Sunday was a big night in Birmingham, as the $46 million Coca-Cola Amphitheater opened its gates to the public for the very first show.

Matt Rife was the headliner at the 9,300-capacity amphitheater, touted by organizers as a “fan-first, artist-ready, state-of-the-art” outdoor venue. Rife’s fans turned out in force on a hot summer evening, ready to hear the viral comedian tell jokes, interact with the crowd and flash an impish grin.

Of course, some concertgoers might have preferred to see a high-profile music act with Alabama ties on opening night — someone like Jason Isbell, who’s set to perform at the amp on June 28 — but Rife is a huge celebrity in the comedy world. He turned out to be a worthy kick-off artist for the new venue, which is owned by the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex and managed by Live Nation.

“Oh, my God, Bama never disappoints,” Rife said during his 8:30 p.m. set, marveling at the enthusiastic (and sometimes wacky) fan participation. Although the place wasn’t sold out — a few empty seats could be spotted here and there — it was clear that ticketholders enjoyed Rife’s brand of comedy and came primed for his ribald sense of humor.

(See photos from opening night at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater in the gallery at the top of this post.)

Rife’s performance included stand-up segments that found the star talking about sex, sleep problems, gender identity, “Pet Sematary,” a trip to Amsterdam’s red-light district and more. The comedian, 29, can get pretty raunchy in these routines — too raunchy for us to be more specific here — but Rife’s admirers expect and relish that.

“We could be the show that gets this place torn down,” Rife warned from the stage, christening the amphitheater yet promising a no-holds-barred show.

Fans were ready to let it rip, as well, especially when Rife began his trademark crowd work, chatting with audience members eager for a moment in the spotlight. Concertgoers could be heard yelling comments from the second and third tiers of the amphitheater, but Rife focused on the folks down front, asking about their lives and riffing on the responses.

One crowd-work highlight: A gray-haired woman gave Rife a handmade quilt, plied him with candy and showed off a few leg kicks. (Not too high, but A for effort.) Meanwhile, a bearded guy demonstrated his skill at “kip ups,” plopping onto the floor and kicking up to a standing position. (Jackie Chan has nothing to worry about, but it was mission accomplished, more or less.)

“What the (expletive) is this ‘Alabama’s Got Talent’ kind of show?” Rife said, prompting a wave of laughter. He hugged the quilt woman and offered to buy the “kip-up” guy a beer, but drew the line when another woman tried to show him her splits.

Two sign-language interpreters were drawn into action, as Rife asked them to teach him the signs for sex acts, body parts and “Roll Tide.” The interpreters cracked up and complied, causing the audience to roar with delight.

Rife clearly did a bit of homework before the show, saying the amphitheater must be haunted because it was built on the former campus of Carraway Hospital. (“Somebody died right there,” he said.) Rife also took a few shots at Hoover and name-checked Jim ‘N Nicks’ Bar-B-Q as the site of, um, some awkward dating fumbles.

Mostly, though, Rife was engaged in a mutual lovefest with the audience, basking in applause and praising the crowd here as “some of the best people in the (expletive) country.”

It’s unclear if Sunday’s show will provide fodder for Rife’s social media, where he has nearly 43 million followers across five platforms. Still, a video vignette from the Coca-Cola Amphitheater would be a coup for the venue and a clear sign of approval from Rife, who keeps a tight grip on footage from his performances. (The use of cell phones, cameras, video gear and other recording equipment was verboten during the show.)

Rife has performed in Alabama before, appearing in 2024 at the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville and selling out two shows in 2023 at the BJCC Concert Hall in Birmingham. But Sunday’s show was something of a milestone in the Magic City, as the highly anticipated amphitheater made its debut at 2350 15th Ave. North.

Overall, the Coca-Cola Amphitheater proved to be a congenial spot for concertgoers, with its roomy plaza, modern decor, comfy-enough seating, clear sight lines and amenities such as concession stands, bars, merchandise booths and more.

Rife didn’t have much of a stage set — just a stool, a microphone stand and some pyro for his entrance and exit — so it’ll be interesting to see how the amphitheater functions during a full-on concert extravaganza. Def Leppard and Pantera are on the agenda this summer, along with Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Twenty One Pilots.

Some music lovers in the Birmingham area have bemoaned the loss of Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, a longtime concert venue in Pelham that was closed by Live Nation in 2024, making way for the downtown amphitheater. Plenty of memories were made at Oak Mountain, it’s true, during performances by major stars that ranged from from Jimmy Buffett and Lynyrd Skynyrd to Foo Fighters and Nine Inch Nails.

But the Coca-Cola Amphitheater deserves its chance to shine and become a point of pride on the city’s entertainment scene. Sunday’s show by Matt Rife was a promising start. Now, as far as we’re concerned, Birmingham’s brand-spanking new concert venue is ready to rock.

Next up: What did you think of the first concert at Coca-Cola Amp? Email comments and reactions to [email protected], for possible use in a future story.