FLINT, MI — Ten years ago, brothers Jonathon and Nick Diener took the stage for the first time with their band The Swellers.

At 14 and 15 respectively, said they had no clue about doing anything but playing music at that gig.

They just kind of taught us everything,€ lead singer and guitarist Nick Diener said of that first show at the Local 432, an all-ages alcohol-free music venue in downtown Flint. A lot of people went to college to learn their trade and learn their skills, and we just played the Local. The Local is like our high school, and I guess like my college and probably my retirement.

Fast forward 10 years and The Swellers with two newer members on bass and guitar” have taken those homegrown skills and showcased them They’ve played across the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia and are headed back to some of those areas later this year. 

But before they get back on the road they’™re celebrating their tenth anniversary, and they’re doing it at the venue where it all started for them, the Local.

“œWe remembered the exact date we started and we were like, wow, the 10-year anniversary is coming up, that’™s pretty cool,” said drummer Jonathon Diener. “And we were like, is the Local even going to be open? And the second (Red Ink manager) Joel Rash confirmed it, we were like, we have to do a show there no matter what. This is number one priority. We have to play here.”

The Aug. 3 anniversary show will be at the Local’s newest location at 124 West First St. in downtown Flint.

Read the rest of the article here.

FLINT, MI—When Lynsie and Andrew Sartwell had last visited the Flint Local 432, they were 16 and 14 years old, respectively. They used to frequent the all-ages, substance free concert venue while they were younger to see other bands play.

Now in their 20s, Lynsie is still a member of the audience, but Andrew is the lead singer of a band named Sadie Lee—and this is her first time seeing her brother perform live.

“It always fun and an adventure, because we used to drive out here from Linden all the time,” said Lynsie, now 26. “It felt like a road trip almost.”

Sadie Lee was the first act to perform at the new Local 432; it has opened, closed and moved several times over the years before recently settling in as a program under the umbrella organization Red Ink Flint. The reopening concert also included singer/songwriter Katie Stanley, local alternative pop/rock/soul group Maria Rose and the Swiss Kicks, and local band Arlow Xan.

On one end, there were a lot of differences with the new venue. Danny Moilanen, club manager for the Flint Local, said that a $200,000 grant was used to renovate the guts of the building: a brick storefront now welcomes new visitors into a venue adorned with crisp white walls, red chairs and tables, and more standing room. Beni Schlatter, producer of The Swiss Kicks, noticed that there was a different crowd than the usual audience that the Flint Local attracted.

“This was known as a younger hangout. For the longest time, this was the only place in Flint that you could go if you were under 21,” says Schlatter, 28, who said he used to visit the local about once a month when he was a teenager. “There aren’t as many younger kids here [tonight].”

Moilanen also admitted the audience change.

“Before, there was a really strong music community. Bands came out to support, and kids came out no matter who was playing. Now, there aren’t as many bands, concertgoers, and young people,” Moilanen said. “Anyone who is in high school right now hasn’t even heard of the Flint Local.

“We rebuilt the building, but we’re also going to have rebuild the music scene and the music community.”

But as much as things change, they stay the same. Despite renovations and a new location, the room still had a cozy feel—which is how some attendees seemed to describe its previous incarnations.

“We still have a ton of people in a room to hear bands, support their friends, and support this institution,” said Moilanen. “I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”

Thanks for all the great coverage Flint Journal / MLive.com crew! Tonight’s opening night was a smashing success. We hope to have many many more.

Thanks to everyone who came out, it was a great time!

FLINT, MI—The stage, quite literally, is set for rock and roll in downtown Flint. 

The Local 432, the all-ages substance-free concert venue will be holding its first concert in downtown Flint in its new location as a part of Red Ink Flint April 21. 

“It’s funny, everyone has their generation (of the Local) that they remember, and those people are all happy to tell us, ‘it’s not like it was before, everything’s changed, it’s not going to be the same.’ And I say, ‘You’re right, it’s not going to be the same, but it’s awful close,’” said Joel Rash, manager of Red Ink Flint. 

It might in fact be impossible for it to be the same as it was in anyone’s version of the good old days. The Local, started by Rash when he was 18 years old (he’s 45 now) has been housed in several different locations around Flint, ranging from areas that currently house the Brown Sugar Cafe and the Lunch Studio to shows at the Capital Theater. 

Line-up for April 21 Show at The Flint Local 432

• 7 p.m. doors open. $5 cover

• 7:20 - 7:50: Sadie Lee

• 8-8:30: Katie Stanley

•8:40 - 9:20 The Claudettes

• 9:30 - 10:10 Maria Rose and the Swiss Kicks

• 10:20 - 11 p.m. Arlow Xan

In fact, the Local’s Facebook page reads: “Don’t call it a comeback, we’ve been here for years.” 

