Country fans flock to SPAC to see Zac Brown Band
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Country fans flocked to Saratoga Performing Arts Center Thursday night to see the Zac Brown Band perform.
Approximately 15,000 people attended the show to hear the Atlanta, Georgia-based band play some of their hits including “Same Boat”, “GA Clay”, “Toes”, and “Homegrown”.
The opening act scheduled on The Out In The Middle Tour with the Zac Brown Band was the Robert Randolph Band, however, members of that band tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the show.
Due to the positive COVID-19 test, some members of the Zac Brown Band came out to perform as the opening act.
After members of the band passed time during the opening act’s time slot, the full Zac Brown band, including Zac Brown himself.
One of the band members who helped pitch in during the opening act as well was Caroline Jones. She recently rejoined the band as a special guest band member and only female in the 8-piece group.
Once the full group got on stage together, the crowd went crazy with a majority of the crowd on their feet for the whole showing signing along to songs. During parts of the show, fans brought out balloons and started hitting the balloon throughout the crowd.
During intermission and set changes, the band re-played a video that was shared by the group last month announcing that band John Driskell Hopkins was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Hopkins, who plays bass and sings vocals in the group, said the doctors told him it should progress slowly and he intends to keep “rocking” with the band as long as he can.
During the show, Hopkins could be seen wearing a hat for the Hop on a Cure foundation, which was formed by the Zac Brown Band.
Another video message displayed on-screen during an intermission had to do with Zac Brown’s foundation called Camp Southern Ground, which serves as an all-inclusive camp for kids. The foundation also serves children of military families.
The band saved one of its top hits as the encore song. The crowd began cheering loud as they heard the band begin playing “Chicken Fried.”
The crowd then got even louder when a member of the U.S. Marines walked on stage in full uniform and received a special shoutout from Zac Brown and a standing ovation by many in the crowd.