Rock the Coast got off to a solid start Friday night at Michigan’s Adventure. The opening day lineup featured artists from several different genres, headlined by six-time Grammy nominees and two-time winners Audio Adrenaline.

MUSKEGON, MI – When Rock the Coast organizer Kevin Newton said the spring event featuring premier Christian music concerts would take a year off in 2012, he cited the need to “Plan, think and pray.”

After people of all ages packed the parking lot of Michigan’s Adventure Friday for the first night of the 2013 version of the event, it’s safe to say that strategy was a success.

The two-day event is set to continue Saturday at the popular amusement park for the festival that combines rides and Christian music. Performances on Saturday begin at 5:30 p.m.

Rock the Coast got off to a solid start Friday night. The opening day lineup featured artists from several different genres, headlined by six-time Grammy nominees and two-time winners Audio Adrenaline.

The night began with performances by Christian rappers Nate Fuerstein and George Moss, who entertained a small crowd early in the evening.

“I liked George’s performance,” said Grand Rapids native Josh Vanderlaan. “He’s come to our church a few times. I really like his message. Christian rap is cool because it brings new people into the Christian music scene.”

Montague native Ethan Kennedy was seeing Moss for the second time and said he was even better than the first time. He added that he is really looking forward to his new music.

As the crowd continued to roll in, Jason Dunn, former lead singer for the Christian punk band Hawk Nelson, took the stage. By the time his performance was over, the crowd had tripled in size.

Dunn, who recently left Hawk Nelson to pursue a solo career, was very appreciative of those in attendance.

“This is kind of my unofficial launch to the next chapter in my life,” Dunn said to the crowd. “My first-ever tour was with Audio Adrenaline and my last tour with Hawk Nelson was with Disciple. How perfect is this evening?”

The Christian metal band Disciple followed Dunn’s performance and served as the final appetizer before the headlining Audio Adrenaline took the stage before a packed parking lot of spectators.

Rock the Coast will continue to rock on Saturday when Christian contemporary band Tenth Avenue North headlines a lineup that includes Grand Rapids indie band Carielle, Finding Favour, Holly Starr and Mikeschair.

“I’m really looking forward to Holly Starr,” Vanderlaan said. “I really like her music.”

The suggestion was that the final beer tent would stop serving at 11:30 p.m. and close to the patrons at midnight. That would be instead of the traditional 10:30 p.m. end of serving and closure at 11 p.m. as had been the practice of Summer Celebration and other festivals at Heritage Landing that serve alcohol.

MUSKEGON, MI – The question of how late is too late when it comes to serving beer at festivals in the city of Muskegon has the City Commission appearing unsure of the best policy.

A beer pouring operations shown from the 2011 Michigan Irish Music Festival at Muskegon County’s Heritage Landing.Mlive file photo

So when the new Coast West Music Fest asked the city to extend the operations of one of its beverage tents to midnight, commissioners paused, voting unanimously last week to reject the request.

The problem could become one of consistency as commissioners approved a request from Muskegon Bike Time organizers in March to keep three beer gardens along the motorcycle festival’s operations on West Western Avenue open until 11:30 p.m. on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of the July 18 to 21 event.

“This vote was not a reflection on Coast West at all,” Mayor Steve Gawron told the organizers of the July 1 to 6 music festival at Muskegon County’s Heritage Landing.

Coast West is picking up the tradition of a Fourth of July week regional music festival after a year absence due to the end of the former Muskegon Summer Celebration in 2011.

“We just have a larger picture to look at here in light of issues brought up by staff,” Gawron told Coast West officials. “We continue to wish you all the best of luck at Heritage Landing.”

Coast West organizers had asked that one of the Heritage Landing beverage tents be allowed to operate until midnight, although city noise ordinances would be observed having the festival’s music acts end by 11 p.m.

RELATED: Coast West Music Festival 2013: The lineup so far for inaugural Muskegon event

Coast West organizer Nick Bessinger of Muskegon Festival Group told commissioners that the later operation at one of the beverage tents would allow some patrons to remain at Heritage Landing a bit longer while crowds clear from the festival’s three music stages. To have all the patrons clear Heritage Landing at one time will cause a much more “chaotic” situation, he argued.

The suggestion was that the final beer tent would stop serving at 11:30 p.m. and close to the patrons at midnight. That would be instead of the traditional 10:30 p.m. end of serving and closure at 11 p.m. as had been the practice of Summer Celebration and other festivals at Heritage Landing that serve alcohol.

