ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 1997 TAG: 9703050067
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Concert Review
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG STAFF WRITER
Steven Curtis Chapman scanned the crowd of 3,033 at the Salem Civic Center on Monday night and cupped his ear with his hand. "Are there any signs of life out there?"
Shouts. Screams. Teen-agers jumping up and down and up and down and up ...
Yep, there were "Signs of Life," which happens to be the name of the album Chapman is promoting on his 80-city tour.
The Christian pop singer started off with "Children of the Burning Heart," for an audience that was already on its feet.
His six-piece band included two drummers, one keyboardist, a bassist and two guitarists, but that didn't stop Chapman from playing his own electric guitar. He traded it in for an acoustic on songs such as "Land of Opportunity," "Signs of Life" and "I Will Be Here."
The stage was set up only with a few platforms for the drums and the spotlights changed from red to green to blue - Chapman's favorite color, according to the tour program. (The program also says he likes pepperoni and mushroom pizza and ``The Andy Griffith Show.'')
The crowd stood for all of Chapman's fast songs, waving their arms back and forth during "Let Us Pray." They settled down for the slower tunes, and filled pauses with shouts of "I love you, Steven."
The band was at its best during a tribute to Andrae Crouch; Chapman was at his best playing lead guitar during "The Walk," or talking to the audience about his family, marriage and God.
"I pray this song will help us say what we need to say, especially when those words are `I forgive you,''' he said, introducing "What I Would Say," a song for the grandfather he never knew.
His voice grew hoarse as he talked about his family - how his son Caleb "tossed his cookies" on the way to the lunchroom Monday, how his other son Will Franklin sometimes "pooches out his lower lip," and how 11-year-old Emily sometimes makes him search in the dark for her bracelets made of string.
They are her treasures, he said, during a 15-minute talk that would have bored a crowd during a normal rock concert. But during Chapman's concert, the audience sat at rapt attention, enjoying his personal story and sermon.
"We all have treasures," he said. "Maybe it's our family, our relationships our treasures are taken away from us? Tonight I ask you to consider with me, the only treasure we have that will never fade, rust or wear out."
That treasure, he said, is God's love.
He picked up his guitar again and launched into "Heaven in the Real World" and "King of the Jungle," following up with "Lord of the Dance," for his encore.
Virginia Fuller, Jenny Cox and Cox's daughter, Amber, got to meet Chapman back stage before the show. All three were impressed with what they called "his gentle spirit."
"I didn't know what to say," said Amber, 12, who walked away with an autograph for herself and one for her church.
"I asked him about his wife," said Fuller, who had been trying all week to win tickets to the show through a local radio station. Jenny Cox, who knew how much Fuller wanted to go, invited her as her guest. The backstage meeting was an added surprise.
"He was really nice," said Fuller, who spent much of Monday watching the clock for the 7:30 concert.
"The most wonderful thing is I know all of these artists are going to glorify the Lord when they get on stage," said Jenny Cox.
And the musicians did spend much of their performances pointing to a higher power.
You know how at rock shows, all the band members have to do is mention the name of the city they're playing in and the crowd goes wild?
That's what Salem Civic Center was like each time the singers said the name Jesus Christ. (The crowd yelled when they said ``Salem,'' too.)
"Tonight's not about Carolyn Arends or Audio Adrenaline or even Steven Curtis Chapman," Audio Adrenaline's Mark Stuart said after opening with a cover of "Free Ride." "It's all about the very son of God, Jesus Christ."
The audience members knew Audio Adrenaline from the band's opening performances last year for DC Talk. And they were ready to sing along when called upon for "Big House."
Arends played too short a set for her strong voice. The crowd was so ready for the evening's performances that people even screamed and shouted when she mentioned she was from Canada.
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