I’ve always thought of Summerfest sort of like professional baseball. A lot of artists get their first shot on one of the ground stages, and the undeniable talents eventually earn their call-up to the big show.
Alt-country star Zach Bryan got that call Tuesday morning, as the festival announced him as the third American Family Insurance Amphitheater headliner for 2023.
To continue the labored baseball metaphor, Bryan went right to the Triple-A level for his first Summerfest appearance last year, playing the Miller Lite Oasis. The overflow crowd made it pretty clear he was destined for bigger things, and next year he’ll do the honors at the Amp on the festival’s second-last night, July 7.
Bryan’s making a habit of this “meteoric rise” stuff. He very quickly went from a guy gathering a big following on YouTube to a major-label artist unleashing a triple album, American Heartbreak, as his debut. He sort of rides that line between alternative and country, joining the likes of Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, and has the crossover fans to show for it.
As is increasingly the case these days, there are no ticket prices to report at this exact moment. But whatever they end up being, you’ll also get Summerfest admission for the day. They go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. this Friday, Nov. 18, via Ticketmaster and in person at the Summerfest box office.
