A Night at the Soul Lounge is Lansing’s largest hip-hop and soul residency.
The monthly event takes place at The Avenue Café and features DJ sets, spoken word and live music.
WKAR's Sophia Saliby Saliby spoke with Mikeyy Austin, a Lansing-based musician and one of the organizers of the Soul Lounge, about the event series.
Interview Highlights
On how the event got started in 2019
I'm from Lansing, so I do a ton of different events and shows, but A Night at the Soul Lounge was, just sounded cool to me. So, I was thinking even back then it would be cool to go into a space that maybe doesn't typically do like neo-soul and soul music and really activate that space and make it A Night at the Soul Lounge.
On the importance of having the event series in Lansing
I think hip-hop and soul is really like the vehicle. I think the overall main important thing is that we have spaces that celebrate diversity, that celebrate culture, that celebrate our artistic expression and the diverse artistic expressions that represent Lansing, but also represent culture as we know it.
On the theme of this month's event
This event is our 2000s theme event. So, you can imagine, there'll be a lot of Air Force Ones, a lot of baggy clothes, and white tees and basketball jerseys and durags and all those things, really an ode to the 2000s. So, we'll have a couple of DJ sets that are 2000s-themed. All the hits that go along with that.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: A Night at the Soul Lounge is Lansing’s largest hip-hop and soul residency.
The monthly event takes place at The Avenue Café and features DJ sets, spoken word and live music.
Mikeyy Austin is a Lansing-based musician and one of the organizers of the Soul Lounge. He joins me now. Thank you for being here.
Mikeyy Austin: Yeah. Thanks for having me, Sophia.
Saliby: Can you tell me more about A Night at the Soul Lounge and how it all got started?
Austin: Like you mentioned, I am a hip-hop and soul artist, musician, bandleader. In 2019, we put on our very first A Night at the Soul Lounge event. I'm from Lansing, so I do a ton of different events and shows, but A Night at the Soul Lounge was, just sounded cool to me. So, I was thinking even back then it would be cool to go into a space that maybe doesn't typically do like neo-soul and soul music and really activate that space and make it A Night at the Soul Lounge.
So, we did that at The Loft on [Michigan Ave] before The Loft switched over to a new venue. And it was me, a few different DJs, I think we had two different DJs, I had a couple of friends perform as well. And it was just really cool energy. We had local vendors, a local painter doing live painting. It was like all the elements were there, and it didn't feel like you were just going to watch someone perform. It felt like you were going to engage and really be a part of this thing that felt bigger. So, that's really what A Night at the Soul Lounge was meant to be, and that's what it turned out being. So, that event was a lot of fun.
And then I thought, man, we can do this in other places. So, we ended up planning A Night at the Soul Lounge in Detroit in February of 2020. So, we did that. It was really cool, and it was just a really cool experience.
And then boom, COVID happened. So, we were all done doing any type of shows or just human life as we knew it. So, then coming out of COVID, we started our Juneteenth Festival in REO Town, and that's just continued to grow. And really, we had the idea of creating an umbrella organization to really house all of our events.
We thought it was only right to bring A Night at the Soul Lounge back as a residency to really build up anticipation to everything else that we're planning this summer.
So this year, we have a ton of really cool events planned for the summer, but we thought it was only right to bring A Night at the Soul Lounge back as a residency to really build up anticipation to everything else that we're planning this summer. So, that's really how it got started, and now we're doing A Night at the Soul Lounge.
This is our fourth of our five events. We've been able to do it from January until May. So, that's our residency and then that leads us right into Juneteenth and everything else that we have planned for the summer.
Saliby: Why is it important to have a space like this dedicated to hip-hop and soul in Lansing specifically?
Austin: Yeah, I think hip-hop and soul is really like the vehicle. I think the overall main important thing is that we have spaces that celebrate diversity, that celebrate culture, that celebrate our artistic expression and the diverse artistic expressions that represent Lansing, but also represent culture as we know it.
A space that represents the local businesses. That's why it's always important that we have our local vendors that are a part of our events as well. And then, as we always try to do, we try to drive traffic into the local businesses, into those brick and mortars. So, places like The Avenue, being able to drive that traffic for people who may not know about The Avenue or maybe have never been there before.
I think it's really just a vehicle to build community.
So on one hand, like there's that bias because I am a hip-hop and soul artist, so of course, I'm gonna say yeah, it's important just because of the expression and because the music sounds good, but at the end of the day, I think it's really just a vehicle to build community. And I think that that's what's most important.
Saliby: You have an event coming up this weekend. What can attendees expect when it comes to performances?
Austin: Each event, A Night at the Soul Lounge, has a different theme. So, the one in January was Erykah Badu-themed. So, everyone dressed up in their best Erykah Badu interpretations with the head wraps and all sorts, just different outfits that you can imagine.
In February, we did a Soul Train theme. So, I had my bell bottoms on, and everyone was all decked out in their 80s, 70s gear. Last month was our 90s house party event. So, everything that you can imagine from high tops, tracksuits and all the music that goes along with it.
This event is our 2000s theme event. So, you can imagine, there'll be a lot of Air Force Ones, a lot of baggy clothes, and white tees and basketball jerseys and durags
And this event is our 2000s theme event. So, you can imagine, there'll be a lot of Air Force Ones, a lot of baggy clothes, and white tees and basketball jerseys and durags and all those things, really an ode to the 2000s. So, we'll have a couple of DJ sets that are 2000s-themed. All the hits that go along with that. All of our events always have a best outfit contest and giveaway. So, whoever has their best 2000s interpretation might win something.
And then as far as performances goes, I'll be performing with a few different friends. So, it's kind of like a medley set of different performers, one big performance, but we'll all kind of be feeding off of each other. So, you'll see Jahshua Smith there. You'll see James Gardin. You'll see Yellocake. You'll see Desko Martin. And then we always play with our band, the Trilogy band backing us, so it's gonna be fun.
Our resident DJ, DJ Kaely Kellz, she comes from Detroit every event. So, she'll be in the house. DJ Ruckus will be closing things out, of Ruckus Ramen, so you might get some of his ramen from the kitchen and then you might hear him on the DJ side as well. And then we also have DJ Cutt-Nice, so it's gonna be a full, full event. But I do suggest getting there early because they pack out really quick.
Saliby: Mikeyy Austin is one of the organizers of A Night at the Soul Lounge.
The next event takes place this Saturday night at the Avenue Café in Lansing. Thank you for joining me.
Austin: Yeah, thanks for having me.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
