MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan Artist Discovery is preparing to host their annual spring concert on March 29. This year’s event is named “Rock the Garden”, and NoMAD will be partnering with SHINE, Ecoreps, and Marquette Ending Hunger to create a zero waste, environmentally friendly concert experience. Student vendors will also be selling goods throughout the duration of the event.

The show will take place at the Northern Center Grand Ballrooms on Northern Michigan University’s campus. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and music will begin at 7:30 p.m.. The concert is free to attend for NMU students with ID, but is also open to the public. Tickets for the general public will be sold at the door for $10. (cash only).

Headlining the show is Arlie. Hailing from Northern Virginia, Arlie quickly gained traction online after releasing two DIY bedroom masterpieces, “big fat mouth,” and “did ya think.” He signed with Atlantic Records, and rallied a group of enthusiastic musicians for a high-voltage full-band live show to complement the meticulously crafted recordings.

In the wake of nationwide tours headlining clubs, as well as opening for COIN, Rostam, Cold War Kids, and Mt. Joy, with performances at Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees, and Live on the Green, Arlie’s debut EP, “WAIT” (Fall 2018), became a staple for pre-pandemic indie fans. Arlie released his first full-length LP, Break the Curse, in June 2022, accompanied by a period of heavy touring, with performances at Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza and Shaky Knees.

Supporting act Liquid Mike is an indie power pop rock band from Marquette. Liquid Mike began in 2021 and is the product of Mike Maple’s pop-rock song writing. The band features a cast of U.P. standouts, including Monica Nelson, Dave Daignault, Zack Alworden, Cody Marecek. Liquid Mike inhabits a sweet spot in the musical pantheon: catchy, well-crafted guitar and vocal hooks that will snag any fan of power-pop/pop rock.

Liquid Mike invokes a relatable feeling of nostalgia with everyday lyrics of the quickly-receding flavor of Big League Chew bubblegum, drinking beer from used marinara sauce jars in college, and every 4th hand rust-bucket of a car you ever drove in a Great Lakes snowstorm. They self-released their fifth LP, “Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot” on Feb. 2, 2024.