FEBRUARY 1-7, 2017 UCW 21
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
On Feb. 12, the Crown Theatre stage hosts Newsboys on their Love Riot
Tour. The now award-winning band was started in 1985 in Mooloolaba,
Queensland, Australia by Peter Furler and George Perdikis, who were
friends from school. The band was signed
in 1987 by Refuge Communications. Since
their first debut album, Read All About It,
released in 1988, the band received eight
Gold certifications, 33 #1 hits, four Grammy
nominations, two American Music Award
nominations and many DOVE awards. Over
the years the band has grown and changed.
Currently, Michael Tait is the lead vocalist. Jody
Davis is on the guitar. Jeff Frankenstein is on the
keyboard and Duncan Phillips is on the drums.
It is hard to define the sound of the
Newsboys. They shift seamlessly between
genres like rock, pop and dance. The common
thread through all of their work is that every
song is focused on sharing the love of God.
They are, "helping [to] define the sound of
Christian music for more than two decades."
Their passion is obvious in every
performance. The energy in the room is
electric and the performance is full of love,
and this love is a central part of the band's
mission. "The band members do what they do
out of love: love for God, love for their fans and love for the simple act of
making music. Love is an emotion they believe we need more of in this
increasingly dark world. They're so passionate about the idea that they
titled their new album Love Riot," the band writes.
The band has also played apart in the successful films God's Not Dead
and God's Not Dead II. This great experience with using a new medium to
share the message inspired the band. They acknowledge that acting scenes
out right in front of audience members can have a profoundly personal
effect in a way that songs might not be able to achieve alone. So, they've
embraced it by bringing a new theatrical
experience to the tour. In addition to
passionately performing songs for the Love
Riot Tour as they would usually do on a
tour, there will be the God's Not Dead
Live! Rivals.
The performance is never before seen
and features original songs from Juan
Otero. An ensemble of singers, actors and
dancers will lead the audience through
an intense story to answer the question,
"Can God really make a difference?" It can
be a difficult question, and the team of
performers intends to make it an intense
and personal experience for the audience.
The performance is written and produced
by John and Sarah Bolin.
Familiar with the music or not this
tour is a unique opportunity to discover
something new. It is a mix of mediums,
but the message is the same expression
of God's love that all of the performers
sincerely believe. There is no other show
in the world like it. There is even more added excitement because of the
mix of mediums with the addition of God's Not Dead Live! to
the tour.
For tickets and information, visit
www.crowncomplexnc.com.
Newsboys Rock the Crown
by ERINN CRIDER
ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer.
COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin-
gweekly.com. 910.484.6200.
www.LadiesShopTilYouDrop.com
or
www.crowncomplexnc.com