“We’ve rebuilt the Local, from scratch, about four or five times over our 25 years, and it’s the same every time,” he said. “We’re working with bands that remember us when they were starting, we’re hearing from new bands that are tracking us down, we’re getting suggestions on bands to find. And once we start doing shows and kids know that if they get in the basement and write songs, they get to not just to play a show, but opening for bands that inspired them. That’s when bands come out of the woodwork.” 

In any case, Rash is ready to bring in the next generation of rockers, and that starts Saturday with a line-up of six different acts. 

With the exception of The Claudettes, all the bands are local and should make for an eclectic mix. The show begins with rock band Sadie Lee, includes singer/songwriter Katie Stanley, and ends with local band Arlow Xan, who describe their group as an “ethereal folktronica duo.” 

Also in the mix is Maria Rose and the Swiss Kicks, a local alternative pop/rock/soul trio. 

Rash is awaiting one final inspection of the facility this week, which he said he’s not worried about. In the event that he can’t use the Local, the show will still take place around the corner at The Lunch Studio. 

Red Ink Flint’s board chairman Chris Everson, who has been a touring manager for bands and ran different venues, said he’s not worried about booking more shows. 

If anything, he said, with the popularity of the internet in the new era of the Local, it’s never been easier. 

“When I was in high school, you didn’t know… something was happening downtown. Now with the internet, and again Facebook, the word gets out so fast, word gets spread so quick. I don’t think it’s going to take long at all,” he said. 

So far they’ve collected a database of 150 bands at all levels interested in playing shows and are now booking shows for May. In time, they hope to hold about 6-8 shows a month. 

“I think by this fall, we’ll be pretty much at full stride,” Rash said, adding that in addition to local bands, he plans on booking bigger acts. Bands like My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold have played at earlier locations of the Local. 

Rash said he thinks having young people at the shows will be a boon to the revitalization effort in downtown Flint. 

Lathan Goumas | MLive.com February 16, 2012 - Art work featuring band stickers hangs on the walls in the stairwell at the new location of Local 432 in Flint on Thursday.

“In 1987, getting parents to let their kids come to downtown Flint was an uphill battle,” Rash said. “I bet parents had a lot of questions, and now I hope parents still have questions, you know they should know where their kids are hanging out, but if they want to find out about the Local, they can get online and find our mission statement, they can see who our board of directors is and, our guess is, parents are going to feel more comfortable with their kids coming downtown because so many parents have been downtown. … The whole of vibe of downtown is that it’s safer, it’s busier, it’s more attractive, it’s better lit, it’s had this level of activity that it’s never had before.” 

Rash said he’s excited about the show, but it’s not yet the grand opening. He’s hoping for a night in the future when he can gather bands who got their start at the Local and gone on to make careers out of their music, like The Swellers, to hold a grand opening show. 

Scott Atkinson is an entertainment reporter for the Flint Journal and can be reached at (810) 262-0216 or at satkins1@mlive.com. You can also follow Scott on Facebook or Twitter.

Man, we’ve kind of been taking over the local newspaper and Michigan’s regional online media source. You won’t hear any complaints from us. 

Oh, and come out to the first show at the new building, it really is the beginning of a new era and you’d be sad to miss out.

FLINT, MI – Zac Minock never thought  that he would be a barber, let alone a barbershop owner.

Minock recently opened the Consolidated Barbershop in downtown Flint. 

It’s downstairs from Consolidated Ink and Steel, a popular tattoo shop on Kearsley street. Patrons can stop in to get new ink, get a haircut and shave, or just to say “hi.”

After he graduated high school, Minock said, he went to college and took small business classes. Although he enjoyed the classes, they weren’t for him, he said.

“In small business, you usually have a trade or an idea of what you want to do,” Minock said. “I felt like I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I bounced around and did a lot of different stuff.”

Minock said after four years of working a job that didn’t offer advancement, he decided it was time for a change.

(Click here to read the rest of the story)

Zac is a long time volunteer and patron of the Flint Local 432. He’s played an integral part in our music community as a musician, promoter, DJ, and general fan of music. This is the kind of legacy we hope to continue growing for the City of Flint. The music community is one of the strongest groups of people doing good work for the city.

We’re proud of you, Zac! We hope your shop continues to be a great success and a long time institution for our community. Please take a second to go and “like” Zac’s shop on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/consolidatedbarbershop

theswellers:

Click the picture to check out this cool interview Mlive.com did with Jonathan, Nick and Ryan about hard work, reopening the Flint Local 432 and how “making it” is a lot harder than people think! 

*edit* ignore the old picture and wrong caption! being changed soon!

Check out this awesome interview Jonathan Diener of the Swellers did for the Flint Journal in our office. Great stuff!

The Flint Journal/MLive posted some photos of our walk-through today concerning sound dampening and other further construction goals. Check out the rest of the photos at the above link to see some more pictures of our new space.