Brandon Lake Sells Out California Show and Declares: ‘We Are Living in Some Type of Revival’
Michael Foust
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By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
Christian artist Brandon Lake is selling out shows in liberal strongholds and impressing mainstream music critics, all the while not straying from the Jesus-centric message that defines his music.
A sold-out crowd of 15,000 fans on Sunday showed up for a Lake concert by packing San Jose’s SAP Center, a facility that is best known as the home to the city’s NHL Sharks and that typically draws a sea of passionate, jersey-wearing hockey fans.
“Tonight is not about me,” Lake told the crowd. “But it is about one man – and His name is Jesus.”
The Hard Fought Hallelujah singer is currently on his 48-city King of Hearts tour, which will take his high-energy music from Florida to California and every region in between, demonstrating that Christian music is not just a niche subculture but has a broad and growing reach nationwide. Franni Cash is opening.
Music critic Jim Harrington of The Mercury-News newspaper attended Lake’s San Jose show – and was impressed.
“That all of this was happening in the heart of Silicon Valley/Bay Area – widely known as one of the least religious and most ‘unchurched’ areas in the country – only made this accomplishment more impressive, greatly underscoring the historic nature of Lake’s trajectory as an artist,” Harrington wrote. “Simply put, this 35-year-old talent is drawing attendance numbers at the box office that are simply astounding – arguably beyond anything ever seen in the CCM genre before.”
Lake’s song Count ‘Em sounded “like something that could hail from the Foo Fighters catalog,” Harrington said. Even so, Lake has an uncanny “ability to go from big rock star spectacle to intimate moment at the drop of a hat,” Harrington wrote.
During one moment, Lake walked into the audience to pray over a concertgoer. Toward the end of the show, he even gave an invitation, urging those who had not done so to accept Christ as their Savior. Thousands lifted their hands, saying they had prayed the salvation prayer.
Lake is unique in that he has embraced not only worship but also pop, rock, and even hip-hop, as evidenced in a song he performed with L.A.-based hip-hop artist Skema Boy, Harrington wrote.
Lake turned the arena into a “massive revival tent,” Harrington wrote.
“I think we are living in some type of revival,” Lake told the crowd. “And I think that 15,000 people showing up in San Jose is evidence of it.”
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Photo Credit: ©Dove Awards/Tessa Voccola
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
