Jeremy Camp headlines the fall Beyond Measure tour, with musical side-kicks Hawk Nelson and Adie. The three have uniquely different styles, yet they mesh exceptionally well, creating an impossibly fantastic night of music and worship.
First up was Adie. The combination of stunning vocals and meaningful lyrics make Adie a must-see. Her beautiful South African accent elegantly adds to her music, intriguing the audience almost instantly. Adie kicked off the show with When It’s Over, a classy song which started the night off on a high note (no pun intended). After singing a few songs, Adie shared a bit about the meaning of Sufficient, declaring that even in the midst of the craziness of everyday life, God’s grace is still sufficient – it’s all we need to go on. Adie’s beautiful voice was accompanied by the musical background sounds of Jeremy Camp’s band. Overall, the performance was flawless and the set was spectacular. There was definitely a worshipful feeling, like in her debut album, Don’t Wait.
Pop-punk rockers, Hawk Nelson, burst onto stage next, and with their silly antics and superfluous enthusiasm, they definitely had the crowd going. The band sported matching apparel, which was slightly cheesy, but made for a bit of a laugh. They opened with the adrenaline-laced song, California, and continued with a splendid mix from both of their albums. Jason Dunn, the lead singer, prefaced the song Everything You Ever Wanted with the inspiration behind the writing. “It’s about a father who walks out on his wife and kids,” explains Dunn, “it’s from the son’s perspective.” He continued on with a powerful interjection about how even though our world may seem like it’s falling to pieces, we need to learn that forgiveness is essential. After that moment of seriousness, they played a series of more upbeat songs, complete with crazy jumps and spins. I won’t spoil the surprise, but the band also enlists in a super talented guest kazoo player on their song Hello…
Following a brief stage change, Jeremy Camp rocked to a start. The set opened with a series of spectacular lighting features, then Jeremy burst into action. He immediately had the crowd’s attention, playing a mix of classic songs from all of his albums. The quality was just as stunning as on his CDs, and being able to see him and the band in action was truly a sight! I’d have to say This Man or Feels Like was the strongest. They were both surreal and felt exceptionally dynamic. Other songs included his classic rock song, Take My Life, as well as Lay Down My Pride, Beautiful One, Take You Back, Right Here, and What it Means, among others. At one point, he spontaneously broke out in singing I’ve Got the Joy Down in My Heart, which had nearly everyone dancing in a cheesy ho-down like fashion. Needless to say, Jeremy and the band were joking around all night, and you could definitely tell there was a passion for music in them all, not to mention a passion for God.
Stay was the last song they played, and they definitely had crowd enthusiasm – everyone was jumping up and down and singing super loud. A minute or so after they all left the stage, Jeremy and Adie came back out. They sang a few acoustic songs together, and shared a little about themselves, and about the mission of Compassion International. Jeremy encouraged everyone to sponsor a child, and shared about how he and Adie really feel a calling to be involved with Compassion International. They ended with Give Me Jesus, stressing the prevalence of realizing the importance of having Jesus in our everyday lives.
If the Beyond Measure tour stops anywhere near you, I highly recommend that you go! It was not only an amazing night of music, but you could also tell that every individual who played truly had a passion for God, and that was so evident on the stage. With the great combination of music styles, there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone – you won’t want to miss it!
Article by Ariel Body
