Indigo Girls, Soccer Mommy, Soul Rebels, Fastball to play downtown Grand Rapids concert series

GRAND RAPIDS — Summertime has spawned a new tradition when it comes to outdoor shows in downtown Grand Rapids.

For the third year, the Studio Park piazza south of Van Andel Arena will host a summer concert series featuring national touring acts as well as some of the region’s most popular bands.

The 2023 Listening Lawn series boasts everything from the legendary folk-rock of The Indigo Girls on Aug. 2 as they tour behind their new album, “Look Long,” to the bluegrass/country fervor of North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers on July 21 and the indie-rock of Soccer Mommy to close things out on Aug. 7.

“This year, we went for just a handful of big shows for about a four-week period of time,” said Quinn Mathews, Studio Park’s music and programming director and Midtown’s talent buyer.

“Outdoors, we’ll show movies (on the large Studio Park video screen) in June. The stage will go in for our Listening Lawn series early July to August, then back to movies to end the summer. Very excited to bring some of these acts to downtown Grand Rapids and really bring some big crowds to our piazza.”

The series sponsored by Mercantile Bank kicks off with the funky, soulful hip hop-infused music of New Orleans’ Tank & The Bangas on July 12, followed on July 20 by another New Orleans band, The Soul Rebels, who weave jazz, funk, rock, pop and hip hop into their brass-fueled attack.