Ben Hunter is more likely to be mistaken for a student at Grand Valley State University than for his actual position as a professor. With his long hair, visible tattoos and shirts that proclaim the name of one of his favorite bands, he is miles away from the stereotypical sport jacket with patches on the elbows.

Hunter is a GVSU graduate, professor and a very outspoken fan of his home state, Michigan. The love of his state, and hometown of Grand Rapids, mixed with his love and respect for music drove him to create the Prospecto Musical Showcase and Sonic Experience.

Prospecto is a three-day event that arranges for dozens of bands to perform on multiple stages at three different Grand Rapid’s venues. This year’s second-annual event took place last weekend.

“My hope is it puts Grand Rapids on the musical map and brings some notoriety to some local bands,” Hunter said.

Artists and bands participating in Prospecto ranged from local to international and from unknown to world-famous. There were, however, some changes in the routine from last year.

“This year we cut it to three venues, and they are all walkable,” Hunter said.

Previously, some of the venues were miles away from others. The venues were chosen for their size and stages. Founders Brewing Company, a downtown beer brewery, has a history of bringing in local and national acts to play on their stage. The Pyramid Scheme, a relatively new bar decorated with vintage pinball machines and dinosaur bones, has quickly become a destination for touring rock bands. The last venue, The Intersection, has two stages. The first is a small stage in the entrance of the building and the second, the main stage, is a 1,000-person-capacity venue frequented by national acts.

Hunter said Prospecto is one piece of bringing more national attention to Grand Rapids, as it was held during ArtPrize and each venue displayed pieces competing in the art contest.

“Artprize seemed like a good opportunity,” Hunter said. “During ArtPrize the city looks alive and thriving.”

Wearing a T-shirt with the phrase “Not LA or New York But Better” and a tattoo of the shape of Michigan, Hunter’s dedication to his city cannot be questioned.

Hunter said his goals for the future of Prospecto include bigger advertisers to allow for even bigger-name headliners. Larger budgets would also make it easier for his five full-time staff members to be able to work on Prospecto all year long. More than 40 volunteers made up the rest of Hunter’s workforce.

The most notable band of Prospect this year was George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. This was also the show that garnered the biggest crowd of the weekend.

Clinton, now 70, is an eclectic funk-rock musician, producer and band leader. His impressive resume includes working with hit artists from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Tupac Shakur. Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Other bands that participated in this weekend’s festival included the Pharcyde, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., the Walkmen and Prussia.

“If I could make a mix tape for Grand Rapids, this lineup would be it,” Hunter said.

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