Muskegon County officials, who control the community’s festival park on Muskegon Lake, agreed to the later beer tent operation if city officials concurred. Commissioner Lea Markowski said she understood the rationale for the Coast West request of the city.

Muskegon Public Safety Director Jeff Lewis told city commissioners that for one of the beverage tents to remain open until midnight would require all of his police officers to remain on duty until that time. That would be an additional cost to festival organizers and put further strain on his department as it tries to provide public safety for a variety of downtown Muskegon events through the summer.

“We want to be fair across the board when serving all of our beer tents and events,” Lewis said.

A former Muskegon Summer Celebration patron enjoys a B.B. King concert at Muskegon County’s Heritage Landing with a beer back in 2007.Chronicle file photo

Commissioner Eric Hood, a former Muskegon police officer, indicated he was not in support of longer hours.

“The later they drink the more problems we are going to be having,” he said.

Vice Mayor Larry Spataro said he wants a uniform policy out of City Hall that handles all events in the same manner. The longer hours are just going to put more a strain on city employees, he said.

Gawron said he agrees on a need for a uniform policy for beer tent operations at events and festivals in the city. He asked city staff to review the closing time issue and provide a recommendation to the commission. City Manager Bryon Mazade said such a recommendation would come at the end of this summer’s festival season for decisions on next year’s events.

Email: dalexan1@mlive.com

Facebook: Dave Alexander

The Sunday May 26 events begin with the USS Silverside’s Lost Boat Ceremony at 11 a.m. and conclude with the Blessing of the Boats on Muskegon Lake at 1:45 p.m.

MUSKEGON, MI – Landlubbers might not understand, but the beginning of the boating season – traditionally Memorial Day weekend – is a downright “spiritual” awakening for many recreational boaters.

The Rev. Tom Scott is shown blessing the Muskegon fleet in 2009.Chronicle file photo

The Muskegon boating community will again honor the natural setting that is Muskegon Lake, pay tribute to those who have served the nation on the high seas, kick off the summer season … and do a little partying. The latter will continue all summer through Labor Day.

The annual Blessing of the Boats will be Sunday, May 26, as part of the Memorial Day celebration along the Muskegon Channel that links Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan. There will be plenty to do on the water and along the south channel wall.

“It’s all about showcasing the great recreation, commercial and municipal port we have, while paying tribute to those that have served on boats as part of history,” said Roger Zuidema of Muskegon Lake Effect Boating – a one-man-inspired social media movement to promote, celebrate and enjoy boating in Muskegon.

The activities begin with the solemn Lost Boat Ceremony at the USS Silversides Museum, 1346 Bluff St. at 11 a.m. The annual event honors the 3,500 World War II submarine veterans lost during that war as 52 American submarines were downed by enemy action.

The keynote speaker at this year’s Lost Boat Ceremony will be Vice Admiral Albert H. Konetzni Jr., retired from the U.S. Navy. Konetzni served as the deputy commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. State Sen. Goeff Hansen, R-Hart, will also provide a tribute.

At the end of the ceremony, the two working diesel engines of the USS Silversides will be started to the thrill of all gathered, museum Executive Director Frank Marczak said.

Roger Zuidema

By 1 p.m., all boaters in the Muskegon area are invited to gather near the south breakwall in the Muskegon Channel near Lake Michigan. The Gathering of the Fleet will showcase boats of all sizes and descriptions, Zuidema said.

The Washing of the Lighthouse will be at 1:15 p.m., as community members will ceremonially clean the South Pier Lighthouse as a symbol of inviting people to Muskegon’s shores during the summer months. For those wanting to contribute to the lighthouses upkeep and maintenance, contributions are accepted at www.muskegonlights.org.

The Port City Princess – Muskegon’s dinner and sunset cruise ship that operates out of the Mart Dock in downtown Muskegon – will join the fleet at 1:30 p.m. for a parade down the Muskegon Channel toward Muskegon Lake. Once in Muskegon Lake, the Blessing of the Boats will begin at 1:45 p.m.

From the deck of the Port City Princess, the Rev. Tom Scott, pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Muskegon, will bless each boat as it passes. The blessing will take place just inside Muskegon Lake south of the channel near the city beach at Harbour Towne.

