CONCERT REVIEW: Jeremy Camp’s We Cry Out Tour
Photo Credit: MAC (aka. Maritza Cosano)
Jeremy Camp
Alexandra Gomez, Staff Writer/Managing Editor
June 7, 2012
Filed under Entertainment, Reviews, Top Stories
Jonny Jones’s voice resounded through the supersized speakers of the Sunset Grove Amphitheatre, attracting the attention of the people as they came in droves. Whether he was singing or speaking, Johnny’s voice carried over with warmth and depth, and it was hard to believe this was one of our own.
When his set was over, Adam Cappa took the stage. Cappa is a singer/songwriter from Richmond, Indiana, and is currently touring with Francesca Battistelli and Jeremy Camp on Jeremy’s We Cry Out Tour. For those who were privileged to see this magnificent live concert this past March 23, the experience was unforgettable.
Cappa surprised me with the talent of his band and his ability to get the crowd on their feet. He performed “The Rescue,” one of his own songs, but also some of the more familiar worship songs we all sing in church.
At the end of his set, the beautiful (and very pregnant) Francesca Battistelli set up with her band. Originally, from Orlando, Florida, Francesca has won multiple awards such as the “Female Vocalist of the Year” and “Short Form Video” awards in April 2010—as well as a Grammy nomination “en route to selling nearly half a million copies and three-quarters-of-a-million downloads,” according to her blog.
“So much of my life has changed since the first album came out,” she said. “And it’s all for the better. I’m married to Matthew Goodwin, who is a part of my road band. I have a little boy (Matthew Elijah). That wasn’t even on my radar!”
Francesca’s style is unique and refreshing, both rich and soulful, and unlike anyone I had ever heard before. She and her band “wowed” the crowd with songs from various albums, such as “One Hundred Years” and “Motion of Mercy,” including my personal favorite, “Free to Be Me.”
When Jeremy Camp finally stepped up to the microphone, the night sky was lit alive with stage lights, as people screamed and cheered for the long-awaited artist. The reaction to his music can only be described in one word: explosive. With every song, the audience grew louder in response to the wailing guitar and steady drums laying down the beat. And as accurately said on his Facebook page, “their dynamic playing, a confident mix of modern rock and modern worship, flows naturally with their singer’s creative style.”
The night was filled with great music but there was one moment that captivated everyone in attendance. Jeremy leaned into the crowd and smiled to the sea of faces. At that moment there was a lull in the melody; it was dark, but the blue haze from the stage lights illuminated just the platform of the amphitheater and the several rows of seats in the crowd. Then Jeremy, leading the vocals as the rest of the band dropped out, said, “hold hands with your neighbor next to you and lift them up to your Lord.” I glanced over at the rest of the audience and saw over a thousand hands raised high in worship, tear-streaked faces, and thousands of voices singing of His praise.
It was then that I realized that our God was here…we were in the presence of our Lord, and He was listening.