It all began one bleak mid-winter night in 1994. The Christian contemporary band NewSong was looking for a way to get more people to brave the elements to attend their concert. They decided that another act was needed to provide the buzz and bring in the additional audience. Bob Carlisle of "Butter Fly Kiss" fame was the answer, and the rest is history.
Years later, the buzz continues at even greater decibels as what has grown into the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular brings its multi-artist, ticketless concerts to 31 cities, providing thousands with the opportunity to hear the music and the gospel message.
"It turned from just a small thing into a three-month tour where some of the biggest names in Christian music come out and tour with us in some of the largest venues," said NewSong singer/songwriter/guitarist Bruce Goodwin, via phone from his home outside Atlanta.
The lineup changes, but Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman and Newsboys have all had a hand in making it the biggest annual Christian tour in the country, topping 311,000 paid attendees last year.
This year's Winter Jam carries on the tradition. TobyMac will perform an eclectic mix of rap, reggae, hip hop, funk that appeals to Christians and non-Christians alike.
"TobyMac is definitely a focused man trying to reach a diverse group of people with his music and his message and that is one of the reasons that we love having him on the tour with us," said Goodwin.
NewSong's Christian contemporary sound has been reaching out to listeners since 1981 with 17 albums and 20 number-one hits. "We purposefully try to reach out to not only to just young people, but their parents, to open their hearts to what we have to say," Goodwin said.
Along with evangelist/speaker Tony Nolan, the diverse show will be driven by the rock sound of BarlowGirl, The Afters' guitar-fueled power pop, the piano-driven pop/rock sound of Francesca Battistelli, pureNRG's high energy power pop, and the powerful voice of Stephanie Smith with her edgy pop rock.
"We add new artists every year - ones that are creating the buzz in the industry, as well as long-time artists," Goodwin said.
The initial glimmer of hope they saw in 1994 might get lost in blinding lights and blaring guitars, but NewSong believes in the positive effect of its music. "One night can make a difference in people's lives," Goodwin said. "...We try to utilize every door that God opens for us to speak to as many people as we can."
Christian Music News Source
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