The arrival of Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights in Chelsea marks the start of an electric summer of music and art.
Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights 2025 Kickoff
The summer season of Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights kicked off in fine fashion on June 5. Judging from the volume of people out and about on the streets of Chelsea, I suspect folks were ready to embrace their community and celebrate the approach of summer. Earlier rains had washed the streets clean, but did little to abate the persistent smoky veil from Canadian wildfires, which added a campfire aroma to the festivities. Nonetheless, spirits were high, the sidewalks were packed, and the joy was undeniable as friends and families poured into downtown Chelsea for an evening of music and art.
At Palmer Commons, the positive vibes of Hullabaloo radiated out from the new pavilion cover. Their funky jazz rhythms and movable grooves felt like pure Michigan summer. Not far away, chalk artist Aaron Turek transformed the pavement into a superhero landscape, delighting patrons with vivid, life-size portraits of the Hulk done entirely in chalk.
On the Library Lawn, BubbleU brought whimsy and delight. Kids darted through clouds of bubbles, laughter echoing through the haze. Just north of the lawn, festival-goers posed at the Sculpture Selfie Contest, adding a playful layer of interaction to the town’s public art.
Speaking of art, the sculpture walk around Chelsea has some snazzy new pieces. The one that caught our eye was a humongous push-up sherbert pop. Appropriately named “Sir Bert”, this tasty-looking sculpture was crafted by John and Denise Cugliari.
Music, Music, Music
Over on East Middle Street, Spark lit up the block with crowd-pleasing and danceable tunes. Jamming a set filled with much-loved cover tunes, they had folks, young and old, moving and grooving. I was particularly fond of their diggable Talking Heads cover.
It may look odd, but people seem to love putting on some headphones and dancing to their own private party. WHOA Silent Disco was outfitting the headphone-wearing dancers with their own personal beats.
Under the Clocktower Gazebo, the Bowdish Brothers offered up a wholesome slice of Americana, filling the air with effortless harmonies. Over at The Rumpus Room, Seventh brought the edge with their heavy-hitting metal set. Their first set had more of a post-metal with flashes of desert rock, which included a nice cover of Queens of the Stone Age. Their second set notched up the heaviness with muscular riffs while still retaining a bit of post-metal sludge. All in all, a fine directional change for this young heavy band.
Whether you came for the music, the art, or just the vibe, Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights proved once again that no matter the weather (or smoke), it is a Chelsea tradition worth showing up for. Be sure to stay on top of each week’s offering on Thursday nights on the Chelsea Chamber website. And save the date on your calendar for the big Chelsea Sounds and Sights festival, which occurs on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 in downtown. Curious about what the festival is all about? Well, then check out our coverage.
Pictures
We’ve got more photos from the Sound & Sights on Thursday Nights 2025 Kickoff in our gallery.
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