Stephen Wilson Jr. Ignites Grand Rapids on the “Gary The Torch Tour” at GLC Live at 20 Monroe!

Some concerts entertain you for a few hours, and then some concerts stay with you long after the lights come up and the last guitar chord fades into the rafters. Night Two of the Gary The Torch Tour, featuring Stephen Wilson Jr. at GLC Live at 20 Monroe in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was the latter, a night that felt less like a typical concert and more like witnessing an artist fight, bleed, and triumph on a musical stage. Stephen Wilson Jr., the night's headliner, is no stranger to a fight. A former Golden Gloves boxing finalist turned country-rock storyteller, he brings the same grit and determination to his music that he once brought to the boxing ring. Each song is a well-placed jab, a carefully measured hook, and, at times, a knockout punch straight to the soul. The venue became his arena, and the sold-out crowd was in his corner, shouting every lyric like an impassioned coach urging their fighter forward.

Photo Courtesy of: GLC Live at 20 Monroe

Located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, GLC Live at 20 Monroe is one of the Midwest’s premier modern music venues. The 2,600-capacity venue first opened in 2017 as 20 Monroe Live before being renamed in June 2021 after Gun Lake Casino secured the naming rights. Operated by Live Nation, the venue has become a staple for touring artists passing through Michigan thanks to its sleek design, state-of-the-art sound system, and immersive lighting setup. From the spacious main floor to the surrounding balconies, the venue offers exceptional sightlines from nearly every angle. On this particular night, every square foot of the building was filled as fans packed in shoulder-to-shoulder for a sold-out show that had been circled on calendars since tickets disappeared within days of going on sale.

‍  ‍All Photos By: Aaron R. Shriver Photography

The evening began with an emotional and intimate performance from Stephanie Lambring. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter originally hails from rural Indiana and first introduced herself to the music world with her 2008 debut Lonely to Alone. After that release, Lambring stepped away from the spotlight for nearly a decade, spending time writing songs for other artists and even contributing music to the television series Nashville. Her return to performing has been a quiet but powerful resurgence, and her opening set in Grand Rapids proves exactly why she continues to resonate with listeners.

‍Lambring took the stage with little more than her guitar and her voice, opening her six-song, 30-minute set with “Little White Lie.” The stripped-down arrangement immediately commanded the room. Her delicate yet haunting vocals filled the venue with a sincerity that cut through the buzz of the sold-out crowd. Early in her set, she took a moment to connect with the audience, casually sharing that she had spent part of the day exploring Grand Rapids, visiting a local art museum, and stopping by a coffee shop in town. It was a simple moment of conversation, but it grounded the performance and made the massive room feel surprisingly intimate.

Her set leaned heavily into emotional storytelling, with standout performances of “Good Mother” and “Daddy’s Disappointment.” These songs carried a weight that settled over the audience as Lambring sang with the vulnerability of someone who wasn’t just performing lyrics, but reliving the stories within them. Following “Mr. Wonderful,” Lambring paused again to speak about her relationship with Stephen Wilson Jr., sharing how she has toured alongside him for several years. She spoke with genuine admiration about watching his career grow from performing in front of 300 people to 3,000 people, telling the Grand Rapids crowd that he is “The Real Deal.” The comment felt prophetic, especially considering what the audience was about to witness.

Click The Image Above For The Full Stephanie Lambring Photo Gallery

Before closing her set, Lambring shared a darkly humorous anecdote about volunteering in hospice care, joking that she has a knack for making dying people sad, a comment that drew laughter. She wrapped up her performance with “Old Folks Home” and “Two Faced,” leaving the audience exactly where an opener hopes to leave them, emotionally open and fully prepared for the night’s headliner.

