MercyMe

It was my first time going to a concert and I am 63 , I heard that MercyMe was going to be in Everett and I really wanted to go but I didn't have the money but to my surprise my sister for my birthday which was April 23rd decided to buy me tickets to go see it, it was so amazing I did not know that there was other bands that were going to be playing too, so I am so glad I went and mercy me was amazing

Everyone was excellent ! MercyMe is one of my top 2 bands (tied with TobyMac). Their music is so lyrical & so much fun, and the lyrics speak to all of us - in our most difficult moments, we can lay our burdens at the foot of the cross and surrender to Jesus! So many thought provoking words, woven into a tapestry of love. Bart stopped and spoke to us a few times, explaining how some songs came about and what they meant to him. It was such a personal experience for him to “let us in” like that. It’s hard to be so vulnerable, and to explain how some of their songs were written with and about that vulnerability. I had never seen Zack Williams before, but I really like his music. Sam Wesley was great! He is Bart Millard’s son, and he even came out and sang with MercyMe a bit! The last time I saw MercyMe (last year) he sang a song with them but was kinda tentative about it. This time he was energetic and full of the Spirit! Great night all the way through!! If you haven’t seen MercyMe in concert, I highly recommend you to. It was an amazing, Spirit filled journey!

I saw Mercy Me back in the early 2000’s and loved the concert. A lot of artists lose their vocal ability as they grow older & I expected Mercy Me to be the same. I was TOTALLY wrong! This concert was AMAZING and Bart Millard’s voice is as strong and clear as it ever was. I highly recommend it! They sang a lot of new songs that will be featured in a new album coming later this summer, and still treated us to a few of their most popular old songs. The whole arena was singing with them & it was very worshipful. Zach Williams & Sam Wesley were both great opening acts. This was one of the BEST concerts I’ve ever been to.

The concert was incredible. Especially Mercy Me who'd we'd never experienced before. Wow, sooo moving. Unfortunately the traffic was terrible getting into Baltimore so we were a bit late and only heard a couple of the last songs of Zac Williams who'd we'd enjoyed before and was incredible. Toby Mac I had loved before as well. I hope that We'll be able to see another "full" show of Toby's. With there being three main acts, and all headliners, it of course seemed Toby and Zac Williams had to cut theirs Unfortunately a bit short. The concert did run a little bit longer than a 2 act ine but just wasn't quite the same Unfortunately but Mercy Me seemed at least for us to really shine. Maybe also because we'd never seen them before and their mainstream songs are so familiar and heart stiring. The parking garage was extremely stressful but we finally found parking actually on the "way down," woa, which actually helped us get out once the show was over. I can't imagine the wait for the hundreds of cars behind us. The UBERS, had the streets blocked ridiculously waiting to pick up fares. That was so poorly done, but the show was amazing.

Adventist Health Arena, as a venue, did not disappoint. Parking was easy, and leaving the parking complex proved to be quick and easy -- a pleasant difference from Golden 1 Center. Adventist Health Arena had more than one exit lane open, and there were multiple attendants directing traffic in the parking complex. The sound in the arena was good, though I felt there was too much bass in the mix. At times, it was difficult to hear the singer because the bass was too high. The attendants and food service were pleasant, restrooms were clean and well stocked, and the merch volunteers were awesome. The acts did not disappoint! I was excited to see MercyMe -- They don't visit this area much, so I took this opportunity to finally see them. Their set was a good mix of new music and some classics. I can't wait for their new album to be released! The Newsboys never disappoint, and I can honestly say I'm now a fan of David Leonard. Both artists' sets were entertaining.

Concert was great. Even though Bart had laryngitis, he stuck it out and still did an amazing job. Felt bad for him, you could tell he was not feeling well, but he stayed up there and refused to quit! Look forward to seeing them again. Venue is good, don't waste your money on the premier pass unless you plan on spending enough money to make up the costs on food and drinks. We had a shorter entry line but the general admission doors were in faster than those going through the premier pass door. Won't do that again. 3rd concert at this venue. VIP tickets are worth it. Especially if you get early entry!! Much better than premier entry.

