Nearly 10,000 fans packed John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday night for a star-studded benefit concert featuring the Zac Brown Band and Maggie Rogers, celebrating the dedication of the University of Virginia’s Contemplative Sciences Center.
While the center’s home, the Contemplative Commons, opened to students earlier this semester, Saturday’s benefit concert marked its official dedication weekend. The show capped off a weekend of events, including a “Meditation From the Dell,” where Rogers received the center’s inaugural Contemplation in Action award. In addition to being a Grammy-nominated singer, Rogers earned a master’s degree in religion and public life from Harvard University.
Maggie Rogers sings during her second concert in Charlottesville. In 2017, she performed in front of a much smaller crowd at The Southern. (Contributed photo)
Zac Brown Band, a multi-platinum country group from Atlanta, delivered an electrifying performance of their greatest hits, including “Chicken Fried,” their debut single released in 2005 that has accumulated more than 780 million Spotify streams. The nine-member ensemble had the crowd on its feet with fan-favorite tracks like “Toes,” “Homegrown” and “Knee Deep.”
The band surprised attendees with covers of classic rock staples, including Fleetwood Mac’s "The Chain,” Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
Zac Brown Band, known for hits like “Chicken Fried,” also covered classics like Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” (Contributed photo)
Comedian Joe Zimmerman and Rogers, a Grammy-nominated indie singer/songwriter, opened the show. Zimmerman, who has performed on “The Tonight Show” and “Conan,” cracked jokes about his resemblance to an English professor.
Rogers rose to stardom in 2016 as a student at New York University when Pharell, then an artist-in-residence at the university, listened to her song “Alaska” and famously told her he had “zero notes” that would help her be any better. A video of the exchange went viral.
