By Mark Deroo
A&E EDITOR
Seventeen bands, food and craft booths and Bozo the Clown. Yes, Chimes A&E section is again shamelessly promoting another Grand Rapids function.
The Eastown Street Fair 2000 is Saturday, Sept. 23 in Eastown (Wealthy St.).
Once a fading artist said Eastown was the Greenwich Village of Grand Rapids. Eastown may not be a Midwestern Mecca of creativity, but the street fair helps promote the local scene.
Local restaurants and stores will have the usual array of booths, adding to the distinctive local flavor.
Two stages will be set in Eastown. The first stage, cleverly called “Stage One,” will be assembled in front of The Intersection Lounge (corner of Lake and Wealthy). The second stage, “Stage Two,” will be placed in the parking lot behind Yesterdog (between Lake and Wealthy).
There are plenty of bands that are still playing in Grand Rapids that played at last year’s fair, but they are not being featured (so much for the past).
The local bands chosen to play this year are not all that interesting.There is not time or space to go over all of the “talent” so here are some facts about the locals.
Drew Nelson is a local acoustic artist that boasts of traveling “with his guitar strapped to his back” around Europe.
Ten Five got its fascinating name from a dorm room they used to inhabit. Molly prefers to be known as a “loud sex driven glam pop rock band” and, in small letters, from the Midwest. 27 DC (the DC stands for death club) is back together now that their lead singer has returned from a world modeling tour. And Beats Sittin’ Home, well the name explains it all.
But, through all of the hype of WGRD and the Intersection, there are a few bands that are worth seeing.
The Promise Ring, a five-piece pop/rock band is on a sporadic tour promoting their “Very Emergency” album (Jade Tree). Their name is referenced with bands like Pedro the Lion and Sunny Day Real Estate. The Promise Ring is sure to play a good show, they hit Stage One at 7 p.m.
The Rachel Leep Band is part of a newer school of music called Natrock involving acoustic guitars and African and Brazilian percussion with keyboards. Rachel Leep, comparable to a throatier Sarah McLachlan, should be a good tribal act to see.
Jimmie Stager has played the blues in Grand Rapids frequently and has traveled all over the the U.S. playing. For some reason he always comes back to the Midwest.
Despite the watered down selection of bands at this year’s fair, the Promise Ring, Rachel Leep Band and Jimmie Stagger will be worth seeing.
Even if you do not like the bands, at least there is Bozo the Clown, appearing during the day. The Eastown Street Fair is on Saturday Sept. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wealthy St. in Eastown.
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