We love MercyMe. We love thier message, thier music and have seen them live frequently. Honestly, we are not going this time because of the venue. The last few concerts we have driven over an hour to see the show only to be misdirected by police into parking lots that are not allocated and having to figure out back routes to get to the parking that we've already paid for. The signage is not clear. We have started avoiding concerts at this arena. We will go other places to see MercyMe.

The show was absolutely amazing!! The venue had a lot to be desired. This was my 2nd time to attend a concert at The Family Arena. My first time was for Winter Jam and we sat on the floor, so we did not sit in the stadium seats. If I ever come to The Family Arena again I will NOT sit in the stadium seats. They were the most uncomfortable seats ever. Everyone around me was complaining about how low they sat and how uncomfortable they were. This was a sold out concert and for how expensive the tickets were, you would think that the seats could be a lot more comfortable. I have attended multiple events at St. Louis Enterprise Center and they have a lot better seating and they are much more comfortable. Ripp, Crowder and Mercy Me did not disappoint, but like I said, for the price of the tickets the seats were horribly uncomfortable, for short and tall people.

The MercyMe concert was so awesome that it's hard to put into words. If you want my opinion you just have to witness it for yourself. I was really hoping that they would sing I Can Only Imagine since that's a big hit for them & they didn't disappoint. The best part of the show was the very last song which was Happy Dance. I thought that it was so cool they shot confetti & streamers into the crowd to end the show. That's the first Christian concert that I've been to that's done that.

I really enjoyed the concert! I really liked the acoustics at the arie crown! The beer drinking lounge was old school! I remember being down in that area in the 70s with my dad and uncle getting to meet Walter Payton. Nice volume, because my ears were not ringing. It did get too late for us old fogeys. Seems to be the trend. I counted 6 songs from their newest album. I know I will grow to like the new songs more over time. MercyMe has not changed much through the years. It was more about the music for me than the show.

I went to see Tenth Avenue North. Tenth Avenue North is my favorite Christian band of all time. Mike Donehey is very talented. I respect their decision to break up and go back home to their families. They are very spiritual and family minded. As for MercyMe, I wasn't sure if I would like the band but they surprised me. They are very talented and play excellent music. Their testimony was amazing. I also saw the movie "I can Imagine" about MercyMe's journey to stardom. I really enjoyed the music and I'm glad I stayed to hear MercyMe.

