The Zac Brown Band “Day for the Dead” Tour hit the SAP Center on November 16.
As demonstrated by its Country Music Award (CMA) performances, the Zac Brown Band is a great live performer. They most definitely did not disappoint their fans on Saturday.
Although the opening act was unknown to most, it ended up being a crowd pleaser. Spanning about an hour, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue played several songs with an array of instruments including trombone, trumpet, bass, drums, and saxophone.
Zac Brown Band came on about 40 minutes after their opener. They sure built up the suspense.
Their set was pretty simple. A huge drape covered the stage where, at the beginning of the show, shadows danced back and forth during an intro.
They kicked off the concert with a couple of old favorites. Hundreds of screaming fans sung along with the lead singer, Zac Brown. Some even had American flags, waving them back and forth while singing to “Free.” Another patriotic tribute included the 2 Marines that came out during the band’s performance of “Chicken Fried.”
Foo Fighter’s David Grohl made a guest appearance, performing “Times Like These.”
The band made it through most of their classics from their first few albums, including “The Foundation” and “You Get What You Give.”
“As She’s Walking Away,” “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” “Colder Weather,” and “Knee Deep” earned the biggest crowd response.
The fiddler Jimmy De Martini was a highlight. While the electric guitar and drums were great, focusing on a different instrument during the solos was effective.
My only criticism is that the acoustics were much too loud. Even two hours after the concert, my ears were still ringing.
The Zac Brown Band’s concert was definitely worth seeing. The only disappointment was that the band did not come back for an encore.
