Despite some detractors, the intimate outdoor amphitheater unleashes its 13th season on Wednesday with a Michigan classic rock band and follows that with an eclectic mix of acts, old and young. (Commentary)
Opening Volley: Grand Funk Railroad kicks off the summer Meijer Gardens series on Wednesday.
THE BAND: Grand Funk Railroad
WHAT THEY PLAY: Michigan-bred classic rock
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Frederik Meijer Gardens (gates open at 6 p.m.)
Tickets are $52 ($50 for Meijer Gardens members)
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With 15 sellouts of its 30 summer concerts before the first show of the 2015 series – Wednesday’s opening blast of Michigan classic rock band Grand Funk Railroad – there’s no denying the continued popularity of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park as a concert venue.
But there also have been growing pains over the past 13 years, evidenced by the backlash last summer from singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne’s stormy stage walk-off, precipitated by noisy fans who sparked a spirited debate over concert etiquette at the outdoor amphitheater.
Some have grown weary of the clash between those with a different motivation for attending the gorgeous 1,900-capacity venue: some want to stand and party, some want to sit and listen, some want to chat and picnic with friends regardless of the performers on stage. Others simply are unwilling to line up early and scramble for seats.
Don Brewer (Photo/Alex Solca)
And despite the sellouts and blend of acts, the mix of impressive artists in this year’s lineup hasn’t inspired quite the same buzz as 2014 when Carlos Santana, John Legend, Barenaked Ladies, Nickel Creek, Ziggy Marley, Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, CAKE, John Butler Trio, Lake Street Dive and Tedeschi Trucks Band pumped up the bill.
Even the opening show this week featuring two original members of Grand Funk Railroad – drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher – has kicked up a heated discourse on Facebook involving fans who complain that without founding guitarist and singer Mark Farner, Grand Funk is simply not Grand Funk.
Of course, plenty of classic rock and soul bands tour extensively these days with only partial representation of their original lineups (take The Beach Boys and The Temptations, who quickly sold out their Meijer Gardens show on July 31), so this is not a new debate. Nostalgic fans have been snapping up tickets by the boatloads to see these bands for years anyway.
STANDOUT SHOWS THAT HAVEN’T YET SOLD OUT
Indeed, in my view, some of the most compelling artists on this year’s Meijer Gardens schedule – Trombone Shorty (June 21), Pink Martini (July 3), Del McCoury and Bela Fleck/Abigail Washburn (June 29), Patty Griffin & Mavis Staples (July 9), The New Pornographers (July 15), Umphrey’s McGee (Aug. 9) and Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club (Aug. 27) – haven’t yet sold out their shows (though I’m told Trombone Shorty is close).
Trombone Shorty
I’ve long ago circled those concerts on my calendar, but they don’t have the same drawing power with ticket-buyers as the following shows which all sold out the first month of ticket sales: The Beach Boys/The Temptations, Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall, Under the Sun Tour, Styx, Vince Gill, O.A.R., Tony Bennett, Michael Franti, Gary Clark Jr., Doobie Brothers, Mat Kearney, Steve Miller Band, Colbie Caillat/Christina Perri and Brandi Carlile.
Clearly, to each his or her own. So, do “The Loco-Motion” if you will on Wednesday night and cheer “an American Band,” if that’s your cup of tea. Or don’t.
That’s the beauty of an eclectic concert series lineup that offers show-goers a choice of reggae, rock, jazz, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, Americana, soul, pop and jam-band flavors. And some of the best — and most surprising — shows I’ve seen over the past decade have taken place inside this amphitheater.
Because on a picturesque summer evening, with an attentive crowd and a vibrant band on stage, there’s simply no better outdoor venue to watch a show in West Michigan.
Just don’t be the obnoxious clown screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of a tender ballad or the chatterbox spilling beer on my notepad.
THE JUNE CHALLENGE AT MEIJER GARDENS
Concertgoers might have noticed there are only six shows on the Meijer Gardens schedule in June, with a full two-week break after Wednesday’s opening Grand Funk show leading up to The Indigo Girls’ return to the amphitheater on June 17.
The Richard & Helen Devos Japanese Garden
That’s because June also marks the opening of the much-ballyhooed Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. The striking new eight-acre garden officially opens to the public on June 13, furthering Meijer Gardens’ “dual mission of horticulture and sculpture.”
Suffice to say, the staff has its work cut out this month.
“The biggest challenge for us this year is operating our concert series at the same time the Japanese Garden opens to the public,” concedes public relations manager Andrea Wolschleger. “For this reason, you’ll notice we don’t have any concerts the week of June 8th, so we’ve accommodated for this busy time by shifting concerts dates around to avoid overlapping the two events.”
For more information about that and tickets for remaining concerts in this year’s series, visit meijergardens.org.
Copyright 2015, Spins on Music LLC
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