MercyMe: 11/18/22 “I could almost imagine this concert not taking place as it was rescheduled from 2021 exactly one full year later, a year and a half after original ticket sales opened up. The original show scheduled 11/18/21 was postponed one week prior due to ‘several personal testing positive for Covid’. Billed as the ‘Inhale (Exhale) Tour’, it would turn out to be an entirely different show this year heavy on the last two releases 2021 & 2022 (9 songs) and light on their early material 1994-2013 with just 2 songs). On a plus side the opener changed from what would have been Micah Tyler to Rend Collective, a big win for me! Being only remotely familiar with anything other than my well worn MercyMe essentials ‘Almost There’ (2001) and ‘The Generous Mr. Lovewell’ (2020), I wasn’t at first too excited about the setlist, but being my first time seeing the band Live I took what I could get. The Oklahoma based band featured a seasoned line-up with two original members and the rest going way back: Bart Millard (vocals) and Michael John Scheuchzer (guitars/keys) from their very beginnings in ’94. In addition there were Robby Shaffer (drums — ’97), Nathan Cochran (bass/keys — ’98), and Barry Graul (guitar — ’03). Upon entrance to the arena I made my way to a pair of really good lower bowl seats 115/E for a first glimpse of the stage. The straight-forward set up was stage L to R: guitar/keys, drums (platform), vocals, bass/keys (platform), guitar. One single stage length video screen which occasionally served as five tall-skinny ones provided the background, while consecutive stage length sets of floor lights provided the forefront. The band took the stage at precisely 8:44 for a 1:45 hour/21 song set. Beginning with ‘Grace Amazing’ from the new release ‘Always Only Jesus’ the band steamrolled through 4 consecutive songs prior to addressing the audience with a note of thanksgiving, ‘Thanks for waiting, man I can’t even find my receipts from last week so you guys are doing a great job still having tickets’! Bart at times seemed apologetic when introducing the new material, ‘We’ll give you a little fair warning before we start doing a couple new songs so you can take a bathroom break’. With due respect, the set had a great designed flow and the new mixed in well with the old weaving in songs such as ‘Move’ (complete with disco ball and a 70’s/80’s vibe), ‘Grace Got You’ and audience favorites, ‘Flawless’ and ‘Then Christ Came’. ‘Better Days Coming’ from the new album had a subtle and fun reggae flavor Live not noticeable on the studio rendition. ‘Almost Home’ seemed organically to capture the audience as hands began to lift breaking out at first in different pockets and moving throughout the arena. Attenders experientially identifying with the song’s lyrics swayed along, ‘Brother, it won't be long soon all your burdens will be gone. Sister, run wild, run free, hold up your head keep pressing on. We are almost home.’ Mid-set there was a fire pit scene, the band seated circled around a realistic looking campfire a front a videoscreen-wide backdrop of a wooded forest evening scene complete with the twinkling of fireflies. ‘Welcome to our makeshift fire pit, it’s the magic of the fire pit, and so I’m telling you, this will be the moment you talk about when the night’s over.’ That particular moment would be a sing-along of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’. Side note (and in all good humor), it was performed minus the ‘misty taste of moonshine’ lyric so I suppose it was indeed just a little closer to ‘almost heaven’! There were numerous chorus’ of other well known songs mixed in that could have added to the total song count if all were tallied up that tied in various segments of the performance: ‘It Is Well With My Soul’ (Traditional), ‘Great God Almighty’ (David Crowder), ‘I Love You Lord’ (Petra), and ‘Graves Into Gardens’ (Elevation). However the theme of the evening was as straight-forward as the stage set up was, Bart summarizing it best, ‘If nothing else if we can spend the next, I don’t know, hour and a half, how ever long we’re together and just try to remind the body of Christ that our common denominator has to be Jesus’! During band intros, Bart introduced guitarist Barry as being a native of South Carolina to a round of cheers, only to inform the enthused crowed that he was merely joking and that Barry was really a native of Baltimore. The moment folks waited for did come at the encore, ‘I Can Almost Imagine’ with lyrics overlaid over a close up of Bart’s singing on the screen, and a super fun and energetic rendition of ‘Happy Dance’ culminating in a shower of confetti, then streamers. Bart again leading the charge, ‘the last song is the dumbest song we’ve ever written in our entire lives, it’s called ‘Happy Dance’. ‘When I get to the chorus and I yell “Happy Dance” we need the whole building to start dancing like you’re out of your stinking minds, don’t let us down’! A ‘Dance Cam’ captured various audience members dancing and we definitely didn’t disappoint him. In an act of fan appreciation after the show all CD’s including the newest release were made available (as the band has done for years) at cost for a mere $5 a piece, an amazing gesture! Two personal observations were one, the sound was terrific for the Wellness Arena, I’m not sure if it was my location (lower bowl center) or if I’m just so used to rock shows typically being so beefed up. The other being there was very little personal interaction between band members (the evening’s show being sandwiched between a prior evenings performance in Birmingham and a following evening’s show in West Virginia), it made me wonder whether this is typical of the band or if they were on a mission to wrap up the few remaining dates and get home for the holidays. The show itself had two openers, first was Andrew Ripp of Nashville with a two person (or who he called ‘cats’) back-up on guitar and drums. It was his first show of the tour performing without a boot for his broken foot and he took advantage of the freedom from restriction letting us know that this was ‘the first weekend playing that I’m playing these shows without a broken foot - that’s what happens when you turn forty years old and you’re just walking’, and ‘I know you all came her to see me play to tonight but you’re definitely gonna want to stick around (i.e. for MercyMe)’ Andrew performed a total of 4 songs in a 20 minute set. The second opener, Rend Collective from Northern Ireland dating back to 2007 as a musical ‘Experiment’ were amazing! The 6 piece folk-rock band featuring fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordion, and trumpet, all dressed in green jumpsuits (apparently bought on Amazon) with circular patches featuring a lighthouse emblem entertained the 2/3 full arena with Irish dancing, a shower of bubbles, and truly top notch instrumentation. Lead singer Will Heron trying out a southern ‘Y’all’ called out, ‘Are y’all for singing Church? Let’s sing of God’s faithfulness tonight, He’s our light and our salvation, here we go!’ The must see band performed a lively and uplifting 7 song/40 minute set.” Review and photo by DAve (Concert #727)

