But I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in the concert. Not with the music, which was excellent. Chris’ music has a blues/jazz/pop rock kind of thing going on. It’s really fun to listen to. And the musicians traveling with Chris did an excellent job. Chris himself played acoustic guitar for most of the concert (piano at one point), and then there was a guy on the synthesizer/keyboards, another who played the bass guitar, and a superb drummer. Together the quartet belted out some great sounding tunes. It sounded almost like the CDs. I love it when musicians “reproduce” in concert the way they sound on CDs–always the sign of a great musician.

So why the disappointment? It wasn’t the music, but the message. When Christians attend a Christian concert, they want to feel “connected” to the artist, and to God. We don’t want to be entertained so much as ministered to. And when the music is purely entertainment, it leaves you feeling kind of empty. Chris didn’t do much talking, which can be good or bad depending on your perspective. I personally like to hear the artist’s story–his or her biography. What’s going on in their lives. Their struggle, and how God is making a difference in that struggle. It was that which was lacking in Chris’ concert. He mentioned at one point that’s he’s a pretty positive guy. Maybe he dosen’t have struggles like I do, who knows? I suspect he’s a very private person, and that’s OK. I’m just saying that for me personally, his lack of “connection” with the audience, his lack of sharing his testimony, left me kind of cold.

Don’t get me wrong…I will continue to buy Chris Rice CDs. I find his music uplifting and challenging, as I’ve said. Perhaps he prefers to just let his music do the talking. That’s fine with me! But I won’t be in a hurry to attend another live Chris Rice concert anytime soon. I’ll stick to buying the CDs.

What about you? Did you attend? Do you have a different take? I know these kinds of things are really subjective. Whether you agree or disagree, let me know in the comments.

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