Middle of the Mitten

The grand finale of MOTM5 is exactly one week away!! Be at The Loft in Downtown Lansing, Michigan from 7pm until 2am. Get tickets now

Don’t be sad to see our last lineup, it’s awesome:

The HandGrenades  is the first band on the set list for the night. Originating in Detroit, the band has recently released an E.P. called Three Cheers for the Wonder Years. 

Bicycle Sunday is an Indie/Emo band located in East Lansing, Michigan. They take their inspiration from Death Cab for Cutie. 

Midwest is a five-guy, punk band that plays shows all across Michigan. They released their E.P. “Wishful Drinking” on December 12, 2012. 

Simien the Whale was formed in 2006 and influenced by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Vanilla Ice. Watch out for this Alternative Rock band. 

Royal Hoax, located in Pontiac Michigan, is in the Pop Rock genre. Their quirky style will keep you entertained. 

Rock and Roll with Calcaska as our sixth number on the set list. They released their E.P. YBYL and it can be found on iTunes. 

Grand Rapids, Michigan band Life Size Ghost is influenced by Pink Floyd and Incubus. They have traveled all across the United States to share their awesome music. 

Our final band on this crazy, three-day music festival is Elliot Street Lunatic. This local Indie Rock band is amazing, look for them to continue to grow in years to come.

Middle of the Mitten is getting close, and we’re talking with the big dogs now! This will be Simien the Whale’s third MOTM festival, after joining us last year and way back at MOTM2. This year they’ll be right in the middle of the pack at MOTM5 Day 2, and they’ll also be chatting with us during the first half of The Basement, which is 8-10pm on 88.9fm The Impact [click here to stream]

Interview by Michelle Perkowski, a fellow tumblrite (tumblrer? tumblrigan?)

1. One look at your website will show that you guys enjoy vlogging and making videos. Do you see that as something personal, or an extension of the band? Do you think it helps you connect to your fans better?

That’s a good question. Touring can be really hard for bands without label support. It is expensive, grueling, and venues want you to draw people you can’t necessarily guarantee. We made our music videos to represent us to cities we haven’t played yet. We knew it would give us a chance to introduce our music to new music fans as well as show another side of our creativity.

We made the ‘Simien the Whale short’ series to help spread the word about our November 2012 Album Release Party and to show people we have a sense of humor. We hoped they would show that we are regular dudes, and not the serious brooding artists that a lot of musicians can be perceived as. It was also a fun way to flex our creative muscles when we didn’t have any shows lined up. We’ll probably make more.

2. You guys have participated in ArtPrize a couple times. What draws you to participate in a competition like that, especially considering music is not the typical medium of choice?

2012 was our second time performing at the ArtPrize Musician’s Showcase, and it was the first year music was actually up for a public voting prize.

Not only is it a way to have our music heard by an international audience, but it’s a way to help reinforce the importance of music in art scenes. Visual art is amazing. I love it. Music is another form of expression, that we think has just as much value as visual art. It’s a performing art!

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Friday 1/11

Gary Cimmerer on Grand River Radio Diner from 12-1pm on LCC Community Radio 89.7fm WLNZ (Lansing) [stream]

Thursday 1/17

MOTM5 crew with Simien the Whale and 1 TBA on The Basement from 8-10pm on The Impact 88.9fm WDBM (East Lansing) [stream]

Friday 1/18

Life Size Ghost on Acoustic Cafe from 11am-12pm on 88.1fm WYCE (Grand Rapids) [stream]

Mike Vial and Maria Rose & The Swiss Kicks on Grand River Radio Diner from 12-1pm on LCC Community Radio 89.7fm WLNZ (Lansing) [stream]

Tuesday 1/22

Nathan Alan and Liz McDaniel on Progressive Torch & Twang from 8pm-12am on The Impact 88.9fm WDBM (East Lansing) [stream]

MOTM5 artists all over the place tonight!

The Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle (Day 1) is playing at (Day 2 venue) The Loft in Lansing with Frontier Ruckus and Desert Noises

Simien the Whale (Day 2) is hosting their album release party at The Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids with Elliot Street Lunatic (Day 2) and Jake Simmons & The Little Ghosts

Kyle Brown (Kick-off) is hosting his EP release party at The Avenue in Lansing with Nathan Alan (Day 1) and Gary Cimmerer (Kick-off)

And you can catch MOTM3 alums Frank and Earnest with Flatfoot at Mac’s Bar in Lansing for the annual Punks vs Pokes showcase

I always spend too much time listening to the bands over and over again to arrange the lineup, but that’s probably what makes me love them even more. Anyway, here you go!

Day 1 at (SCENE) Metrospace in East Lansing:
7pm Doors
715-740 Paige Bolen
750-815 Vince Zydeck
825-850 Commodore Cosmos
900-925 Match by Match
935-1000 Nathan Alan
1010-1035 Nathan K
1045-1110 Sunny Side Up
1120-1145 Gun Lake
1155-1230 American Opera

Day 2 at The Loft in Lansing:
7pm Doors
730-800 The Blue Effect
815-845 Meadower
900-930 Citizen Smile
945-1015 Bangups
1030-1100 Newday Dreamers
1115-1145 The Sunset Club
1200-1230 Simien the Whale
1245-115 Life Size Ghost

[Facebook events: Day 1, Day 2]