When I purchased my tickets, they were scheduled to play at the Riverside, and it wasn't until my party got to the riverside that we were told it's at Miller high life theater. We decided to walk, got lost and made it there half an hour late... not a great start. But God got us there before Mercy Me started and they did not disappoint. I was informed by the check in attendant that they are known to switch theaters. I was not notified of this switch and will be reluctant to visit a downtown event in the future... it was not girl's night out friendly.😔

Show was great! Smooth entry into the stadium. Very clean event. Openers were fantastic. I originally made sure to purchase tickets to watch Rend Collective, and the bonus band was MercyMe, but I realized that I love both of them. I wish Rend had more time on stage, but then it would have gone on until well past midnight if Rend had more time on stage. It was really neat to have Bart's son Sam come on stage and sing one of the songs with him. And the campfire feeling was perfect! Loved the concert!

Mercy Me NEVER disappoints! I have missed them touring (due to COVID) and was super excited to when I saw their tour schedule. Their music, stage set, lighting/ sound team, opening acts- everything was completely AWESOME! It was a fun night filled with blessings, singing along with the almost everyone in the place, and many laughs. Bart is one of the best entertainers across any genre. His spirit is infectious and his voice is such a gift to the masses. His voice and range is like a fine wine- literally gets better with age! The harmonies of this group is simply beautiful on every song. This group is gifted and such a testimony of not only love, hope and faith but brotherhood and friendship! Being together for more than 28 years- they still bring a fresh, boyish charm to the stage. I ALWAYS try to see them when possible and have left every show awestruck. These gentlemen literally do what they love in Jesus Name.

All the performers were phenomenal as always. Mercy Me remains in my top 5 favorite live concerts. Thank you for making it possible to see them again! Of note the smoke machine was too much at Eagle Bank Arena (Fairfax, Va). Before the show ever started there was a constant fog that skewed visuals of the screens for those of us that were higher up in the seating arrangements. Possibly a smoke machine, definitely didn’t need it. Also I noticed during the Mercy Me intro the panels behind the band was supposed to say BREATHE but the T and the H were swapped. So it was spelled incorrectly. Not sure if intentional or by accident but wanted to share. Also we noticed the belly button area of the arena was consistently empty around the entire arena body. Not sure if a third party was selling those specific areas and were unsuccessful unloading them but there were full crowds at the foot and the head of the arena but the belly button middle areas were 90% empty. Those seats were not available when we purchased our tickets so we found it strange they were empty. Great time for our family, thanks again and may God bless and carry you in your journey ahead. Tracey

We had a girls night - my 84 year old mom, 2 of our best friends and me. Micah Tyler was excellent and Bart + MercyMe did not disappoint; they are all so humble and talented. It was just a blessing and made great memories. We all came together and celebrated our deceased friend and sister, who died earlier this year from pancreatic cancer. We had all seen the Imagine movie together and had always planned to see MercyMe after that. I cried like a baby but enjoyed every minute. The only negative is the arena served beer/cocktails and I just found that a little odd at a Christian concert.

This started as another opportunity to see MercyMe in concert, but when I read about this event, I knew it was karma and calling for me to attend. Have wanted to increase my spiritual life, self evaluation, acknowledging how important God is in my life, and being with like women seemed to be the appropriate way! When I decided to make this trip, I discussed it with a close friend and coworker who decided she wanted to attend bring her mom. The 3 of us had a beautiful experience and have all preregistered for 2020. We are going to share our experiences with our friends and bring a larger group next year!

