Steve Miller’s return to Meijer Gardens found a receptive, sold-out crowd for his big hits and gave a Grand Rapids singer-songwriter some welcome exposure. (Photo gallery)
Gardens Love: Guitarist Steve Miller and his band opened the evening with “Jungle Love.” (Photo/Anna Sink)
Perennial sellouts at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park have become old hat for veteran rocker Steve Miller and his fans.
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Even in the throes of a July heat wave, that routine didn’t seem to temper the enthusiasm of his audience of 1,900 for the pretty-much-as-expected greatest hits portion of the show that the Steve Miller Band trotted out on Thursday night, along with some vintage blues nuggets and deep tracks from 1973’s “The Joker.”
With his highly proficient, I’ve-been-doing-this-for-45-years guitar luster, Miller and his band opened the evening with the familiar hits “Jungle Love,” “Take the Money and Run,” “The Stake” and “Abracadabra,” followed by the more satisfying – if less hit-oriented – blues of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Further On Up the Road” and Jessie Hill’s “Ooh Poo Pah Doo.”
Lucas Wilson and Hannaniah Whitley on the Meijer Gardens stage. (Photo/Anna Sink)
The early evening show at the outdoor amphitheater certainly wasn’t old hat for Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Lucas Wilson, who landed the rare opportunity to open for the multi-platinum-selling classic rock act for the first time, performing a 20-minute set of his rootsy, blues-hued rock songs and ballads accompanied by singer Hannaniah Whitley.
Enjoying a warm reception from the audience, Wilson – the former frontman for roots rock’s Sweet Japonic who’s earned rave reviews for his 2012 solo debut album (with a follow-up in the works) – said afterward that nothing compares with entertaining fans at the Grand Rapids amphitheater.
“It was awesome, you get to play in front of a sold-out crowd at Meijer Gardens,” he told Local Spins, while signing autographs and greeting fans after his set. “It was nice. It was a minute or two into it, and holy crap, people are listening. That’s what’s great about Meijer Gardens: It’s a listening audience.”
Whitley, whose passionate harmonies complemented Wilson perfectly, echoed his remarks. “I love it. It’s a fun time,” said the singer who hosts an open-mic night on Mondays at Grand Rapids’ SpeakEZ Lounge.
It was well-deserved reaction for Wilson as one of West Michigan’s brightest and most promising talents, and helped set the stage for the rousing cheers that Miller earned from the opening bell, with a surprising number of those fans in their 20s and 30s.
Check out the Local Spins photo gallery by Anna Sink. And for photos and a review of Wednesday’s Harry Connick Jr. show, click here.
STEVE MILLER BAND, LUCAS WILSON: THE LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY (JULY 18, 2013)
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
