About Us

The Pyramid Scheme is an independently-owned pub, music venue, and pinball arcade in the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Opened in April 2011 by the brother/sister combo of community leader Tami VandenBerg and visual artist / record label owner Jeff VandenBerg, the Scheme has two separate rooms, the front bar and our live venue.

Our front bar is always free to enter, even when there’s an event in our venue space in the back, and features one of the Midwest’s best pinball collections, with 24 machines ranging from vintage classics to the latest releases.

Through the bar is our live venue, an intimate and well-appointed performance space that holds 420 standing / 210 seated for live music, comedy, and dance parties. Inside the venue, you’ll find a 2nd full-service bar. The Scheme is regarded nationwide as an artist- and fan-friendly venue: never taking a cut of artist merchandise sales, keeping drink prices low, and featuring top-of-class production and artist hospitality. And we’re proud that all spaces in our building are fully wheelchair accessible, including our stage!

Artists That Have Played The Scheme

Alternative / Indie / Pop

Japanese Breakfast, Alex G, Future Islands, Real Estate, Hum, Frightened Rabbit, Protomartyr, Of Montreal, Twin Peaks, The Beths, Mudhoney, Mdou Moctar, Snail Mail, Frankie Cosmos, Pinback, Kishi Bashi, STRFKR, Rubblebucket, Failure, Guided By Voices, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Pedro The Lion, Mitski, Hippo Campus, Kate Nash, Toro Y Moi, Caroline Rose, Betty Who, Andrew WK, Charles Bradley, Tortoise, The Hold Steady, Best Coast, The Dear Hunter, Mac Demarco, Japandroids, DIIV, Low, Meat Puppets, Flipturn, TWRP, Nada Surf, The Dip, X Ambassadors, COIN, Stars, Youth Lagoon, Whitney, Copeland, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Parachute, Mother Mother

Metal / Hardcore

Knocked Loose, Every Time I Die, Cannibal Corpse, Deafheaven, Silverstein, Polyphia, The Sword, Baroness, Corrosion of Conformity, Russian Circles, Better Lovers, Sick Of It All, Bilmuri, OM, The Chariot, Boris, Earth, Red Fang, Kylesa, The Black Dahlia Murder, Norma Jean, Sanguisasugabogg, Enter Shikari, 200 Stab Wounds, Born of Osiris, Comeback Kid, Chiodos

Punk / Emo

Against Me, Melvins, The Bouncing Souls, L7, X, Propagandhi, The Wonder Years, Joyce Manor, mewithoutYou, Turnover, The Menzingers, Jeff Rosenstock, Pup, Modern Baseball, Title Fight, La Dispute, Wednesday, The Regrettes, Hop Along, The Linda Lindas, Bear vs. Shark, Defeater, Swans, Drug Church, The Meatmen, Save Ferris, H2O, Laura Jane Grace, Local H, Free Throw, Foxing, Destroy Boys, The Front Bottoms, Emery, Touche Amore, Balance and Composure, Bayside, Mad Caddies, TTNG, Basement, Billy Talent, Citizen, The Living End

Hip-Hop

Aesop Rock, GZA, Lizzo, Ghostface Killah, Grandmaster Flash, G-Eazy, Talib Kweli, Killer Mike, Danny Brown, Peanut Butter Wolf, Adrian Younge, The Pharcyde, Dead Prez, CupcakKe, Kool Keith

Folk / Americana / Blues

Orville Peck, Lord Huron, Shakey Graves, Gregory Alan Isakov, Murder By Death, Wilderado, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Delta Spirit, Kiefer Sutherland, Jervis Campbell, Penny & Sparrow, Danielle Ponder, Shooter Jennings, Mandolin Orange, Lucero

Comedy

Fred Armisen, Joe Pera, Brian Posehn, Tim Heidecker, Kyle Kinane, Reggie Watts, Hannibal Buress, Ron Funches, Rory Scovel, Jen Kirkman, Chris Gethard, Tony Hinchcliffe

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The Pyramid Scheme is a member of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). We are also proud to present select events in two local theatres in the city, the spectacular Fountain Street Church (1604 seated capacity), and the historic Wealthy Theatre (391 seated capacity).

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