Wished Crowder had performed more! It’s strange because I don’t consider Crowder to be an opening act - Micah Tyler was lovely! Genuine and clearly moved during his performance. 1st time ever seeing MercyMe- Bart is a hoot, very entertaining. His son performing was absolutely a blessing I did not see coming. What a joy to have passed on to the next generation such a gift, not just the love of music - but clearly the love of God. It was a great time, great music. ❤️

It was my first time going to a concert and I am 63 , I heard that MercyMe was going to be in Everett and I really wanted to go but I didn't have the money but to my surprise my sister for my birthday which was April 23rd decided to buy me tickets to go see it, it was so amazing I did not know that there was other bands that were going to be playing too, so I am so glad I went and mercy me was amazing

Everyone was excellent ! MercyMe is one of my top 2 bands (tied with TobyMac). Their music is so lyrical & so much fun, and the lyrics speak to all of us - in our most difficult moments, we can lay our burdens at the foot of the cross and surrender to Jesus! So many thought provoking words, woven into a tapestry of love. Bart stopped and spoke to us a few times, explaining how some songs came about and what they meant to him. It was such a personal experience for him to “let us in” like that. It’s hard to be so vulnerable, and to explain how some of their songs were written with and about that vulnerability. I had never seen Zack Williams before, but I really like his music. Sam Wesley was great! He is Bart Millard’s son, and he even came out and sang with MercyMe a bit! The last time I saw MercyMe (last year) he sang a song with them but was kinda tentative about it. This time he was energetic and full of the Spirit! Great night all the way through!! If you haven’t seen MercyMe in concert, I highly recommend you to. It was an amazing, Spirit filled journey!

I saw Mercy Me back in the early 2000’s and loved the concert. A lot of artists lose their vocal ability as they grow older & I expected Mercy Me to be the same. I was TOTALLY wrong! This concert was AMAZING and Bart Millard’s voice is as strong and clear as it ever was. I highly recommend it! They sang a lot of new songs that will be featured in a new album coming later this summer, and still treated us to a few of their most popular old songs. The whole arena was singing with them & it was very worshipful. Zach Williams & Sam Wesley were both great opening acts. This was one of the BEST concerts I’ve ever been to.

The concert was incredible. Especially Mercy Me who'd we'd never experienced before. Wow, sooo moving. Unfortunately the traffic was terrible getting into Baltimore so we were a bit late and only heard a couple of the last songs of Zac Williams who'd we'd enjoyed before and was incredible. Toby Mac I had loved before as well. I hope that We'll be able to see another "full" show of Toby's. With there being three main acts, and all headliners, it of course seemed Toby and Zac Williams had to cut theirs Unfortunately a bit short. The concert did run a little bit longer than a 2 act ine but just wasn't quite the same Unfortunately but Mercy Me seemed at least for us to really shine. Maybe also because we'd never seen them before and their mainstream songs are so familiar and heart stiring. The parking garage was extremely stressful but we finally found parking actually on the "way down," woa, which actually helped us get out once the show was over. I can't imagine the wait for the hundreds of cars behind us. The UBERS, had the streets blocked ridiculously waiting to pick up fares. That was so poorly done, but the show was amazing.

Adventist Health Arena, as a venue, did not disappoint. Parking was easy, and leaving the parking complex proved to be quick and easy -- a pleasant difference from Golden 1 Center. Adventist Health Arena had more than one exit lane open, and there were multiple attendants directing traffic in the parking complex. The sound in the arena was good, though I felt there was too much bass in the mix. At times, it was difficult to hear the singer because the bass was too high. The attendants and food service were pleasant, restrooms were clean and well stocked, and the merch volunteers were awesome. The acts did not disappoint! I was excited to see MercyMe -- They don't visit this area much, so I took this opportunity to finally see them. Their set was a good mix of new music and some classics. I can't wait for their new album to be released! The Newsboys never disappoint, and I can honestly say I'm now a fan of David Leonard. Both artists' sets were entertaining.

Concert was great. Even though Bart had laryngitis, he stuck it out and still did an amazing job. Felt bad for him, you could tell he was not feeling well, but he stayed up there and refused to quit! Look forward to seeing them again. Venue is good, don't waste your money on the premier pass unless you plan on spending enough money to make up the costs on food and drinks. We had a shorter entry line but the general admission doors were in faster than those going through the premier pass door. Won't do that again. 3rd concert at this venue. VIP tickets are worth it. Especially if you get early entry!! Much better than premier entry.

