Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy Coming to Michigan

Modern Rock

By Kristi Kates | March 17, 2018

In a major musical coup, northern Michigan’s inaugural Camp Greensky Music Festival, helmed by the members of local favorite band Greensky Bluegrass, have snagged Jeff Tweedy, frontman of Wilco, for their very first two-stage festival event coming up May 31–June 2 on the Hoxeyville festival grounds in northern Michigan. Also on the festival’s debut roster will be performances from another big name in the jam band world, Phish’s Mike Gordon, plus Traverse City The Voice finalist Joshua Davis, Trampled by Turtles, the Cris Jacobs Band, Rayland Baxter, and Traverse City export Billy Strings (now in Nashville), with more performers expected to be announced soon; get all the info at campgreensky.com …

The 2018 Record Store Day, the worldwide “holiday” to celebrate (and shop at) independent record stores, is April 21. Selected as this year’s Record Store Day ambassadors are rap duo Run the Jewels — aka Killer Mike and El-P — who recently announced their ambassadorship and talked about the significance of small record stores in a press release video. Run the Jewels will also release a Record Store Day exclusive of its own music, a deluxe box set edition of its latest album with remixes and new material …

David Byrne will launch a world tour on April 9 in support of his new American Utopia album. The trek is set to include both festival spots and headlining gigs. Byrne’s already sold-out northeastern U.S. dates are happening this month, and then he’ll head to South America (including a stop at Lollapalooza there), back to the U.S. and Canada, and then overseas for a slate of European dates. From there, you can keep an eye out for more stateside shows and available tickets starting in late July. Byrne wraps up the tour Aug. 18 in Colorado …

Detroiter Jack White has announced a tour in support of his upcoming new album, Boarding House Reach (out March 23.) The tour will take White through North America and Europe, kicking off in his hometown of Detroit on April 19, with subsequent appearances at the Shaky Knees and Boston Calling festivals. After June, White will be over in Europe, trekking through shows in London, Paris, and Amsterdam, with his second North American leg kicking off in Aug. 6 in Minneapolis …

LINK OF THE WEEK
Can you play the organ? Wanna be famous to a very small but dedicated and enthusiastic segment of people? Then why not audition to be the game-day organist that’s just been installed at the Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, just north of Grand Rapids. The season starts April 5 with a game against the South Bend Cubs, and you could be there on the keys to herald it. More info on the auditions at whitecapsbaseball.com … 

THE BUZZ
Ed Sheeran has added more shows to his 2018 North American stadium tour, including a Sept. 8 date in Detroit …

The Frames’ main troubadour, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, will be in concert on March 20 at the Royal Oak Music Theater (near Detroit) …

Short’s Brewery in Bellaire will welcome Steppin’ In It, Lindsay Lou and The Flatbellys, and The Detroit Party Marching Band for its 14th anniversary celebration on April 28 …

Debbie Harry and Blondie will make their first appearance at Frederik Meijer Gardens this upcoming summer on June 29 as part of the revamped outdoor amphitheater’s 2018 season … and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.