The anticipation from the crowd was palpable. The auditorium lights dimmed. The audience roared. Abundant billows of gray smoke swelled out from the stage. Yellow stage lights flickered revealing three gigantic gray microphones descending from the ceiling, and the Newsboys cranked up their instruments for what proved to be an evening of greatest hits. It was an impressive start, the kind of concert opening that most so-called Christian bands aren't able to pull off let alone have the money to mount.
The much-loved Newsboys have been around a while now. Their beginnings as a would-be-alternative dance pop band are now long forgotten, as well as their most recent days as the darlings of Steve Taylor's lyrical and production work fronted by John James's quirky lead vocal talent. This tour, like the latest album Step Up to the Microphone, clearly marks a new chapter for the Newsboys, and they mustered everything they could to prove that they still have what it takes to get an entire audience hopping the holy pogo to messages of faith, hope and God's unconditional love.
Former drummer and only founding member still standing, Peter Furler has literally stepped up to the microphone, proving to be as capable a front-man as his predecessor.He lacks some of James's charisma and a wee bit of his vocal talent, but sounds curiously similar in tone and Aussie twang. Furthermore, he seems a bit less benign in his overall stance, which makes the show seem more dangerously exciting, always a good thing for rock’n’roll. The rest of the band, featuring a new drummer (also from Australia), a guitar player from New Zealand, and a few good old American's rounding out the crew on guitars and keyboards, makes for an international cadre of five good home boys playing their best pop ditties. Their collective sound suffered some in the distorted mix, but all their techno-splashed pop rock trademarks were in evidence. Part of their mass appeal is their image, yet they seem to be paying less attention to it now days. Playing down their slick image may enable them to reach a wider audience turned off by what naysayers might call MTV type fancy-pants posturing. At the very least, a diminished emphasis on image may encourage more focus on the music and the message.
Taking their largest cues from U2's successful Zoo TV and Pop Mart tours, the Newsboys incorporated a large boom with a video camera and a hand-held unit to appropriate effect, capturing the band and the audience in various stages of performance and revelry. The images were projected on a giant screen behind the band. Even though the result was a bit amateurish, the overall effect added to the interest level and enjoyment of the evening--especially if you only paid for the nosebleed seats. This large screen was also used to display the "Entertaining Angels" video and other bits of animation and video footage. None of the images were ground-breaking per se, but the overall use of such concert aids did help create a festive albeit confusing atmosphere. The occasional stage antics, like a pair of band members riding bicycles on stage for the encore and the dual drum solo on a spinning circle platform raised to a nearly 90 degree angle by a hydraulic lift, also added the extra elements which made this as much a show of showmanship than a mere band routinely wafting through their current hits.
And the hits just kept coming. Drawing primarily from their last two albums, they virtually ignored songs from their Going Public and Not Ashamed albums, "Shine" being one notable exception. They gave their new songs like the title track and "Believe" from Step Up to the Microphone adequate treatments, but the highlights were "Entertaining Angels" from the new album, and "Breakfast in Hell" from Take Me to Your Leader, which reaped the greatest amount of audience participation and enthusiasm.
The Newsboys themselves don't appear to take themselves too seriously, and that's a good thing. Playing sing-along-able ditties in a contemporary pop style aimed primarily at youth groups is what put them on the map. They haven't strayed from their mission, and they still appear to be having a good time doing what the do. Continuing in the face of changes is commendable, and this tour proves that they can still create a show with more flash than substance, while also managing to make simple but meaningful messages for the encouragement of young people.
Apologies are given to opening acts Third Day and The Waiting. Due
to the travel distance to the show, I was inadvertently delayed and missed
The Waiting's set entirely. I did catch Third Day finishing their set on
a worshipful note with an extended version of "My Hope is You" and their
first album hit "Consuming Fire." The mix on these two was actually better
than the Newsboys show. Those two songs, well-played and heartfelt, were
enough to leave me with profound regret for having arrived so late. I clearly
could have afforded to hear more of Third Day's Southern-styled rock vibes.
What I heard begged for much more attention.
