Zac Brown Band’s Grand Rapids tour stop led the charge when it comes to concerts and festivals rolling out across West Michigan. The recaps and photos at Local Spins.
‘Love & Fear’ Tour Stop: Zac Brown Band on Friday night. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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Maybe it was a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the meteorological state of affairs these days when the Zac Brown Band chose Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Blue Sky” as a prelude to its Friday tour stop at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena.
What followed, however, was an upbeat celebration of the band’s genre-melding approach to country music — an extensive, 32-song salvo that started with 2025’s “Give It Away” and closed out the journey through original music with the monster 2008 hit, “Chicken Fried.”
The nine-song encore, meanwhile, was all about wide-ranging covers, with the band uncorking renditions of classics by Joe Walsh, Marvin Gaye, The Eagles, Beck, Bad Bunny, Sia, The Outfield, Don McLean and, yes, even Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” (View the complete set list online at setlist.fm.)
Festival Closer: Papa Roach firing up fans on Saturday. (Photo/Veronica Ann Dearborn)
While on the subject of the sky and meteorology, Saturday’s conditions proved to be much improved when it comes to wildfire smoke and heat for fans gathered outdoors at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids for the second day of the metal-driven Upheaval Festival.
Papa Roach, Bilmuri, Jinjer, Set It Off, Silent Planet, Silly Goose and more heated up stages with high-energy and aplomb, after Friday’s less-than-ideal conditions led to a few setbacks (along with some standout sets). View Saturday photo galleries below, and get the full review of Day 1 online here.
Elsewhere, blues icon Tab Benoit lit up Warner Vineyards in Paw Paw and psych-rock/folk artist Dope Lemon (Angus Stone) and Kalamazoo’s Sierra Miffed performed at Bell’s Beer Garden in Kalamazoo. Scroll down to browse photos from all of these shows.
Plus, get full Local Spins coverage of Sarah McLachlan at Acrisure Amphitheater.
PHOTO GALLERY: Zac Brown Band, Fitz & The Tantrums at Van Andel Arena
Photos by Eric Stoike
PHOTO GALLERY: Upheaval Festival at Belknap Park, Day 2
Photos by Veronica Ann Dearborn
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
