ESCANABA, Mich. (WLUC) – Escanaba’s music scene keeps grown as downtown venues bring the night to life with weekly shows.
Whether it’s date night, girls’ night or just a night on the town, local musicians have something for everyone.
“Maybe I’m biased, but I feel that Escanaba is the live music capital of the Upper Peninsula,” Kevin Chown said.
Chown is musical director of The House Band at House of Ludington. Tony Lambert is the co-owner of Leigh’s Garden Winery. Together, they are part of the effort to grow musical events in Escanaba.
“There was music every night of the week last summer,” Lambert said. “No matter where you went in this town, you could find music whether it was at the park, at the winery, at a restaurant, at the library, at the marketplace. You could find music every night last summer and it was just amazing. We want to make sure that we can continue that.”
Chown’s band plays every Wednesday evening at House of Ludington from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
“Music really is at the heart of what Escanaba is and downtown is the heart of Escanaba,” Chown said. “So, for me, it’s a very natural fit to have nightlife be a part of kind of you know, a resurgence of an era that has always been.”
He said the resurgence is not just about music.
“It’s about nightlife, so that people have a higher quality of life that live here and for the people that come here from other places, they have a higher quality visit,” Chown said. “It’s the backbone of culture in Escanaba, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
He added live music is essential to the city’s plans to reinvigorate its downtown.
“Live music is happening right now in Escanaba. It is revitalized,” Chown said. “We don’t need buildings to do that. All we need is musicians. We need people who love music. That’s it.”
Chown has created a Facebook page where he’ll be posting live music shows happening in the area. A recent post highlighted the community’s musical options for St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Click here for Escanaba Live Music Facebook page. Click here for a calendar of events for Leigh’s Garden Winery.
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