Southern Gospel Concerts

On Wednesday, August 27th, I attended a gospel concert in my hometown of Central City, Kentucky. Labor Day weekend is always the big event weekend in Central City with activities going on every day and night from Wednesday through Sunday. It’s kicked off every year by a Gospel Fest featuring an outdoor concert by the Crabb Family. This year, however, we were also delighted to have the quartet Gold City here. But since I had church and choir practice, I missed all but their final two songs. From what little I got to hear if them, they were fabulous!

This was our first year hosting the Crabb Family as different groups, as they are now not traveling and performing together anymore. I was a little sad about this because I’ve always enjoyed the entire Crabb Family singing together, but I knew it would be a wonderful night of music nonetheless. This year we were fortunate to have almost all of the original Crabb Family with us, which was very nice. We saw performances by Crabb Revival, Aaron and Amanda Crabb, and Jason Crabb. Mike & Kelly Bowling were performing in Florida that day, so we missed them.

The Crabb Family portion of the evening began with Aaron and Amanda Crabb performing two songs off of their debut CD, After the Rain. They first sang the title cut of the CD, After The Rain, followed by a very passionate rendition of Miracle. Aaron then shared a story about God’s provision in his family’s life and how God can perform a miracle in all of our lives if we just ask Him. He shared about how it has been his experience that God always shows up in the places we least expect Him to be and how beautiful that is. He they prayed a prayer that God would touch each person there and perform a miracle in their lives. After his prayer, Aaron began to sing There’s Power in the Name of Jesus which really put the audience into a worshipful mode. Following that he led us in singing the Bill & Gloria Gaither classic, There’s Something About That Name. That was my one of my favorite moments of the night. Hundreds of people singing that stunning, powerful song a capella. Nothing compares to voices uniting in song praising their Father. What a sweet incense rising up to the Lord. It was a sweet moment. You could really feel the Holy Spirit moving in that place.

I was somewhat disappointed to not see Amanda Crabb more involved in the Aaron and Amanda set of songs. She sung harmony a bit with Aaron, but that was basically all. Aaron took the reigns for most of it and did all of the lead vocals and all of the talking/praying.

The concert continued with performances by Crabb Revival (featuring Adam Crabb and Terah Crabb-Penhollow). They began with the following four songs off of their debut CD, Runaway Train:

• Runaway Train - a rousing, upbeat song that got the audience a little bit energized.
• Carry On
• The Journey - Before singing this, Adam Crabb shared a bit of how God has strengthened him and matured him during the process of forming Crabb Revival and how He has opened so many doors for their ministry.
• Smiling Down On Me - This song was performed differently than recorded on their project. Amanda Smith took the lead vocal spot for the first verse and chorus of the song, followed by Terah Penhollow singing lead on the second verse and harmonizing with Amanda on the final chorus. Amanda Smith, formerly of the McRaes, is wife of Crabb Revival lead guitarist Zach Smith.

Crabb Revival finished their portion of the evening by performing two of the Crabb Family’s most beloved songs, Greater Is He and The Reason That I’m Standing. These are the songs that got the most response from the audience, which was not very surprising to me. Although Crabb Revival is a great band with a quality sound, they have strayed away from the Crabb Family sound we’re all used to. Their sound has gotten a little more progressive with more contemporary and rock influences. In a traditional southern gospel loving community such as Central City, the newer sound of Crabb Revival took some people aback.

We were then delighted to see Jason and Aaron Crabb join Adam and Terah, who remained onstage after Crabb Revival finished. Jason began the final portion of the concert by talking about how much he enjoys getting to be back onstage with his siblings as the Crabb Family whenever he can, since those times do not occur very often nowadays. He shared that he feels honored that God has shown favor to their family by allowing them to branch out into their own seperate areas of music ministry and be successful at reaching lost people. He shared that he is often amazed at the fact that God took one family, one ministry, and branched them out to have five separate ministries (Gerald Crabb, Jason Crabb, Mike & Kelly Bowling, Crabb Revival, Aaron & Amanda Crabb) answering the call to spread the gospel of Christ. He said that he often realizes that there are times that all five ministries are onstage at exactly the same time in five different states, performing to five different groups of people. But the incredible thing is, Jason shared, is that they are all communicating a single message of hope and sharing the Gospel that unites us all. The group went on to perform some more of the Crabb Family’s most beloved songs.

