By: Amannda G. Maphies
I had the unbelievable opportunity to re-live my late-90s/early 2000s college experience by attending a live trio of epic performances on Friday, June 13th, at the popular Ozarks Amphitheater outside of Camdenton, Missouri. This trio of hard-hitting rock stars took me back to a nostalgic time in young adulthood, where music by Fastball, Guster, and the Barenaked Ladies served as a soundtrack to those exciting and entertaining college years. “What a great night of entertainment, and at the end of the day, that is what live music is all about. Entertainment is designed to take your mind into its happy place and the Barenaked Ladies provided that in spades.” said Tom Abbett, Director of Business Development at The Ozarks Amphitheater.
While spooky Friday the 13th was spotted with rain showers, popup storms, and a few note-worthy sightings of vibrant rainbows, the evening cleared off to host three live performances in near-perfect Ozarks summer weather. “We were able to hold off the impending weather that had set in all day and by showtime at 7 pm, it was a great night for live music.” shared Abbett.
The Ozarks Amphitheater is a beautiful venue built into the foothills of the Ozark mountains. The restrooms are clean and tidy (they even offer mints at the hand-cleaning stations!), the stadium seats are comfortable, and there is no bad view in the large open-air house. The staff are friendly, assisting concertgoers with finding their seats, the restrooms, the merchandise sales, food, and adult beverages. Each staff member even had their personal name printed on the back of their Ozark Amphitheater t-shirt. How down-home and helpful is that?!
Fastball took the stage first. As the popular alternative rock band served an introduction to the evening’s concert festivities, they truly started off with a bang. Their last song, however, arguably Fastball’s most well-known, The Way, produced uproarious applause by the appreciative audience of 40-, 50-, and 60-year-olds. One young man, leaning against the railing on the front row of the stage pit, asked for a drumstick after Fastball’s performance. The drummer, Joey Shuffield, agreeable and polite, walked to the edge of the stage and handed this lone fan one of his shredded drumsticks from the evening’s performance. (I had no idea it was that easy to gain a personal keepsake and concert memento…. mental note for the next concert)!
Next up was Guster; this 90s and 2000s garage, fast-paced, catchy version of American alternative rock from Somerville, Massachusetts, filled the amphitheater, with their music overwhelmingly encouraging all guests to get up and dance. Lead singer, Ryan Miller, was dressed in a plain white t-shirt, accompanied with white pants that served as a neon-inspired vibrant canvas only a rock star could pull off. His jacket, made of green felt with several personal embroidered patches, made nearly as big a splash as the band itself. The band’s drummer, Brian Rosenworcel, shared a couple of drum solos that irrevocably energized the audience and were met with a resounding round of applause, shouting, yelling and begging for more.
Every single guest at the June 13, 2025 show will no doubt recall the lead singer of Guster, Ryan Miller, physically jumping off the stage and proceeding to traverse the entire pit, followed by the outdoor auditorium, while hard-working technology workers fed him foot by foot of microphone cord so he could fully experience an up-close-and-personal encounter with the audience. Miller sang, told jokes, and made polite conversation, stopping to personally greet fans, high five and fist bump kids, as he made a huge circle around the stadium of seats, conversing with fans like he was at a backyard BBQ with his own friends and family. It was unlike anything I have ever witnessed at a concert, an example of true audience performance engagement and participation.
Ryan Miller, lead singer of Guster, and clearly a man of many talents, shared that it was Guster’s first trip to the Missouri Ozarks. He was stricken by the beauty of our state and held high hopes to explore prior to the performance that evening. Unfortunately, the one rental car company in Camdenton, Missouri, was closed. When he lamented this to a random Amphitheater employee, the employee casually said: ‘Just take my pickup truck, Man!’ And Miller did! If that is not a true testament to the friendly nature of our Ozarks neighbors, and specifically the employees that work hard to make The Ozarks Amphitheater a friendly and welcome entertainment venue, I don’t know what is!
After Guster’s rousing performance, there was a brief set change prior to the main act, the Barenaked Ladies, who originated as a Canadian rock band which formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. I wasn’t sure how many songs I would recognize, but surprisingly, it was far more than I thought. The Barenaked Ladies really did make a big impact on music in the 90s and early 2000s, and it was clear from their 2025 performance, they are still rocking out like no time has passed since the popular band originated.
