Last week, I won a ticket to a Booth Brothers concert in a giveaway on SouthernGospelBlog.com. Big deal, you might say. Here’s the catch: the concert was not in a church, a concert hall, or even outdoors. No, the concert was held in the living/dining room area of a recording studio (I believe it was Homeland), and the audience consisted of myself and many others across the United States, and even in foreign countries, if I remember correctly. This wonder was accomplished with a relatively new technology that has found its way to our genre of music. Thanks to the American Society of Gospel Music (ASGM), that concert was one of the first to be held in a new venue: online.

To be clear, musical events being broadcast online is surely not a new event. National Quartet Convention has had a live stream on the web for several years, and the Singing News Fan Awards are also available to watch online, as well as other events throughout the year.  What separates these events from what the Booth Brothers did last night is the fact that these events have a live audience and just happen to be available for online viewing. The Booth Brothers sang to zero live audience; the concertgoers were all watching from computers. The dynamic of audience participation was absent, and there was no applause. In a live concert setting, they also don’t have to deal with the concert completely going out (at least, I’d hope not!). I was impressed with the class with which the Booth Brothers handled all the technical difficulties, giving the full music and Q&A section as promised.

The question here is whether or not this will become a more regular thing. This concept of using technology usually reserved for “webinars” to hold an online concert is certainly an interesting one, and the ASGM, by all indications, is planning on conducting more. Before the BB concert, there was a full schedule being displayed of other groups doing online concerts in the coming months.

I would say that this will catch on, but only if they can work to bring the technical issues down to a minimum (which is certainly not their fault; technology can be fickle). There are enough SG fans with an Internet connection these days that the idea of paying for a ticket to watch your favorite group do a concert for you online would be appealing, especially if they don’t come to your area very much. However, if half the concert experience is spent waiting for the thing to come back online, the advent of concerts on the Internet will go on a fast decline.

This past Saturday night, I made the hour-long trip to Buena Vista, VA for the last night of the VA Southern Gospel Jubilee, an outdoor three-day event held every July. I had been out of town all week and had just gotten back home that day, but since I’d never seen The Perrys outside of NQC and they don’t come to the area that often, I decided it was too good to pass up.

The concert started at 5:00, with close to an hour of musical groups affiliated with the local church that puts on the event. I took this opportunity to chat with some of the singers, and enjoyed talking with Troy Peach, Joseph Habedank, and Tracy and Libbi Stuffle.

At about 5:30, the first headliner group, Greater Love, took the stage. Subscribers to the Singing News may remember this Orange, VA based group getting a feature article in the May 2010 edition. I couldn’t name any of the songs they did, as this was my first time ever hearing them, but I was told that most of their songs were from their newest release. The group has a good sound and blend. One particular interesting note is that their bass singer, Don Leake, had open-heart surgery months ago, and it had not looked like he would be able to make the event. However, he was in good health, and did very well in the group’s set.

After an offering being taken up, The Perrys launched into their set. They started off with “I Love To Tell Of His Love,” “I Know It Was The Blood,” and “Still Blessed,” one right after the other. Other songs of the night included “Prior To A Prayer,” “This Old Sinner Testifies,” “Did I Mention?” “I Wish I Could Have Been There,” and “If You Knew Him.” Bryan Elliot did a remarkably fast piano solo, and Tracy Stuffle also did his chainsaw impersonation.

This particular lineup has really gelled well. The voices play really well off of each other, and an A Capella encore of “Did I Mention” really highlighted that fact. Tracy Stuffle’s style of MC work connects with the audience really well. He injects a good dose of humor throughout the program, but also builds up to songs very well, as he did with the closer, “If You Knew Him.” That particular song led into an altar call that had many going forward, and was twice encored with just piano.

If you have the chance to see either of these groups, this blogger highly recommends them. Although the sets were not as long as a regular event might be, I was still impressed with both.

Thursday evening 3 members of the Virginia Gospel Music Association had the privilege of seeing the new lineup of Gold City in concert in Wirtz, VA at Halesford Baptist Church. In attendance was Aaron Swain, Andrew Graham, and myself Jeremy Bell. (Ruth V gets a shout out since she was there early enough to save seats.) Aaron will be posting a review later on and I will be posting pictures to facebook. Just as a teaser, here are some clips that Andrew shot for your enjoyment. My favorite was probably One Scarred Hand Acappella.

Rainbow of Love

One Scarred Hand – Acappella

(more…)

I had the opportunity on Friday night to head over to Buena Vista, VA for the second night of the 8th Annual VA Southern Gospel Jubilee. The event is held every July in Glen Maury Park. The weather was great, so having the event outdoors was a good idea.

There were several pastors and local groups on the program. The event is headed up by Pastor Larry Clark of the Pentecostal Outreach Church, so he opened the event by inviting another pastor to lead in prayer. Then there was some congregational singing, and a local female singer whose name escapes me. The Dills then took the stage and turned in a great set. I wasn’t too familiar with their material (other than one or two songs) but the group impressed me, as it was my first time seeing them. They have some great harmony, and really deserve more recognition in the SG community.

