Jeff Daniels returns to Max and Emily's to close summer concert series
Kaiti Chritz | Photo Editor
Jeff Daniels performs along side the Ben Daniels Band at the Max and Emily's Summer Concert Series on Aug. 29 in downtown Mount Pleasant. A estimated crowd of 2,500 came out to enjoy the show.
After a slight delay due to unpredictable weather, a crowd of 2,500 came out to see Jeff Daniels.
Side-by-side with his son, frontman for The Ben Daniels Band, Daniels closed out Max and Emily’s summer concert series on Aug. 29.
An alumnus of Central Michigan University’s theater program, Daniels grew up in Chelsea, Michigan. In between songs, he talked to the enthusiastic crowd about previous experiences with performing, making several references to his time spent working on HBO's “The Newsroom.”
General manager of Max and Emily’s, Chris “Elmo” Walton, said this is Daniels' fourth performance at the venue and third time in the summer concert series.
“We had rain for about a good solid 45 minutes, and nobody stopped coming downtown,” Walton said. “We are very thrilled with the crowd.”
The concert, like the rest of the summer concert series was free, but donations collected throughout the show went toward the Red Cross Infant Food Pantry.
“We have been (collecting donations) for all seven years we have had the summer series,” Walton said. “It is money that is used for newborns. This year, we are over $3,100 (in donations.)”
The $3,100 does not include the funds raised from the night of the Jeff Daniels concert.
Although Daniels had a lot of energy while performing, he took a break halfway through the concert to allow The Ben Daniels Band to take the stage solo.
“I love how playing with a bunch of talented 20-somethings makes me young again," Daniels said in a press statement prior to the show. "One thing we always do is make sure the audience has a great time, that they're entertained.”
Mount Pleasant resident Beth Miller loved the concert, being a big fan of Daniel’s work.
“The weather held off and there was a great selection of music,” Miller said. “(I) like his acting, I’ve never heard his band. I thought it was a lot of fun and they were really good.”
Former resident of Mount Pleasant, Eric Manly, recently moved back to the area and was thrilled to see so many people coming together and enjoying the area.
“It is great to see downtown Mount Pleasant on a Saturday night filled with people,” Manly said. “The music was family orientated, I’ve followed Jeff Daniels for quite some time.”
For more information on Max and Emily’s and events they host, visit www.maxandemilys.com.
