Concert Review: Chris Tomlin

I don’t know if this is anybody’s official definition of the term, but I believe worship can best be summed up as the constant state of being amazed at God. And if this description ever makes it into a respectable dictionary, it would most certainly apply to Chris Tomlin. That’s because, during a recent concert date in Los Angeles, he had a look on his face that said, ‘Look at me! I am enthralled with my Maker.’

Toward the end of the set, Tomlin admitted he had no idea how well he sounded when singing his many familiar praise songs. And that might possibly be a bad thing, especially since this show was filmed for an eventual DVD release. So while it’s uncertain how this overall performance will look and sound in the intimate privacy of your living room, the sold out audience at Universal City’s Gibson Amphitheatre loved every minute of it, simply because it felt like a special, God-centered night.

For those who have not yet experienced a Tomlin concert, you may want to think of one this way: It’s like the best worship you’ve ever participated in at church, played by a topnotch band, and sung by the guy who wrote most of the songs. And man, it was tough to get into the right frame of mind while singing at church the next day! It all just paled in comparison. Know what I mean?

Tomlin’s set both opened and closed with “Sing, Sing, Sing”, from his recent Hello Love release. And that’s exactly what the audience did – sing, that is. Even though all the lyrics were up on the big screens, most everybody knew them by heart already. Tomlin and his sparse but tight band tore through “Your Grace Is Enough”, “Jesus Messiah”, “How Great Is Our God” (of course), and many more. He quieted things down considerably for “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, and then nearly lost it when it came time to do “Love”. This is because, just before singing the tune, he brought on the same Ugandan children’s choir that sang with him for the CD. I wish you could have seen his face; he was grinning from ear to ear. Oh, and by the way, his young ‘backup singers’ didn’t appear nervous at all as they smiled, danced in circles and generally had the time of their lives.

Tomlin then soldiered on in a joyful daze by performing more “hits,” such as “I Will Rise”, “Indescribable”, and “Holy Is the Lord”. For his encore, he brought out Israel Houghton to put a little extra soul into “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”. He then reprised “Sing, Sing, Sing”, said goodnight, then went backstage to try and figure it all out. There was definitely magic out there, that’s for sure.

Israel Houghton opened the night with a criminally short set. But such is the fate of openers. At one point he even asked how many in the audience knew who he was, and only about half recognized him at all. (Criminal, once again). Nevertheless, these concert goers sang along with “Say So”, “Friend of God”, and “You Are Good”, even though the singer was still a relatively new face to them.

Anyone who left this venue without experiencing a state of amazement at God must have spent the whole night in the snack bar with his or her face planted in a plate of nachos or something. Indeed, God was truly in this place.

Photo Credit: Juan Leonel

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