MUSIC
WMU School of Music Concerts
All month
Various venues
After a summer hiatus, Western Michigan University’s School of Music will get back into the swing of things by presenting several performances this month. Unless noted, the performances will be in the university’s Dalton Center Recital Hall and are free. Scheduled this month are:
- Bobbi Thompson and Ariel Kasler, saxophone and guitar, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., $5–$15.
- Justin Cook, trombone, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11.
- Stiletto Brass Quintet, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., $5–$15.
- Pamela York and Matthew Fries, piano duo, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, $5–$15.
- Western Jazz Collective, Dark Journey CD release concert, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28.
- CMIX Launch Concerts — Launch for the school’s Center for Contemporary Music, Improvisation, and Experimentation (CMIX): Concert I, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29; Concert II, 2 p.m. Sept. 30; Concert III, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30, Dalton Center Multimedia Room, $5–$15.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit wmich.edu/music/events.
Outdoor Concerts
All month
Various venues
A handful of free outdoor concerts will wrap up the Summertime Live series. The scheduled performances are:
- Rockslide, 5 p.m. Sept. 4, Gilmore Car Museum, 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners.
- Lisa Chilton & JustJaye, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 4, Bates Alley, between Edwards and Portage Streets, downtown Kalamazoo.
- Out of Favor Boys, 6 p.m. Sept. 6, outside the State Theatre, 404 S. Burdick St.
- An Evening of Celtic Music, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Kindleberger Park, 122 N. Riverview Drive, Parchment.
- Michigan Freedom Rockers, 5 p.m. Sept. 11, Gilmore Car Museum.
- Latina Fiesta with La Familia, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11, Bates Alley.
- The Tripping Billies: Dave Matthews Tribute, 7 p.m. Sept. 12, Overlander Bandshell, 7810 Shaver Road, Portage.
- Chris Karl, 5 p.m. Sept. 18, Gilmore Car Museum.
- FlyLite Gemini, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18, Bates Alley.
- Kyle Jennings, 5 p.m. Sept. 25, Gilmore Car Museum.
- Zion Lion & Mel V, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25, Bates Alley.
For more information, visit kalamazooarts.org/summertime-live.
Symphonic Dances
Sept. 28
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth will join the KSO for a rhythm- and dance-focused concert at 7:30 p.m. at Miller Auditorium
Helselth has received numerous awards for her work in classical music, including being named the first classical artist to win Newcomer of the Year at the Spellemann Awards, often called the Norwegian Grammy Awards. She will perform a program featuring selections from Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway musical On the Town as well as works by Aleksandr Arutiunian and Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Tickets are $5–$68 and available online at kalamazoosymphony.com.
Kleinstuck Trail Walk
and Migratory Music
Sept. 7 & 14
Connecting Chords Music Festival
Two evenings of music played in natural environments are offered this month by the Connecting Chords Music Festival.
On Sept. 7, percussionist Mike Weis, cellist Elizabeth Start and other musicians will give an improvised performance at 6 p.m. in Kalamazoo’s Kleinstuck Preserve. Attendees of the Kleinstuck Trail Walk performance should bring a portable chair and meet at the YMCA tennis courts at 1001 W. Maple St. to walk to the concert site. There are no tickets for the event, but a $10 suggested cash donation per person will be accepted on-site.
On Sept. 14, the Migratory Music performance will allow attendees to see several local music ensembles perform along the trails of the Kalamazoo Nature Center from 2–4 p.m. The performers and genres include Selkie, Celtic music; Birdseed Salesmen, Roma jazz; Norse Code, Scandinavian folk music; and Bahar Ensemble, traditional Middle Eastern music. The event is free, but donations will be accepted on-site.
For more information, visit connectingchordsfestival.com.
Takács Quartet
Sept. 29
Dalton Center Recital Hall
The Takács Quartet, named by Scherzo magazine as “one of the greatest chamber string ensembles we have on the world stage,” will perform at 3 p.m.
In its 50th season, Takács is the first string quartet to be inducted into Gramophone’s Hall of Fame. In addition to their performance in Kalamazoo, their tour this year will take them to South Korea, Japan and Australia.
The local concert is presented by Fontana Chamber Arts. Tickets are $15–$30 and available at fontanamusic.org or by calling 250-6984.
Illia Ovcharenko
Sept. 15
Wellspring Theater
Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko, winner of the 2022 Honens International Piano and New York International Piano competitions, will perform at 4 p.m. as part of The Gilmore’s Rising Stars Series.
The 21-year-old will perform a program that includes a rarely heard work by Robert Schumann. Tickets are $10–$28, and livestream access will be available at a name-your-own-price admission fee. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit thegilmore.org.
VISUAL ARTS
Art Hop
Sept. 6
Downtown Kalamazoo
The theme “Resilience: Vehicle and Voice” will be the focus of this month’s Art Hop.
This free event, organized by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, runs from 5–8 p.m. and features a variety of artists’ works as well as live music and the chance to visit downtown businesses.
The Arts Council has an app that provides a guide and map of Art Hop sites, information about participating artists, and walking directions. For more information or to access the app, visit kalamazooarts.org.
