Returning will be CAKE, Lyle Lovett, The Beach Boys, O.A.R., Five for Fighting, John Butler Trio and Sheryl Crow, but most acts are first-timers. See the full lineup; ticket presale for members begins April 26.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will kick off its 2014 summer concert series with the biggest name – and highest priced ticket – in the 12-year history of the outdoor amphitheater, landing legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana to spearhead the venue’s busiest season ever.
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The June 1 appearance by Santana launches a record-setting series of 30 Meijer Gardens concerts that will boast a cornucopia of genres and stars, including John Legend, Ziggy Marley, The Moody Blues, Barenaked Ladies, Nickel Creek, Jackson Browne, Pat Metheny and a host of upward-trending indie-styled artists such as Dawes, John Butler Trio, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Tegan and Sara, Conor Oberst, Phillip Phillips and Lake Street Dive.
Sheryl Crow, making her second straight appearance at Meijer Gardens, closes out the 2014 series on Sept. 7.
But securing Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Santana stands out, with promoter Chris Mautz working for months to finally book the influential 66-year-old musician who ranks as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
“I think it’s just shocking that we got him. We’re talking about Santana coming to Meijer Gardens,” Mautz told Local Spins. “Talk about an opportunity; it’s hard to pass up on it. It’s totally a big splash, no matter where it would land in the series. We were all just ecstatic.”
Of course, snagging an artist of this caliber came at a price: Tickets will cost $150 each for Meijer Gardens members during the pre-sale period that begins April 26, the highest ticket price ever for a regular Meijer Gardens concert and $63 more than the next priciest show on the schedule – country singer Jennifer Nettles on July 19. (The price goes up to $155 for Santana tickets sold to the general public, if any remain when the pre-sale ends at midnight May 9.)
David Hooker, Meijer Gardens president and CEO, called the opportunity to host Santana “very special. He is an amazing musician that has accomplished much and received high praise from all areas. It is truly a blessing to be able to have him perform at Meijer Gardens.”
PRICEY, BUT ‘MANY PEOPLE ENCOURAGING US’ TO LAND A HIGH-PROFILE ACT
While it ranks as the amphitheater’s most expensive show, Hooker insisted “there have been many people encouraging us to go after a person of his reputation for our series and we are pleased we have been able to do this.”
On the flip side, Hooker noted the average ticket price for this year’s concerts is $56.83, just a tad higher than 2013, with “two shows in the $20 range, six in the $30 range and five in the $40 range.”
The Santana show in Grand Rapids actually comes on an off date during the guitarist’s much-anticipated 2014 North American co-headlining tour with singer Rod Stewart. The guitarist releases a new Latin music album, “Corazon,” on May 6.
Santana certainly isn’t the only artist slated to make a first-ever appearance at the 1,900-capacity amphitheater: Two dozen acts from different ends of the musical spectrum will make their Meijer Gardens debut in 2014, including Legend, Jason Isbell, Ben Harper, Railroad Earth, Counting Crows, Ray LaMontagne, The Moody Blues, Pat Metheny and Rodrigo Y Gabriela.
“You look from one year to the next and you see these little building blocks popping up,” Mautz offered, citing Meijer Gardens members and regional music fans for supporting a broad array of bookings. “As we’ve been able to expand upon some different areas, it does open up some flexibility in what we’re able to bring in. … We’ve always had that diversity mixed in. Our goal is to keep things fresh.”
30 SHOWS WITH ‘A LOT OF DYNAMIC ACTION’
And expanding the series to 30 shows (compared to 29 in 2013 and 25 in 2012) gives Meijer Gardens some opportunities to try new artists. Or as Mautz puts it: “With 30 chapters of this summer tale, there’s a lot of dynamic action going on.” That action includes several intriguing double bills, such as Metheny with Bruce Hornsby, Harper with Charlie Musselwhite, O.A.R. with Phillips, G. Love with Keb’ Mo’ and Oberst with Dawes.
