Ross Boissoneau | Author
LivelyLands Festival Returns for Second Year
Aug. 18, 2018
Starting a music festival from scratch? Sounds like a lot of work, especially if you wanted it to be a lively event. It was, and now that she’s done it once, Emily Lively has decided to do it again. Just not at her family farm.
Instead, LivelyLands 2018 will take place at vari…
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Earth Wind & Fire set for Interlochen debut
Aug. 18, 2018
Verdine White doesn’t bask in past glories. Despite being the only remaining original member of ’70s and ’80s hitmakers Earth, Wind & Fire, the bassist and vocalist instead looks at the present and to the future.
That was clear in a brief phone interview. &ldqu…
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Arts Junkies, Get Your Fix
Aug. 11, 2018
UNDER THE BANDSHELL & AT THE CAFE
Acclaimed jazz flutist Ali Ryerson will perform two shows during a brief sojourn to northern Michigan. She’ll be at the Torch Lake Café in Eastport on Wednesday, Aug. 15 with fellow woodwind players Chris Bickley and N…
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Meatless in Northern Michigan
Aug. 11, 2018
According to The Washington Post, the number of vegetarians and vegans in the United States has remained fairly consistent over at least the past 20 years, at around five to six percent. In northern Michigan, the number of dedicated vegetarian restaurants has pretty much remained c…
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From Interlochen to India … and Back
Aug. 11, 2018
Will Marsh and Josh Mellinger are looking forward to returning to their hometown of Traverse City from their adopted homes in California. But this isn’t just a chance to touch base with family and friends. Marsh, a guitar major when he attended Interlochen, and Mellinger, who studied …
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Underground Fashion
Aug. 4, 2018
In a basement setting just off Front Street, Michael Wahlstrom is creating an identity. Not a secret one, but one for those who want to feel Superior — with a capital S. His company’s name, Gitche Gumee, is derived from the Native American name for Lake Superior, and he stitches…
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From Annie, With Love
Aug. 4, 2018
“I did not want to be a librarian. I wanted to be a writer.” So said Annie Spence.
Funny how life works. The onetime librarian at the Traverse Area District Library now fills the same role downstate. But, yes, she’s also a writer. A published writer, writing about …
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School, Now Tailored to Suit
Aug. 4, 2018
Trying to fit sports and other extra-curricular activities into a school day can be difficult. For Zoë Vande Kieft, it was impossible. She found her love of and aptitude for hockey was at odds with the typical school day. So she opted to study online, and just graduated from Great Lake…
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Destination Empire
July 28, 2018
The tiny village of Empire, due west of Traverse City at the terminus of M-72, offers more than just a beachfront on Lake Michigan (though that’s lovely too). There are some great nearby hikes, a gorgeous drive, and other lakefront options, all within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National …
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Pit Stop: Empire’s Grocer’s Daughter
July 28, 2018
Bright green building façade? Check. Delectable chocolates, incorporating everything from lavender to liquor? Check. More visibility and more space? Check and check.
Looks like everything is set for a bigger summer than ever at Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates in Empire. Ow…
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Into the Pines
July 28, 2018
As an artist, Judy Jashinsky knew how important it was to have a studio where she could do her work without interruption. Her dream and that of her husband was to have such a place in the woods of northern Michigan. After he passed away, she went ahead with their plans. The result is Pines …
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Pianist Jeff Babko
July 28, 2018
When Steve Martin and Martin Short bring their comedy show “An Evening You Will Forget For the Rest of Your Life“ to Interlochen Aug. 11, they won’t be alone. Martin is bringing along the Steep Canyon Rangers, the crack bluegrass outfit with which he’s toured and per…
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Michael Taillard, The Econozombist
July 21, 2018
Most people don’t consider the economic underpinnings of horror movies and the coming zombie apocalypse.
Michael Taillard does.
Of course, as The Econozombist, that should be expected.
Taillard is a Beulah resident, husband, and father of four, a…
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A Human Film About Hockey Players
July 21, 2018
When The Russian Five opens at the Traverse City Film Festival, there are sure to be loads of people in the audience familiar with the story: How a group of players from Russia helped the Detroit Red Wings win the club’s first Stanley Cup in 42 years. After all…
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If You Only See One Film Next Week
July 21, 2018
The Traverse City Film Festival always brings a host of movies the general public knows virtually nothing about. So how to decide which ones to seek out? Which are good and which are really good?
We’re here to help. OK, some of the staff at the Film Fest are here to h…
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Don’t Miss This
July 21, 2018
So you know you want to “do” the Traverse City Film Festival, but you’re a first-timer (gasp!) and/or you just aren’t sure what — among the many films and events happening simultaneously — you absolutely must experience.
Take it from the exp…
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Come On, Get Happy (Hour) at Suttons Bay Wineries and Cidery
July 14, 2018
In the Suttons Bay area, they’re taking the concept of Happy Hour to a whole new level — the hilltop level. Three wineries — Willow Vineyards, Ciccone Vineyard and Winery, and Chateau de Leelanau — and Suttons Bay Ciders are working together to promote Hilltop Happy …
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Michigan’s Jeremy Kittel to Return to Manitou
July 14, 2018
Fresh off a performance at Blissfest, violinist and fiddler Jeremy Kittel is returning to one of his favorite places to play: the Manitou Music Festival. “I’m excited for both,” he said from the road, prior to this past weekend’s annual celebration of folk and roots …
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Dine at Kewadin's Pine Hill ... Nursery?
July 14, 2018
There aren’t many restaurants where you can order a pizza, a glass of beer, and a forsythia bush. But that’s the thing at Pine Hill Nursery in Kewadin: What started as a nursery has morphed over the years into a gift shop, greenhouse, music venue, and yes, a restaurant. It offer…
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Behold the Dragon Boats
July 7, 2018
According to the Chinese zodiac, we have to wait until 2024 for the next year of the dragon. But in Charlevoix, that year is already here: the Charlevoix Circle Of Arts will host the inaugural Charlevoix Dragon Boat Festival on Lake Charlevoix Aug. 4.
The concept of dragon boat… Read More >>