Today’s teaser announcement of three concerts in the 2023 amphitheater series covers folk, blues, rock and roots music, with the complete summer concert lineup being announced in April.
Damn Right He’s Coming Back to Meijer Gardens: Buddy Guy (Photo/Nathan Purchase)
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Blues legend Buddy Guy will join singer-songwriters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, roots band The Wood Brothers and folk duo Shovels & Rope in heating up the 2023 edition of the Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts series at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Today’s teaser announcement of three shows in the summer series includes a June 23 amphitheater date for Guy’s “Damn Right Farewell Tour” as well as a June 18 tour stop featuring The Wood Brothers and Shovels & Rope.
Meanwhile, folk rock’s The Swell Season – featuring Hansard and Irglova, who rose to prominence thanks to their roles in the 2007 movie, “Once” – will play Meijer Gardens on Aug. 17.
Remaining shows in the summer series, which usually features about 30 concerts taking place from June to early September, will be announced in April. Tickets go on sale to Meijer Gardens members on April 22 and to the general public on May 6.
The Wood Brothers: They’ll play Meijer Gardens on June 18. (Photo/Jamie Geysbeek)
Fans can expect continued amphitheater appearances this summer by the Grand Rapids Symphony, which has partnered with Meijer Gardens in recent years.
In addition, the Tuesday Evening Music Club series featuring local and regional acts will return between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with a new title sponsor, Ayers Basement Systems.
Meijer Gardens will once again also host its “Sunday Strings” chamber concerts – which take place at the Loeschner Grand Atrium or Huizenga Grand Room – led by violinist Haijin Choi.
At 86, the Grammy Award-winning Guy has continued to perform and cement his legacy as Chicago’s pre-eminent bluesman, releasing his most recent album, “The Blues Don’t Lie” just last year. He’s played Meijer Gardens several times over the years, with his last performance at the amphitheater taking place last July.
New York’s eclectic, rootsy and bluesy Wood Brothers last played Meijer Gardens in 2019, then made an October 2022 tour stop at St. Cecilia Music Center in Grand Rapids. They’ll be accompanied at the June show by South Carolina folk duo Shovels & Rope, which has released nine albums over the years and won the Americana Music Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2013.
Ireland’s Hansard and Czech singer Irglova released their debut album in 2006, and picked up steam with their catchy and poignant Academy Award-winning song, “Falling Slowly,” from the film, “Once.” On their website, the duo noted they’re “reuniting for an extended run of dates in celebration of the 15th anniversary of ‘Once.’”
VIDEO: “Damn Right Farewell Tour Preview Video,” Buddy Guy
VIDEO: “Pilgrim (Trailer),” The Wood Brothers
VIDEO: “Bleed Me,” Shovels & Rope
VIDEO: “Falling Slowly,” Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
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