October 18, 2011

Concert Review: Hello Somebody Tour

The City Harmonic and Aaron Gillespie Give Outstanding Omaha Concert

By Holly Wilson/Heartland Gatekeeper

It is hard to understand why less than 100 people turned out for the Hello Somebody Tour in Omaha, Oct. 8. Co-headliners were The City Harmonic and Aaron Gillespie, with guest artist A.J. Cheek.

This is not the first time I’ve been surprised by a small audience at Grace University’s Suckau Chapel for a loaded artist roster. Perhaps the problem was the football clash between Nebraska and Ohio State. Christian music fans who remained glued to the televised game missed an outstanding concert by artists whose growing popularity will require bigger venues in the future.

The Omaha concert had a surprise opening appearance by Orphan’s Cry, a local band from Council Bluffs.

AJ Cheek followed for a solo acoustic set. Best known as the guitarist with two rock bands, Nevertheless and Revive, Cheek is touring as a solo artist. He has the vocal and guitar chops to deliver. Deep bass tones and melodic picking added texture, along with vibrant power chords.

When Cheek paused to open his Bible, a “bookmark” almost slipped to the floor. It was a traffic ticket. Cheek confessed he had been caught speeding - because he was late for church. The young crowd laughed appreciatively at this personal anecdote, particularly within the context of Cheek’s intercessory worship style.

Aaron Gillespie took command with almost no break in the music. As he did at The Rock in Papillion last spring, Gillespie left no doubt in my mind of his unique spiritual and musical gifts.

He opened by hammering a tom drum while standing at a microphone, belting out “Holy Are You God.” AJ Cheek re-emerged to back Gillespie on guitar. Shane Anderson added piano support. Despite the war pitch volume, Gillespie’s vocal clarity was superior to Needtobreathe’s recent Lincoln performance during a short break from the Taylor Swift tour.

Gillespie alternated between drums and guitar, even multi-tasking by simultaneously singing, strumming guitar, and banging the bass drum pedal with one foot. He produced more sound out of his minimalist percussion set-up than other drummers produce with full drum kits.  

Yet the tempo varied with a medley of classic hymns and worship songs. Gillespie can be a metalcore volcano, as evidenced by his substantial contributions to the bands Underoath and The Almost. He also has the heart of a pastor, and this appearance demonstrated his willingness to tap a vast range of musical expression and traditions.

Gillespie’s scriptural contemplativeness is also the theme of his 2011 solo album, Anthem Song.

The audience had little time to wait for The City Harmonic. The Canadians opened with “I Am,” from their Introducing EP. When lead singer Elias Dummer was not at the stage’s edge to shout out to the audience, he hunched over the piano at center stage.

By the time the distinctive opening bars of “Manifesto” arrived, the audience let loose and roared. Dummer removed his marching band-like jacket. The atmosphere was carefree and fun.

A number of songs from the band’s first full-length album I Have a Dream (It Feels Like Home), were played, but not in a way that made the evening about the band. Like Cheek and Gillespie before them, this did not feel like a performance; it was corporate worship with a small crowd of believers.

“I’m sure we have more than one church represented here tonight,” said Dummer. This from a band who has received global recognition for “Manifesto,” their anthem which strings together the words of the ancient Nicene Creed and The Lord’s Prayer.

Unfamiliar songs from the new album (still ten days away from its release date) flowed into the familiar; children’s classics to old-time gospel tunes.

“Spark,” segued into the children’s classic, “This Little Light of Mine.” After a joyous rendition of their new song “Mountaintop,” the band paused. “We’re going to sing a song I’m sure you know if you’ve ever set foot in a church in your beautiful country,” is how Dummer introduced “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”

Why was I surprised to see a large concert drum rolled out onto the stage? After all, The City Harmonic’s opening track on their EP begins with the tuning up sounds of an orchestra just before the curtain lifts.

On the eve of their new album release, The City Harmonic focused on unifying worship music. Light guitar and cymbal accented the Maranantha standard, “I Love You Lord.” When a capella voices finished with “may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear,” the audience followed the band in a reverent singing of Leonard Cohen’s “Halleluiah.”

In the silence after the last note, guitar chords from the mixing board behind the audience turned heads. Aaron Gillespie walked up the center aisle as he opened the finale, a hymn written in 1876. What began as a respectful rendition of “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” eventually morphed into an exuberant declaration of faith.

I missed the nail-biting conclusion of the Husker’s comeback victory, but the evening with The City Harmonic, Aaron Gillespie and the Hello Somebody Tour was worth the sacrifice. †