We love MercyMe. We love thier message, thier music and have seen them live frequently. Honestly, we are not going this time because of the venue. The last few concerts we have driven over an hour to see the show only to be misdirected by police into parking lots that are not allocated and having to figure out back routes to get to the parking that we've already paid for. The signage is not clear. We have started avoiding concerts at this arena. We will go other places to see MercyMe.

The show was absolutely amazing!! The venue had a lot to be desired. This was my 2nd time to attend a concert at The Family Arena. My first time was for Winter Jam and we sat on the floor, so we did not sit in the stadium seats. If I ever come to The Family Arena again I will NOT sit in the stadium seats. They were the most uncomfortable seats ever. Everyone around me was complaining about how low they sat and how uncomfortable they were. This was a sold out concert and for how expensive the tickets were, you would think that the seats could be a lot more comfortable. I have attended multiple events at St. Louis Enterprise Center and they have a lot better seating and they are much more comfortable. Ripp, Crowder and Mercy Me did not disappoint, but like I said, for the price of the tickets the seats were horribly uncomfortable, for short and tall people.

The MercyMe concert was so awesome that it's hard to put into words. If you want my opinion you just have to witness it for yourself. I was really hoping that they would sing I Can Only Imagine since that's a big hit for them & they didn't disappoint. The best part of the show was the very last song which was Happy Dance. I thought that it was so cool they shot confetti & streamers into the crowd to end the show. That's the first Christian concert that I've been to that's done that.

I really enjoyed the concert! I really liked the acoustics at the arie crown! The beer drinking lounge was old school! I remember being down in that area in the 70s with my dad and uncle getting to meet Walter Payton. Nice volume, because my ears were not ringing. It did get too late for us old fogeys. Seems to be the trend. I counted 6 songs from their newest album. I know I will grow to like the new songs more over time. MercyMe has not changed much through the years. It was more about the music for me than the show.

I went to see Tenth Avenue North. Tenth Avenue North is my favorite Christian band of all time. Mike Donehey is very talented. I respect their decision to break up and go back home to their families. They are very spiritual and family minded. As for MercyMe, I wasn't sure if I would like the band but they surprised me. They are very talented and play excellent music. Their testimony was amazing. I also saw the movie "I can Imagine" about MercyMe's journey to stardom. I really enjoyed the music and I'm glad I stayed to hear MercyMe.