The first three songs were all upbeat and got the audience excited and on their feet.

• Sacrifice of Praise
• Something Going On in the Graveyard
• The Lamb, The Lion, and The King

They then performed my personal favorite Crabb Family song, Through The Fire. After singing the song, Jason shared the story of how their father, Gerald Crabb, came to write that amazing and powerful piece of music. The first lyrics of Through The Fire that came to Gerald were the first two lines of the chorus: He never promised that the cross would not get heavy, or the hill would not be hard to climb. Jason shared that his father struggled with finishing that song for a good year. One night at a Crabb Family concert, Gerald met a young woman’s who shared a part of her testimony with him. She was in the midst of a terrible time in her life and was struggling. But she told Gerald that through everything and her family were going through, she was still trusting in her Jesus to carry them through. That was the inspiration it took for Gerald to finally create this powerful, inspiring song which has touched countless numbers of people. The Crabb Family continued their set by performing Please Come Down To Me.

After the song, Jason asked everyone to close their eyes and search their hearts to see what was standing in the way of enjoying a rich life in Christ. He encouraged everyone to ask God to come to them and forgive us for all that we have done to fail Him. Jason prayed and then asked people to raise their hands if they needed God to make a change in their life. He invited those that raised their hands to come down in front of the stage so they could pray for them. So many of those people got incredibly emotional and you could almost see the Spirit working on their hearts. Adam and Jason Crabb, along with guitarist Zach Smith and drummer Micah Schweinsberg, all went down offstage to pray with those people at the ‘altar.’ After a few moments, Jason and Terah began to sing the hymn, I Surrender All accompanied by keyboardist Jedidiah Richardson. It was a very special time. It was incredibly moving to see what was happening there.

Jason continued by saying how much they enjoy performing in Central City because it’s only a few miles from the Crabb Family’s hometown of Beaver Dam, KY. He shared that many of their family member and friends were in attendance including all of their spouses, children, and the Crabb Family’s grandmother and mother, Kathy Crabb. Jason’s wife’s parents were also there. And at the request of her Dad, the Crabb Family performed Please Forgive Me.

They ended the concert by performing Andrae Crouch’s rousing song Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus. They even brought their mother onstage to sing the verses. I enjoyed hearing her sing, as I never had done so before. She has a very deep, very powerful voice. It’s no wonder that her children are so talented!

All in all, it was a very enjoyable concert. I have seen the Crabb Family perform many times over the years, but this was my first since they have begun traveling and performing separately. I honestly thought it was better than I had seen from them before. I’ve always enjoyed them and the songwriting of their father, Gerald Crabb. But there was something different. I have always thought that part of their appeal was that they seemed to genuinely love what they did and love doing it together. Perhaps that is what I can attribute the change and improvement to. Since they do not get to perform together very often anymore, I’m sure they treasure the times when they are able to. It was a sweet experience to witness.

Whether they’re Aaron & Amanda, Jason, The Crabb Family, Crabb Family, or whatever, they’re still fantastic. So if any of them are ever in your area, make it a point to attend. You’re sure to have an enjoyable experience full of worship and wonderful music!

To view my photos from the concert, follow this link to Daniel J. Mount’s Southern Gospel Blog photo gallery:

Crabb Family Concert Photos

Our ten regular reviewers all attend concerts, but between us all (even with Diana Brantley’s frequent and appreciated contributions!), posting can get slow at times. So I decided to open the website to submitted reviews.

If you’re interested in contributing reviews, email editor@southerngospelblog.com, and I will create an account for you and email you a temporary password.

For guidance on how to write a review that will get published here, check out the new Submission Guidelines page.

