Fusion Shows, one of the biggest staples in the DIY Lansing music scene, celebrates their 10 year anniversary this year, and what better way to ring in the new year with a huge birthday bash? Twin Peaks and PUP share the honor in headlining this gig, but the undercard holds more than your money’s worth in local talent and indie sweethearts. While you won’t want to miss any of these acts, Impact 89FM has made a list of the top five must-see bands that deserve your undivided attention at the Crofoot.
Finding success through Michigan State University’s open mic night, Stefanie Haapala spins acoustic ballads, blowing ordinary situations wide open with her candid storytelling ability. As a one-woman act , her voice and guitar carry more than enough weight to get the point across, which is a refreshing counter to the rest of the show’s emo and garage rock core. In “Rosewood,” Stefanie’s succinct story of frustrating relationships takes hold with the help of a haunting horn section and devastating crescendos. Check out Stefanie’s Spartan Session she did with us to get a glimpse of her performance live.
FKA Pines, Greet Death originates from Flint, Michigan, where their self-proclaimed slowcore songs float in ecstasy and bliss. Let it be known, Greet Death is loud. Perfectly loud. The crowd always finds themselves swaying in a hypnotic daze, letting the band’s shoegaze magic carry them to another place, if only for a little bit. The bassist and guitarist trade lead vocal duties between eight minute soundscapes without missing a beat, while the swirling cacophony of noises will leave ears ringing and eyes wide. “Black Hole Jesus Christ,” hides hysterically explicit lyrics under an ocean of delay, much in the same way their pedalboards hide recognizable guitar sounds from peeking out through the oblivion of noise. Watch their in-studio performance at Impact HQ below for a look at what you don’t want to miss.
Nnamdi Ogbonnaya is a genre-bending, experimental mind from Chicago, Illinois. Some tracks travel into the realm of r&b and free jazz, while others can only be characterized by complete mayhem. Ogbonnaya brings something to the rap world that it desperately needs — more weirdos and innovators. His voice can reach low frequencies or sit in a lackadaisical room-volume lecture, but the instrumentals are always bordering on chaos, as though they are inches from unraveling and exposing the world to his insane mind and ideas. This juxtaposition makes for an awesome live set, one that should serve as an palette cleanser between all the guitar-heavy sets featured at the day-long show.
Mover Shaker embody the unity that comes with a Midwest house show and the professional sound that only a handful of bands can fill a room with. Not lacking in heart, Mover Shaker is part of a tight knit emo/post-punk community fully determined to succeed, backed with the success of the entire movement rather than just a band or two. Bands like Dogleg, Swordfish and Backpacks are very commonly mentioned alongside Mover Shaker. Together, this group defines some of the most genuine emo music coming from Michigan in recent years. If you want some real home-cooked, “‘just like mom used to make”,’ emo music, then don’t miss Mover Shaker’s set.
There’s not exactly one right way to end a birthday show for a concert promotion company, per se, but it would definitely feel wrong if Twin Peaks didn’t end the night with a bang. The Chicago rock stars have built quite the name for themselves in Michigan, thanks to their rotating lead vocalists and magnetic energy on stage. Even if you’re unfamiliar with their music or have never seen them live, you may find yourself singing the chorus’ along with the raucous crowd near the end of each song. From their early recordings you can catch a glimpse of how the band’s natural ear for memorable sing-along hooks superseded an intensive knowledge of record producing, considering their first record, Sunken, was recorded in their lead guitarist’s basement using an iMac from 2004. Since then, Twin Peaks have been touring and releasing records prolifically, racking up fans by the handful every time they venture out of the windy city. In our opinion, it would be a mistake to miss this band’s electric set.