Amid sultry, smoky weather, the acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter charmed Grand Rapids fans with a set melding hits with lesser-known classics. The review and photos.
‘So Happy’ to Play Acrisure: Sarah McLachlan gave her fans ample reason to ride out a smoky night. (Photo/Adam Briggs)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY, SET LIST
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Sarah McLachlan embraced the moment and adhered to the ever-popular credo, “the show must go on.”
And when the smoke had cleared, those in attendance at Acrisure Amphitheater were clearly thrilled she had chosen to take the stage Friday night.
The Canadian songstress faced the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” decision to perform after a day in which Grand Rapids once again dealt with dangerously unhealthy air quality readings, a fact that she referenced several times during her 16-song, nearly 90-minute set.
“We are so happy to be here tonight,” McLachlan told the reduced crowd of a few thousand. “We are so happy that the skies have cleared somewhat, and I’m so sorry about what is happening in Canada right now. It’s devastating and I’m sorry that it’s spreading down here, but I’m really happy that we can play for you tonight.”
Career-Spanning Set: McLachlan (Photo/Adam Briggs)
McLachlan, who had halted her concert in Sterling Heights two nights earlier after only seven songs due to worsening weather and smoke from the Canadian wildfires, showed she was no worse for wear. Her voice frequently soared during a set that was still several songs shorter than on other nights on this tour.
“This is a beautiful new place – it’s a great venue,” she said, alluding to the city’s new amphitheater. “We had a lovely day off yesterday. We went to the art museum and walked around with our N95s on.”
McLachlan is notable for creating the traveling music festival Lilith Fair in the late 90s to feature only female solo artists and women-led bands, a tradition she has continued in subsequent tours.
IMPRESSIVE OPENING SET BY ALLISON RUSSELL
Opening act for her current tour is Allison Russell, the 2024 Grammy Award winner for Best American Roots Performance who last played Grand Rapids when she graced St. Cecilia Music Center in January 2024.
Her all-female quartet gave an inspiring, if all-too-brief, 28-minute performance that featured the Montreal-born and Nashville-based artist on clarinet and banjo, in addition to her powerful vocals.
Russell provided ample opportunities for her fellow musicians to shine on songs like her opener, “The Returner,” the harmonious “No Springtime,” the rebellious “Eve Was Black,” the stirring “Black Lavender,” and the relevant “Really Real.”
Multi-Instrumental Charm: Allison Russell (Photo/Adam Briggs)
She spoke about her rise following her recovery from an abusive stepfather. “If you told me when I was 15 and a teenage runaway… that I would be traveling the world, winning Grammys, and singing with my heroes like Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, and Hozier when I didn’t think I’d live to see 18… if it can get better for me, it can get better for anyone.”
Russell’s soulful sounds set the stage perfectly for McLachlan, who leaned heavily on material from “Better Broken,” her latest album and first in 11 years. McLachlan and her excellent band featured six songs from the new record, including the lovely title track, whose melody fits nicely among her best compositions.
Alternating between the piano and acoustic guitar, McLachlan relies on a confessional style that she freely admits doesn’t leave much room for happy songs when confronting troubled relationships in her life. Heartache and heartbreak yield artful ruminations for the woman whose dreamy voice is so often emotive and ethereal.
“Music has always been very cathartic for me,” she explained. “Writing in particular has been my process of working through my sadness. Joy is hard to write about; you just want to be in (the moment). You don’t want to think too much about it.”
McLachlan made sure to play her most popular songs: “Possession,” “I Will Remember You,” “Building a Mystery,” “Sweet Surrender,” “Ice Cream,” and “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy,” all of which brought cheers and fervent approval from her audience.
She returned to the piano for the first number of her encore, “Gravity,” one of her favorites from her latest album, she said, and a song which she said she wrote for her first-born daughter.
Her show closer was the lilting “Angel,” a ballad inspired by the heroin death of Jonathan Melvoin, who had been the touring keyboardist of the Smashing Pumpkins, but is now notable for its inclusion in television commercials for the prevention of animal cruelty.
SET LIST: Sarah McLachlan at Acrisure Amphitheater
Better Broken
Hold On
Possession
Reminds Me
Adia
I Will Remember You
Only Human
Building a Mystery
World on Fire
One in a Long Line
Sweet Surrender
The Last to Go
Ice Cream
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
ENCORE
Gravity
Angel
PHOTO GALLERY: Sarah McLachlan, Allison Russell at Acrisure Amphitheater
Photos by Adam Briggs
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