Zach Bryan has now worn his “Free Palestine” T-shirt for two straight sold-out nights at Gillette Stadium, breaking the venue’s attendance record in the process.
The country singer, 30, drew 73,538 fans to his Saturday show in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the stadium’s official Instagram account announced. That figure set a new all-time attendance record for the venue, which is owned by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Bryan’s shirt — black with white 3D lettering reading “FREE PALESTINE” above a pine tree and the words “AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN” — first appeared Friday and made immediate headlines. The “Pine Tree” flag and “Appeal to Heaven” reference an American Revolutionary campaign tied to George Washington’s command of the Continental Army. The National Park Service has noted that “some American colonists embraced the idea that God could be summoned to help them defend their natural rights.”
The Navy veteran’s clothing choice came just days after Kraft banned Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium over the rapper’s “Free Palestine” comments while opening for Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour. Bryan served in the US Navy for eight years before his music career took off.
Bryan’s bandmates joined the statement Saturday. Drummer Nate Head wore a jersey bearing the name of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip who was killed by the Israel Defense Forces. Guitarist Noah Le Gros also sported a green Palestine soccer jersey onstage, later sharing a photo of himself in front of Kraft Sports and Entertainment signage.
The stadium’s Instagram post celebrating the attendance record included crowd shots but no clear images of Bryan’s shirt. Fans quickly noticed the omission and flooded the comments.
“Weird you don’t want a close up of his face / shirt 😂,” one fan wrote.
Another fired back, “no closeups 😂 scared of some text on a shirt.”
The controversy surrounding Kraft’s Macklemore ban has rippled through Sheeran’s tour. All of Sheeran’s opening acts and his own backing band dropped out in solidarity with the rapper. Sheeran broke down in tears at his first concert back last month, telling the audience that close family and friends had abandoned him over the fallout.
“In these situations you really find out who your friends are,” he said.
Sheeran enlisted The Fray frontman Isaac Slade as a surprise guest for his Saturday concert in Atlanta.
Bryan, the “Revival” singer, has built a reputation for unfiltered candor that extends beyond his lyrics to his public statements and now his wardrobe choices. His back-to-back stadium stands mark a significant moment for an artist who has risen from independent roots to record-breaking headliner status.
The Gillette Stadium shows continue Bryan’s current touring cycle, with his next scheduled performance set for Nashville.