20 Years of loud music: A look back at the music hot spots

The start of City Pulse came just after the end of an era in the Lansing music scene — the Small Planet days. Located on M.A.C. in downtown East Lansing, the Small Planet was the hub for local and touring bands from 1991 through its closure in 2000.

From the Verve Pipe to Wally Pleasant, gigging at the Small Planet was a rite of passage for local acts.  

“I’d play everything from the Small Planet to the East Lansing Art Festival,” Pleasant said in a 2016 City Pulse interview. “Prior to 1992, I played at Castellani's Market, Hobie's on Trowbridge, Wherehouse Records, Erickson Kiva and the MSU Union. I also hosted an open-mic night at The Riv. My weekly shows at Cuppa Java usually drew between 30 and 60 people,” he added. “Many times, they were high school kids who weren't old enough to get into other venues.” 

All of those concert spots are fondly remembered by the ’90s generation, but as Y2k hit, those steadily fell off the map. While it had been around for many years, Mac’s Bar doubled down on its rock and hip-hop shows, hosting dozens of legendary indie acts, and even some mainstream ones, too.

Ask any east sider who frequented Mac’s over the past couple of decades and they can no doubt rattle off countless legendary shows. In 2007, Blue Cheer performed at the CBGB-like watering hole. Small cult acts, like Captured By Robots (a one-man band with a group of programmed robots backing him) also made Mac’s a frequent stop on his tour schedule.  Over the years, notable local groups like Frontier Ruckus, Goddamned Gallows, The Plurals, Wastelander, Tyrant, Fun Ender, the Cartridge Family, Know Lyfe, Peoples Temple and the Hard Lessons (to only name a few) all cut their teeth on the Mac’s Bar stage. Of course, Michigan-punk legends like the Meatmen and Easy Action also tore the roof off on more than one occasion. Alongside the loud guitars were Mac’s Monday Comedy Night and Neon Tuesday — a long-time EDM night that often packed the room with area DJs.

Hip-hop was also a staple, including many Mic-Club events, hosted by Sincere. In June 2012, the Lansing hip-hop scene suffered a tragic loss when rapper and promoter Cameron Doyle, a.k.a. Big Perm, passed away at Sparrow Hospital after a stroke. The local scene soldiered on. A monthly hip-hop showcase called Respiration became a fixture for rap fans across Mid-Michigan. Meanwhile, a new batch of lyricists popped up when emcees like James Gardin, Jashua Smith and Jasmine Hamilton-Wray formed the BLAT! Pack collective. The results? A stack of acclaimed albums and countless packed venues.

Over 20 years, just down Michigan Avenue from Mac’s, The Green Door continued hosting the best blues and roots music around, including performances from Twyla Birdsong, Root Doctor and the weekly spot held by Steppin’ In It — this was, of course, before singer/guitarist Joshua Davis went on to “The Voice” fame and bassist Dominic John Davis went on to join Jack White’s band and tour the world. Beyond that, Jen Sygit’s open mic at Dagwood’s offered an intimate space to hear locally sourced Americana. The Pump House and, of course, the Ten Pound Fiddle concert series in East Lansing also steadily booked first-class Americana acts, while “Jazz Tuesdays” at Moriarty’s Pub was the spot to hear local jazz on Michigan Avenue.  

Over the last 20 years, other venues popped up, as well. In February 2010, The Loft offered a space for not only local acts from all genres, but also a 400-person room for mid-size acts like Danny Brown, Esham and The Used, to only name a few. “It’s not a restaurant or a sports bar,” said manager Jerome White just after it opened. “There is no confusing what this room is — it’s a room for live entertainment.” Recently, The Loft closed its doors — but its laundry list of unforgettable gigs will forever be cemented in the local scene. 

Then, in 2012, another Michigan Avenue hotspot appeared when Gone Wired Café rebranded as The Avenue Café. From there, the coffee spot utilized a stage and PA system and local bands soon filled its always-busy gig calendar. In fact, The Avenue just posted some upcoming shows, so be sure to check out what’s on the roster. The experimental music crowd spent countless hours at Basement 414 (aka B414), where not only area noise makers filled the massive art space behind The Loft, but also big names like Andrew WK and Dead Prez headlined unforgettable evenings at the unconventional hideout. It closed in May 2012. 

As for much of the stuff mentioned above, it’s in Lansing’s past. Luckily, City Pulse was around to cover and document much of it. This column you’re reading right now, Turn it Down!, launched in 2009 and was named in reference to the loud, thriving music scene that’s long been a part of our city’s history. This weekly page in the paper is a simple document of what’s happening now and what’s happening next in Lansing, but also, it was meant to leave a trail of breadcrumbs detailing what happened in the past. Along with the Pulse, reporter Anne Erickson, at the now-defunct paper Lansing NOISE, also helped to report on the scene during the last decade — right up to its last printed issue in 2011. 

But this short rundown of the last two decades shouldn’t be all about nostalgia. There are plenty of fledging bands on the horizon. From Smog Moon Recordings to GTG Records, there are still plenty of records being cut right here in Lansing and hardworking bands performing shows to support those records — you just have to keep your eyes and ears open as you drive down Michigan Avenue. 

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