The sold-out kickoff to the Meijer Gardens summer concert series even impressed the band which called it “a surreal place to play music.” The review, photos and set list.
‘After the Setting Sun’: Appropriately, part of The Head and The Heart’s set list on Friday night. (Photo/Steve Baran)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY, SET LIST
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It would be difficult to pinpoint a more perfect soundtrack for the kickoff of both the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park summer concert series and The Head and the Heart’s “Aperture Tour.”
The six-piece indie-folk band delivered everything from delicate folk harmonies to soulful belting over a steady kickdrum beat on Friday, with the sun eventually even peeking through.
The sold-out crowd reacted to the night’s varied set by dancing and clapping along to upbeat, rock-flavored tracks and holding tight to their loved ones during more sentimental moments.
“Josh McBride,” from 2013’s “Let’s Be Still,” elicited an especially emotional response from many of the couples in the audience.
The group touched on the vulnerability of debuting so many new songs live at the start of a tour and vocalist/guitarist Jonathan Russell compared the process of orchestrating a cohesive set list to comedians finding their flow in a stand-up comedy set.
Centered around The Head and the Heart’s 2025 release, “Aperture,” the tour stop covered all of the band’s trademarks: vulnerable lyricism, collaborative efforts and rich vocal deliveries. The group has experimented with its sound over the years, but “Aperture” is especially reminiscent of the band’s early days.
As one fan, Kris Ellis, described it, the show symbolized a “return to roots” for The Head and the Heart and “the start of summer” for Meijer Gardens concertgoers.
“The first time we saw them it was in a real small venue, so it’s just been fun to see them climb to now seeing them at a huge place like this,” Ellis said.
Vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen even referred to the amphitheater as a “surreal place to play music,” and reminisced about the show they played there in 2012.
Earlier in the evening, singer-songwriter Anna Graves and rootsy rock band Futurebirds warmed up the audience.
Whether playing new tracks such as “Jubilee” and “Cop Car,” or longtime fan favorites “Rivers and Roads” and “Lost in My Mind,” the career-spanning set unfolded with nonstop joy and enthusiasm.
In a unique twist, The Head and the Heart closed the show with a reprise of the track “Arrow” which they played early on. The crowd had no complaints and seemed to appreciate it even more the second time around.
NEXT UP AT MEIJER GARDENS FOR THE FIFTH THIRD BANK SUMMER CONCERTS SERIES: Chaka Khan performs on Wednesday (June 4). Tickets, $133-$135, available online here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Anna Graves, Futurebirds, The Head and The Heart
Frederik Meijer Gardens
Photos by Steve Baran
SET LIST: The Head and The Heart at Meijer Gardens
Setlist.fm
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