Seeing these men at NQC last year was just a teaser, so when Paid In Full finally got within my territory, I was delighted to make the trip to see them!  (As you’ll probably know, Paid In Full was the winner of the Horizon Group of the year from the Singing News Awards last year and they got to sing their hit song “What the Storm Does Not Know” on the main stage. )

It was rather a stormy afternoon and evening thanks to Hurricane Fay, but the Glenn Anthony Baptist Church was a dry and comfy setting for a concert on Saturday, Aug. 23.   I was delighted that they performed so many of the songs from their new hymns album “Sounds of Faith.”   I’ve really been enjoying the CD with its wonderful arrangements of some favorite hymns.  One of the things I particularly like about their style is that after a singer is featured on the first verse of a song, then they add only one more voice on the second and then eventually add the third part.  They sure do have a beautiful blend and a somewhat country sound due mostly to the instrumentation of their tracks. 

Here’s what they sang:

• I’ll Meet You On the Mountain
• Are You Washed in the Blood
• New Shoes
• What the Storm Does Not Know
• Green Pastures
• Heavenly Parade
• My Soul Goal
• Higher Ground
• What a Friend We Have In Jesus
• The Love of God
• Unclouded Day
• Sailing Toward Home
• More Than Amazing
• Our First Day in Heaven
• It Won’t Be Long
• The Old Rugged Cross
• I Could Sing About Heaven

I had the trusty digital camera busy getting some videos, too, so here’s what I’ve put together on youtube:

• Hymn Medley
• Medley of Songs
• What the Storm Does Not Know
• More Than Amazing

Paid In Full is going to be at Dollywood on Oct. 12 and 13 for the Gospel and Harvest Celebration so make your plans now to go and see them! 

It’s usually fun to hear a group for the first time, especially if they are a group whose music you haven’t heard before.  That was the case for me when I heard Soul’d Out Quartet on July 20th in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The group’s baritone and bass guitar player, Tanner Stahl, posts fairly often on the Singing News forums, so I thought I would just go over and see what the group sounded like!  I got to the church during soundcheck and I enjoy seeing the guys before they get all dressed up for their performance.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that Dusty Barrett from the old Crystal River is singing tenor with them now.  At that point, Dusty and new pianist Michael Howard weren’t shown on their web site, but they are now.  

The group performed a good mix of old standards and original music.  I particularly liked the way they performed Boundless Love and their new songs,  He Is My Lamb and I’ve Been Saved.     Here is a link to a video of He Is My Lamb - my favorite of the evening.   And here’s a video of several more of their songs from that evening.  From reading the liner notes on the CD I bought (Ain’t Nobody), Matt Rankin (owner and lead singer) writes most of their new music. 

As a pianist, I also enjoyed hearing 19-year old Michael Howard.  I was very impressed with his abilities and I bought his solo CD.  The liner notes revealed that he did all of the piano arrangements on the CD.  There is a very wide variety of styles and instrumentation on the CD and I would encourage you to get it if you enjoy listening to piano music.  Michael and Tanner also had a bit of fun playing a duet of Goodbye, World Goodbye.

This is a group I definitely want to see again. 

On Sunday (August 10), I took the chance to see the Ball Brothers at Calvary Baptist Church in Ashland, Ohio. It was an annual event; though not all-day, it was otherwise my first time to be at an old-fashioned all-day-sing and dinner-on-the-ground.

The Ball Brothers are actual brothers; Andrew Ball sings tenor, Daniel Ball sings lead, Stephen Ball sings baritone, and Josh Ball, though not a bass in voice quality, sings what I call “choir bass” (think Bill Gaither, Claude Hopper). Their blend and harmonies are very tight, tight enough to make their sound unique among male quartets. In professional Southern Gospel circles, most family groups where all the members are related have at least one female vocalist; though Southern Gospel fans have become accustomed to tight family blends in mixed trios or quartets, this group is unique among male quartets.

They sang a mixture of new (orchestrated), acapella, and classic piano-and-bass-guitar convention songs. They did not have live accompaniment; however, they did have a sound man, Josh Gibson, Daniel Ball’s brother-in-law.

