Song of the Lakes celebrates 25 years

Feb. 21, 2007

Song of the Lakes celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band last week at Interlochen’s Corson Auditorium. The two-and-a-half hour performance for a near capacity crowd of over 800 was one of those magical moments that will be remembered for years to come. For those in attendance, the evening was one big family reunion. 
Song of the Lakes is a band of four musicians -- Lisa & Ingemar Johansson, Rick Jones and Mike Sullivan -- but their extended family includes the thousands of fans they have made since their humble beginnings 25 years ago at a maritime museum fundraiser in Frankfort.
Song of the Lakes is Northern Michigan’s band. They are to our region what Bob Seger is to Detroit. Their music exemplifies the lifestyle of the region by blending the ethnic sounds of the area’s first Euro-settlers (those from Scandinavia, Ireland and other European countries) with lyrics and reverberations of the lakes.
Bands are like marriages. There is a lot of love, a lot of challenges and most bands end in divorce. So, keeping a band together with its original members for 25 years is a monumental task.
The celebration included guest appear-ances by Kyle Sullivan and Dan Johansson (who grew up along with their siblings selling CDs and t-shirts at many a SOL concert). Vocalists Diane and Noemie Derib from Montreux, Switzerland were highlights of the evening as well. And all cool bands have that person who “is but isn’t” in the band. For years Billy Preston was known as the fifth Beatle; cellist Crispin Campbell (Neptune Quartet) is the Song of the Lakes’ version of the fifth Beatle, who made several appearances through the evening.
The concert concluded with several standing ovations as the band closed with their signature song “Benzie Rover” and then returned for a two-song encore. Rich Brauer filmed the concert and interviewed the audience members for a 25th Anniversary DVD that will be released later this year.
The band headed off the stage to chants of “25 more years.” If any band is capable of accomplishing that feat, it would be Song of the Lakes. Congratulations and good luck on the next 25 years.
Additional band information available at www.songofthelakes.com.