The set included (a rough set list, since I don’t know much of their stuff): Days Of Elijah, Holy of Holies, The Lord’s Prayer (the a cappella harmony was fantastic!), End Of The Beginning (the David Phelps song, great job by Sean Dill), Fight To The Finish, Tired Of Running.

After a little break, another local lady came up to sing. Her vocal style reminded me of that of Vestal Goodman, and she actually got with a family group to sing a Goodman song that was encored at least three times. Soul’d Out Quartet was last group of the night, and they did not disappoint. Their set list included: The Day My Lord Was Raised, We Shall Rise, Bass Medley, Michael Howard piano solo (don’t remember the song), Heaven Medley, How Great Thou Art (piano solo), I’ve Got That Feeling, Jesus Is Coming Soon, Standing On The Rock, Jesus Knows My Need, There Is A Fountain, Ain’t Nobody.

Overall, it was a great night. Both groups sounded great, and if they’re in your area, you’d do well to catch one of their concerts.

I had the privilege of attending this April 26 concert. I call it a privilege simply because it was an awesome night.

The concert opened up with Bill Gaither singing “Old Friends” and interacting with the audience. He then introduced Sue Dodge, a native of Northern VA and has been featured on many of the Homecoming videos. She was followed by a three-song set by Gordon Mote consisting of “All That Noise,” “Mercy Walked In,” and “Don’t Let Me Miss The Glory.” The videos that went with Mote’s songs really added to the performances.

Ben Speer was featured on one song. It is good to see a legend like that still chugging along at such an advanced age. Janet Paschal did a two-song set to follow.

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound charged the crowd up with their energetic song list. They brought David Griffith with them to play bass guitar, giving them a complete live band with Kevin Williams on guitar, Grit on bass, Greg Ritchie on drums, and Wayne Haun at piano. The crowd ate it up, warranting several completely live encores of “Get Away Jordan,” in one particular instance. Judging by the response, it is a pretty safe bet that EH&SS will carry out what they mentioned a while ago about adding a live band to their solo concerts. (Side note: Since the time of this writing, they’ve announced that they are adding a three-piece band for their 2009 Summer Tour, at least.)

Another thing I have noticed with EH&SS lately (and this concert further confirmed it) is that their stage presence has definitely matured over time. It’s not all about the choreography and dancing around anymore; rather, that’s become a small part of their set, and they are now more of a throwback to the old quartets. Most of their set was done around two mics, even throwing in an impressively tight-harmony a capella rendition of “Wonderful Grace Of Jesus.” Sure, the energy is very much still there, but they’re giving the naysayers a whole lot less to complain about.

Lynda Randle followed up with two songs, the latter in tribute to a couple that happened to be in the arena that helped her into a Christian school. Bill Gaither encored it a couple times, and then the lights went completely out. If you’ve read recent concert reviews and kept an eye on Youtube, you can guess what happened next; the new GVB started into “Alpha & Omega,” with the lights progressing up as the song went on.

I came to the concert not knowing what to expect from the new GVB. I’d heard they were incredible, and I’d seen the Youtube clips, but unless you hear something like that for yourself, it’s all talk.

All those who are unsure about the new lineup, go catch a concert soon. I have heard every lineup the GVB has ever had, and I can honestly say that this one is the best. The blend is superb, and each singer is impressive in his own right. David Phelps and Wes Hampton alternating on tenor makes for a great high range. Michael English is sounding more and more like his old self again, and is clearly having the time of his life. Mark Lowry has matured in both voice and stage presence. Sure, he’s still the clown, but his serious side has developed a whole lot since he went off on his own. Even Bill, at the ripe old age of 73, is still sounding good. I was particularly impressed at his bass slide on the end of “He Touched Me.” Tim Duncan was nowhere to be seen, so I was surprised that something that low could come out of Bill Gaither.

The second half was a typical Homecoming gathering, with different singers singing old songs. The concert closed with a powerful version of “Because He Lives,” followed by “Holy Highway.” All in all, it was a fantastic night, and one that showed a bright future for the GVB. I am eagerly awaiting the two projects that they are currently at work on.

My friend Jeremy Bell over at VA Southern Gospel was in attendance and took many pictures, which can be viewed here, here, and here.

As a follow-up to my concert review, here are some video clips of that concert. Hat tip to Youtube user gmphenom. Click through to watch in high quality.

My Name Is Lazarus
Little Is Much
Champion Of Love

Artist(s): Danny Funderburk, Mark Trammell Trio, Legacy Five, Greater Vision

Venue: Reynolds Auditorium, Winston-Salem, NC

I attended a Cathedrals Remembered concert last night, and it was great! I missed most of Danny Funderburk’s set, which was first, but I did get to hear him sing the old Cathedrals song “Statue Of Liberty.” Good stuff, and Danny still has “it!”