• My Lord and I
• He’s a Personal Savior
• I’m Already Living Forever
• There is a Mountain - A highlight of the set, even though it was a little odd to hear five voices. In the studio version (found on Vocalized) the group had a guest bass vocal from Daren Rust; that part was played.
• Walkin’ in Jerusalem
• Alright

During intermission, a church quartet and mixed trio each sang several songs. The church quartet, led by the pastor singing lead, sang “Damascus Road,” “I Rest My Case at the Cross,” “Glory Road,” and “Even Thomas Couldn’t Doubt It.” The mixed trio sang “I’m Happy With You, Lord,” “God is a Good God,” and “In My Robe of White.” The last song, “In My Robe of White,” was written by Genice Spencer Ingold, who was a member of the trio.

• I Wonder
• Somebody Loves Me
• Blessing Burden Bearing God
• A Comfort to Know - This featured Josh Ball on a solo.
• Promises One By One - This acapella song was fully acapella, with no drum track.
• Mercy Said No - This featured Andrew. I originally heard the song as recorded by Greg Long on CCM radio; I consider the Ball Brothers’ rendition to be superior. The song has finally found the genre for which it was written (perhaps unbeknownst to the author).

I had the time to talk with members of the group for a little while about some of their upcoming plans. Be watching for big things from the group.

On August 2, I had the chance to catch a set by the Dan Keeton Quartet at an outdoor sing north of Mansfield, Ohio. It was a fairly short set; they only sang eight songs.

• Saved to the Uttermost (featuring Dan and Nancy Keeton)
• Heroes of the Faith (featuring Dan)
• Movin’ Up to Gloryland
• Oh, What a Savior (featuring Dan)
• I’m Not Perfect, Just Forgiven (featuring Dan) - a Hemphills song
• I Must Be Getting Closer to the Cross (featuring Nancy) - a Hinsons song
• Saints Will Rise
• I Feel So Good About It (featuring Dan) - a Downings song

Perhaps partly because of the lineup change, the group stayed in mostly familiar territory musically, both as to who was featured (most of the songs featured Dan) and as to song selection (most of the songs were familiar classics, though the group did one original song and two relatively forgotten songs from the Hinsons and Downings repertoire.

“Saints Will Rise” was the high point of the set; the group ended with a sky-high three chords and a cloud of dust ending and got a response that would have made an encore fitting if they had had a track ready.

The group is in transition, so this brief set was probably not that great of a snapshot on which to rate them. But it did show their potential.

About 700 people gathered Saturday night to wish Jason Waldroup a very fond farewell from his position as Greater Vision tenor and to show him their support of the next part of his journey to further his education and serve as a minister of music.  And the people came from all over the United States - 20 states, including states as far away as California, Texas and Arizona were represented as folks checked off their states as they entered the auditorium.  It was an expression of their thanks to Jason for his touch on their lives in his thirteen years of service.

Stan Whitmire provided some wonderful piano accompaniment for the evening and even performed two solo numbers, Old Time Religion and Winter Wonderland.  Stan has played for many, if not all, of their live performance DVD’s through the years and he knew he wanted to be part of the tribute to Jason. 

The evening provided lots of singing but it also offered time for reflection on things from over the years that were very special to the men of Greater Vision.  I think there was a good balance of both emotional and light-hearted moments.  Early in the evening, Jason took the opportunity to speak to the group before he could finish singing “You Can,” a special song that Rodney had written with him in mind. 

One of the highlights for me was a “Thanks for the Memories” video that had photographs and clips from events through the years Jason has been with the group.  Perhaps Gerald Wolfe will figure out a way to put it on the GV website for us all to enjoy again and again.  Meanwhile, here are the links of my video clips from the concert:  (My very special thanks go to my friend Suzanne from Pigeon Forge who graciously swapped seats with me so I could have a better camera angle. )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV197xsrDs8 - Tribute to Jason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9OdnhPoPw0 - Jacob Kitson sings Little Much

About two-thirds of the way through the evening, Jacob Kitson was brought on stage to be introduced and to sing.  Jacob did a wonderful job on “Little Is Much” but even more special than his singing was Jason’s obvious approval of him as his successor.

