Grand Rapids — Lionel Richie kicked off a new era in Michigan concertgoing Friday night when he headlined the inaugural concert at downtown Grand Rapids’ new outdoor concert venue, Acrisure Amphitheater, in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,000 fans.
The legendary singer hit the stage at 9:20 p.m., just as the evening’s last beams of sun were bouncing off the downtown buildings, which could be seen over the top of the amphitheater’s grass-covered hill. Richie’s opener, appropriately enough, was “Hello.”
Hello, indeed. But while Richie was the one on stage, it was the venue that was the star, at least on this picturesque debut evening.
Crews broke ground on the new site, which reportedly cost $184 million to build, in May 2024. Friday night’s show kicked off a season of concerts that will include more than 40 shows, including Kid Cudi (May 27), Jerry Seinfeld (Aug. 8), John Mulaney (Sept. 12) and two nights from Dave Matthews Band (July 7-8), and will pump even more life into Grand Rapids’ thriving downtown.
“This is absolutely, positively, the way you’re supposed to open a building,” an effusive Richie said late in the show. He was buttering up the crowd all night with praise, saying the venue — named for the Grand Rapids-based insurance and financial technology company — would kick off a new renaissance for the area. “Acrisure outta control!” he said. “Do you feel it? Do you feel it? Do you feel it?”
Fans were certainly feeling the new vibe inside the new Live Nation-operated venue.
“It’s beautiful,” said Mike Hellmann of Macomb, who came Friday with 10 of his friends to check out the new spot and to party “All Night Long” with Lionel Richie. He was impressed with the setting and the layout of the venue. “It’s like an upgraded Pine Knob,” he said.
Some who grew up in a Grand Rapids where downtown’s main live music option was Blues on the Mall, the Wednesday night summertime concert series that would draw groups of bikers downtown to listen to live local bands, were encouraged by the city’s growth and the potential brought on by the opening of the new amphitheater.
“This would have been so cool to have had this here when I was in my 20s!” said Chris Butcher, 40, of Zeeland. He came with his wife, Samantha, and her parents; once they entered the venue, they were looking at the schedule to see what other shows they could come to this summer.
The new venue’s circular roof makes it look like a UFO touched down in the middle of Grand Rapids’ downtown. The Ack — no one is calling it that, but maybe they could start? — is just a block from Founders Brewery and a block from the Intersection, the longstanding Grand Rapids concert venue.
It sits just off U.S. Route 131 and is banked on the west side by the Grand River, which provides a nice breeze in the early evening. A river walk is in the process of being built outside the venue, and pieces of the city’s skyline can be seen behind the venue when looking out over the crowd.
Inside the amphitheater, there are wide open sightlines toward the stage throughout the venue. Six speaker towers positioned at the front of the lawn provide clean sound for those gathered on the hill. Food and drink stations are plentiful, and canned drink options run from domestic beers to local craft beers from Founders and Bells to Cutwater cocktails, 20 oz. sodas and Liquid Death options.
There are ample places to sit down and eat in the concourse along the southwest side of the venue. Many fans gathered along the second floor railing on stage right, where concertgoers can rest their food or drink and catch a good view of the stage.
Inside the seating area there are several “suites,” groups of clustered seats that can host small groups. There are also several areas throughout the venue that can be roped off to host small parties of people.
The lawn area filled up early on Friday, with many fans bringing lawnchairs. That crowded the area quickly, pushing some lawn ticket holders to the very edges or wondering where would be able to watch the show from.
This report is developing…
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Grand Rapids, Lionel Richie say ‘Hello’ to new downtown amphitheater
Reporting by Adam Graham, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
