Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Rochester Hills, MI (July 11, 2025)-A hard rain fell over Rochester Hills just before Blues Traveler took the stage Friday night, but it didn’t send anyone home. If anything, it turned the place into a soggy, barefoot tailgate with amps. The storm passed, the skies opened up, and Blues Traveler showed up ready to throw down at a sold-out Meadow Brook Amphitheatre — not with polish, but with unpredictability.
They didn’t ease into it either. John Popper and company hit the gas with “Things Are Looking Up,” then let loose with “Run-Around” as the second song — a smart move that got the soaked crowd right back on their feet. Popper, swinging a harmonica like a switchblade, barked out the verses and tore into solos like the weather hadn’t just tried to kill the vibe.
“Slow Change” and “The Mountains Win Again” followed, the latter featuring Robin Wilson of Gin Blossoms, whose guest vocal added a little grit to the meandering cut. The whole show ran like a jam session that could veer off course at any moment — in the best way possible. Blues Traveler isn’t interested in squeaky clean sets or nostalgia trips. They treat each show like a new experiment, and this one leaned heavily into big riffs, longer solos, and dare we say energy.
“But Anyway” stretched out and sprawled, Popper ripping harmonica lines that landed somewhere between melody and full-on chaos. It worked. Then came a total gear shift: “Champipple,” a strange, funky jingle from Popper’s side project with Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors. The two traded lines and scatted like old friends who didn’t care if the crowd kept up — though they absolutely did.
And what was next you ask? Black Sabbath.What? Yep, and the band tossed Popper off stage (metaphorically) then launched into a thunderous “War Pigs” cover that caught everyone off guard. No harmonica. No warning. Just pure, churning guitar and low-end firepower. Afterward, Popper strolled back out and cracked, “Leave me for five minutes and it turns into Ozzy Night.”
“Freedom” followed, then a spotlight drum solo from Brendan Hill that went off like artillery — fast, loud, tight. Popper made the crowd applaud him twice, just to make a point. They closed the main set with “Hook,” its slick chord trickery and tongue-twisting lyrics still managing to spark a singalong even after all these years.
They left the stage for about 20 seconds before returning for a one-song encore. “Hot for Teacher” — yes, that one — and no, they didn’t play it straight. It was heavier, more distorted, with Popper’s vocals pushed to their limit, and it landed like a haymaker.
Gin Blossoms, who played the middle slot, rolled out with a set that was more dialed in but still loose enough to keep things interesting. They kicked it off with “Follow You Down,” a move that let everyone know right away they weren’t saving hits for later. Robin Wilson’s voice was rough around the edges in a good way, like it had been dragged through a few miles of road and still had something to prove.
“Hold Me Down” and “Mrs. Rita” kept the momentum going. “Lost Horizons” added some weight, giving the set just enough edge to avoid sounding like a straight radio rewind. Wilson didn’t do much posturing, just told stories and cracked a few jokes between songs — including one about writing “As Long as It Matters” during a Saturday cartoon binge. Totally believable.
Halfway through, they invited members of Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors out for a massive, rowdy take on “Indiana Wants Me” by R. Dean Taylor. Horns, extra guitars, and about ten people on stage — it was messy, loud and perfect.
Back in full control, the band punched through “Hands Are Tied,” then hit the home stretch with the three songs everyone came to scream along with: “Found Out About You,” “Allison Road,” and “Hey Jealousy.” The last one landed hard, with Wilson leaning into the vocals and the band letting the guitars roar a little more than usual. People in the crowd weren’t just singing — they were howling.
They wrapped it up with “Til I Hear It From You.” Solid closer, though you could argue they should’ve ended with “Hey Jealousy” and walked off like they just dropped the mic. Still, the pacing worked and the crowd didn’t seem to mind.
Spin Doctors opened the night with a lean, punchy set that leaned into their funk-rock roots. Chris Barron still works a stage like it’s his own backyard, and even when the sky started spitting rain during “Two Princes,” nobody moved. If anything, it made the whole thing feel more like a block party than a ticketed event.
The real takeaway from the night wasn’t just that these three bands can still play — it’s that they still care. There was no phoning it in. Every solo, every jam, every cover — they were pushing themselves and each other.
It wasn’t about just reliving the ’90s either. This night was a reminder that the music still kicks, the songs still matter and the people who show up for them — rain-soaked or not — still give a damn. No slick stage props. No throwback gimmicks. Just loud guitars, sweat, harmonicas, and a few thousand fans who came to be part of the noise.
If you’re into tight sets and rehearsed banter, this show wasn’t for you. But if you wanted volume, grit, and that sweet spot where control and chaos meet — then this stormy night at Meadow Brook hit all the right notes. ………John Swider
Blues Traveler:
Gin Blossoms:
Spin Doctors: