The great Lansing culture comeback of 2021

Several of the multiple intertwining facets of Lansing’s arts and cultural scene managed to come back in quite a big way in 2021. While the worsening pandemic news throughout December proves we still have a frustratingly long way to go before the pandemic can be declared over, those who were vaccinated, took proper precautions when necessary and were otherwise not immunocompromised, had a lot to enjoy this past year if they wanted to get out of the house.

The early months of the year, before the vaccine was rolled out, were still quiet. Most every big New Year’s celebration was livestreamed and through much of spring any significant event was entirely virtual one way or another. The pandemic ravaged many local establishments. The iconic Pinball Pete’s very nearly found itself on the chopping block. A viral January fundraising campaign kept the neon lights glowing at East Lansing’s only video arcade. Also receiving a widely shared local crowdfunding campaign in the wake of pandemic damage was The Avenue Café, which had to keep its doors closed until March. 

One awesome art highlight early in the year came in the form of the Broad Museum’s excellent exhibit on the drawings of Lansing-born automobile artist Michael Burton, the first African American to design cars for Ford. “Interstates of Mind” ran until August and was a touching tribute to an important local figure. The Broad also launched “Seeds of Resistance,” which recollected the fascinating Beal Seed Viability Experiment that first began in 1879. 

Another exhibit at MSU in March was “Beyond the Black Panther: Visions of Afrofuturism in American Comics.” The exhibit was a deep dive into the world of Black comics and their overarching themes and influence on popular culture. 

In March, Lansing author and horror hound Jenn Carpenter opened a new headquarters for her vast variety of true crime and paranormal output, including novels, tours and an entire festival. The Screamatorium has made a splash in REO Town and has brought in people from around the state and across the Midwest to the historic Lansing neighborhood. 

The biggest story in April was the confusion surrounding Mac’s Bar. Originally the expectation was for the shuttered bar and music venue to return as a full-fledged sport’s bar, one without the same propensity to host live music. After much public anguish on social media in response to the news, owner Chuck Mannino clarified that Mac’s Bar was actually becoming a pizza place that would absorb the neighboring building for additional space and still host concerts, albeit in a smaller capacity. Mac’s Bar has since been draped with white paint, but its original pitch-black coat still peaks through, serving as a subtle visual reminder of what the legendary Lansing music venue once was.  

Another music venue that was confirmed to be no more in 2021 was the Loft. It went on a long-term shutdown in 2020 and its Facebook page posted an announcement that it was closing for good, but this post was swiftly deleted, causing some confusion about the Loft’s future. In July, we were introduced to the Studio at 414, which will utilize the former Loft’s building to host events like wedding receptions and stand-up comedy nights. Live music is in the cards, but not nearly on the same scale as the Loft at its peak.  

As the vaccine rollout began, concerts began to make their summer return. After more than year of zero gigs, the Avenue Café hosted an emotional homecoming of sorts for Lansing’s local indie music scene with a raucous July concert that featured performances by Jeremy Porter, Hunky Newcomers and Foxgrave. This was followed up with a series of weekly concerts featuring local bands from all genres that held steady through the remainder of the year. The summer also marked the return of Lansing JazzFest, Ten Pound Fiddle, Common Ground, weekly shows at Urban Beat and concerts hosted by the MSU College of Music. Being able to finally return to a venue with friends and enjoy a band performing live music actually in the flesh was a long overdue moment of ecstatic joy for countless people across Lansing.

Summer also marked the return of Arts Night Out in Old Town. The site of people gathering to enjoy the hard work of local artisans and dine on food from mom-and-pop restaurants on a warm summer night was in such strong contrast to 2020, one might have wondered if they had accidentally slipped into a different dimension.  

Lansing Symphony Orchestra announced in February that it was canceling the remainder of its 2021 season, and it was uncertain if there would be a single LSO show this year altogether. Classical music lovers were disappointed, but come October the symphony returned to play for more than 1,000 people. 

While the Capital City Film Festival was not able to host its proper 10-year anniversary celebration with its largest edition yet, as was originally planned in 2020, it still managed to have a presence in 2021. Director Dominic Cochran helped organize several weekend drive-in screenings that were a perfect throwback to one of the coolest old-school methods of enjoying a flick. Meanwhile, the East Lansing Film Festival was able to bring back its in-person screenings with a lineup of films that were shown at Studio C! in Okemos.  

At the tail end of the year, there were some big announcements. One was the transition of operations of LCC’s 89.7 radio station from the college to the Michigan Radio network. A coalition of local arts figures couldn’t convince LCC to turn the frequency into a community-led station and now if you tune in to 89.7, well, you’ll hear exactly what you’d hear on 91.7. Community produced content is expected to launch in January. Another shakeup was the news that the Lansing Art Gallery was moving into the Knapp’s Centre. 

The year provided a satisfying taste of what we missed in 2020, which makes it all the more vital that the pandemic is not ignored. Should things continue to worsen, a return to the shutdowns of last year might not be out of the ballpark.

Support City Pulse  -  Donate Today!