Strokes of Freedom
Sept. 18
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
While serving a 46-year prison term for a murder he did not commit, Richard Phillips discovered art as a way to pass time and deal with the injustice of his situation. Upon release, he has become an internationally acclaimed artist and will discuss his experiences at 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
A self-taught artist, Phillips started painting while in prison with a mail-order watercolor set, eventually creating more than 400 paintings. He will discuss creating beauty and finding meaning in the most difficult times.
His presentation is hosted by the Kalamazoo Art League, which will offer a reception with the artist following the lecture. Tickets are $3–$12 and available at the door.
For more information, visit kalamazooartleague.org.
Legendary Voices
and Powerful Forces
Opening this month
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
Two new exhibitions will open at the KIA this month.
In homage to its centennial year, the KIA is offering a retrospective exhibit called Legendary Voices: Art for the Next Century, opening Sept. 7 and running through Feb. 16. The show will feature new works as well as works from the KIA’s permanent collection that will be grouped by periods, artists and genres.
The themes of power and legend in East Asian arts and culture will be highlighted in Powerful Forces: Legends, Rituals, and Warriors in East Asian Art, opening Sept. 14. The exhibition, which runs through Jan. 19, will feature works in a variety of media that explore the symbolism of divine and cultural figures in East Asia.
For more information, visit kiarts.org.
Rocking Horses: The Songbooks of Craig Matis
Sept. 6–27
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
An immersive experience viewing imagery on walls and floor while listening to recorded material will be presented in this exhibit created by Cleveland artist and musician Craig Matis.
Matis founded the alternative rock band Uzizi, and this exhibit focuses on songbooks that feature visuals Matis created and incorporated into the band’s live performances. A reception for the artist will be held from 5–8 p.m. Sept. 6 at the center.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.
COMEDY
Comedy Performances
Throughout the month
Crawlspace Comedy Theatre
Comedic antics from improv to sketch comedy will be featured this month in the comedy space at the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition building, 315 W. Michigan Ave.
Scheduled performances are
- Riddled with English, Sept. 6.
- Baby Steps, Sept. 7.
- Joyce II Men, Sept. 13.
- Crawlspace Eviction, Sept. 14.
- Blunder Bus, Sept. 20.
- Pop Scholars, Sept. 21.
- Dust Bunnies Sketch Comedy, Sept. 27 & 28.
All shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $2–$15. For more information, visit crawlspacecomedy.com.
DANCE
Duality
Sept. 21
Movement Reservoir Dance Company
This local modern dance company, created in 2021 by Lachlan Niedbala, will perform and give opportunities for others to their present pieces.
The concert will feature pieces by choreographers from Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti, Detroit, Chicago, Indiana and New York.
Duality will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Wellspring Theater, at the Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall. Tickets are $25 and $30 for in-person viewing and $15 for online viewing. They are available at movementreservoirdancecompany.com.
LITERATURE
A Tribute to Asylum Lake Preserve
Sept. 21
Kalamazoo Valley Museum
Kalamazoo’s Friends of Poetry is hosting this reading of works from a book of poems celebrating the Asylum Lake Preserve.
The reading runs from 1:30–2:30 p.m. at the museum. It coincides with the museum’s exhibit Kalamazoo State Hospital: 165 Years of Psychiatric Care. The hospital at one time had a farm, orchard and asylum on property surrounding Asylum Lake.
Both the event and exhibit are free.
Helena Mesa
Jamaal May
Sept. 21
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
Two Michigan poets will read from their works at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 as part of the KBAC’s annual Poets in Print series.
Helena Mesa is the author of two books of poetry, Where Land Is Indistinguishable from Sea and Horse Dance Underwater. She is also a co-editor of Mentor & Muse: Essays from Poets to Poets. Her poems have appeared in The Adroit Journal, Beloit Poetry Journal, Indiana Review, Pleiades, Prairie Schooner and the Academy of American Poets’ “Poem-a-Day” series. She teaches at Albion College and lives in Ann Arbor.
Jamaal May, a Detroit poet, is the author of the books Hum and The Big Book of Exit Strategies. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including The Spirit of Detroit Award, The Benjamin Danks Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Library Association’s Notable Book Award, and two finalist nods for the NAACP Image Award.
For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.
THEATER
The Rocky Horror Show
Sept. 6–15
Barn Theatre
The Barn Theatre in Augusta will end its 2024 season with a cult classic.
A precursor to the B sci-fi movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, this production will feature beloved music familiar to viewers of the film.
Show times are 8 p.m. Sept. 6–8 and13–15 and 5 p.m. Sept. 7, 8, 14 and 15. Tickets for each show are $43–$51 and available at barntheatreschool.org.
POTUS
Sept. 27–Oct.13
WMU Theatre
This play’s subtitle — Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive — sums up the subject of this comedy about a president who unwittingly causes a global crisis and the women who toil to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27–28, Oct. 3–5 and 10–12 and 2 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 6 and 13. Tickets are $12–$22 and available at wmich.edu/theatre or 387-6222.
Jersey Boys
Sept. 19–Oct. 6
Farmers Alley Theatre
This musical tells the story of four blue-collar boys from New Jersey who rose to superstar pop music stardom as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19–21, 26–28 and Oct. 3–5 and 2 p.m. Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6. Tickets are $25–$55, with rush pricing of $10–$20 one hour before each performance. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit farmersalleytheatre.com.
