Vail’s Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater kicks off its summer season with Grammy award-winning Leon Bridges

Since 1987, The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater has been a staple on the Vail Valley’s entertainment scene, bringing in big names and up-and-coming acts in music, comedy, theater and dance. This year, dozens of performers will call The Amp stage home for one night. Highlights include Michael Franti and Spearhead next Thursday, O.A.R. and Blind Melon on June 20 and Wilco on July 17. This Sunday, Leon Bridges headlines with Kashus Culpepper as his special guest.  

Bridges officially hit the music scene when he signed with Columbia Records and then released his debut album, “Coming Home,” in 2015. After learning a few chords to accompany his lyrics and open mic nights to being featured in an Apple iPhone commercial, a performance at the White House and touring internationally, Leon Bridges has collected awards, including a Grammy in 2019. The artist has also collaborated with all sorts of talents including John Mayer, Kacey Musgraves and Carin León.

Bridges music has been described as soulful and nostalgic, bringing listeners back in time to the 1960s and ’70s. In an interview with the Recording Academy, he says his fourth album is the most personal to date. The album pays homage to Bridges’ hometown, Fort Worth, Texas, and references places he loves and grew up going to as a kid and other influence that shaped his career.  

Kashus Culpepper had a similar meteoric rise as Bridges. Although he exhibited singing skills in church as a youngster, Culpepper did not pick up a guitar until much later in life. While he was in the U.S. Navy, Culpepper would play for his fellow service men.

“My sister told me I needed to start doing social media, but I was never a big social media person because I was kind of shy,” Culpepper said in a Vail Daily article last November. He was in the Vail Valley last fall as part of the Elevation Beaver Creek music industry event and said he almost went on “American Idol” until his manager persuaded him to move to Nashville, Tennessee and start writing music. It turned out pretty well for him. Culpepper did his own “Howling at the Moon” tour last summer and toured with Charley Crocket nationwide.

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At press time, lawn seats were already sold out, but pavilion seating is still available. When you buy your ticket to Sunday’s show, you’ll see the note that $1 from each ticket purchased will go to The Big Good. This nonprofit was started by Bridges and longtime college football coach, Gary Patterson and its mission is to raise awareness and charitable contributions for partner organizations addressing critical unmet needs back him in Bridges’ Fort Worth community in Texas. Since this organization began in 2020, it has raised $3 million.

The concert starts at 8 p.m. and gates open at 7 p.m. Dress for the elements as the temperature will cool down quite a bit by 8 p.m. Go to GRFAVail.com to get tickets and more information on the performers and take a look at the lineup to see who else is coming to The Amp this summer.