‍And then came the main event. When the lights dimmed inside GLC Live, a wave of anticipation rippled through the sold-out crowd. Fans packed tightly against the barricade had been waiting all day, some arriving seven hours before doors opened, just to secure their spot at the front. The stage design was unique and surreal. Large flowers hung from microphone stands, while alien heads were scattered throughout the setup, creating a visual landscape that felt equal parts dreamlike and strange. It perfectly matched the mystique surrounding Stephen Wilson Jr., one of the fastest-rising artists in modern country rock. Wilson’s story alone reads like something out of a movie. The Southern Indiana native is a former scientist who turned to music after the loss of his father. That journey, from laboratory and boxing ring to songwriting and sold-out tours, has shaped his music into something raw, emotional, and deeply autobiographical.

‍When Stephen Wilson Jr. stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted. He wasted no time getting to work. Opening with “Mighty Beast,” Wilson came out swinging like a fighter entering the ring for the first round. The song hit with force, his voice echoing throughout the venue as he immediately took command of the room. If the opening track was meant to test the crowd, they answered loudly and enthusiastically. Like a perfectly timed boxing combination, “Preacher’s Kid” and “Billy” followed with a powerful one-two punch that kept the momentum surging forward. From there, the crowd favorites started landing. When the band launched into “Cuckoo,” fans throughout the venue shouted every lyric back at the stage. The energy in the room shifted from admiration to full-blown participation. It felt like a shared experience rather than a traditional performance. Next came “Patches,” a song about covering scars with patches, a theme that resonates deeply with Wilson’s fanbase. It’s a reminder that everyone carries wounds, but the patches we wear tell the stories of survival.

‍ “I have covered up my scars for a long time with band aids, that’s why I call them patches. Now I use masking tape to cover scars, as you can see my guitar has a lot of scars.”

Then came what may have been the emotional centerpiece of the night. The next four songs drew heavily from Wilson’s debut double album Son Of Dad, released in September 2023. The 22-track album stands as a tribute to his late father, and during this portion of the show, the emotional intensity inside GLC Live shifted dramatically. First came “Grief Is Only Love.” You could see it on people’s faces throughout the venue. Lips moved quietly along with the lyrics, but the singing was softer, almost reverent. For many in the room, the song triggered memories of their own losses. In those moments, the crowd wasn’t just listening; they were remembering. Wilson followed with “The Devil,” explaining how the song came to him after waking up at 3:33 AM, a detail that added an eerie layer to the already haunting track.

“You all have lovely voices. I'm from a little southern Indiana town just north of Louisville, Kentucky, called Seymour. It’s a religious town, an understatement perhaps. I used to see a lot of crazy things on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights. Saturday nights. Sunday nights. I used to see a lot of demon exorcisms on an empty stomach before lunch.  Then I went and became a scientist. That was the biggest middle finger I could give to my upbringing. I thought I was going to have all the answers. So, it's a lot of paradigms, a lot of ideology, it's just a tool. Kind of a bummer to figure that out. I had to start over. I quit my job as a scientist to go write songs for nobody for no money. At the time, I did not know why, but I did it anyway. About that time, I was a very much a struggling songwriter. Not an artist, I had no attention ever singing these songs. I get woken up in the middle of the night at 3:33 a.m. I'll never forget the time. It shook me out of bed, like I got electrocuted. I wrote this poem down. It scared the hell out of me. I said, "God, what do you want me to do with this?” About a year and a half after that poem showed up, my best friend, son to our solar system, my father tragically passed away at the young age of 59. It was unexpected. I was lost. He was not a wealthy man. Money was not his wealth. Love was his wealth, and he had an abundance of it. But money, he did not have. The last thing I thought of when I saw his money was the time, mysteriously, a week after he died, A check for $3,333.33 was in the mailbox. He didn't have life insurance, that I know of. But to ensure his life would carry on, I spent every penny of that check recording this poem that woke me up at 3:33 in the morning. The very first song we ever recorded, the very first song we ever released, the song that started this all, that poem was called The Devil.”