Finally, the boating community and all landlubbers are invited to Dockers Fish House and Lounge, 3505 Marina View Point at the Harbour Towne development for a “Funday-Sunday” from 3 to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit the Lake Effect Boating website at www.lakeeffectboating.com.

Email: dalexan1@mlive.com

Facebook: Dave Alexander

The acting group will perform “A Taste of the Tempest” – an hour-long adaption of the original – at MCC’s Overbrook Theatre on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Haven on Sunday at 4 p.m.

MUSKEGON, MI — The Overbrook Players of Muskegon Community College will perform an original condensed version of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” free of charge for local audiences on May 18 and 19.

The acting group will perform “A Taste of the Tempest” – an hour-long adaption of the original – at MCC’s Overbrook Theatre on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Haven on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The play has been cut and reworked by director Tom Harryman, a faculty member in the MCC Theater Department.

Cast of “A Taste of the Tempest” at rehearsal on Thursday, May 16.Courtesy Photo

Harryman said he cut the play down from what could have been a two-and-a-half-hour performance by taking out sub-plots to put the focus on the main story.

He said the play has been challenging because it’s a minimal-style performance with “90 percent of the sound and music coming from the actors on stage.

“This is the type of production that could be done on a street corner,” Harryman said.

He said “The Tempest” is considered one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” because it’s not a tragedy or a comedy. But, Harryman said, this production will be quite funny.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Cast members include MCC students and graduates Andrew Rocco Steward, Victoria Grant, Dustin Day, Colton Hall, Michael Pollock, Erin Madalyn Michelson, Jarod Peterson and Tre Perry. The production is stage managed by Michael Munson.

Overbrook Players had a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” last winter and Harryman said they try to do at least one Shakespeare or classical play every two years.

The West Michigan Youth Ballet will present Lewis Carroll children’s classic “Alice in Wonderland,” on Sunday, May 19, at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, 425 W. Western Ave., at 3 p.m.

MUSKEGON, MI — If you want to travel back in time to your childhood, don’t miss the “Alice in Wonderland” ballet show.

The West Michigan Youth Ballet will present Lewis Carroll children’s classic “Alice in Wonderland,” on Sunday, May 19, at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, 425 W. Western Ave., at 3 p.m.

The Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts presents “Alice in Wonderland” ballet show on Sunday, May 19.Courtesy photo

“We are really excited to have the West Michigan Youth Ballet back at Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts,” said Linda Medema, sales and marketing manager. “This is a first-rate performance. The dancers have passion, their costumes are beautiful. It’s always quality performance that they give us.”

For the performance of “Alice in Wonderland,” the youth ballet has invited guest choreographer Gregory M. George. A native of Michigan, George has an extensive career as a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director and has performed and choreographed musicals for Wisconsin University, Ann Arbor Civic Players, and Bay View Theater Arts, in addition to TV commercials, plays, and fashion shows.

George currently works for the Children’s Ballet Theatre in Lansing, where he has produced numerous full-length ballets, such as “Coppelia,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” “Anastasia” and “Swan Lake.” He also has choreographed more than 100 repertory works.

The West Michigan Youth Ballet has performed at the Frauenthal before, including their 2010 production of “Cinderella – the ballet” and the 2011 productions of “Sleeping Beauty – the ballet” and “The Nutcracker.”

Based out of Ada, the youth ballet company is comprised of young dancers from the West Michigan area. Their mission is “to provide young people with the opportunity to prepare and present to the public full-length ballets under the direction of professional choreographers.

To enhance the skills that these young people have received through the study of ballet at their respective academies by learning all that is involved in the preparation of a ballet performance. To encourage young people to consider a career in dance and assist them in progressing toward this goal, either with a professional company or by studying dance at the university level.”

The audience can also join in for the special pre-show High Tea starting from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Tickets are $7 per person. Crafts, refreshments and early seating to the performance are available. Tickets are limited for High Tea.

The High Tea will be held in the Gallery level of the Hilt Building in the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets to the tea are available through Star Tickets or the Frauenthal Box Office.

Tickets for the ballet are $14 for adults and $8 for children ages 10 and younger. They are on sale at Frauenthal Box Office on Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or by calling Star Tickets at 1-800-585-3737 the Frauenthal Box Office at (231) 727-8001.

For more information, visit the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts website.

The Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts is to present author, story teller, humorist and radio personality Garrison Keillor on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m.

