Red Drive Summer Concert Series Announced!

We've put together a stellar Red Drive Summer Concert Series this year! Like last year, we are moving our concerts outdoors on the Piazza in front of Higher Grounds. Each concert, as always, will be a benefit for a non-profit organization that is doing great work in our local community. As each show approaches we will be announcing the non-profit partner.

June 17th (Friday) - Steppin in It 

w/ Samantha Crawford

7 pm / $10 (children under 6 free)

Coming back to Higher Grounds after getting the whole crowd up and dancing last year - Steppin in It is joining us for another night of getting down with their full 6 piece band!

"Steppin’ In It conveys the wonder of the American spirit, but also its heartache. Led by composer/guitarist Joshua Davis, traditional roots music is celebrated here by plaintive vocals and sweet harmonies, plus musicianship that is positively staggering. The number of instruments manned by Davis, upright bassist Dominic John Suchyta, steel guitarist Joe Wilson and the harmonica-playing Andy Wilson includes trombone, trumpet, Cajun accordion, dobro, slide guitar, Cajun fiddle, clawhammer banjo. Even rarer, though their competence on these instruments is clearly superior, there is little, if any, soloing taking place. All four musicians play to support the essence of the song. A true ensemble, their wonderful arrangements take us on a rich journey through the jaunty "Give My Regards to Miss Moline," the Texas swing of "Hittin’ on All Six," the laid-back "Wren’s Lul-la-by," the true-blue "The Long Haul," and my fave, "Washtenaw County." Though mostly originals, there’s also a rollicking version of Randy Newman’s "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)." These artists earn my vote for band of the year." - Fred Kraus Minor 7th

July 23rd (Saturday) - Breathe Owl Breathe

7 pm / $10 (children under 6 free)

Straight off their European tour and their first show in Traverse City for quite some time, Breathe Owl Breathe will bring a mid-summer musical extravaganza not to be missed!

"While some peers have reveled in reinvigorating the old, weird side of Americana, the band's flare for pop-addled melodies flips the contemporary folk aesthetic, eschewing freakiness in favor of charm. It's dynamic built on coupling clever arrangements with lyrical whimsy. On Magic Central, shadows tilt the sunshine, a frailty that plays out with oblique narratives and ghostly vocals." - Paste Magazine July, 2010

August 13th (Saturday) Seth and May

7 pm / $10 (children under 6 free)

Just in time to release their single "When we Run" from the their Run Across Ethiopia adventure Seth and May will be sure to entertain and enlighten. Performing separately they are a forced to be reckoned with - together they will blow your socks off!

"Patty Griffin. Emmy Lou Harris. Ani Difranco. These are names that come to mind when one hears the gorgeous voice and lyrics of May Erlewine. She's enough folk to satisfy most and enough country to satisfy the rest. It's hard to find much wrong with this singer/songwriter; her poetry is tangible, her voice and sound are more than accessible and, after all, anyone who hitchhikes from coast to coast has earned enough indie cred for a lifetime. This artist is worth it -RECOIL Magazine

Seth Bernard's frayed balladry will melt your heart... "Being This Being" is accessible without being predictable - the type of collection that reveals its gifts gradually. With their humble presentation and wistful swoon, songs like "May's Waltz" and "Travel" leave quite an impression, while "Dinosaur" and "...being this being..." bask in lo-fi jingle-jangle. Good enough to dazzle Roots Radio and eccentric enough for college airwaves, Seth Bernard's intensely personal approach to folk is nothing less than astounding. -Ryan Hoffer A&R, Shut Eye Records, Atlanta, GA