MercyMe: 11/18/22 “I could almost imagine this concert not taking place as it was rescheduled from 2021 exactly one full year later, a year and a half after original ticket sales opened up. The original show scheduled 11/18/21 was postponed one week prior due to ‘several personal testing positive for Covid’. Billed as the ‘Inhale (Exhale) Tour’, it would turn out to be an entirely different show this year heavy on the last two releases 2021 & 2022 (9 songs) and light on their early material 1994-2013 with just 2 songs). On a plus side the opener changed from what would have been Micah Tyler to Rend Collective, a big win for me! Being only remotely familiar with anything other than my well worn MercyMe essentials ‘Almost There’ (2001) and ‘The Generous Mr. Lovewell’ (2020), I wasn’t at first too excited about the setlist, but being my first time seeing the band Live I took what I could get. The Oklahoma based band featured a seasoned line-up with two original members and the rest going way back: Bart Millard (vocals) and Michael John Scheuchzer (guitars/keys) from their very beginnings in ’94. In addition there were Robby Shaffer (drums — ’97), Nathan Cochran (bass/keys — ’98), and Barry Graul (guitar — ’03). Upon entrance to the arena I made my way to a pair of really good lower bowl seats 115/E for a first glimpse of the stage. The straight-forward set up was stage L to R: guitar/keys, drums (platform), vocals, bass/keys (platform), guitar. One single stage length video screen which occasionally served as five tall-skinny ones provided the background, while consecutive stage length sets of floor lights provided the forefront. The band took the stage at precisely 8:44 for a 1:45 hour/21 song set. Beginning with ‘Grace Amazing’ from the new release ‘Always Only Jesus’ the band steamrolled through 4 consecutive songs prior to addressing the audience with a note of thanksgiving, ‘Thanks for waiting, man I can’t even find my receipts from last week so you guys are doing a great job still having tickets’! Bart at times seemed apologetic when introducing the new material, ‘We’ll give you a little fair warning before we start doing a couple new songs so you can take a bathroom break’. With due respect, the set had a great designed flow and the new mixed in well with the old weaving in songs such as ‘Move’ (complete with disco ball and a 70’s/80’s vibe), ‘Grace Got You’ and audience favorites, ‘Flawless’ and ‘Then Christ Came’. ‘Better Days Coming’ from the new album had a subtle and fun reggae flavor Live not noticeable on the studio rendition. ‘Almost Home’ seemed organically to capture the audience as hands began to lift breaking out at first in different pockets and moving throughout the arena. Attenders experientially identifying with the song’s lyrics swayed along, ‘Brother, it won't be long soon all your burdens will be gone. Sister, run wild, run free, hold up your head keep pressing on. We are almost home.’ Mid-set there was a fire pit scene, the band seated circled around a realistic looking campfire a front a videoscreen-wide backdrop of a wooded forest evening scene complete with the twinkling of fireflies. ‘Welcome to our makeshift fire pit, it’s the magic of the fire pit, and so I’m telling you, this will be the moment you talk about when the night’s over.’ That particular moment would be a sing-along of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’. Side note (and in all good humor), it was performed minus the ‘misty taste of moonshine’ lyric so I suppose it was indeed just a little closer to ‘almost heaven’! There were numerous chorus’ of other well known songs mixed in that could have added to the total song count if all were tallied up that tied in various segments of the performance: ‘It Is Well With My Soul’ (Traditional), ‘Great God Almighty’ (David Crowder), ‘I Love You Lord’ (Petra), and ‘Graves Into Gardens’ (Elevation). However the theme of the evening was as straight-forward as the stage set up was, Bart summarizing it best, ‘If nothing else if we can spend the next, I don’t know, hour and a half, how ever long we’re together and just try to remind the body of Christ that our common denominator has to be Jesus’! During band intros, Bart introduced guitarist Barry as being a native of South Carolina to a round of cheers, only to inform the enthused crowed that he was merely joking and that Barry was really a native of Baltimore. The moment folks waited for did come at the encore, ‘I Can Almost Imagine’ with lyrics overlaid over a close up of Bart’s singing on the screen, and a super fun and energetic rendition of ‘Happy Dance’ culminating in a shower of confetti, then streamers. Bart again leading the charge, ‘the last song is the dumbest song we’ve ever written in our entire lives, it’s called ‘Happy Dance’. ‘When I get to the chorus and I yell “Happy Dance” we need the whole building to start dancing like you’re out of your stinking minds, don’t let us down’! A ‘Dance Cam’ captured various audience members dancing and we definitely didn’t disappoint him. In an act of fan appreciation after the show all CD’s including the newest release were made available (as the band has done for years) at cost for a mere $5 a piece, an amazing gesture! Two personal observations were one, the sound was terrific for the Wellness Arena, I’m not sure if it was my location (lower bowl center) or if I’m just so used to rock shows typically being so beefed up. The other being there was very little personal interaction between band members (the evening’s show being sandwiched between a prior evenings performance in Birmingham and a following evening’s show in West Virginia), it made me wonder whether this is typical of the band or if they were on a mission to wrap up the few remaining dates and get home for the holidays. The show itself had two openers, first was Andrew Ripp of Nashville with a two person (or who he called ‘cats’) back-up on guitar and drums. It was his first show of the tour performing without a boot for his broken foot and he took advantage of the freedom from restriction letting us know that this was ‘the first weekend playing that I’m playing these shows without a broken foot - that’s what happens when you turn forty years old and you’re just walking’, and ‘I know you all came her to see me play to tonight but you’re definitely gonna want to stick around (i.e. for MercyMe)’ Andrew performed a total of 4 songs in a 20 minute set. The second opener, Rend Collective from Northern Ireland dating back to 2007 as a musical ‘Experiment’ were amazing! The 6 piece folk-rock band featuring fiddle, banjo, mandolin, accordion, and trumpet, all dressed in green jumpsuits (apparently bought on Amazon) with circular patches featuring a lighthouse emblem entertained the 2/3 full arena with Irish dancing, a shower of bubbles, and truly top notch instrumentation. Lead singer Will Heron trying out a southern ‘Y’all’ called out, ‘Are y’all for singing Church? Let’s sing of God’s faithfulness tonight, He’s our light and our salvation, here we go!’ The must see band performed a lively and uplifting 7 song/40 minute set.” Review and photo by DAve (Concert #727)