As usual, the concert series does feature some high-profile returning artists: Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (considered Meijer Gardens’ “house band” because he’s played there so often), Crow, CAKE, Tedeschi Trucks Band, O.A.R., Bruce Hornsby, Five for Fighting, The Beach Boys and The John Butler Trio (“a show a lot of people were talking about after last year,” according to Mautz).
“The fact that we’re able to bring so many diverse acts to Meijer Gardens is a true testament to how popular the series has become,” said Hooker. “We aim to cater the series to all audiences – both the young and the young at heart.”
Many concerts sell out every year to members before being made available to the general public; an annual adult membership costs $40, a family membership is $75. Details at the Meijer Gardens website.
MEIJER GARDENS 2014 CONCERTS
Santana – June 1, $150 presale | $ 153 member | $155 public
Jason Isbell with James McMurtry – June 11, $29 presale | $32 member | $34 public
CAKE – June 12, $47 presale | $50 member | $52 public
John Legend – June 18, $75 presale | $78 member | $80 public
Tedeschi Trucks Band – June 19, $54 presale | $57 member | $59 public
NEEDTOBREATHE – June 21, $35 presale | $38 member | $40 public
O.A.R. & Phillip Phillips – June 23, $65 presale | $68 member | $70 public
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite – June 26, $62 presale | $65 member | $67 public
Tegan and Sara – June 28, $38 presale | $41 member | $43 public
Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers – July 2, $38 presale | $41 member | $43 public
Yonder Mountain String Band & Railroad Earth – July 6, $38 presale | $41 member | $43 public
Nickel Creek – July 9, $48 presale | $51 member | $53 public
Jackson Browne – July 13, $65 presale | $68 member | $70 public
Gavin DeGraw & Matt Nathanson – July 14, $65 presale | $68 member | $70 public
Jennifer Nettles – July 19, $87 presale | $90 member | $92 public
Counting Crows with Toad the Wet Sprocket – July 21, $80 presale | $83 member | $85 public
Ray LaMontagne – July 23, $55 presale | $58 member | $60 public
KC and the Sunshine Band – July 24, $55 presale | $58 member | $60 public
Barenaked Ladies – July 27, $55 presale | $58 member | $60 public
Pat Metheny Unity Group & Bruce Hornsby – July 30, $52 presale | $55 member | $57 public
Conor Oberst with Dawes – July 31, $37 presale | $40 member | $42 public
John Butler Trio – Aug. 1, $35 presale | $38 member | $40 public
Lyle Lovett and his Large Band – Aug. 6, $62 presale | $65 member | $67 public
Five for Fighting w/ Twilight Symphony Orch. – Aug. 7, $45 presale | $48 member | $50 public
Rodrigo y Gabriela – Aug. 13, $47 presale | $50 member | $52 public
G. Love and Special Sauce & Keb’ Mo’ Band – Aug. 20, $48 presale | $51 member | $53 public
The Moody Blues – Aug. 21, $75 presale | $78 member | $80 public
Lake Street Dive – Aug. 28, $22 presale | $25 member | $27 public
The Beach Boys – Sept. 4, $62 presale | $65 member | $67 public
Sheryl Crow – Sept. 7, $77 presale | $80 member | $82 public
MEMBERS-0NLY PRESALE: Runs from 9 a.m. April 26 to midnight May 9.
Tickets may be purchased online at StarTickets.com ($8 handling fee), by phone at 1-800-585-3737 ($8 handling fee) or in person at Meijer Gardens (no fee). Meijer Gardens’ Grand Room opens at 7 a.m. April 26 for members who want to line up for tickets.
PUBLIC TICKET SALE: Begins at 9 a.m. May 10.
Tickets may be purchased online at StarTickets.com ($8.75 in fees), by phone at 1-800-585-3737 ($8.75 in fees) or in person at Meijer Gardens (no fees).
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
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