The evening was Tuesday the 27th of March, 2001. I arrived at the Paynesville High School with great expectation. It was going to be a great concert... and I just knew it! I may have been a bit too eager though, because I arrived way too early (which is very unusual for me). Mitch. Brad, & Joe (hereafter referred to as "the guys") were still doing sound checks. I listened in. *smile* :o)
(l. to r.) Tim Nepsund (reviewer), Mitch McVicker,
Brad Layher, & "Cobra" Joe Curet
(click pic for larger image)
The moments drew closer and I noticed some friends of mine arriving. My friend Lisa Liebl and her Mom, Cecelia Eliason had come in, and we visited together, along with Bethany of KCFB radio in St. Cloud. We then proceeded to make our way in to the gym to find a good seat (which is difficult to do in a gym). We took the padded seats on the bleachers, but they were none too comfortable.... No pain, no gain... right?!?!. :o) I'll try to keep the complaining down to a minimum, but the facts are, that a gym is a terrible place to have a concert... due to poor sound acoustics, and the seating. It's okay though, because I'm told that next time the guys are here, they will be in a newly built theatre addition to the school, which should be a lot better for everyone. So, I'll be looking forward to that when the time comes.
The concert announcer made a few comments and introduced the guys to us. The concert began....
Since I didn't think of writing a review beforehand, I consequently didn't have a pen & paper in hand during the concert. So, I'm not sure of the correct order of songs listed here, but these are the songs we heard: (Lisa was so nice to provide this list... Thanks Lisa.)
From first CD:
- Here and Now
- Gospel Rain (new arrangement)
- The Lemonade Song -- My personal favorite!!! :o)
- Only Love Will (new arrangement) -- I love this one too!!! ;o)
- One of These Days
- My Deliverer (Ragamuffin arrangement) -- Great song!!!
From 'Canticle of the Plains':
- Heaven is Waiting -- Another personal favorite of mine!!! :o)
- There You Are
From new CD:
- Emmanuel
- Upside Down -- I didn't care much for this one when I first heard it, but now it's my most favorite one on this CD!!! I'm so pathetic... I know, but God still loves me! :o)
- When You Love
- Suits of Skin -- Yet another of my favorites!! :o)
- Watch Over Me -- This one is really good for us to think on! It's one of Mitch's personal favorites... and mine too!!! ;o)
- Anything ** Opened the concert with this song.
- Burning the Fields ** And closed with this one.
- Rich's Song
- Kingdom of the Heart
- and... Solid Rock!!
And Brad's two songs... Tin Man and ????? -- Sure wish I knew the name of this song. It's a very good song Brad! What's the name of it?
We were blessed to sing along with the guys on some praise and worship songs too. These included a song from Rich Mullins; Step by Step.
I have only seen Mitch & Brad in concert once before, so this was great to be able to see them again. I have never seen Joe in concert...'cept on the Rich Mullins Live in Lufkin TX video. So, it was neat to see him too.
Throughout the concert, Mitch made comments about his association with Rich Mullins and the friendship they shared. I was glad that he did this, because I'm sure there were people in the audience who otherwise didn't know, or were unfamiliar with Mitch. This gave them a means of identifying him. I remember last year when I had seen Mitch for the first time, I really didn't know who he was or even hadn't heard of him before. Boy am I glad I have now! He's great!!! So, it's nice that Mitch continues to let people know of his association with Rich Mullins. :o) He also commented about Brad and Joe too, and those made us chuckle a bit. :o) ...he's so humorous!
I very much enjoyed the articles of personal testimony that Mitch gave us to think on, in-between the songs they sang. There were no inane ramblings, but very concise thought provoking words of encouragement for us to listen to and take to heart. I really appreciated his heartfelt way of presenting all the things he said too. It shows that he definitely has a heart after God. I'm just thankful that God has chosen to use Mitch in this way, so as to bless those of us who are fans and get to attend his concerts. Also, I'm glad that Mitch has been faithful to continue in the leading of the Lord, to make the music that is given him, and to be able to share it with us. It's easy to see that God is his inspiration and love. We all need to take a piece of that with us each day!
The audience was very receptive to Mitch's comments and really seemed to enjoy the whole concert. The numerous times of applause included many whistles and cheers... even a loud "Amen" came from a little three-year-old girl who was sitting behind me. That was so cute!! ;o) There were people (Me too!) yelling for an encore, and the guys were gracious enough to come back and do a couple more for us. That was great! I could've listened to a couple more hours worth, but I know that would be too much for them, so..... :o)
Psalm 100:2 "Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs."
After the concert was over, Mitch was very gracious to sign autographs on CD's, pictures, and even T-shirts. My friends and I, stayed to talk with the guys and they seemed pleased to visit with us. We even got in some good picture taking with them too. I think some of those will be posted on the website soon. I had to laugh at Joe, because he was making some neat poses for the pictures. He's so cool! ...oh and, Mitch & Brad are cool too!!! :o)
True; the venue wasn't the best place for a concert, because of the sound acoustics & seating quality, but without those things in mind, it was a great evening with Mitch, Brad, & Joe anyway. They did a great job!!! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole concert! I most certainly hope they come back again to Paynesville MN.
Peace of Christ,
Tim Nepsund