Review by Francesca Torquati

The second annual Rock and Worship Road Show kicked off March 18 of last week, beginning it’s tour across the US and back again for what is sure to be the best show 2010 has boasted thus far. Sporting an impressive line-up with the likes of Fee, Francesca Battistelli, Family Force 5, David Crowder*Band and MercyMe, the Road Show is three hours of some of the biggest names in Christian music, and a concert everyone should head out to see when it hits their area.

Pre-show at the tour’s third stop in Council Bluffs, IA began 20 minutes after the doors opened with the Sidewalk Prophets and Remedy Drive. The Dove award nominated Sidewalk Prophets worked masterfully through some early technical difficulties to pull together their two-song set before Nebraska natives Remedy Drive took the stage with a high flying four-song set including customary piano acrobatics on the part of front man David Zach and an inspiring speech on hope. Fans who show up early get to interact with both of these bands for some pre-show games and contests including an iPad giveaway.

The official Road Show kicked off with Fee taking the stage for a five-song set that included their own rendition of “How Great Thou Art.” Fee gave a solid performance for Francesca Battistelli to follow up with some of her own hits during a six-song set that closed with “Free to be Me” and an encouraging talk from the young woman.

Next, the highly anticipated southern rock band Family Force 5 took the stage to give one of their legendary performances, utilizing their massive drum machine the “Family Force 5000” and front man Soul Glow Acitvatur’s traditional hulk gloves. This show was a little different from a traditional FF5 show, as security wouldn’t allow the customary mosh-pit up front and fans had to dance from their seats. Despite the lack of party atmosphere that this move caused, Family Force 5 delivered a fantastic performance of stage shenanigans alongside a set boasting seven of their hit songs and brand new stage costumes before David Crowder*Band took the stage.

The David Crowder*Band of Waco, Texas gave no doubt one of the most spectacular shows of the night, their ultra-popular “How He Loves” causing shivers as the stadium continued in refrain while the band faded out. After some light banter about the location of the show—no one was actually certain whether they were playing in Iowa or Nebraska—the Crowder band led the audience into “a good old fashioned ho-down” for their own version of “I Saw the Light” before a few songs from their new album Church Music closed the set.

After David Crowder there was a longer set change as the stage was cleared for the show headliner MercyMe. During this time MercyMe promoted child sponsorship causes and Steve Fee took the stage again to lead worship. When MercyMe’s set began, the band was decked out in suits designed around their upcoming album, The Generous Mr. Lovewell and the set opened with a cover of the Beatles “Revolution” before bleeding into “So Long Self” and continuing to play two tracks from their upcoming album. The new song “Move” was upbeat enough to cause a chain of people to begin making their way through the stadium in a conga line, and a picture video of fans accompanied the hit “I Can Only Imagine,” the legendary song front man Bart Millard wrote after his father passed away due to cancer.

After “I Can Only Imagine” Bart Millard launched into a speech customary for the headlining performer. He discussed love and loss, and healing through Christ before closing the fantastic show with “God With Us” and quietly leaving the stage.

The Rock and Worship Road Show boasts some of the biggest names in the Christian music industry, and is a show folks don’t have an excuse to miss with tickets only running ten dollars at the door. Even those who wait four hours in line for the doors to open are promised some pre show fun from the opening bands, and most of the artists stick around after the show to meet fans, including Family Force 5, who signed autographs for all of their fans right after the show. The twenty-five-show tour is making its way all across the United States in the next month, so if you have a chance, head out and see it.

To find out if and when the Rock and Worship Road Show will be near you, check out the Concert Finder.