In backstage revelations at Riff Fest 2023, I Prevail’s co-vocalists Brian Burkheiser and Eric Vanlerberghe opened up about a friendly wager tied to the performance of the Detroit Lions while speaking with WRIF’s Meltdown.
Held at the Pine Knob Music Theatre on September 23, Riff Fest 2023’s attendees got a glimpse into the duo’s playful rivalry. Burkheiser, known for his support for the Lions, often sports their jersey on tour. According to the singer, last season, he and Vanlerberghe placed a bet on the Lions’ performance:
“I’m the biggest Lions fan probably known to man. I mean, every year on tour, the guys make fun of me. I wake up at the *ss crack of dawn and put on my Lions jersey. Obviously, we’ve had a rough last couple of years. However, last year, Eric and I made a bet going into it, and I was drinking the cool-aid hard, so I said, ‘Alright, if the Lions have a winning record, you have to get their record tattooed on you. But, if they have a losing record, then I’ll get a tattoo.'”
Despite the Lions’ early setbacks, they missed the playoffs, which brought tension to the bet. Eric playfully said:
“A betting man would take that bet!”
Saying he still had faith, Brian responded:
“A true fan would say no. It was pretty amazing to see the run they went on. Unfortunately, they didn’t get into the playoffs.”
He then continued:
“Eric still hasn’t gotten the tattoo, which upsets me a little bit.”
While Vanlerberghe has yet to get his tattoo from last season, a new wager was on the table for the current season. According to Brian, the stakes were:
“How about this? If the Lions make the playoffs, you have to get another tattoo, and if they don’t make the playoffs, I’ll get a tattoo. But they will make the playoffs, and Eric will have to get a second tattoo!”
Although the specifics of the ink design remain undecided, the verbal agreement is binding, especially as the conversation was captured on camera.
2022 was a productive year for I Prevail. They introduced fans to their third studio album, ‘True Power,‘ released on August 19. Besides, the band launched the ‘True Power Tour‘ in June, beginning in Asbury Park, New Jersey. With different openers, the tour spanned from September 9 to November 22, concluding in Detroit, Michigan.
The band also released music videos for tracks like ‘Self-Destruction,‘ ‘There’s Fear In Letting Go,‘ and ‘Deep End‘ in 2022 and 2023.
I Prevail was among the leading performers at Riff Fest 2023, which also featured acts such as Bad Omens, Badflower, and Giovannie & The Hired Guns. The Pine Knob Music Theatre event, presented by 101.1 WRIF, entertained rock fans with dual-stage performances. The second stage had artists like Des Rocs, Tigercub, and BRKN Love performing for the audience.
You can watch the interview here.
