By K.D. Norris
It has been almost two years since Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s summer concert series promoter Chris Mautz last arranged an act on tour to stop in Grand Rapids — if you guessed Calexico and Iron Wine, in September 2019, you were probably there.
But with the national touring band concert season awakening as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs a little more with every vaccination shot, and concert venue attendance limits are expanded or removed, Meijer Gardens this morning announced the complete lineup for 2021’s late-arriving season.
And despite its late start and abbreviated lineup, the Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens’ 28-show lineup, arranged as always by Mautz and his company, delivers a little something for everyone, from the opening night of Preservation Hall Jazz Band with the Grand Rapids Symphony on July 18, to the closing night of Lettuce and Galactic featuring Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph on Sept. 19.
In between are 26 other shows including returning favorites The Beach Boys on Aug. 20, Pink Martini (featuring China Forbes) with the Grand Rapids Symphony on July 29, and O.A.R. on Sept. 9.
The highlights of the season — from this deprived concertgoer — may well be a great two-night blast from the ‘90s past will be The Verve Pipe on July 24 and Collective Soul on July 25, the pairing of the great Emmylou Harris and Los Lobos on Aug. 8, and the return of the “bring-the-house-down” sounds of St. Paul & The Broken Bones on Aug. 27.
Nobody, though, is more glad to see the business of live concerts returning than Mautz — after all, it is his business.
“This 14-, 15-month pause is certainly not something any of us expected to happen, right? But it sure does feel good to be coming back,” Mautz said to WKTV. “There has been a desire from both sides (music venues and touring acts) to be engaged again.”
And things have been moving, cautiously, in the right direction for opening up the national touring scene for a few months.
“For so many of us, it has been the last three-ish months that we have been on a good positive trend — for the most part — case rates going down, vaccine rates going up, hospitalization rates going gown. … That consistency of heading in the right direction has given a little opportunity, for me personally, to get that engine cranking a little bit.”
Capacity restrictions no longer in place
According to the Meijer Gardens announcement, “Consistent with current COVID-19 guidance, as of July 1 there will be no capacity restrictions and 1,900 general admission tickets will be available for each concert.”
And that means there is likely to be full houses for many, if not all, of the aforementioned concerts and well as the rest of the lineup.
Among the other Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens are:
The Grand Rapids Symphony conducted by Bob Bernhardt, Principal Pops Conductor on July 22; Watchhouse (formerly Mandolin Orange), Aug. 5; Kansas, Aug. 6; Harry Connick, Jr. and His Band – Time to Play!, Aug. 9; America, Aug. 11; Umphrey’s McGee, Aug. 12; Mat Kearney, Aug. 13; Shakey Graves, Aug. 16; Blues Traveler + JJ Grey & Mofro, Aug. 18; 38 Special, Aug. 19; Squeeze, Aug. 22; Ani DiFranco, Aug. 23; Colin Hay of Men at Work, Aug. 26; Old Crow Medicine Show, Aug. 29; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Sept. 1; Indigo Girls, Sept. 2; Black Violin + Blind Boys of Alabama, Sept. 12; Toad the Wet Sprocket, Sept. 15; and Pat Benetar & Neil Giraldo, Sept. 16.
Some bands back on the road, but not all
While the Meijer Gardens lineup is well represented with different musical genres and acts, and other local venues are beginning to schedule as well, there will be a time lag for the touring bus to get back to full throttle, Mautz believes.
“A lot of people think there will be a flood of activity from the touring world, and the public will want to get back out there,” he said. “But I think, like many things with this pandemic, it will be different shades of grey. …
“Certainly a lot of bands are itching to get out there, but some are working and have been working throughout the pandemic, while others have been a little more patient and will stay that way. I would not be surprised to see that have a reflection on the business in general.”
Details of getting the tickets
Tickets for the concerts, via Meijer Gardens’s new new ticketing partner, Etix, will be available online at Etix.com (preferred method) with handling fee of $10 per order, or by phone at 1-800-514-etix (3849), also with a handling fee of $10 per order. There will be no on-site ticket sales at Meijer Gardens.
Gate and show start times vary. Check MeijerGardens.org/concerts for details. All information is subject to change. All shows will take place rain or shine, weather delays are possible. There are no ticket returns or refunds.
Meijer Gardens has created an Insider’s Guide to Buying Tickets to help with ticket purchasing. The Insider’s Guide is available at MeijerGardens.org/concerts.
Members can buy tickets during the members-only presale beginning at 9 a.m., Saturday, June 26, through midnight, July 9. Members save $5 per ticket during the presale. After July 10, members save $2 per ticket. There is a limit of 8 tickets per show, per transaction. To join or renew a membership before June 26, visit MeijerGardens.org/membership or call the membership department at 616-977-7689.
Sales to the public begin at 9 a.m., July 10. There is a limit of 8 tickets per show, per transaction. Again, there will be no on-site ticket sales at Meijer Gardens. Ticket can be purchased online at eTix.com with a handling fee of $5 per order (not per ticket) and convenience fee of $5.25 per ticket applies to all sales, or by phone at 1-800-514-etix (3849), also with a handling fee of $5 per order and convenience fee of $5.25 per ticket applies to all sales.
