Kristi Kates | Author

Here Comes The 2017 Music & Microbrew Festival

Feb. 4, 2017

Locals definitely know the drill by now about Traverse City’s annual Microbrew and Music events, which have become much anticipated local traditions featuring an eclectic lineup of both musical performers and microbrews. But if you’re new to the area or have just been out of thi… Read More >>

Bière de Mac Brew Works

Feb. 4, 2017

Many a restaurant has been started by a transplant to the area; someone who traveled north from Detroit or Chicago to enjoy a Michigan summer or a ski vacation and decided to stay, culinary talents in tow. But few can boast as many generations of locals as Danny Ranville. That was part of t… Read More >>

Heartwarming Valentine's Gifts for Guys and Gals

Feb. 4, 2017

Stuck for gift ideas this Valentine’s Day? Cupid spending more time dawdling around with that bow and arrow than helping you out with ideas? Express to the rescue! Here are some terrific northern Michigan-inspired romantic gifts that would be suitable for just about anyone. Happy Vale… Read More >>

New Music Gets Political

Feb. 4, 2017

Only a couple of weeks in to the new presidency, a long list of protest albums, singles and performances have begun surfacing, among them Our First 100 Days, a 100-song compilation releasing one song a day to benefit organizations from the People’s Climate Movement to Cosecha, an immi… Read More >>

FourScore

Feb. 4, 2017

UB40 – Unplugged – UMC
This is a somewhat strange endeavor for what’s often thought of as one of the most accessible of reggae acts, the band that reached its prime in the ‘80s and received heavy radio airplay for hits like “Red Red Wine.… Read More >>

Sheryl Crow's Ready to Be Herself

Jan. 28, 2017

Sheryl Crow has been fairly quiet for the past year or so, but that’s about to change – she’s been busy working on a brand new album that will take her fans back to her early radio-hit days. Three years ago, Crow made a venture into country with her debut … Read More >>

Where Local Talent Gets Going

Jan. 28, 2017

Since the InsideOut Gallery closed, Traverse City’s music community has been turning even more of an eye – and ear – toward Studio Anatomy, the local music venue/recording studio that was converted from the Good News music store space in downtown TC by musician and recordi… Read More >>

Petoskey To Host Improvised Shakespeare Company

Jan. 28, 2017

STAGE DIRECTION:

The stage is empty, save for a chair, a small table and a telephone.
The PHONE rings.
BRENDAN DOWLING walks across from stage left and picks up the phone. It’s a NEWSPAPER EDITOR wanting to hear his story.
DOWLING settles into the … Read More >>

Benjaman James

Jan. 28, 2017

MEET THE MUSICIAN:
Traverse City’s Benjaman James started playing music in sixth grade band, taking on the trombone and even giving up varsity football to pursue his music. He continued to hone his skills in college, performing in the Michigan State University j… Read More >>

Cuban Black Bean Stew from My Sister's Bake Shop

Jan. 28, 2017

While the petite but popular My Sister’s Bake Shop on the outskirts of Harbor Springs is best known for its baked goods (try the cinnamon rolls and cinnamon bread, both locally legendary!), it also offers up some savory winter selections perfect for a quick stop-in lunch. One of those… Read More >>

FourScore

Jan. 28, 2017

Peter Doherty – Hamburg Demonstrations – BMG
From The Libertines to Babyshambles to his solo projects, Doherty has long been the subject of both scandal and scoffery, derided as a party boy who simply couldn’t focus. But you can’t deny his abili… Read More >>

The Accidentals Land Sony Label Deal

Jan. 28, 2017

On the way to Tucson, Arizona, last week while on tour, a van broke down, the battery spent and the trailer hitch nearly severed. But the van’s inhabitants – Traverse City-based band The Accidentals with band members Savannah Buist and Katie Larson, traveling with their touring … Read More >>

Iditarod Trainer Brings Team Back To Northern Michigan

Jan. 21, 2017

Liza Dietzen was first inspired by the story of Balto, the real-life sled dog, as a kindergartner learning about the Iditarod.

When her teacher finished reading the book, Dietzen raised her hand and said, “I’m going to do that some day!”

No one believed her… Read More >>

James Mercer and The Shins Return

Jan. 21, 2017

Quietly worming in (yes, I just said that) under the radar is The Shins’ brand new album Heartworms, their first studio effort in five years and also the first produced by the band’s own James Mercer since 2001’s Oh, Inverted World. The album includes first singles “… Read More >>

Par Avion Tea from Symons General Store

Jan. 21, 2017

Symons General Store has been part of the Gaslight District and the Petoskey downtown community for 60 years, and some of the products they carry even give back, in this case to the worldwide community.

But first, let’s start with the product: hand-picked, hand-sorted and … Read More >>

FourScore

Jan. 21, 2017

Deadmau5 – W:/2016ALBUM/ – Mau5trap Recordings
The intriguing thing about the mau5 has always been that he seems to have more skill than he lets on, even considering his already impressive catalog, which leaves fans to wonder when he’s going to reall… Read More >>

The Uphill Climb of Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis

Jan. 21, 2017

A family legacy, a talent for building things from scratch and a quirky eye for detail have resulted in a successful niche business for one long-time northern Michigan skier, and it’s a business that takes its inspiration from the late 1800s.

 Jeff Thompson’s great-… Read More >>

Alpenfrost Welcomes Winter to Gaylord

Jan. 21, 2017

Gaylord residents and visitors have long been familiar with the annual Alpenfest event, a summer celebration that’s become a tradition for many in this Alpine-themed village. In the winter, a flurry of activities of a different variety sweeps into town for the annual Alpenfrost, Alpen… Read More >>

East Park Tavern

Jan. 21, 2017

Charlevoix’s East Park Tavern has been through many incarnations of its former self. Back in the day, it was the Silver Birches Bar, which eventually became the Topside Lounge. Much later, it morphed into Whitney’s Oyster Bar and became a mainstay for both locals and summer visi… Read More >>

FourScore

Jan. 14, 2017

Vaults — “Caught in Still Life” — V Records

Capitalizing on the success of the inclusion of their track in this year’s annual John Lewis advertisement in the U.K. are this London band, whose electronica outings have proved nearly as via… Read More >>