Beat Suite at Grammotones
Friday, July 12, 2024
by Erin Wilson
I wasn’t prepared the energy I experienced photographing Beat Suite at Grammotones (Heartside neighborhood, Grand Rapids, Michigan.) It’s an event where producers create the vibe with turntables and beat machines, and lyricists share microphones throughout the night. But it’s so much more.
I got to witness a real blurring of the lines between audience and artists, that is so rare. There was a communal, mutually supportive dynamic between all of the vocalists and DJs. For example, if the person with the mic got bogged down, or off the beat, all the other lyricists lent encouragement. Sometimes they asked the DJ to roll the beat back and let the person with the mic get their bearings. And, repeatedly, it worked: some of the most amazing flows happened after a miscue, with everyone else offering support. I’ll be honest, it has been a long time since I’ve been in the middle of an energy that was so collaborative.
For most of the event, I was distracted by a hardware failure (my flash.) Even with a flash, it would be a challenging event to photograph, with dark skin tones and LED lights rotating through primary colors. But later, as my hardware frustrations faded, it really hit me: I was in the middle of an ephemeral moment with talented people who all wanted to make each other better. It’s the best thing.
Thank you to Grammotones for making events like Beat Suite possible in the Heartside neighborhood. I’m exceedingly grateful that I got to be there.
by Erin Wilson
I wasn’t prepared the energy I experienced photographing Beat Suite at Grammotones (Heartside neighborhood, Grand Rapids, Michigan.) It’s an event where producers create the vibe with turntables and beat machines, and lyricists share microphones throughout the night. But it’s so much more.
I got to witness a real blurring of the lines between audience and artists, that is so rare. There was a communal, mutually supportive dynamic between all of the vocalists and DJs. For example, if the person with the mic got bogged down, or off the beat, all the other lyricists lent encouragement. Sometimes they asked the DJ to roll the beat back and let the person with the mic get their bearings. And, repeatedly, it worked: some of the most amazing flows happened after a miscue, with everyone else offering support. I’ll be honest, it has been a long time since I’ve been in the middle of an energy that was so collaborative.
For most of the event, I was distracted by a hardware failure (my flash.) Even with a flash, it would be a challenging event to photograph, with dark skin tones and LED lights rotating through primary colors. But later, as my hardware frustrations faded, it really hit me: I was in the middle of an ephemeral moment with talented people who all wanted to make each other better. It’s the best thing.
Thank you to Grammotones for making events like Beat Suite possible in the Heartside neighborhood. I’m exceedingly grateful that I got to be there.