Accidentally discovering a beloved local band
Last summer was one for the books. After way too long I was finally back in my home state. Not just for a visit this time, but I was officially a Michigander again. My husband and I had just moved up to Traverse City from Las Vegas and for me the change was a much needed one. I’m a northern girl. I learned quickly after living in Florida, California, and the cruel desert of Nevada that the heat was not for me.
I had never lived this far north. I was born and raised in Detroit and had only driven through the northern part of the Mitten and the U.P. during trips to my tribe’s reservation in Hayward, Wisconsin. I was warned constantly by Las Vegans about the cold. Don’t they know I love the cold? Don’t they know I thrive in it? Some might think it’s bonkers to move to a place you’ve never even visited, but it wasn’t the first time I’ve done something like that. When you know, you just know.
Trees, water, and mild summer temperatures that didn’t feel like they were killing me felt like heaven on earth. I spent a week on the beach, my photosensitivity be damned. I was in love with this place and it only took a day. Of course, my husband and I had to explore our new town. We walked all over, took the free Bayline bus downtown, and soaked up our new surroundings. The whole scene was a breath of fresh air for me. This is the place. This is where I belong.
There were flyers posted all around downtown advertising a free event called Friday Night Live. “Free concert!” they boasted. “Hey,” I called out to my husband who had wandered a little ahead of me, eyes to the clouds in the sky he wasn’t used to seeing. “There’s a free show for this band called The Accidentals this weekend. They look cool. Wanna go?”
He backed up to read the flier and said “Yeah, sounds cool.” “Maybe they’re a punk band!” (It wouldn’t have mattered to me either way, I just really love music in general.) I don’t like to base decisions on looks or anything like that, but these three ladies on the flier looked “cool” to me. I just had a feeling.
When I got home I pulled the band up on my Spotify and noticed they had a song called “Michigan and Again”. Of course I was drawn to the title so I hit play and then the tears started falling and refused to stop. How did they do this? How did they write a song that captured exactly how I felt about this place? I played the song on repeat all day and made the decision right then and there that we would be at that show no matter what. Then I listened to the rest of their available discography and read up on them. They were all from Michigan (drummer Katelynn Corll being from my hometown, Detroit) and were now taking Nashville by storm. This Friday Night Live show would be like a homecoming for the band. How appropriate.
The day arrived and it was also Sidewalk Sale Day. My husband and I headed downtown early, did some shopping, and then ate at The Flying Noodle which was amazing! How? I found myself asking again. How is everything about this place so perfect?
The band was starting at 6pm so we walked the bay a bit and made sure we had a spot as close to the stage as we could get. We squeezed ourselves in between others’ lawn chairs and sat on some vintage sweaters I purchased earlier, right on the warm pavement. The sun was blaring, and my polymorphous light eruption rash was burning up and down my arms, but I didn’t care. Vitamin D was a foreign concept to me, having been forced to spend most Vegas summer days hiding in my air conditioned room, and I felt my body being nourished by it even if my skin was angry.
When The Accidentals took the stage I cheered loudly along with the rest of the locals gathered around. It was obvious that they felt at home there and they even talked about it. The crowd adored them. A man sitting near me sang along to every lyric.
These three ladies were so phenomenal I didn’t even have words to describe it. I truly felt they were born to perform. They used such an array of instruments (like violins and an electric cello) and their sound was a perfect blend of rock and folk with a slight twang to it. When Sav Madigan walked through the crowd playing a violin, the smile on her face was something else. Katie Larson was rocking a cello and I could feel her energy from onstage right in my soul. She banged those strings with determination and enhanced every chord. Katelynn Corll was on drums and was a force to be reckoned with. Talent was flooding the streets of downtown Traverse City and everyone was feeling it.
The song “Michigan and Again” was introduced with a little anecdote about the concept of home by Sav which had me tearing up before the song even started. Everyone in the crowd sang along and I was able to as well because I had memorized it by my third listen. “There were conifers lining the driveway/whispering ‘stay, stay, stay, stay, stay.’” Not a problem. I was home.
After the set, and after I dried my tears, my husband and I joined the line to meet the ladies and have them sign my merch that I had purchased before they even took the stage. I bought a “Michigan and Again” tee shirt and a tote bag with their latest album cover, “Time Out”, on it. They signed my tote bag for me and we chatted. I told them quickly how I had just moved here and that their song perfectly captured my feelings about it and that they were my new favorite band. They were all so sweet and smiling and really made me feel like I was a friend and not just a fan.
The Accidentals are currently working on new music, and are on a cover album tour with a stop at the Traverse City Opera House on April 21. (A nearly sold out show!) They recently played Folk Alliance International where drummer Katelynn Corll lent her bass and vocal skills to Beth Nielsen Chapman’s band. Sav Madigan performed in Lainey Wilson’s band at the People’s Choice Awards. Katie Larson, (in the spare time she somehow manages to find) also edits, directs, and animates videos! Did I mention that each of these ladies can sing and harmonize incredibly well and that each of them are versed in so many different instruments I can’t even keep up? Oh, and they are all incredibly talented songwriters. They are more than worthy of superstardom and you can definitely feel their dedication and hard work in every note of their songs.
The Accidentals were my introduction to the great musical talents that Traverse City has to offer. There is so much here! My husband and I are more than ready to dive into it. “Great state, what state am I in?” indeed.
Check out The Accidentals online! theaccidentalsmusic.com
Jennifer Patino lives in Traverse City and loves music. Check out her blog at thistlethoughts.com.