamilton

July 24            Kurt Elling

July 30/31      Pink Martini

Aug. 6             Brian Stokes Mitchell

Aug. 13-15     Musical: Always, Patsy Cline

Aug. 17           ChaoJun Yang

Aug. 21           Michael Feinstein

Aug. 28           Paul Taylor Dance Company

Sept. 5             Tanya Tucker

Sept. 12          Denyce Graves

Oct. 2              Thompson Square

Oct. 9              BB King Blues Band

Lake Street Music Festival
Performances at the Studio Stage in Glen Arbor behind the Glen Arbor Arts Center, taking the place of the Manitou Music Festival. Performances start at 8pm. Tickets available at Lake Street Studio or Oryana or at the door if available.

July 14            Mulebone

July 21            Cameron Blake Trio

Aug. 4             Drew Nelson 

Aug. 11           Mustard's Retreat

LivelyLands Music Festival
Aug. 20–22 at Backyard Burdickville (formerly known as the Eagles Campground) on M-72 east of Empire. Headliners include Joshua Davis, Laura Rain & The Caesars and Michigan supergroup the Stovetop Bernard Lavengood Trio. TheLivelyLands.com.

Dunesville Music Festival
July 23–25 at Harmony Pines Campground, 4846 N Hulbert Rd., Lake Ann. The festival will feature a variety of artists performing folk, funk, rock and other genres. facebook.com/pg/DunesvilleMusicFestival/

The Big Ticket Festival
July 9–11 at the Otsego County Fairgrounds in Gaylord, featuring a variety of Christian performers and speakers. Btf.com 

Hoxeyville Music Festival
Aug. 13–15 at the Hoxeyville festival grounds, 150 acres of farmland surrounded by the Manistee National Forest in Wellston. Headliners include Billy Strings, the Allman Betts Band, the Sam Bush Band, Yonder Mountain String Band with Luke Winslow-King, Seth Bernard and many others. Hoxeyville.com

Big Fam Music and Arts Festival
Aug. 27-29 at Harmony Pines, 4846 N Hulbert Rd., Lake Ann. This first iteration of the festival will feature a variety of artists, from rock, folk and funk to bluegrass, jam and electronic. BigFamFestival.com

Spirit Of The Woods Folk Festival
June 19 at Dickson Township Park in Brethren. Featured performers will include Breathe Owl Breathe, Ruby John & John Warstler, Annie & Rod Capps, The Nephews and Barefoot. Tinyurl.com/da4p4ukp

Cedar Polka Festival
Aug. 26-29 at the tennis courts in downtown Cedar. Polka bands from across the Midwest, including Duane Malinowski, Kowalski Brothers The Polka Brothers, Jimmy K, and the Scottville Clown Band. CedarPolkaFest.org

Beaver Island Music Fest
July 15-17. Artists scheduled to perform include Brother Crowe, Gasoline Gypsies, Roma Ransom, Snack & Five, The Hacky Turtles, Drew Hale Band, and more. Festival Grounds, 28599 Hideaway Trail, Beaver Island. bimf.net

Baroque on Beaver
Performances by a variety of ensembles (mostly classical, but not all) at various locations on the island. All concerts at 7:30pm except as noted. BaroqueOnBeaver.com

July 30            Opening Night Gala

July 31            Gala Recital

Aug. 1             What’s New, Baroque?

Aug. 2             Brass on the Grass 4pm

Aug. 3             Chamber Music Café

Aug. 4             The Founders Concert

Aug. 5             Chamber Music al fresco 2pm

Aug. 5             Celebrations and Fantasies

Aug. 6             Kids in Koncert 2pm

Aug. 6             Music of Remembrance

Aug.7              Baroque South of the Border

Depot Music Festival
July 31, 3-9pm, at Cadillac Rotary Performing Arts Pavilion, downtown Cadillac. Featuring Landing Dance Academy, Craig Walworth, Once Upon a Bison, Feeding Grizzlies, Speedball Tucker, Adam Joynt, American Hotel System.

Farmfest
Aug. 12–15  at 1865 Roby Road, Johannesburg. With two separate performance stages, the festival offers a variety of genres and activities. Performers will include The Blue Water Ramblers, bugs Beddow & The Good Stuff, Drew Nelson, Madcats’s C.A.R.Ma. Quartet, Oh Brother Big Sister, Luke Winslow-King, Seth Bernard and many others. Plus fun for the family at the Kids’ Area. Farm-fest.com