Here’s a list of the songs that were sung:

He’s Still Waiting By The Well
Tell Me the Story Of Jesus
Paid In Full Through Jesus, Amen
We Are So Blessed
God Will Pass By
You Can
I’ve Never Been Sorry
My Name Is Lazarus
A Mighty Fortress
Faces
He’d Still Been God
Little Is Much
Unclouded Day
‘Til the Storm Passes By
Sheltered In The Arms of God and I Will Serve Thee (sung by the audience)
God Wants To Hear You Sing

I know that Jason will be very successful in his calling and I look forward to getting reports on his progress from time to time.  And I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing more of the new version of Greater Vision. 

Yesterday, my family and I went out to Harrod, OH to see the Blackwood Brothers in concert. The Blackwood Brothers Quartet is run by Jimmy Blackwood, son of James Blackwood. Jimmy himself sang lead for the Blackwood Brothers for some time in the ’70s before leaving the road; several years ago, he brought the name back.

The Blackwood Brothers Quartet is one of the few groups on the road today to do their entire program with two old-fashioned microphones. Much of their program is done with light soundtracks (piano and perhaps some bass guitar), but for some of the program their baritone/pianist, Brad White, moves over to the piano (where a third old-fashioned microphone is set up) and accompanies the group live.

First set:

• How About Your Heart (featuring lead singer Jimmy Blackwood)
• The Man Upstairs
• The Old Country Church (with encore)
• Group Intros
• Jesus is Coming Soon (featuring Jimmy)
• I’m Feelin’ Fine (featuring a piano interlude by baritone/pianist Brad White)
• This Old House (featuring bass Randy Byrd)
• The Lighthouse (featuring tenor Wayne Little)
• Since Jesus Came Into My Heart (Brad White piano solo)
• How Great Thou Art (Randy, Jimmy)

During intermission, Brad White played a second piano solo, “Tis So Sweet.”

Second set:

• Jesus is a Waymaker (Jimmy)
• He Bought My Soul
• I Get Happy (Randy)
• I’ll Fly Away
• I Wanna Be More Like Jesus

Then, they did a request time, taking several audience requests:

• Sweet Hour of Prayer (Brad on the melody)
• Prayer is the Key (Jimmy)
• Suppertime (Randy)
• Looking For a City (Wayne)
• His Eye is on the Sparrow

Then, returning to the program, they finished with:

• Learning to Lean (Jimmy)
• Oh, What a Savior (Brad)
• I’ll Meet You in the Morning (Jimmy)

The requests time was certainly one of the evening’s highlights. Much of their program was the same as when I saw them two years ago (with This Old House being a delightful addition), but the requests are different every time. In fact, the requests are perhaps the biggest reason to go see the group multiple times–even if the rest of the program remains the same, you can always ask for a favorite during requests.

After entertaining the thought of asking for “Excuses,” primarily to see what they would say, I settled on “Victory Road.” They didn’t know it well enough to feel comfortable doing it, but they let me have a second pick, and I asked for “Suppertime.” I had heard good things about Randy Byrd’s rendition, and I was not disappointed. He is one of the hidden gems on the Southern Gospel scene, and has both the voice and the personality to become a fan favorite once more fans get to know him

It was an enjoyable evening, and worth the nearly two-hour trip.

Last night, I had the chance to catch the Mark Trammell Trio in Shelby, OH.

First set:

• Won’t it Be Wonderful There (old one)
• I Still Believe
• Weary At the Well
• How Great Thou Art
• Moving the Hand of God
• Introductions
• There’s Something About That Name / In the Garden
• Hallelujah, I’m Going Home
• Glory Road
• Once Upon a Cross

The group got three standing ovations during their first set. The first was for Mark Trammell’s rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” Then they got back-to-back standing ovations for “Glory Road” and “Once Upon a Cross.”

Mark Trammell introduced “Glory Road” by explaining how he loved coffee and his wife didn’t care for it but fixed it for him anyhow since she loved him. He said he’d been singing “Glory Road” ever since he started in Southern Gospel thirty-four years before, even singing it at his first talent contest, and he’d performed it with every group he had been with since. He said that he was sick of the song, but like his wife making him coffee, he loved the audiences enough to do the song for them anyhow. Tenor Eric Phillips tore the song up, as always.

