GTG Fest 2018! 25+ independent bands and artists converge on the capital of Michigan September 7th and 8th for the 11th annual GTG Fest. GTG Fest is curated by a group of friends and musicians to foster a safe, intimate, and creative environment to experience the passion of DIY music, make new friends, and see old ones. Music, food, a raffle featuring items from rad local businesses, and a barrage of good times fill the weekend. Please be respectful and cool to all attendees and to all of the spaces. No hate. We’re all in this together.
SEPT 7 & 8 @ THE AVENUE CAFE (Lansing, MI)
The Plurals
City Mouse
The Hat Madder
Erotic Novels
Raymond Strife Who Raps
Lipstick Jodi
Scary Women
Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms
Tart
Nonbinary
No Skull
The Stick Arounds
Pissed
The Quirk
Sexy Toxins
The Hemingers
…. AND MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!!
More events for the weekend will be announced shortly, check out the event page here!
But GTG Fest is over a month away, there’s plenty happening this month too. Three GTG mainstay bands are hitting the road, starting with a midwest run from The Stick Arounds – who also just released a new single ahead of their forthcoming 2nd LP.
The Stick Arounds Tour Dates:
8/2 – Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
8/3 – Dayton, OH @ Blind Bob’s
8/4 – Cincinnati, OH @ Tree Bar
THEN the greatest sing-along-road-warriors City Mouse are doing a li’l midwest run of their own with San Diego’s Squarecrow.
City Mouse Tour Dates:
8/10 – Milwaukee, WI @ Quarters
8/11 – Lansing, MI @ Avenue Cafe
8/12 – Bloomington, IL @Nightshop
8/13 – Chicago, IL @ The Burlington
AND THEN this insane party is happening in Trenton, NJ on August 18 for Honah Lee’s 10 year anniversary. The Plurals are heading out for a quick jaunt to the east coast and back to be a part of it!
The Plurals Tour Dates:
8/16 – Dayton, OH @ Jimmie’s Ladder 11
8/17 – New Jersey
8/18 – Trenton, NJ @ Mill Hill w/ HONAH LEE
8/19 – New Hope, PA @ Bucks County Playhouse
There’s solid shows the rest of the month too…
8/2 – City Mouse @ GTG House (Lansing, MI)
8/2 – Hat Madder @ New Dodge Lounge (Hamtramck, MI)
8/3 – Disappointed Dad @ The Avenue Cafe (Lansing)
8/4 – The Plurals @ Taste of Michigan City (Michigan City, IN)
8/5 – Wade Wilson @ The Avenue Cafe
8/18 – HONAH LEE TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY @ MILL HILL (Trenton, NJ)
8/18 – Two Houses @ Hexagon (Minneapolis, MN)
8/27 – Drinking Mercury @ Pyramid Scheme (Grand Rapids, MI) w/ Jonah Matranga
Let’s just bask in that last show for a second… Jonah Matranga is an indie rock legend from his work with Far and he’s also in many ways a pioneer for the modern DIY musician with his various solo activities. In the early 2000s your humble author saw Jonah play in a small cafe in Grand Rapids and his warmth and connection with the audience as well as his sliding-scale merch that he sold himself left a huge impression and has been a big influence for how GTG has come together. Jonah is touring on the 20th anniversary of Far’s “Water and Solutions” and it’s a wonderful full-circle moment for Drinking Mercury, the band that laid the foundation for GTG in the first place, to open up the show. Sounds like the best way to wrap up summer activities before the GTG Fest madness! Get yer tickets!
See you out there!
Lansing weirdo singer-songwriter Blaine and His Keyboard has finally issued their debut EP and we couldn’t be more stoked to be a part of it! Blaine has been kicking around the scene for a few years and is a veteran of multiple GTG Fests but has never had a proper release. With the help of engineer extraordinaire Jason Roedel, Blaine has finally captured the manic energy of his stage show in a neat little package and you can 
