Article Contributed by Dan Ward
Published on 2026-05-22
Headband Henny | photos by Dan Ward
Bell's Spring Series final night brought out a large crowd looking to start the warm-weather music season off right. The series, the brainchild of Bell’s own Racheal Reinholtz, brings local artists to Bell's wonderful backroom to perform on their professional stage. This year's final event was meant to turn up the heat with some standout local talent.
Tekeo takes the stage and immediately engages the audience. His vibrant and upbeat personality takes center stage as he performs “old school” rap. His songs are from the heart, and his delivery is genuine.
Diction is spot on for this rising star. He uses clear, understandable, and relatable language to communicate his stories. Tekeo infuses his music with life experiences to craft emotionally charged songs full of imagery and imagination. He has a great relationship with the fans, and his enchanting show gets the night off to a fantastic start.
Between sets, Black Magic Media provides a little distraction while the stage is reset. They have the audience select six players to inflate and pop a balloon as fast as possible. This genius idea keeps us all involved and chanting for a winner while the stage crew completes the change-out. The winner is crowned, and a new band is on stage.
Next up is Wavy Awakening, the high-energy punk rock band shaking up the local music scene in Kalamazoo. They start the set with their hit “Love Life Cycle,” and the fans are pumped. They play a set of top-notch tunes that almost defy description. “Daydream,” “Hellbound,” and “Over and Over” feel familiar but distinctly different. The band draws on many genres, and songs like “Moonlight,” “Under the Gun,” and “Love Like AI” have a sound reminiscent of early Blink-182 mixed with the underpinnings of newer groups like The Killers.
The band plays with gusto, with plenty of acrobatics from frontmen Gibson Tucker and Adrian Rose as they cast their spell upon the audience. DJ YourMom backs up the grooves, guitarist Zach Kucharek leans into solos, and Nick G holds the band together on drums. The playlist contains fan favorites “Consumed,” “Toxic,” and “Boyfriend,” keeping the crowd moving. They close out a super set with “1st to Last,” “Rehab for You,” and “I’m Still.”
The walls are still reverberating when the night's sponsors return with another game. This time, they pick teams and have a lightning round of Rock, Paper, Scissors that is pure pandemonium, but in the best way. We have our winner, and a new artist is about to change the night.
Headband Henny is a phenomenon. He sings like an angel, moves like a ghost, grabs the fans’ attention, and doesn’t let go. He enters in darkness, his voice breaking through the gloom to lay down some righteous words that we all need to hear. Henny has built his sound his way. This is not a cover band or a band in the mold of another band; this is all original, and it comes from the heart.
Henny delivers his message with a short, sharp rhythm that breaks into soulful lyrics delivered on a wave of velvet. He is constantly engaged with the audience; there is no escaping his desire to include, and it shows in his fans. They crowd the stage. They are not mean or rude, but they covet the nearness of this young star. Eyes wide open, they hang on his every syllable. They are not just listening to Henny; they are absorbing him.
My mentor gives a little laugh as he sees me struggling to get a decent angle for pictures. He tells me this is how Henny’s fans are: an unbreakable bond. Henny sees us and gives us that nod of acceptance, a momentary freeze frame with a knowing smile. This artist is on his way up and is smart enough to realize he is already in the spotlight.
Henry Parwoth is a student from Uganda studying in Kalamazoo while causing a groundswell on the music scene. His band is made up of local artists Noah Shanool on keys, Brandon Marsh on guitar, Ryan Fluke on drums, and Adam Cortez-Ferrie on bass. The ensemble plays tight and supports Henny with elegant phrasing.
As I look over the setlist, listening to the songs again for reference, I realize that Headband Henny has already achieved what others take a lifetime to accomplish: his live sound is his studio sound. He delivers his music as cleanly and deliberately from the live stage as he does from the recording booth. And the songs are uplifting, relatable, and accessible.
Henny is singing to us, not at us. He is not preaching or lecturing; he is speaking to us as one of us. As one person put it, “It’s like he is speaking just to me, even in this crowd.” Higher praise can’t be bestowed. He starts with “Call It What You Want,” “Purple,” and “Joyride,” each a gem. Henny sends out a new one titled “Sugar Honey” to a great reception. He transitions to his life-lesson songs “Deep Cheese” and “Oak Street,” reflections of his life that relate to us all. He sends out pure soul on “Leftovers” and handles regret with “Iceberg.”
The set seems to have gone too fast for the fans as they strain to elicit more from Henny. He gives them “Air Force 1 and 2” and “David Lettermen” to appease their desire, but the end is too close for fans. Henny and the band perform their exit, but the fans chant and holler until he returns for a final song, “Here I Go.”
Watch for Headband Henny coming to a town near you. Until then, find him and the other bands on all streaming platforms. New music at its best.