He commented that, interestingly enough, this was their first concert at a Lutheran church.

During the intermission, Dustin Sweatman played two piano solos, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and a quartet-style mid-tempo piano solo. The song sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it.

Second set:

• Thank God I’m Free
• Walking with Jesus
• When Compared to God
• I Know that I Know
• I Believe In a Hill Called Mount Calvary
• Won’t it Be Wonderful There (new one)

“I Know that I Know” will be on their next project. They had a great routine leading into it, with Mark Trammell asking lead singer Dustin Sweatman about the song’s title. Dustin said something, to which Mark replied, “I Know, but what’s the song title?” Dustin said, “I Know that I Know.” Mark said, “That’s all good and well, but what’s the song title.” Dustin replied again. Mark ended up saying he gave up, and “just tell me what key it’s in.” (They played it in F.)

Mark Trammell got a standing ovation for his performance of “I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary.” The final song on their set, “Won’t it be Wonderful There” (this time, the newer Chris Allman-penned tune), also got a standing ovation (which was partly for the overall concert).

If you enjoy the country side of southern gospel, you should have been there.
If you appreciate skillful musicians and great singing, you should have been there.
If you have a love for the Spirit of God and love being where you can feel His presence, you should have been there.
The Freemans concert was all this and more. I attended with high expectations, and they were met and exceeded. The Freemans are incredible people. I dare anybody to meet them & try not to like them. They all have a great sense of humor and the camaraderie between them is beautiful.

I loved watching them interact during the concert. You can tell that they love music. To them it’s like each concert is a chance to try something new and play it even better than before. But more than that, you can tell that they love God with all their hearts, and it makes you want to know God like they do. When you watch Chris Freeman throw her hands in the air and sing, “Thank God! He chose me!” you really get it. Something within you rises up and says, “God chose me! Not just Chris Freeman, not just the really cool people of the world, but He chose me! Halleluyah!”

Darrell was incredible on “The Next Step.” The first person I ever heard sing this song was Ron Hutchins with The Inspirations, (maybe some of you have heard that version), and I didn’t think I would like the way anyone else sang it, but Darrell does a great job. He also sang “Once Was Enough.” I love that song!

The only bad thing about the evening was that Misty wasn’t able to be there. She stayed home because she wasn’t feeling well. If you’ve ever heard her sing, you know how much she was missed. I love hearing her sing. Especially “The Man Who Really Hung The Moon” and “Cinderella.” Misty rocks.

Before they sang, “He’d Have To Walk Through The Blood”, Chris talked for a few minutes about the song and what it really meant to have the protection of the blood of Jesus over us. I’ve heard that song countless times, but after listening to her, it hit me like I’d never heard it before. Talk about a powerful song, it was incredible. I’m sorry I didn’t get a video clip of that one, but I think you’d have to have been there to get the full impact.

Of course a Freemans concert would not be complete without “Children Of The Dust.” I have played this song to many people who don’t even like southern gospel & I always get the same response, “The harmony on that is beautiful!” Live is no exception. You almost feel like if you looked hard enough, you’d see Jesus coming. Then they sang “Rise Up”, which if I had to describe that song in one word, I’d say “Hope.” When they’re singing that, you feel hope well up inside you. That one’s a personal favorite of mine.

Oh yes, lest I forget … I’m sorry Diana, but with all respect to Greater Vision, no one can sing “Still Been God” like The Freemans. Caylon absolutely dominates the drums on this song.

One of my favorite parts was when someone requested “I Wouldn’t Take Nothin’ For My Journey Now.” I was surprised they actually sang it, but they did a great job. When you watch the video, notice the way Joe takes off on the keys as if it’s a song he plays every day. They’re all incredible at improvising. It’s fascinating to watch them. We arrived at the concert early, so we got to watch sound check. I have to say that I enjoyed that almost as much as the concert.

I could go through a list of songs and tell you how well they did, but I’m of the belief that a picture paints a thousand words, and a video is priceless. So watch the video and hopefully you will feel like you were there. And if you want to go see them yourselves, (I highly recommend it), go to www.the-freemans.com and click on “appearances.” You won’t be disappointed.