To the delight of about 1,500 fans,
Kutless brought their
It Is Well Worship Tour to a small church in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Kutless was joined on this tour by the
Sidewalk Prophets and Christian music newcomer
Above The Golden State.
Walking into the venue, I recognized immediately this was going to be a very intimate show. The stage rose only about two feet off the floor, making it the perfect footrest for those sitting in the first row.
It also meant that I’d be relegated to shooting pictures primarily from the side of the stage, as there was no way there was enough room to squeeze myself between the front row and stage. In spite of that, I sometimes like these smaller venues more then the big arena shows, just because they are so much more intimate.
As a precursor to the show, all of the bands spent some time with the VIP ticket holders, answering random questions such as, “What are your favorite sweets?” and “How to you stay grounded in the Bible being on the road so much?”. It also gave Kutless frontman Jon Micah Sumrall the opportunity to share his heart a little in talking about how much God cares for us personally and how He wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us.
"We're really trying to reach out to young people all over the world," Jon said. "We feel that so many young people today are being neglected by an older generation. We're trying to bring awareness to that. So many young people are growing up in a broken home, a broken family. They don't have anyone pouring out into their life on a daily basis to teach them and love on them and help them learn and develop. So when life throws a curve ball their way and things become difficult they don't know how to deal with the emotions that come along with that. They don't know how to deal with the hardships and so they turn to illegal activities. They turn to self-mutilation and start cutting themselves. Or even slip into depression and have suicidal tendencies. We really feel like so many of these problems are simply because young people don't have anyone in their life teaching them any differently. So they just simply react however they can react to try and deal with the pain they have in their life. So we really try to encourage adults and parents to reach out to their kids and have a real impact in their life. And also for high-schoolers to reach out to elementary school kids and be that big brother or big sister that they need and maybe don't have at home."
He then went on to remind believers to make a commitment to live with the kind of faith that God calls each of us to have. The meet-and-greet wrapped up, and the fans had to wait until after the show to get autographs and photos. The bands were faithful to their fans, as they stayed long after the show to meet every fan who wanted to say “hi.”
Above the Golden State opened the show. Frontman Michael Watson was the only member to make the show, but he borrowed some of the other bands' members—including Kutless guitarist Nick De Partee—to fill in the gaps. Performing songs such as
“Sound of Your Name” and
“I Love You,” they prepped the audience for a great night of music.
The Sidewalk Prophets followed Michael’s set, further energizing the audience with their high energy as they performed fan favorites
“The Words I Would Say”,
“Just Might Change Your Life”,
“You Can Have Me” and many others.
Headliner Kutless was up to close out this evening of music. They brought down the house with their opening song,
“It Is Well,” using a recording of a person walking into a church with a choir singing the traditional hymn, then transitioning to Jon Micah and the band’s modernized version. They went on to perform many others, from
“God of Wonders” and
“What Faith Can Do” to
“Sea of Faces” and
“Promise Of A Lifetime.”
Though the venue may have been small it wasn’t for the lack of talent. Kutless has been on tour with the likes of MercyMe & Casting Crowns, invited to play the 2004 Summer Olympics, had their song "All of the Words" from the album
Sea of Faces featured on NBC’s T.V. Show
Scrubs and had their album
Strong Tower certified gold.
This was the second time I had seen Kutless, and each time I see them I am more and more impressed with how well they have been able to translate their album tracks to a live performance. With their full throttle rhythm section, screaming guitars, and Jon Micah’s voice, Kutless is just a great band to see live.
Exclusive Kutless Live Photo Gallery (19)
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Exclusive Sidewalk Prophets Live Photo Gallery (5)
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