Written by L. M. Land,
Image © L. M. Land for The Flint Courier News, AI.
Flint loves live music. For your summer listening pleasure, Flint has live free music playing all over town. Double the pleasure is that all events listed below are free, except for one, which requires a donation to attend. Multiple grant programs have made all this great music possible.
All programs listed except for one are outdoors. Bring your own chair for them! The McCree Theatre event will be indoors.
North End Music Festival
July 19, 2025, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Flint Development Center/Max Brandon Park, 4121 MLK Blvd.
World-renowned Bassist Ralphe Armstrong will perform. He will also play in the Flint Jazz Festival.
Other performers will be Stan the Man, Kuungana African Drum and Dance School, Kevin Collins and friends and many more. Kuungana’s famous tacos will be available to purchase. Armstrong will be playing at the end of the evening.
Jazz on Wheels
Fridays at Pierce Park, 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
2302 Brookside Dr, 48503
This free concert program is organized by Pat Cronley and runs into September. Jazz on Wheels features different musicians every week.
Lift Him Up, Gospel Musical Experience of Worship and Praise.
July 26, 2025 at 6 p.m., at the New McCree Theatre, 4601 Clio Rd, Flint, $20 donation. Features the newly-formed McCree Gospel Choir (GC), with Music Director George Warren and Choir Directo Glen Holcomb. Hosts are Alina Oliver, Ricky Calloway, Artie Dixson-Blake and Kevelin Jones III. Other local talent will participate as well. For more info, call 810-797-2200.
Tunes at Noon, sponsored by the Greater Flint Arts Council
Monday through Friday, 11:45 am to 1:15 pm, Willson Park, downtown Flint, between U/M-Flint and the Flint Farmer’s Market. Free parking at U/M lot at the corner of Wallenberg and 1st St., next to the park.
The last performance will be on August 15.
Bring your lunch or pick one up at the Farmer’s Market for this popular music event. A wide range of music is played by Genesee County-based bands such as OVACiiR-jazz, Al Lindsey-blues, Canja de Boa-Latin, Time X-R&B, Phil Young & Friends-Variety.
(In case of rain, the performance will be inside the Greater Flint Arts Council, the building with the Vernor’s mural on it.)
Levitt AMP Flint Music Series, sponsored by CommunitiesFirst, Inc and others, primarily held at Totem Book Store Lawn, starting at 6:30 pm. for each concert.
The point of this series is to bring diverse musicians from around the country and the world to Flint, and to develop community.
The remaining concerts are:
July 22-The Claudettes,-Chicago based, blues/R&B based with punk spirit. (Last year they got rained out by a massive downpour of rain. So, I am personally thrilled they are coming back!)
August 1-Chambers/Deslauriers – This group is from Florida and plays blues, rock and soul. This is the only concert that will be held downtown at City Hall, back lawn, 1101 S. Saginaw Street. There will be other events happening at this location as well.
August 19-Kommuna Lux-Odessa Ukraine, urban folk (who will have you up and dancing!. Honest!)
September 2-Laura Rain & the Caesars– Detroit, retro soul and R&B
September 16-Mexicuba,-Grand Rapids, Latin fusion.
September 30- Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble-Louisiana, playing Louisiana Zydeco.
JazzWalk, downtown Flint Clubs, Friday August 1, 6-8 p.m. or 6-9 p.m. at Queens’ Provisions, Cork on Saginaw and Market Tap. This selection will get you ready for the Flint Jazz Festival!
Flint Jazz Festival is back home at Flint’s Riverbank Park, Saturday and Sunday, August 2 and 3. Admission is free this year!
Saturday from 12:30 -9 pm-The lineup in order of performance is: Rumprollers, Mike Espy Band, Cherisse Bradley, Kill Bill, Tapology and the Ralphe Armstrong Trio.
Sunday from 1 – 8:30 p.m. lineup: Gwen Pennyman-Hemphill, Reichlin Small Group, People’s Jazz Band, Leafar Village and 946 West.
Don’t forget Art Walks, on the 2rd Friday every month year round, from 6-9 p.m. –The walk features live bands in the art galleries (offering free admission) and some restaurants downtown.
The Flint Institute of Music (FIM) also sponsors music programs all season long (although not every program is free). To learn more about FIM, go to: https://thefim.org/
