Ypsilanti's Grove Studios will host its third annual Equinox Party Sept. 19 with a day-long lineup of eclectic musical acts, presented as three mini-concerts for small groups.

The recording studio at 884 Railroad St. in Ypsilanti will admit 25 people to each of the ticketed shows in its outdoor courtyard from 1 to 10 p.m., and a livestream option will also be available. Each of the three mini-concerts will last about two and a half hours, featuring local musicians in a variety of genres. The lineup includes the jam band Chirp, folk trio Jackamo, jazz from the Steve Somers Band, and hip-hop artist Diont'e Visible.

"We love all genres and want to represent all the genres you can find in the area," says Rick Coughlin, Grove Studios co-founder and CEO.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the event's format, Coughlin says the studio owners still wanted to offer a showcase for local musicians and a networking opportunity for those artists.

"We realized we could still honor the [state] 25-person gathering rule by chopping up the day," Coughlin says. "It's going to look a little different than the last two years, including adding the livestreaming component. That was always something we intended to do, but the pandemic really just made us do it faster."

Charging for tickets to the event means that both the musicians and technical professionals like the event's audio tech, streaming tech, and videographer get paid for their services, Coughlin says.

"They are also getting quality content both streamed and post-produced, along with the quality videos we upload to Facebook and YouTube," Couglin says. "And they also get the reach of our social media network. We reached half a million people this year with our activities on social media. That's an exciting statistic for us."

Coughlin says organizers are hoping for good weather for the event and expect it to be well attended, as tickets for past events have sold out.

Attendees are asked to wear a mask as they move around the courtyard or inside the studio but are free to take masks off when seated if they need a beverage, for instance, Coughlin says.

Tickets to the in-person event cost $30 for one mini-concert or $75 for an all-day pass. Livestream tickets are $10 per mini-concert. A full list of musical acts and more details are available on the Facebook event page. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She joined Concentrate as a news writer in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group publications. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photo by Rick Coughlin.