A roundup of recent Lansing-area music news

From Big Sur releases double LP

After three years of writing and recording, Lansing experimental rock band From Big Sur dropped a 25-track double album in mid-April. Titled “Everest,” it spans several genres and styles.

“We had this funny little thing where we would pull different songs, genres or bands out of a hat and then try to play something that would be related to that — at least style-wise, not actually copying any music at all — and we kind of wrote songs that way,” keyboardist Mark King said. “There are acoustic songs, more folky kind of stuff, but we didn’t want to have three or four acoustic songs in a row, so they’re kind of spaced out. Same with the more ‘80s synth-pop influences we have, as well as some of the more classic rock influences. We thought that would make people want to listen to the whole album because they wouldn’t know what was coming next.”

The instrumentation on the album also runs the gamut from standard instruments like drums, bass, guitars, piano and synthesizer to congas, bongos, rainmaker, organ, banjo, theremin, stylophone, cowbell and many more out-of-left-field choices.

“We all have different interests. Our drummer is a really big rock and roller, as well as our guitar player. I’m the keyboard player, so I tend to come from more of an ‘80s synth-pop kind of direction. Our bass player likes the alternative, so we had a lot of different kinds of styles that we melded together,” King said.

After taking a break from playing shows while making the record, the band is ready to get back on the stage. Its next gig is Saturday (June 6) at Moriarty’s Pub in Lansing. 

“We’re going to play locally around the area and then maybe play a little bit regionally, too. We’ll try to get a few other shows, you know, maybe try to play some summer festivals if any pop up our way,” King said. “Our diversity is something that we really strive for. We’re trying to do something a little bit different than what other bands are doing around town, so we’re just really excited to debut these songs out on the road.”

New duo in town: Botanical Underground

Despite a packed schedule as a prolific DJ, frontwoman of the beloved ‘80s cover band Starfarm and founder of the entertainment company Top Energy Productions, Whitney Who has added another project to her roster: a new acoustic duo with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan MacLachlan, Botanical Underground.

“In Starfarm, I sing the same songs all the time, and I love them, I love what I do, but there’s a whole world of songs that I would love to perform that I don’t get to,” she said.

This led her to reach out to MacLachlan in 2019. They started to learn some material, but then the pandemic hit.

“Literally five years later, I was like, ‘Hey, circling back to this conversation, do you still want to do this?’ And we just thought it was insane because that’s sort of the timeline I operate on, but here we are in 2026, and we were finally given a deadline. We booked a show at Pins and Pints that happened a few weeks ago, and I work best with deadlines, so we were like, ‘Okay, let’s make it happen.’”

The duo’s repertoire includes pop, rock, alternative, country and soul covers, from classics to current hits. 

“I’m not gonna apologize for the amount of ‘90s alternative that’s in here, because that’s what I grew up with and what I loved, so I’m getting to sing some songs that I’ve been singing to myself for 30 years,” Whitney Who said. “Weirdly, we ended up with a pretty large country block, which took me by surprise. It started with ‘Jolene,’ by Dolly Parton, and then kind of snowballed from there. So, we’re doing some Shania Twain, we’re doing Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” — it’s literally all over the place.”

Botanical Underground plans to play about one show per month, working around Whitney’s Starfarm and DJ schedules.

“We’re actually booked till the end of the year,” she said. “We were invited to do the Lugnuts Pride night on June 9, which, I’m definitely a queer performer, and we’re going to be leaning into those avenues. We’re also going to be playing at Cleats Bar and Grille in July. We’ll be back at Pins and Pints. We’re doing three dates at Horrocks Beer Garden, and then possibly something like Mash in the winter months, but right now we’ve got patio season all booked out, which is lovely.”

Displaced Manor finds a place on Holmes Street

About two years ago, Alexandra Saenz, owner of Lansing punk- and metal-centric house venue Displaced Manor, posted a link to a GoFundMe on the venue’s social media pages, asking for financial help with her goal of finding a new, more accessible space.

A car ran into the house about a month and a half later, exacerbating the need for a new space. Shortly thereafter, Saenz made a social media post stating she had been “chasing a spot” for two or three months, sharing another link to the GoFundMe. 

“I had my eye on this building for a long time,” she said. “It was a good distance away from everybody, a good location, it was a good price, and it was big enough that I was confident I could fill it on the regular, you know, not too big, not too little. It went on sale the month that I quit doing house shows, and I was on it right from the get-go.”

Though it took about 14 months, she was able to purchase the building, located at 801 S. Holmes St. in Lansing. It was built as a bank vault in 1957 and has had several owners since, but it has never been updated. Needless to say, it has needed some renovations.

“There’s a lot to it,” Saenz said. “I knew there was going to be a lot, but you never know until you’re there. It’s taking longer than expected. I’m on the last part of it, really, which is the most expensive part, and then I can open. I’m chugging along, trying to fix it up every day.”

Another barrier to opening is zoning. Supporters are encouraged to come out to an event June 11 at the Neighborhood Empowerment Center to petition the Lansing Board of Appeals to rezone the building as a music venue. 

“I had always known zoning was going to be an issue. That’s kind of why I bought this building where it was. I didn’t want any issues with anybody, and this was originally a house venue, so I wanted to be cool with the neighbors and everybody around there,” Saenz said. “I’m just trying to get on top of this so I can open. I’d like to open before the fall.”

Once open, she hopes Displaced Manor will serve as more than just a music venue.

“I have a history of booking shows, so I’d like to get that done first, but I would like to have retail space for artists to rent out, like display cases,” she said. “I’ve already been talking to people about some local groups, comedy groups, and about game nights, movie nights, just kind of an all-around community center.”

Overall, her goal is to help the community — both the one she’s cultivated through hosting shows and the one surrounding the new venue — in any way she can.

“I know that it’s a bad area, but I would really like to clean up that area, make it nice,” she said. “I really don’t want any issues with anybody. It’s a non-alcoholic, all-ages place. I would enforce no reentry, security, you know. I just want it to be a safe place for everybody, and for people to connect and do what they love.”