Concert!

Hello, everyone! Yesterday was a very busy day. The Go Teen Writers writing retreat was in its second day, my family went on two bike rides in the morning, and best of all, I went to a concert that afternoon! This is my second concert, and I was looking forward to see how it would compare to the one I went to last year. Unlike last year, this one started at three in the afternoon rather than ten in the morning, and it was indoors rather than being out in a field. I'll go more into which I liked better at the end of this post.

I got a ride with a friend's family and arrived not long before the first group, Capital Kings, started at three. I'd heard about this group from a friend, and I liked the one song I'd heard by them, "Never Be Alone". Unfortunately, their performance was a bit disappointing. Their songs seemed to be ok, but their background music was far too loud. Not only did it kind of hurt my ears, it seemed to overwhelm their voices.

Next came Jamie Grace, one of the three artists I was most looking forward to. She definitely did not disappoint! She was also quite a bit quieter than Capital Kings, much to my relief. She played several songs I liked, including "God Girl", "Show Jesus", and of course, "Hold Me". She also played a new song, "Beautiful Day", which I really enjoyed. (Here's hoping that the new song means a new album will follow!)



After Jamie Grace played, I went out to look at the vendors and such. I was a bit disappointed; there seemed to be a lack of free stuff, and most of the merchandise cost more than I wanted to spend. (I suspect it was probably average for a concert like that, though, and that I was just spoiled by finding clearance t-shirts last year.)

I got back just as The Afters started playing.  I knew one song by them, "You Lift Me Up", from the radio, which they played. I think I'd actually like that song, but I hear it on the radio way too much and just get tired of it. They sounded good in the concert, though, and now I wonder if I shouldn't give them another chance.

Then came Matthew West, the second of the three artists I was looking forward to. He was definitely one of the highlights of the concert. He's very funny, though I wouldn't have expected it, and he had some great stories, plus a funny song he made up just for that concert. More than that, he's a powerful speaker and singer. Some of the songs he sang included "Forgiveness", "Child of the One True King", "Strong Enough", and "The Motions". He started out a little louder in volume than I expected, but thankfully, another of my friends, Isaac, showed up with earplugs just in time. I think that before this concert, I'd forgotten just how much I like Matthew West's music; I'll have to get back into it.

After Matthew West finished, I went to go get dinner. I had three options: the place's standard concessions, pizza, or Chick-fil-a. I chose Chick-fil-a, which I regretted. (The chicken sandwiches aren't as good when they aren't cooked there. Also, I forgot to take the pickles off.) But it was ok, and I'll know better next time.

Next was David Crowder Band. I'm not really a fan of their music- not that it's not good, but it's not really my thing. I still enjoyed the songs they played, though.

Second to last was Audio Adrenaline. I'd heard two songs by them before, "Kings and Queens" and "He Moves; You Move", but I wasn't really sure what to expect. I really enjoyed their music, though, and I think I'll have to look into trying more of it. I was surprised by one of their songs, "Big House". I used to listen to this when I was in kindergarten and went to co-op. Part of me was kind of sad I didn't remember any of the hand motions. They did one other song, "Believer", that I'd never heard before, but I really liked it.

Finally came the band I'd really been waiting for . . . Newsboys! They weren't quite as amazing as Skillet last year, but they came very, very, very close. They played a bunch of my favorites, both newer songs including"God's Not Dead", "Born Again", and "Miracles" and some older songs, such as "He Reigns" and "Something Beautiful". I was especially happy about those last two, since they were two of the songs that got me into the Newsboys. Overall, they were definitely the best part of the concert. (I was very glad I had the earplugs during their part, though- they were loud, and made louder by the fact that it was inside.)

Now for this year's concert versus last year's. I did like that this year's was indoors, I had a seat, and it was air-conditioned. However, I think I enjoyed last year's more. There was more to do, and you could still hear the music while you were doing it. Also, I liked being able to get down by the stage so that I wasn't the only one standing up and getting excited during some of the artists. I still enjoyed it this year, but if I'm given the option between the two concerts (both of which occur annually) again, I'd pick the one I went to last year.

Well, that's it. Thanks for reading!
- Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)