What do Jesus, music and fire all have in common? They are all a part of something that is affectionately known to thousands as Winter Jam.
I recently had the opportunity to attend the world’s largest Christian concert tour, which in its entirety is named The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular. If you are unfamiliar with the tour, then I highly recommend you look into attending one of its nearly 50 tour stops around the United States. This concert was a combination of various lights and sounds, but the one thing that stood out to me was the presence of God that was in the midst of the 16,000 people that were in attendance.
Winter Jam kindly granted Jeremy ‘Moose’ Prine and myself two media passes to the event held on Feb. 19 at Verizon Arena in Little Rock. We were fortunate enough to be let in a little bit early to find prime seats on the floor. We sat down in our chairs and waited for about 30 minutes until the show started.
There were a total of 12 bands and speakers at the event. Some of the more notable performers were Skillet, Kari Jobe, Sanctus Real and Building 429. Each of the artists were phenomenal in their own unique way. For example, Kari Jobe is one of the most influential worship leaders of our generation, but Skillet is a group that “melts faces off for Jesus,” according to the band’s lead singer, John Cooper. There was certainly something for anyone and everyone to listen to at Winter Jam.
Group 1 Crew was the first group to kick off the official beginning of Winter Jam. Their set was full of energy and included some glow and the dark clothing that they had custom made. Following them came the group Building 429 and then the host band NewSong.
Kari Jobe was the next performer, and she without a doubt was the most passionate artist on stage all night. She led the crowd in the singing of her wildly popular “Revelation Song” to end her spirit filled set. Her performance caused almost every pair of hands in the building to be raised up to the heavens.
The following act was the former Newsboys lead vocalist Peter Furler. He performed some of the songs off of his new solo album which not many people in the crowd seemed to know, but he ended the performance with a throwback to some classic Newsboys tunes such as “Entertaining Angels,” “He Reigns” and “I Am Free.” It was nice to see Peter pay tribute to the older songs that were instrumental in his career.
Following Furler and Sanctus Real was Skillet, the last band to perform. Their performance consisted of fire, sparks, flashing lights, cryogenics and a special appearance from what seemed to be a life-size version of The Punisher logo.
“All of these things can be distractions,” Cooper said. “But we try to refocus the attention on the reason why we are actually here.”
Their performance was exactly that. It was filled with songs about people who have had darkness in their lives but have been renewed by God. They touched on some sensitive topics that affect many teenagers today and told them that there is a God who loves them and cares for them. It was wonderful to see the crowd respond to their music and to the message they brought.
There may have been a few cherries on top with over-the-top productions Skillet and the rest of the bands brought, but they made sure it was Jesus who received the glory at the end of the night. I am thankful I was not only part of a musical experience but also a Christ-filled experience that Winter Jam brought to Little Rock.