While the Barenaked Ladies’ band members have not completely defied the mark of time, their energy, epic dance moves, stage-side humor, and friendly banter with each other, the other bands, and the audience, was nothing short of fantastic. Each member was engaging, from the lead singer, Ed Robertson (since 1988), to the bass player, Jim Creegan (since 1990), who looks a bit like Kevin Bacon, in my humble opinion, to the piano and guitar accompanist, Kevin Hearn, to the drummer, Tyler Stewart (since 1990).
Near the end of the show, the BNL drummer, Stewart, who served as the punchline emcee for nearly every joke between songs, ended the evening with an unbelievable performance of AC/DC’s cult-classic hit, Highway to Hell. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that AC/DC’s second lead singer, Brian Johnson, was mere feet in front of the excitable audience, relegating the crowd with a live performance. “The medley of music at the end was a personal highlight for me, everything from AC/DC to ZZ Top, with a little Beyonce thrown in for good measure, kept the crowd in for the duration of the show.” shared Abbett.
Upon the recent death of the Beach Boys’ beloved co-founder, Brian Wilson, when the Barenaked Ladies played the first notes of their popular song of the same name, Brian Wilson, the audience went wild. A front-row fan in the pit held a lighter in remembrance of the recently passed singer and talented songwriter. He was not the only one to spark a light in memory of the famed Beach Boy. The crowd was clearly appreciative of the Barenaked Ladies classic hit paying homage to the iconic co-founder of one of the greatest bands of all time, The Beach Boys.
Then came the outstanding performance for which the Barenaked Ladies are best known, One Week. It literally sounded identical to the energetic, fist-pounding, lyric-begging rock hit song frequently played on the radio and in dance clubs 25 years ago. The visual technology was reminiscent of a 1980s MTV music video. Each member of the band entertained the crowd with dance moves that truly elicited both audience participation, a crazed crowd crush (even the guys), and a collective awe as to how these guys, in their mid to late 50s, could still sing, move, and perform, possibly even better than they did in their 20s!
As if such classics as Brian Wilson, One Week, The Way and several others couldn’t be more appreciated, the three bands gathered onstage for one final performance. Each member of the three bands held a special solo spot as they collectively indulged in Bryan Adams’ well-known ballad, The Summer of 69. Directly in line with the tour title, Barenaked Ladies: Last Summer on Earth Tour 2025, the rousing performance of Summer of 69 was off-the-charts. Nearly every fan sang the familiar words. The three bands’ members took a collective bow after the captivating performance, eliciting wild cheers, whistles, and shouted accolades to the three bands that made an otherwise typical Friday night in the Ozarks one of feel-good nostalgia, great fun and unadulterated excitement. For me personally, it felt like a college reunion of my 3,000 closest friends! Three lucky members of the front-row audience received guitar pics from Barenaked Ladies’ guitar player, Kevin Hern.
“We are just getting geared up for the heart of the COMC Concert Series season here at The Ozarks Amphitheater and encourage everyone to come out, enjoy and show and be entertained.” said Tom Abbett, Director of Business Development at The Ozarks Amphitheater. “We are excited to introduce something new this year: Sing-Along Movie Nights at the amphitheater! The response so far has been fantastic, and we’re already making plans to expand this offering next season. Another big hit has been the Food Truck Festival. Thanks to such a great turnout, it’ll be back this fall on September 13-14, 2025. Finally, to close out the season, we’re bringing back the Save Your Seat Program, where concertgoers can purchase seat licenses for the 2026 season. This event will run alongside our 2nd Annual Ozarks Amphitheater Lost, Found, or Confiscated Garage Sale, with all proceeds going to a nonprofit selected by our employees.” shared Mary Kay, Director of Operations. For this season’s concert lineup and additional information about these or other highly anticipated events at The Ozarks Amphitheater, check them out online at: https://ozarksamphitheater.com/.
If this summer performance is any indication of the talent, sound quality, welcome atmosphere, and rocking entertainment found at The Ozarks Amphitheater, I will definitely check the lineup for this summer’s upcoming performances. If you have not experienced this venue, I guarantee you will not be sorry once you do! Enjoy the summer and please, treat yourself to some LIVE music at The Ozarks Amphitheater in Camdenton, Missouri.