Next up was the Mark Trammell Trio, a group that is getting better and better. A rough songlist of their set was “I Still Believe”, “Weary At The Well”, “How Great Thou Art”, “Glory Road”, and “Once Upon A Cross.” Mark’s solo on “How Great Thou Art” was top-notch, and I stand by my opinion that he’s one of the best baritones out there.

Legacy Five came after that, but with a surprise; Scott Fowler said that literally five minutes before they were on, Tim Parton’s son was playing backstage (I think), and slipped and busted his head open. Tim had to take him to get stitches, so he was unable to play for the guys. However, Scott brought out Gerald Wolfe to play for them, and he was excellent! I agree with Scott’s statement that Gerald doesn’t play nearly enough. Their set consisted of “The Moment I Get Up There”, “Strike Up The Band”, “Personal Savior”, “I’ve Been Changed”, “Holy Is Thy Name.”

Greater Vision came last in the first half, and it was good to see Jason Waldroup one final time. They did songs like “He’d Still Been God”, “Thank God I’m Free”, “My Name Is Lazarus”, “A Mighty Fortress”, an acapella Jason solo “Victory In Jesus”, and “It Means Just What It Says.”

The best part of the night, by far, was the second half. It was a huge tribute to The Cathedrals, and I don’t even remember all of the songs that were sung. A couple of highlights:
1. The appearance of Steve Lee, the baritone for The Cathedrals from 1979-1980. He sang “Then I Met The Master” and got a standing ovation.

2. Gerald singing bass on “Movin’ Up To Gloryland.” He even made it rumble!

3. Jacob Kitson, who is going to be Greater Vision’s tenor when Jason leaves, came out and was featured on “Little Is Much.” Wow! Greater Vision won’t miss a beat, and Jacob is a fine addition.

Final Thoughts: Very good concert. I plan to catch another one when it happens next year.

To add to my review of the Imperials concert Saturday night, here are some videos of it:
Eagle’s Wings(?)
Praise The Lord
Arise My Love

Artist(s): The Imperials

Venue: Heritage Baptist Church, Lynchburg, VA

This was my first opportunity to see The Imperials live. I have both their self-titled release and their Back To The Roots, which won the SoGospelNews Fan Awards Album Of The Year not too long ago. For any skeptics as to how well the “younger Imperials” are carrying the torch for the Imperials name, I encourage you to catch a concert with these guys. You won’t be disappointed!

A rough songlist:

It’s A Beautiful Day (Great way to open up the concert.)
No Shortage
First Day In Heaven
He Touched Me
We’ve Got A Great Big Wonderful God (The guys’ current radio single, and a very catchy tune!)
He’s Everything To Me
Water Grave (This song went over tremendously well. Baritone Jason Morales and bass Ian Owens played electric guitar and bass guitar, respectively, along with the track, and it was awesome! I believe it was David Bruce Murray who reported that when the guys did this song at the SGN awards, it got an even better response. It’s definitely some edgy Southern Gospel music, which I guess can only be described as “Southern Gospel Rock!”)
Wrap My Arms Around The World
Because He Lives
Praise The Lord
Arise My Love (One of my personal favorite songs by this group, and a great way to close the concert, leaving the crowd wanting more.)

Final Thoughts: The Imperials have always been on the cutting edge of SG, and even though the crowd seemed nervous/surprised (perhaps they were expecting a different Imperials?), they warmed up after a while. Awesome concert, and definitely on my “must-see” list next time they’re around.
Also, props to the guys for having their hearts in the right place. Many groups are all about the show, but these guys are very ministry-minded, and the night focused around a theme of God’s love and redeeming grace.

Artist(s): Legacy Five

Venue: Eastern Mennonite High School Auditorium, Harrisonburg, VA

Once again, the guys have confirmed why they are one of my favorite quartets. Legacy Five comes to Harrisonburg every February, but this was the first time they had Tim Parton as a full-time piano player, not just a fill-in. Tim and the rest of the guys did a great job: they sang, they played, made us laugh, made us cry. It was simply a great concert.

A rough songlist, minus all the speaking, jokes, and such:

1. O, Say But I’m Glad
2. Strike Up The Band
3. Praise Him Medley (acappella, and it was fantastic!)
4. Know So Salvation
5. Tim Parton Piano Solo
6. Go Right Out (this was done in the four-guys-and-a-piano style, and I preferred that version to the one on their Know So Salvation CD.
7. On The Jericho Road (bass singer Glenn Dustin rattled the place!)
8. Why
Intermission
9. Whosoever
10. Champion Of Love
11. Walk With Me
12. Tim Parton Solo (he played and sang a beautiful song called “God’s Been Good.” I really hope they include this on a future project.)
13. Scott leads audience in some hymns.
14. Where No One Stands Alone.

Another highlight was during the second half, Scott Fowler mentioned that legendary pianist Earl Brewer was in the audience (he sat a couple rows back from me.) Scott asked him to come onstage and play a song, and he did great! That was cool to see a living legend.