5 can't-miss Michigan concerts for September
September is here, and with it, a few last outdoor shows mixed with indoor gigs. From folk to classic rock, here are five can’t-miss Michigan concerts this month.
Ten Pound Fiddle season opener
The Ten Pound Fiddle is back for a 41st season, and Grammy Award winner Barbara Bailey Hutchison will kick the festivities off Sept. 18. The Detroit native and MSU graduate is a seasoned songwriter, and she’s also served as the voice in commercials for McDonald’s, Hallmark Cards and Heinz. For the full Ten Pound season roster, visit www.tenpoundfiddle.org.
How to go: Barbara Bailey Hutchison at the Ten Pound Fiddle, doors 7:30 p.m. and show 8 p.m. Sept. 18, MSU Community Music School, 4930 S. Hagadorn Road in East Lansing, tickets $18 public, $15 Fiddle members, $5 students available via www.tenpoundfiddle.org or at the door.
Van Halen
Van Halen are back on tour with David Lee Roth once again at the helm. Roth, along with guitar great Eddie Van Halen, Eddie’s son Wolfgang on bass guitar (who also plays with Mark Tremonti’s band, Tremonti) and Eddie’s brother Alex on drums will reach DTE Energy Music Theatre on Friday. Kenny Wayne Shepherd opens. I’ll be there for my first Van Halen experience.
How to go: Van Halen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4, DTE Energy Music Theatre, 7774 Sashabaw Road, Village of Clarkston, (248) 377-0100, tickets $149.50, $89.50 and $59.50 pavilion and $30 lawn via LiveNation.com, Palacenet.com, The Palace Ticket Store and all Ticketmaster locations.
AC/DC
September seems to be the month of classic rock shows in Detroit. First Van Halen, and then a few days later, AC/DC at Ford Field on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The show is part of the band’s “Rock of Bust” tour, named after their most recent album. The tour is only hitting a little over a dozen North American cities this year. Chicago is the next closest date on Sept. 15. Considering this tour is short, the Ford Field gig is going to be a big one. If you’re going, get there early, and plan accordingly. Drummer Chris Slade is playing on this AC/DC tour.
How to go: AC/DC, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8, Ford Field, 2000 Brush St., Detroit, (313) 262-2000, tickets $110, $85, $45, $25, parking will be $25 in Ford Field controlled lots. For ticket information and to purchase, visit www.detroitlions.com/ford-field/ACDC.
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators
Slash and his band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators are making two stops in Michigan this month: Sept. 27 at The Fillmore in Detroit and Sept. 29 at The Intersection in Grand Rapids. The gigs are part of Slash’s “World on Fire” tour, named after Slash and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators’ latest album. These guys are great in concert. If you’re an Alter Bridge fan (like me), you’ll love hearing Kennedy’s smooth, powerful tenor against Slash’s raging riffing and solos. The band performed at Common Ground in 2013.
How to go: Slash and his band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators with The Last Internationale, 7 p.m. Sept. 27, The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit, (313) 961-5451, tickets $59.50, $45 and $35 via LiveNation.com, and doors 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at The Intersection, 133 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, (616) 451-8232, tickets $35 in advance and $39.50 day via SectionLive.com.
alt-J
alt-J have an original sound that mixes dub-pop with folk and alternative rock. It’s always an event with alt-J comes to Michigan, and the Leeds group hits Meadow Brook Music Festival on Sept. 22. Expect to hear new tracks off their sophomore album, 2014’s “This is All Yours.” The album earned their first Grammy Nomination for Alternative Music Album of the Year, making 2014 a banner year for alt-J.
How to go: alt-J, San Fermin, 8 p.m. Sept. 22, tickets $49.50 and $39.50 in the pavilion and $32.50 on the lawn via LiveNation.com, Palacenet.com, The Palace Ticket Store and all Ticketmaster locations.
Contact Anne Erickson at (517) 377-1006 or aerickson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @AnneErickson.