So tonight, I had the opportunity to go see 10th Avenue North, Mercy Me and Casting Crowns in concert.
Earlier today, after one of our services at Table Rock, a friend of mine(the promoter for the concert) tracked me down and was a bit frantic. Seems that The tour had lost a box of equipment between today and the last show. They needed to borrow about 20 mic clips. No problem. Our church had more than enough and we were able to help. In return, I recieved free tickets to the concert. I wasn’t planning on attending because of cost, but I wasn’t going to pass freebies up. I thought we would be in general seating, but we were given reserved seating. About 3 rows back right in the center. Beautiful!
So first up was 10th Avenue North. I have heard them very little, so I listened intently. They were OK. A nice 4 piece. The highlight was the Lead Electric player. Great tones and he definitely shaped the sound of the band. They had OK songs, but I am sure they would grow on me if I listened more.
Next up was Mercy Me. This disappointed me a little, because I’d hoped they would be the headliner. I have to admit that I am a Mercy Me fan. They are often put into a “typical Christian band” category, but I think that doesn’t do them justice. They are incredible musicians, great songwriters and have tons of personality. I twittered during the concert and had numerous people reply back that they were not Mercy Me fans until they heard them live. I can attest. Mercy Me is incredible live! They were energetic. Tons of stage presence. Their song writing and musicianship shined through. They killed it! They blew me away. The sound was incredible and the production was perfect. They proved they were a band that has been around since 1994. That’s a long time for a band to be together and it showed. I was moved to tears on more than one song. Incredible worship time and great arrangements of their older songs.
The final band was Casting Crowns. I want to speak technically to them first. This may upset some people, but they were OK. Mercy Me was the highlight of this concert. From a professional and experience level, Casting Crowns did not match up. Mercy Me out shined them. It was very evident even from the first song that Casting Crowns was a novice band. They weren’t as polished. Their sound wasn’t as big. Their songs felt “gimmicky”. Kind of like they were pushing for an emotional response. They weren’t bad, they just paled in comparison. It was clear that this was their first or one of their headlining tours.
Now, I want to speak to them “non-technically”. This is a group of people that love God completely and are being faithful to and stewards of the gifts and resources God has blessed them with. Their songs speak to the church. Their challenge is to get “out of the pew” and reach the world for Christ. The lead singer talked about dealing with ADD and Dyslexia. He had lyric prompters so he could remember the words to songs he had written. These were average Joe’s with good abilities getting a chance to shine and share. They did just that. They shared a lot. In fact I spent more time listening to them talk than sing. I don’t like that at concerts, but since I am speaking from a “non-technical place”, they truly ministered to us. They are being responsible for the opportunities God has given them.
All the bands kept us focused on Jesus. I liked that. It was encouraging. We worshipped. We heard great music. And I was with great company. My wife and my son. My daughter was at camp, otherwise she would have joined us.
If you have a chance to check any of these bands out, go for it. I highly recommend Mercy Me. If you are a Casting Crowns fan, I don’t think you will be disappointed, If you are not already a fan of Casting Crowns, you may leave disappointed. With Mercy me however. I think you will be pleased!
