Bethel Music / Hillsong United DOUBLE CONCERT REVIEW
Jan. 31 & Feb. 18
Cedar Park, TX
These two evens were so similar in nature that it made sense to review both in one. Both were packed-house affairs that were alive with energy. Bethel Music’s Worship Nights experience included two ensembles that shared vocal duties – with Leeland, Kalley Heiligenthal and Cory Asbury taking the first set (about an hour), followed by a few announcements and a video about what Bethel Music does. William Matthews, Steffany Gretzinger and Matt Stinton played the closing set.
It was passionate, exuberant and lively worship. It was casual, hip (with cool, well-edited videos) and energetic. I imagine an outsider might have felt a little strange, but it’s about as welcoming and low-key as could be had. The lyrics are splashed on the giant video screens to the left and right of the stage, which made it easy to follow along if you were not familiar with the songs. Those that were certainly jumped in and it was a massive sing-along experience that swelled with the emotion of knowing the One to Whom the songs were being sung.
That’s the magic of worship. Some might cringe at the simplification of that statement, but there is something special about how music connects our emotions, body and souls in worship directed towards a knowable Creator.
I was at a bit of a disadvantage, because I do not really listen to the Bethel Music CDs that I have, so I’m not very familiar with their originals. I’m a big Leeland fan, though, so even though he didn’t play any of his tunes, it’s great hearing his voice and seeing his joyful face. I’d call that young man a bright spot in the Christian music scene.
One of the highlights for me was hearing a familiar tune, like “10,000 Reasons,” which I can sing along to with abandon and not have to worry about reading the words. There was some family time and a moment where we all held hands and prayed, which was an affirming and communal experience.
Hillsong United came to the same venue a few weeks later and actually sold the thing out. The parking lot was full and, even though the venue probably sold much less liquor than the typical event they host, they were probably very happy that the place was packed with friendly and excited people.
One of the many worship leaders of Hillsong spent time introducing the show and welcoming the crowd, explaining that our lives might change due to being in the presence of God. He talked down the show – with all its lights, video screens, fog and all the bells and whistles of a live music traveling show. He smiled as he promised that we’d certainly get a show, but the show wasn’t what the night was about. He set the tone clearly and casually. It was a good setup. Each of the worship leaders that spoke all through the night did a good job of moving the show along, giving our relationship with God and this event context and relating as fellow travelers on the journey of faith.
The bells and whistles, though – wow! The LED video screen that acted as a ceiling over the stage was awesome, as were the two giant video screens to the left and right of the chevron-shaped stage with a long catwalk down the center to the middle of the floor. There were brilliant blue columns of light that shot up from the stage to the ceiling, tons of high-speed film footage, lyrics, strobes, spotlights and giant confetti cannons at the end.
While some events like this can feel like cheerleading events or simple feel-good moments, this group has crafted a dynamic show with swells and dips that flow well. It wasn’t easy to guess when the finale was hitting, because there were so many peaks. It was awesome to hear “Oceans,” which was a fairly big hint that the night was winding down.
There was a call to action near the end, which seemed to really remind us Who God is and what He has done for us. I imagine most all of us felt better leaving than when we entered.
–Doug Van Pelt
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