MUSKEGON, MI — Author, storyteller, humorist and radio personality Garrison Keillor will be back at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m.

Keillor is the author of many books, including “Lake Wobegon Days,” “The Book of Guys,” “The Old Man Who Loved Cheese” and “Wobegon Boy” to name a few.

The Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts is to present author, story teller, humorist and radio personality Garrison Keillor on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m.Courtesy photo

His most recent role included playing himself in the movie adaptation of his show, “A Prairie Home Companion” in June 2006. It features Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin as the singing Johnson sisters, Lindsay Lohan as Streep’s daughter, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as singing cowboys Lefty and Dusty, and Tommy Lee Jones as the Axeman, who is dispatched by the radio station’s new corporate owners in Texas to shut down the show.

This is not Keillor’s first time at the Frauenthal. He had performed at the Center in 2008.

“He engages the audience when he talks about his books, his life experiences and his thoughts and feelings on things that are happening in the world right now,” said Linda Medema, sales and marketing manager for the Frauenthal. “He just captivates the audience and has always been popular in the Muskegon area.”

Medema said when Keillor came to the Center in 2008, all tickets were sold out. This year, they have already sold nearly 1,000 tickets, she said.

“It’s going to be a wonderful evening and we are expecting another sellout crowd,” Medema said.

Keillor was born in 1942 in Anoka, Minn., and began his radio career as a freshman at the University of Minnesota. He went to work for Minnesota Public Radio in 1969 and hosted the first broadcast of “A Prairie Home Companion” in St. Paul, Minn., in 1974.

The show ended in 1987 and resumed the name A Prairie Home Companion in 1993. More than 3 million listeners on more than 450 public radio stations now hear the show each week.

Keillor’s accomplishments are too many to list. He has received numerous awards, including a Grammy Award for his recording of “Lake Wobegon Days.” He has also received two Cable ACE Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award.

He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and recently was presented with a National Humanities Medal by the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1994, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame at Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications.

With Philip Brunelle, he has performed with many orchestras, including the Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Dallas and National symphonies. He has also performed on his own in one-man shows across the country and on tour broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion.

Tickets for Keillor’s performance are $125 for Gold Circle Seating, including a dessert afterglow and meet and greet reception. Reserved seating tickets are $50, $40 and $35.

Tickets are on sale at all StarTickets outlets, the Frauenthal Box Office from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and by phone at 1-800-585-3737. All seats are reserved.

For more information, visit the Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts website.

Spring into Lakeside is Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the city of Muskegon business district along Lakeshore Drive on the south shore of Muskegon Lake.

MUSKEGON, MI – Spring has been a long time coming but now that the weather is appropriate, it’s time to celebrate with the Lakeside District Association.

Lakeside District Association

Just as Lakeside businesses and residents celebrate Christmas every December, the business district has a similar event before the busy summer tourist season begins. Spring into Lakeside is Saturday, May 11.

The business district event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lakeside is located in the city of Muskegon along Lakeshore Drive on the south shore of Muskegon Lake.

The retail businesses will be having a “shop hop” during the entire event with special features for Mother’s Day, according to organizer Louise Hopson of the Art Cats Gallery.

Dog lovers will want to join or just watch the dog walk and costume parade. Registration is at 10:30 at the Sitting Pretty Pet Spa and the parade starts at 11 a.m.

Pound Buddies will be setting up shop at the Sitting Pretty Pet Spa from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to discuss its operations and the process of adopting a pet.

There will be a kids art area and a sidewalk chalk contest from noon to 4 p.m. Also in the Lakeshore Drive parking area of Great Lakes Marina, there will be a bounce house and other children’s activities from noon to 3 p.m.

The Lakeside District Association for more than 10 years has promoted the development and beautification of the Lakeside business district. Bringing together business owners and members of the Lakeside Neighborhood Association, the group has spruced up one of the main routes to Pere Marquette Park and the Lake Michigan beaches, including the development of a pocket park along Lakeshore Drive.

For more information, go to the group’s website at www.lakesidedistrict.com or its Facebook page.

Email: dalexan1@mlive.com

Facebook: Dave Alexander

Muskegon, MI., May 7, 2013 – Coast West Music Festival is pleased to make several more announcements regarding this summer’s event, July 1 – 6, at Heritage Landing in Muskegon.  Today we are announcing the final Miller Lite Headliners on the Main Stage as well as additional acts on the MLive and First General Credit [...]