When I purchased my tickets, they were scheduled to play at the Riverside, and it wasn't until my party got to the riverside that we were told it's at Miller high life theater. We decided to walk, got lost and made it there half an hour late... not a great start. But God got us there before Mercy Me started and they did not disappoint. I was informed by the check in attendant that they are known to switch theaters. I was not notified of this switch and will be reluctant to visit a downtown event in the future... it was not girl's night out friendly.😔

Show was great! Smooth entry into the stadium. Very clean event. Openers were fantastic. I originally made sure to purchase tickets to watch Rend Collective, and the bonus band was MercyMe, but I realized that I love both of them. I wish Rend had more time on stage, but then it would have gone on until well past midnight if Rend had more time on stage. It was really neat to have Bart's son Sam come on stage and sing one of the songs with him. And the campfire feeling was perfect! Loved the concert!

Mercy Me NEVER disappoints! I have missed them touring (due to COVID) and was super excited to when I saw their tour schedule. Their music, stage set, lighting/ sound team, opening acts- everything was completely AWESOME! It was a fun night filled with blessings, singing along with the almost everyone in the place, and many laughs. Bart is one of the best entertainers across any genre. His spirit is infectious and his voice is such a gift to the masses. His voice and range is like a fine wine- literally gets better with age! The harmonies of this group is simply beautiful on every song. This group is gifted and such a testimony of not only love, hope and faith but brotherhood and friendship! Being together for more than 28 years- they still bring a fresh, boyish charm to the stage. I ALWAYS try to see them when possible and have left every show awestruck. These gentlemen literally do what they love in Jesus Name.

All the performers were phenomenal as always. Mercy Me remains in my top 5 favorite live concerts. Thank you for making it possible to see them again! Of note the smoke machine was too much at Eagle Bank Arena (Fairfax, Va). Before the show ever started there was a constant fog that skewed visuals of the screens for those of us that were higher up in the seating arrangements. Possibly a smoke machine, definitely didn’t need it. Also I noticed during the Mercy Me intro the panels behind the band was supposed to say BREATHE but the T and the H were swapped. So it was spelled incorrectly. Not sure if intentional or by accident but wanted to share. Also we noticed the belly button area of the arena was consistently empty around the entire arena body. Not sure if a third party was selling those specific areas and were unsuccessful unloading them but there were full crowds at the foot and the head of the arena but the belly button middle areas were 90% empty. Those seats were not available when we purchased our tickets so we found it strange they were empty. Great time for our family, thanks again and may God bless and carry you in your journey ahead. Tracey

We had a girls night - my 84 year old mom, 2 of our best friends and me. Micah Tyler was excellent and Bart + MercyMe did not disappoint; they are all so humble and talented. It was just a blessing and made great memories. We all came together and celebrated our deceased friend and sister, who died earlier this year from pancreatic cancer. We had all seen the Imagine movie together and had always planned to see MercyMe after that. I cried like a baby but enjoyed every minute. The only negative is the arena served beer/cocktails and I just found that a little odd at a Christian concert.

This started as another opportunity to see MercyMe in concert, but when I read about this event, I knew it was karma and calling for me to attend. Have wanted to increase my spiritual life, self evaluation, acknowledging how important God is in my life, and being with like women seemed to be the appropriate way! When I decided to make this trip, I discussed it with a close friend and coworker who decided she wanted to attend bring her mom. The 3 of us had a beautiful experience and have all preregistered for 2020. We are going to share our experiences with our friends and bring a larger group next year!

Wished Crowder had performed more! It’s strange because I don’t consider Crowder to be an opening act - Micah Tyler was lovely! Genuine and clearly moved during his performance. 1st time ever seeing MercyMe- Bart is a hoot, very entertaining. His son performing was absolutely a blessing I did not see coming. What a joy to have passed on to the next generation such a gift, not just the love of music - but clearly the love of God. It was a great time, great music. ❤️