Zac Brown talks Sphere, summer tour and how he 'found his person' in Kendra Scott
Zac Brown talks Sphere, summer tour and how he 'found his person' in Kendra Scott
Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAYTue, April 28, 2026 at 10:33 PM UTC
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In the last few months, the Zac Brown Band commandeered the Las Vegas Sphere for a sold-out residency, helped awaken the Artemis II crew with their well-worn 2008 hit “Free” and joined the pantheon of major artists introducing major sports as the architects of MLB’s “Sunday Night Baseball” theme.
“That was so cool. I mean, what’s more American than that?” Brown says of the astronauts waking up to the carefree “We're free as we'll ever be” lyrics. “I remember watching some of those launches as a kid and I love those events because it’s such a unifier. And within this media and social media age we live in with just dividing and causing anger and people being incentivized to make money off of clicks from hating on other people, seeing an event like this is such a great American moment for us.”
Brown is, as apparent on a video call from Atlanta, visibly frustrated when talking about the internet cesspool of “people who get paid to rip people apart and take people down.”
Zac Brown and his band will hit the road in July for an extensive summer 2026 tour.
But he’s also exceedingly thoughtful and candid when talk turns to the two-year odyssey of bringing the band’s eighth studio album, “Love & Fear,” to Technicolor life in Las Vegas, the touring show he has planned for fans around the country starting in July and his impending wedding to fashion accessory mogul Kendra Scott.
“I found my person,” he says with a quiet smile of Scott, whom he’s been with for more than a year. “She’s an incredible lady … Her heart is as big as the world. And we share so much in what we want to give back and how we put our family first. I’m so blessed to have her in my life.”
Zac Brown aims to take some of Sphere show on summer tour
Brown, 47, cherished the challenges of playing the Sphere because there is “the prestige of getting to do it and be one of the few artists that can pull it off. You’ve got to be brave to go in and do that and understand the resources that it takes and the care that went into every single part of it.”
The eight-show run laced captivating visuals with Brown’s lyrical storytelling in songs drawn from a 20-year career that is rooted in country, but has boldly strayed into rock and electronica with songs ranging from “Colder Weather” to “Heavy is the Crown.”
“It was a moment in time for us. I wanted to make a spectacle. And that's one of the marvels of the world right now in technology,” Brown says, adding that he’s “hopeful” but can’t yet discuss any future possibilities at the venue.
Brown created the Sphere show to “show our dedication to our fans and give them something unique.” It’s also why the band is hitting the road this summer to continue to support “Love & Fear.”
The new production will borrow some of the elements of the Sphere spectable in downscaled form. But what the show may shrink it scope, it will gain in intimacy with audiences being closer to the stage in the arenas, amphitheaters and even stadiums ZBB will play.
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“We’re always bringing curveballs,” Brown says with a grin. “We’re gonna have some new songs and new interpretations of what we do.”
Also new – an additional band member, bringing the onstage crew to 10.
Nashville staple Chris Gelbuda, who co-wrote more than half of the songs on “Love & Fear” with Brown, will join the ranks playing “any instrument you want,” Brown says. “He’s got an incredible voice, too.”
Gelbuda, whom Brown says he will write with while on the road, will take the stage with the rest of ZBB’s formidable crew: Fiddler Jimmy De Martini, guitarist/pianist Coy Bowles, multi-instrumentalist John Driskell Hopkins, drummer Chris Fryar, guitarist/keyboardist Clay Cook, percussionist Daniel de los Reyes, bassist Matt Mangano and guitarist/singer Caroline Jones.
After wrapping a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, The Zac Brown Band will hit the road this summer in support of their latest album, "Love & Fear."Zac Brown says John Driskell Hopkins is 'one of the best men I've known'
At opening night of ZBB’s Sphere show in December, a sweet moment among the band came during the performance of the singalong, “Toes.” As Brown led the chorus of “adiós and vaya con Dios,” Hopkins, who is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, walked across the stage using a trident as a cane before holding it overhead and wiggling his backside at the cheering crowd.
Hopkins is still able to perform given that his form of ALS is progressing slowly, which Brown and the band see as a blessing.
“He’s one of my favorite men on the planet,” Brown says. “One of the best men that I’ve ever known. And you know, we’ll have him up there and he’s still killing it on harmony. Hop has perfect pitch. I love him so much and I’m there for him and his family and honored to be able to have him out as long as we can. There’s not a better guy on the planet and a soldier whose been there with me in the trenches from the very beginning.”
Hopkins’ voice, which fans have heard for more than 20 years supplying layered vocal backdrops, is also often a standout on one of the hallmarks of a ZBB show – their live cover songs.
Brown doesn’t want to ruin any surprises, but for a unit that has tackled a musical assortment from Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” – which took the band a year to learn because of the 70 vocal tracks compiled in the song – anything is fair game.
“I love that part of our show. The crowd doesn’t know what to expect if it’s the Beastie Boys or … The Beatles. And really, music is such great medicine in the world we live in,” Brown says. “Just helping people feel together that everything is OK and sharing that human experience. That’s one thing AI can never replace. People congregating and being human beings together and coming to a show.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zac Brown 'found his person' in Kendra Scott as he preps summer tour
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
