Who: Victorious Sky Tour, Skillet
Where: Mobile Civic Center, Mobile, Alabama
When: October 16, 2019
I have been reflecting on concerts that I photographed during 2019. There were a few that had the most impact on me. In previous articles, I wrote how Avatar was my favorite concert. Lacuna Coil was the most powerful performance. Another show that stood out was Skillet, who delivered the most inspirational performance of the year. The band performed at the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama in October on their Victorious Sky Tour.
Skilletâs first song of the night was âFeel Invincibleâ from their album, Unleashed. Jen Ledger started the song off with a pounding drum rhythm. John Cooper joined in on vocals, bouncing up and down along with guitarists Korey Cooper and Seth Morrison. Ledger jumped in throughout the song alternating vocals with Cooper. The two continued this pattern of alternating vocals throughout the night. Morrison contributed a tremolo picking solo which was followed by a short interlude with K. Cooper on keyboards switching from rhythm guitar.
Many Christian Rock bands stop mentioning their faith during performances. They become more secular in their approach. As they achieve crossover success, some don’t want to labeled a Christian band afraid it will limit their appeal. Skillet, however, is not afraid to share their faith in God while on stage. Prior to performing their hit âHeroâ, Cooper talked about how he âwrote this song for the one person who has never, ever, let me down. That is the person that gives me hope when I have no hope. That is my hero, Jesus Christâ.
The most emotional part of the night is when the band performed âVictoriousâ. Prior to the song, Cooper shared how he loved the lyrics and voice of Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park who committed suicide in 2017. This inspired him to write the song, not just for Bennington, but for the people like him that he meets at every concert. They tell him âI just donât know if I want to keep living. I donât know if this world would be a better place without me. I feel all aloneâ. Cooper said âVictoriousâ was Skilletâs way of letting them know âthat no matter where you are, where you come from, what you look like, the color of your skin, what you believe, whatever your feeling is, that you matter to God and you are specialâ. The performance was inspiring.
The show was more than just a musical performance. It was a theatrical experience keeping the interest of the audience throughout. âYou Ainât Readyâ saw Cooper wear arm devices that were used to spew smoke throughout the song. My favorite song of the night was âAwake and Aliveâ. The song started with a somber cello solo by touring member, Tate Olsen. Cooper joined in on keyboards. Ledger left her drum set and moved to the front of the stage to sing alongside J. Cooper. Later in the song, Ledger went back to her drums and the song went more up-tempo. Cooper grabbed her guitar and both her and Morrison took their place on platforms, to the left and right of Ledger. The platforms continuously ascended and descended fifteen or more feet in the air, while the two played their guitars.
I photographed numerous concerts during 2019. Skillet was one of my favorites. One fan spent her 60th birthday at a Skillet show and as J. Cooper said, âI love itâ¦Skillet fans range from 4 to 104â. Whether you are young or old, Skillet puts on a show that anyone can enjoy.
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Post and photos by Scott Raymer (Website | Instagram | Facebook)
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The post Skillet Delivers the Most Inspirational Performance of 2019 appeared first on Concert Crap.
