With the Memorial Day weekend, the Meadow Brook Music Festival kicks off its 39th season.
The festival, which began July 23, 1964, has become a staple of the Michigan summer music scene. And with acts like Harry Connick Jr., the Cranberries, Jewel, David Cassidy and Jethro Tull scheduled this summer, there’s no reason for it to stop now.
“Meadow Brook is a great place for entertainment and family shows,” said Jeff Corey, Palace Sports and Entertainment spokeman, which organizes the festival. “The place holds 7,500 people. Last year, we sold over 162,000 tickets for all shows.”
The festival opens Friday at 8 p.m. with Connick Jr. & His Big Band at Meadow Brook on the campus of Oakland University. Corey said the festival expects to sell between 7,000 and 8,000 tickets opening night.
“Connick is a big act. In the ’90s he was a sell-out act, and that was not too long ago,” Corey said. “He’ll have a good size audience to perform for because that place usually sells out.
“He has released two new albums in 2001, called ‘30’ and ‘Songs I Heard.’ But he’ll perform a mix of new and old stuff.”
Corey called Connick Jr. a young Frank Sinatra.
Music Professor John Whitwell said Connick Jr. is a great artist, and he likes the blend of pop and jazz.
“I like his style, he studied music in New Orleans,” Whitwell said. “If I wasn’t going to Tennessee for the holiday, I would be interested in seeing him perform.”
Connick Jr. is the first of 54 different events at the festival, and the Cranberries will be the second, starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
The festival concludes with the Meadow Brook Bluegrass Festival on Sept. 7.
Grand Valley State University junior Heather Douglass, who saw the Dave Matthews Band last year, said she’s looking forward to this summer’s concert line.
“I’m thinking about attending a few concerts this summer,” Douglass said. “I’m considering going to see the Cranberries.
“I used to listen to them about 8 years ago, when they were really hot.”
The festival may offer intriguing musical acts throughout the summer, but it offers much more than music.
Comedians like Carrot Top, family shows like Garfield in “Happy Birthday To Me” and mini-festivals like Fine Art at Meadow Brook and Michigan Wine and Food Festival provide a variety of entertainment for those looking to enjoy the great outdoors this summer.
But despite the eclectic mix of entertainment, it’s still the music that brings people out.
Lansing Community College freshman Carrie Harris said she’s a big Jewel fan and will definitely attend her concert.
“I love her, she’s real to me because she writes her own lyrics,” Harris said. “She’s not concerned with having a pop image.
“I was going to surprise my sister with the tickets, so she’s going to be very excited. I know we’re going to have an awesome time because Jewel is inspirational.”
Corey said Meadow Brook’s surrounding atmosphere provides something no other venue can, a true sense of the outdoors for the summer concert season.
“It’s got a whole different feel,” he said. “The whole grounds was carved out of the woods. It’s a natural amphitheater.
“You really have a feel like you’re out in nature.”
