Fountain Point’s successful music series continues with Djangophonique
By Ross Boissoneau
Sun contributor
The sounds of music have been wafting across Lake Leelanau this summer, and there’s one more chance to catch a show at Fountain Point, though with a change from the original plans.
The annual Accidentals Famgrove party originally planned for Aug. 11 is being moved to French Valley Vineyard due to some timing issues around licensing. That show will now take place Oct. 12, and tickets purchased for the original date and location will be honored at that show.
There will still be an Aug. 11 show at Fountain Point. It will still feature the Gypsy jazz of Djangophonique and the indie-folk stylings of Spencer Lajoye. Best of all, that show will now be free. Series coordinator Amber Buist says it’s a way of saying thanks to those who have attended the shows this year and potentially bring in people who haven’t.
In a change from previous years, this year’s mostly-acoustic shows have taken place on the porch of the inn. The artists have been able to relax and gaze out at the water as well as the attendees scattered around the expansive grounds. The smaller-scale shows have thus not required the infrastructure of the larger events and crowds.
Buist says this year’s porch series at the resort on the shore of Lake Leelanau has been a huge success. “This year we’ve had some great acts,” she says, pointing in particular to the show by Joy Clark and the Rebel Eves as one of her favorites.
Another highlight was Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift tribute. “This year, the Taylor Swift experience was so fun to watch. There were 100 kids, a circle of dancers … it was enlightening and really good,” she says. “Erik loved it,” Buist added, referring to resort owner Erik Zehender.
She says there’s plenty of room for people to spread out and enjoy the shows. “People picnic, it’s so wide open. You can have a larger crowd and it’s still not crowded. It’s such an ideal place to have a music event.”
Buist promises next year will be bigger. “It was a slow start to bring it back,” she says. “There’s so much more I want to do moving forward. This year felt like a soft opening.”
She plans to elicit feedback from attendees and others to provide input on what kind of shows, how many, and any recommendations for artists to appear next year. That may well include larger shows that would move off the porch and onto a stage. If and when that happens, she says another consideration is to put up a tent to provide some shade as the expansive lawn can get hot under full sun. “It (can get) too hot and sunny, so we’ll shade it a bit.”
She’s also looking to potentially collaborate with other venues, including some downstate, to parlay that into multiple stops for touring artists. Buist also hopes to partner some national bands with local performers.
An advantage of the series at Fountain Point has been scheduling the shows on Sunday afternoons, which provides a more relaxed feel for both the show attendees and performers. And it gives the touring acts a built-in place to stay. “It’s a Sunday at Sonic Lunch and Friday or Saturday at Midtown (two downstate venues with which she’s hoping to partner), and it’s a Sunday (here). Plus, I can put them up.
“I’ve had so much (positive) feedback from the bands about the venue and staying there.”
Also under consideration is expanding the schedule to other days and multiple genres, from jazz to classical to country and bluegrass. “It could grow to a midweek and Sunday,” Buist says.
