The singer-songwriter, violinist and dancer brought her “Duality Untamed” tour to Grand Rapids on Friday. The Local Spins review and photo gallery.
Stirling Spectacle: The scene during Friday night’s Acrisure Amphitheater concert. (Photo/Veronica Ann Dearborn)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Clad in bold concert shirts from past shows, crowds of all ages flocked to Acrisure Amphitheater in Grand Rapids Friday night, lining up early to welcome violin phenom Lindsey Stirling to Grand Rapids as one of the last legs of her “Duality Untamed Tour.”
And, much like she joked to the crowd, she “saved the best for second last.”
The evening’s performances opened with an amazing set from high-energy electric string duo ARKAI, who got the crowd cheering with songs from their Grammy-winning second album, “Brightside.”
The duo mentioned that in coming months, ARKAI will release a deluxe version of their Grammy Award-winning “Brightside” that includes a bonus track that re-works one of their songs to feature Stirling.
Pop-rock’s PVRIS followed with a set that had the crowd clapping along and fans in the front row jumping up and down.
High-Energy: Stirling (Photo/Veronica Ann Dearborn)
Stirling’s set opened with a film — a storybook telling of dramatic heroes frequently being those you least expect who rise like a phoenix from the ashes of their old life. It spoke of bravery as doing what’s right, and as the music grew to a peak, the heroic violinist of the hour emerged on stage.
Stirling’s spectacle had her dancing and spinning across the stage, sometimes even taking to the air far above the stage on wires and hoops.
Blazing through favorites from her impressive catalog, as well as familiar covers such as “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “Sandstorm” (a nod to the song that made a teenage Stirling fall in love with EDM), the California star who spans pop, classical crossover and electronic dance music also called ARKAI back to the stage to collaborate on “High Noon” — a song from the duo’s upcoming deluxe album.
The evening prominently spotlighted songs and visuals referencing fictional tales, from Little Red Riding Hood to Jack & The Beanstalk, as well as Harry Potter novels and films. Stirling went on to say that the theme of Friday’s show was “The Hero’s Journey,” a tribute to storytelling heavily influenced by her late father, who she called the best storyteller ever, reading and telling stories to Stirling and her sisters growing up.
Stirling went on to say her dad knew “the value of … the pause.”
“The pause is where the character has to grow,” Stirling told the crowd between songs. “It forces you to listen, to feel … and to decide where you have to go. When it seems like nothing is happening — everything is happening. That’s where the magic is happening.”
The crowd clearly appreciated the storytelling aspect of the night’s set list, cheering for the turn of every page along the way and eagerly awaiting what Stirling’s next chapter might bring.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lindsey Stirling at Acrisure Amphitheater
Photos by Veronica Ann Dearborn
