Article Contributed by Dan Ward
Published on 2026-04-28
Hey Annie | photos by Dan Ward
The sun is out in full force today as it lights up a beautiful blue sky in Niles, Michigan. Back in the days of COVID, the city had an idea for an open-air meeting place so town folk didn’t go stir crazy. Main Street makes a hard left turn, and a short block later starts uphill. Right at that point, the city closed off 2nd Street and created a space for the people called the “Node.” Tonight, two local fan favorites are kicking off the 2026 season at the Node, and folks tired of being cooped up inside are ready to dance in the street.
First up is a familiar face in Niles, Hank Nelson. The young vocalist is a natural entertainer and has been hanging with local bands for as long as people can remember. He brings a few guitars, his trusty cell phone, and his oversized talent front and center to get things moving right away. He starts his set accompanied by a virtual big band captured in his cell phone.
Hank gives new life to American music’s heritage and has no specific genre, just songs that he can put his passion into. He easily tackles Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes,” then jumps to the original jazz version of Ben Bernie’s “Sweet Georgia Brown.” Gene Austin's “My Blue Heaven” finds a home right before Bertolt Brecht’s “Mack the Knife,” and the audience seems to like them all even though the styles and delivery differ vastly.
Hank has also learned how to draw the entertaining lines from Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” to Lead Belly’s “Rock Island Line,” two trains headed in very different directions that live effortlessly next to each other in Hank's set list.
Mr. Nelson's guitar prowess is constantly improving, as he shows while pumping out Dick Burnett’s “Man of Constant Sorrow,” followed with a spirited rendition of Elvis’s “Hound Dog Blues.” My personal favorite of the set was a gritty version of Willie Dixon's “Evil Is Going On,” a song which is the bedrock of many blues and rock favorites. So nice to hear the younger generation paying homage to the greats of the past.
Hey Annie is well known in these parts for their clean musicianship and vast playlist of songs you know and remember. Brothers Kevin Alstott - Lead Guitar/Vocal and Mark Alstott – Bass are joined by Chris Spychalski – Drums, Eric Lindberg – Guitar/Vocal, Ryan Hamilton - Lead Vocal, and Shannon Kling – Percussion as the band attacks Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream.” They follow up with Howlin’ Wolf's “Backdoor Man,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Breeze,” and “Been Around the World,” just like you remember blaring from your trusty Pioneer Super Tuner back in the day.
Tom Petty’s “American Girl” and Van Morrison’s “Moondance” come next before the band sends us a super cool mashup of The Beatles’ “Come Together” that morphs into Pink Floyd's “Another Brick in the Wall.” The band leaps forward in time with Tracy Chapman’s “Gimme One Reason” before unleashing a hard version of Steve Earle's classic “Copperhead Road.” I was taken back to high school when we discovered Steve and my friend blew out the seal on his car’s rear window from playing the song at full volume. Those were the days.
The band continues without a break, and next up is a gritty version of “House of the Rising Sun.” They present it in classic perfection. The band even managed to pull out a Parrot Head jewel with Jimmy Buffett's “Pencil Thin Mustache.” We still miss the American storyteller, and this song always brings back memories.
The band has not taken a break and does not plan to. In fact, they switch out members for a soft break so the band can keep the music flowing. CCR’s “Susie Q” goes straight to Pink Floyd's “Nobody's Home,” followed by Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” with no letup right into Santana’s “Evil Ways.” These guys just can’t stop, and the musicianship is top notch. The vocals are clear, with great diction. Songs you know by heart suddenly reveal lyrics you have misheard for years. Solos feel like the originals, not clunky copies but truly respectful and graceful interpretations.
The band flexes the depth of their abilities starting with Kid Rock's “All Summer Long,” which changes into Warren Zevon's “Werewolves of London.” They back this up with the Foo Fighters’ “Everlong,” then test the audience’s own knowledge with Neil Young's “Cinnamon Girl.” Oh, the memories of warm summer nights and late-night parties can be seen in the eyes of the crowd. I watch as a beautiful older woman dressed in her hippy garb is transformed into a teenager again.
Here is another example of fearless genre bending as The Rascals’ “Good Lovin’” is backed up by Sublime's “Santeria” and a little more Floyd with “Us and Them.” When they break into the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” my own nostalgia clouds my mind with visions of friends at the beach being serenaded by that song emanating while the waves lapped against the shore.
The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” meets Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter” and Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime,” each one handled just differently enough to sound authentic while being performed by one band. The sign of long hours working out the details. Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Let Her Cry” effortlessly shifts to Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and ends with Tom Petty's “You Wreck Me.” The band just works.
The day ends with a Floyd trilogy of “Time/Breathe/Comfortably Numb.” Again, they show the ability to play like the original, but in their own way. Hey Annie is a band in demand and can be found throughout Michiana. If you find yourself on a dark highway in southwest Michigan, and you pass a marquee that reads “Tonight: Hey Annie,” make a stop. You’ll be glad you did.
