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Quinn XCII Crowned Hometown Hero in Sterling Heights
- LJ Portnoy
- Sep 13
- 4 min read
A night of harmonies, heartbreaks, wrapped in a love letter sealed to Michigan with love, from Quinn.
Contributed by Mark Portnoy & LJ Portnoy, Editor-in-Chief
Photography by LJ Portnoy (@LJPortnoy on IG)
Hometown Anticipation
There’s nothing quite like watching an artist step onto a stage in their own backyard. On September 12, 2025, Quinn XCII turned the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater into a hometown celebration, with a crowd that felt less like strangers and more like family invited to the biggest backyard party in Sterling Heights. From the second he appeared, you could sense it: this wasn’t just another stop on tour—it was a night written with Michigan pride.
Setting the Stage with Wild Rivers
Wild Rivers, the Toronto folk-rock outfit, stepped in first with a kind of quiet confidence. Dual leads Devan Glover and Khalid Yassein wove their voices together, trading harmonies that felt instantly intimate. The first song was acoustic and tender, but by the second, electric guitars lit up the night and the crowd began to sway.
Breakup songs filled their setlist, and with a wink, they joked about needing to “stop getting broken up with.” Their humor landed, and their music hit even harder.
Their third track started with an acoustic hush and built into a belting crescendo, while their fourth had the entire amphitheater jamming along. With bluesy edges, country undertones, and harmonies layered like honey, Wild Rivers didn’t just warm up the stage—they made it their own.
A Personal Soundtrack Turned Full Circle
For this editor, Quinn XCII isn’t just another artist. His music has been stitched into milestones—late-night car rides, belted duets with the person who would become my husband, and even the first dance at our wedding. A year later, to have Quinn as both our first amphitheater photo pass and the first show my husband and I attended together in far too long felt like a full-circle moment.
That’s the kind of resonance Quinn’s music holds. It doesn’t just play in the background—it becomes the soundtrack to life itself.
Phones Down, Voices Up
When Quinn finally stepped onto the hometown stage, magic rippled across the amphitheater. He blended new tracks with classics, heartbreaks with hits, and the entire crowd leaned in. But one moment stood out: during one of his biggest songs, we looked around and saw something almost unheard of in 2025. Out of nearly 2,000 fans, only a handful had their phones out.
No endless filming. No glowing screens. Just living, breathing presence.
It was a collective decision to exist inside the music together, and it felt sacred.
The Artist and the Audience
Quinn’s seven-album catalog gave plenty of fuel for a career-spanning set, but what stood out most wasn’t just the songs—it was his connection. Between tracks, he slowed down to talk with the audience like we were his closest friends. He told stories about growing up here, about the friends and siblings cheering from the stands. At one point, he even brought his sister on stage to play the harmonica, turning the amphitheater into a family gathering more than a concert.
It didn’t matter whether you’d been following him for years or just discovered him last week—by the end of the night, everyone felt like family.
Crowning Our Hometown Hero
For SoundCheck Mag, this night was as personal as it was professional. We danced, we sang, we shouted every word until our voices cracked. It was a reminder of why Quinn’s music matters—not just as catchy hooks, but as lived-in memories shared between artist and fans.
By the final encore, one truth was undeniable: this wasn’t just another hometown show. It was like crowning our hometown hero.
From Harmonics to Heartbeats
Wild Rivers gave us space to sway; Quinn XCII gave us reason to celebrate. Together, they built a night that wasn’t just about listening, but about belonging. When the last notes dissolved into the Sterling Heights night, it felt less like a concert and more like a story—one we were all written into, note by note.
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