Lucas Leverett

10/05/2026

It’s very good news to see this infusion from Oracle to the Nashville Symphony. Given the tax breaks they’re enjoying in their development, they’re right to step up for my home town’s vital arts scene and pay back into the city’s culture.

It cannot be ignored, however, that the Ellisons are very problematic and folks cannot allow this to be a charity-washing that causes blindness to so many other concerns.

Hopefully, Nashville will stay vigilant and read between the lines, exercise good oversight, and assure the genuineness of this generous action. At least it’s not like it is with GR, where the philanthropy is far too centralized with far worse sources.

https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/oracle-nashville-symphony-10-million/article_7d664e4c-7a4b-5e47-8c8f-6e1eb4901f16.html

10/01/2026

Has it been deeply satisfying to watch Eric Schmitt be embarrassed for being an idiot? Yes, yes it has. This is MAGA, ladies and gents. A self-parody, every time.

MS NOW reports Judiciary staff warned Sen. Eric Schmitt that the Ja...

10/01/2026

A+. Excellent. Whoever created this post—an absolute saint of witty innuendo among the John Ball Zoo marcom staff—get them a raise.

Wonder how long it will be before some classic West Michigan pearl-clutching will ruin the fun for everyone?

An important takeaway for practitioners and observers is this: knowing and driving inside the appropriate lane. This post isn't on the LinkedIn page for the Zoo, but it's on other non-business socials. Just the same as in every person, brands can have a different tone and content depending on the forum. They're complex, and we all have to accept that complexity and the style that works with and is permissible within each channel.

09/29/2026

You have to wonder how someone who won't face questions from media thinks it looks to the causal observer. What is Mike Rogers running from? Why is he afraid to talk to FOX 2 Detroit? He ran from the debate and now he runs from reporters. Cowardice is not a good look. But then, cowardice is, indeed, the default setting of the MAGA/Republican camp these days. I guess it tracks.

Republican Mike Rogers repeated calls for an end to the Iran war am...

09/29/2026

If you need to see an example of how far off-track my home town of Nashville has gotten, this news about the Nashville Symphony is a good example. This is the kind of predicament that comes when short-sighted chumminess with the oligarchy takes over and balance is lost. This is MUSIC CITY struggling with a core musical institution. The cheapening. The ensh*ttification. The selling out. It's not okay.

It's this stuff that makes me fight so hard for Grand Rapids to evolve toward balance itself. See, my new(er) home has the opposite problem. It was forged in the interests of oligarchy. And now is the era of balance.

For 80 years, audiences across Middle Tennessee have supported the Nashville Symphony in our mission to inspire and engage our community with the power of orchestral music.

Our story doesn't end here.

Our Board of Directors recently made the difficult decision to suspend the 2026-27 season effective October 18 to address financial challenges and establish a solid foundation for the future. You can read our full statement on our website. (The Symphony Ball and Symphony Fashion Show will still take place as planned, along with weddings, hall rentals, and several other musical performances.)

Thank you for the outpouring of goodwill and generosity you have offered in this moment. While after October 17 it will be some time before our orchestra returns to the stage, we are grateful for our community's enduring support, and we remain confident that the Nashville Symphony's future will be brighter than ever.

Here are two ways you can help:

1) Give. Every donation helps us rebuild for the future. Visit the link in our bio and offer your contribution today.

2) Share. Post your favorite Nashville Symphony memories and photos using the tag . Performances. Weddings. Free neighborhood concerts. Milestones. Holiday traditions. Tell your friends and family how they can contribute to our future, and spread the joy of music throughout our community.

Thank you for everything...

The music will go on.

09/25/2026

Hey, Mayor David LaGrand? How come so many much-more-podunk places in our state can immediately decide to cancel Flock but The City of Grand Rapids can't seem to?

An endless deficiency of guts.

The cameras will remain operational until the contract ends and they are removed, an official said.

09/25/2026

The problem with Mayor David LaGrand’s statement here is that’s it is WAY too little too late. Most of us have been begging him to locate his spine and start slinging this rhetoric more than a year ago. Begging him to force the hand of this city’s corporate-installed City Manager to make policies clear and collect them into direct and organized information and communications. Begging him to take a stand and stop dodging, feeding empty words into the void, and embracing half-measures.

It’s appreciated that he finally arrived at the same party we’ve all been at for so long, but it’s hard to praise him or any other leader at the The City of Grand Rapids when this has been a clear crisis and major problem for so long—and for many elected leaders a major part of why we voted for them.

Our Mayor has shirked this responsibility and failed to meet the moment for too long to simply give him a cookie now. It’s gonna take a lot more than talk and a lot of very visible and decisive action.

But congrats, David, on finding something that’s starting to sound like guts, I guess.

09/22/2026

I'm frequently touting the need to abandon the concept of "we've always done it that way." It's nice to see my hometown finally moving past this outdated use of this space.

Quite honestly, every single compromise ever made to continue to combine racing into this outdated location has never been enough for a certain loud minority. All the supposed history of the site has either been buried or burned down—sometimes more than once. The viability of the grounds for continued efforts to preserve and cling to something that no longer makes sense has slipped.

Time to move on. Time to preserve some of the history in a display or sculpture and re-use this space in a way that honors its history and embraces its current best use. Hopefully Nashville's voters will make this happen.

09/21/2026

Most who know me know that I host a monthly meetup—the local chapter of the national Drinking Liberally event (part of the Living Liberally org). Our gathering is every third Thursday at 6pm at The Meanwhile.

I'm excited and proud to share that I've been chosen as a McKay Schwalbach Fellow to attend this year's Living Liberally Leader's Conference this year, and will be heading to Minneapolis this weekend to join fellow leaders for some mind-melding and collaboration. (Including, hopefully putting out some feelers for hosting next year's conference right here in Grand Rapids!)

The McKay Schwalbach Fellowship is an annual honor given to a Drinking Liberally leader to support their first time joining the annual Living Liberally Leader's Conference.

It's named in honor of a longtime beloved host of the Savannah, GA chapter (Drinking Liberally Savannah) who left us too soon, funded in her memory.

She loved her chapter and loved the conference, forming deep friendships with other hosts around the country. This fellowship continues to support hosts who are running dynamic chapters, contributing to the political life of their community, and helping elevate Drinking Liberally.

https://www.facebook.com/drinkingliberallygr

An informal, inclusive, progressive social group for like-minded, left-leaning community members.

09/21/2026

Typically, the Grand Rapids Chamber endorsement list is a good guide for who not to vote for. Despite many great things the Chamber has going on, they remain a channel through with harm is perpetuated to working people, the unhoused, and even some of the groups they have otherwise admirable programs to support (such as LGBTQ and minority subsets).

So one has to give pause when two Democrats accept such endorsement. (And, for that matter, pursue it—as these don't just fall out of trees). That's why it's dubious to see State Representative Stephen Wooden and State Representative John Fitzgerald on this list.

We need to start drawing lines in the sand on this whole moderate corporate chummy ick that we're accepting in West Michigan and beyond.

The Friends of West Michigan Business Political Action Committee (PAC) has announced its initial slate of endorsements for the 2026 election cycle, backing candidates for the U.S. Congressional Offices, Michigan […]