‘Hello,’ Grand Rapids! Lionel Richie christens Acrisure Amphitheater

Lionel Richie had the crowd dancing ‘All Night Long’ at the opening of Grand Rapids’ brand new Acrisure Amphitheater on Friday.

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 — who participated in a ribbon cutting at the venue earlier in the day — 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.

Years in the making

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-booked 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 Richie. He said he was impressed with the setting and the layout of the venue. “It’s like an upgraded Pine Knob,” he said.

Jessica Huizen of Caledonia said she 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. She was encouraged by the city’s growth and the potential brought on by the opening of the new amphitheater.

“I love having music outdoors along the water,” said Huizen. The new venue was proof Grand Rapids “is coming more alive,” she said.

Chris Butcher of Zeeland said the new venue would have been a game changer if it was around when he was younger.

“This would have been so cool to have had this here when I was in my 20s!” said Butcher, 40. He came with his wife, Samantha, and her parents; once they entered the venue, they were looking at the upcoming schedule to see what other shows they could come to this summer, they said.

UFO landing

The new venue’s circular roof makes it look like a UFO touched down in 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’s less than a half-mile, or about a 9-minute walk, from Van Andel Arena.

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, Liquid Death and 20 oz. sodas.

There are ample places to sit down and eat in the concourse along the southwest side of the venue. During the show, 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 action on 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 to sit on. That crowded the area quickly, pushing some lawn ticket holders to the very edges of the perimeter or wondering where would be able to watch the show from.

It was first night jitters, reasoned Chris Butcher, who also said he would have appreciated a few more non-alcoholic drink options to choose from.

Michigan-made sounds

Prior to Richie, the night was opened by Verve Pipe singer Brian Vander Ark, a Grand Rapids native, who performed alongside Channing Lee and Angie Mattson.

“I hope the view looking this way is as good as it is looking out from here,” Vander Ark said during his set. “This is amazing!”

He finished his portion of the evening with “The Freshman,” his ’90s hit that he said was written in the backroom of an MC Sporting Goods on 28th Street. “I never ever imagined I’d be playing it here tonight,” Vander Ark said, later warning, “don’t make me cry!”

He was followed by the War and Treaty, the gospel, country and blues duo who got their start in Albion, Michigan.

“Grand Rapids, Michigan! We got us a new place to hang!” the group’s Michael Trotter, Jr. said from the stage.

Trotter and his wife, Tanya, performed their intimate new single “Don’t Say Goodbye” as if they were performing to each other and no one else was there. It’s the first single from the group’s new album, “The Story of Michael and Tanya,” which is due out June 19.

Richie brings it home

Richie, ever the showman at age 76, brought a night full of hits and shtick, squeezing in bits about “American Idol” and his fellow judge Luke Bryan along with audience favorites like “Dancing on the Ceiling,” “Stuck on You” and “Easy.”

He riffed on the weather — it was warmer than he expected, he said — and joked about “Grand Rapids juice” after being surprised by a sip he took of his on-stage drink.

Richie, who performs at Little Caesars Arena on July 1 along with Earth, Wind & Fire, gave an impassioned speech about coming together before performing “We Are the World” and closed the evening at 10:58, just before curfew, when he wrapped up “All Night Long.”