‍ ‍Then came “Father’s Son,” one of Wilson’s most beloved songs. As the crowd sang every lyric back at him, Wilson paused mid-song. He stepped back from the microphone, placed his hand on his chest, and gently patted his heart while whispering the words “Thank you.” It was one of those rare moments where you could see an artist fully absorb the magnitude of what they’ve created.

Stephen then performed “I’m A Song,” a track he once played for his father, one that had become his father’s favorite. Lyrics like “I’m the melody glued to the memory” echoed throughout the venue, carrying themes of legacy, grief, and bloodlines. Then came something special. For only the second time ever, Wilson performed a brand-new song titled “Robots.” It was followed by “Werewolf,” a haunting moment where Wilson stood alone on stage with nothing but his battle-scarred guitar. The silence between notes added tension, making the performance feel almost cinematic.

“If your name's Gary, you probably just know how to fix things. It's actually not a mystery. I believe most of the Garys, literally and metaphorically, are fixers because the world around them has been broken their whole lives. We're gonna need those fixers, y'all. Your septic tank blows. AI ain't gonna show. But a guy most likely will. If his name is Gary, I think you're in pretty good shape. We actually have a country single climbing the charts right now. We're in the top 40, y'all! I like to think Country Radio is getting behind Gary. Let Gary get to work. He's got a lot more work to do. Let's go, Gary! Well, please, requests from your stations, keep listening. It's Gary much appreciated. So, help us out here”.

‍Then came the song that gave the tour its name, “Gary.” What followed was pure chaos in the best possible way. As the band launched into an extended jam session, Wilson suddenly stepped off the stage and disappeared into the crowd. But he didn’t just venture into the pit; he walked the entire venue. Balcony, merch stand, concession area… at one point, Stephen and his guitar even went into the bathroom. It was spontaneous, unpredictable, and unforgettable. Eventually, Wilson returned to the stage just as the opening chords of “Year To Be Young 1994” rang out. The crowd exploded. The song reached a new extended ending that seamlessly transitioned into a cover of Nirvana’s “Something In The Way.” Wilson made the song entirely his own, blending grunge emotion with his signature raw vocal style.

He then debuted another new song, “Impression Of A Human,” before closing the main set with the thunderous “Holler From The Holler.” But Grand Rapids wasn’t ready for the night to end. The crowd roared for an encore, stomping and cheering until Wilson returned to the stage. With only his guitar in hand, he began playing his haunting rendition of “Stand By Me.” Wilson first started covering the Ben E. King classic as a deeply personal tribute to his father after his passing. He once described the song as a way to “rattle the ghost” and bring his father back into the room. Inside GLC Live, the effect was powerful. The venue fell completely silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Couples held each other closer. Friends swayed side to side. Strangers shared a moment of quiet reflection.

‍ ‍“Thank You, Grand Rapids, I Don’t Deserve You. Good Night Grand Rapids, I Will Never Forget You”

C‍lick The Image Above For The Full Stephen Wilson Jr. Photo Gallery

When the final note faded and the house lights slowly came on, there was a feeling in the air that something extraordinary had just happened. This wasn’t just a concert. It felt like witnessing the rise of something bigger. Stephen Wilson Jr. didn’t just perform in Grand Rapids; he fought through an emotional set like a prize fighter, leaving everything in the ring. And if this tour is any indication, the rest of the music world should start paying close attention, because legends don’t appear overnight. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get to watch one begin.

For More On Stephen Wilson Jr. Or To Catch The Gary The Torch Tour Click Here!

Stephen Wilson Jr. Setlist:

‍Mighty Beast

‍Preacher’s Kid

‍Billy

‍Cuckoo

Patches

Grief is Only Love

The Devil

Father’s Son

‍I’m A Song

‍Robots

‍Werewolf

‍Gary

‍Year To be Young 1994

‍Something In The Way (Nirvana Cover)

Impression Of A Human

Holler From The Holler

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‍Stand By Me (Ben E. King Cover)

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