Wilson Ave on Stage: ‘Every performance is different.’ (Courtesy Photo)

 

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Guitarist Eddie Zentera was so nervous attending his first open-mic session at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids that he showed up without a guitar just so he “didn’t feel pressured” to play.

“Getting out and doing open-mics was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he recalled.

“Eventually, I mustered up the courage to sing a couple songs, and that was at Turnstiles. … It had a profound impact on introducing me to other musicians and it (Turnstiles) is definitely going to be missed. I started singing from there and finding my voice and words.”

Zentera not only warmed up to the intimidating experience of playing songs in front of an audience at open-mics but also met guitarist Ian Nibbelink – sowing the seeds for formation of the indie-alternative band Wilson Ave.

Eddie Zentera: Obsessed with guitar. (Courtesy Photo)

Named after the street where band members first jammed together, Wilson Ave features Zentera, Nibbelink, bassist Zach Welch and drummer Derek Anderson, with the group influenced by artists such as Cage the Elephant, The Backseat Lovers and The Growlers while aiming for a “beachy” sound.

“After that jam session, I think a lot of us came out of it like, ‘We want to keep doing this. This is way too much fun to stop doing,’ ” said Zentera, who grew up on the east side of the state.

So much fun that the band played its first show at The DAAC in Grand Rapids last July, released three singles in 2025 and dropped its first EP at the end of February, featuring four songs recorded live at Dogtown Studio. View the video for “Already Gone” below.

Although he didn’t start playing guitar until the COVID pandemic hit, Zentera figures music is in his blood: His grandfather conducted the Battle Creek Brass Band and his father was a jazz saxophonist.

“I picked up a guitar and I never felt so happy when I struck a chord and it sounded good,” he said. “Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed. … Music is art and expression is important. Slowly, I found my voice.”

VIDEO: Wilson Ave, “Already Gone”

PLAYING THE STRAY, MULLIGAN’S AND THE PYRAMID SCHEME

That voice and a passel of new songs will be on display at several upcoming Grand Rapids performances: Saturday (March 7) as part of The Stray’s 2026 Battle of The Bands (with Iridescence, Marcus AK, The Westside and Smile, Darling), March 14 at Mulligan’s Pub (with New Troy and The Westside) and March 19 at The Pyramid Scheme (with New Troy, The Mannequins and Quilter).

“Folks can expect a high-energy night with many unreleased songs,” Zentera said.

The New EP: ‘Live at Dogtown’

“The flow state that we all get on stage kind of unleashes different instrumentations, different vocalizations of our songs. Every performance is different. As we get into our flow, it’s exciting to see what comes out of it … There’s nothing quite like it, the energy in that room.”

As for the rest of 2026, Wilson Ave hopes to land on some festival bills while continuing to record new material.

“There’s always a new song that we’re working on,” Zentera said. “You want to be able to find your niche in your voice and how you really want your songs to sound. We’re slowly getting there with each iteration with each song.”

For this week’s Michigan Music Showcase, Wilson Ave featured two songs from the new EP – “High School Rodeo” and “Thinkin’ About Hell.” The radio show also showcased tracks by other Michigan artists: Brick Street Soul, Ghost Bunnies, Rachel Brooke, Seth Bernard, Blue Water Ramblers, Ocean & The Universe, Sonny Ski, Knee Deep Shag and Samuel Nalangira. Listen to the podcast below.

The Michigan Music Showcase airs at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Check out previous show podcasts online here.

PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (3/6/26)

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