Back in August I bouhgt tickets for Mark's birthday to the Amy Grant and Micheal W. Smith Christmas concert in Des Moines. The plan was to have our good friends Dan and Angelia join us and go out to dinner before. I wanted to make it a surprise and I tried my best to plan it all out. Last minute Dan and Angelia could not attend due to Angelia's recent surgery. We had just hours to figure out who we would take. We decided to take the boys. I thought it would be a good for them to experience the orchestra and concert. They were not too excited, in fact we didn't give Jake the choice and he reluctantly went along. We all dressed up, boys and Dad wore jackets. We went out to dinner at the Bone Fish grill. I had made dinner reservations elsewhere, but Mark had his preference. By the time we left the restaurant and drove to the concert we were running late. The main parking lot was full and we had to park in a parking garage 3 blocks away on the 3rd floor. I was wearing my new heels, and I never wear heels. I also had gotten a new pant jumpsuit that felt as thin as paper. I was so thankful that it was in the 40's and not a typical bitter cold Iowa December day. I was still plenty cold and my feet hurt, but I didn't complain. We had floor seats and walked in the dark to fund our seats as the concert had already started. It was a great show. The orchestra was fantastic and the boys were really in awe with the sound and how many instruments and musicians it took to make it all flow together. They had never been to anything like it. Jake leaned over to me and smiled as he said, "this is actually pretty cool." He especially loved when the guest singer Marc Martel broke out in his Queens song "Somebody to Love". It was pretty awesome and fun. The rest of the songs were Christmas songs and Marc sang in only a few. The rest of the concert was Amy G and Micheal W.S. They were entertaining, funny, and lovely. It was a great concert and we all enjoyed it. Jake also decided he really loves Micheal W. Smith's song "Glorious". We can almost see Micheal's fingers playing the piano when we hear the song. Throughout the concert Micheal played piano and sang and the cameras would zoom in on him playing. They are both very talented.
The day after the concert, Jake told me he really enjoyed it and I heard Luke say he wished he could go see it again!
I remember many Amy Grant songs growing up. Hearing both Amy and Micheal years ago, I always thought of them as the icons of Christian music. They were the big names in Christian music.
From the internet: About Amy Grant: Amy Grant’s career spans more than 30 years and stretches from her roots in gospel into becoming an iconic pop star, songwriter, television personality and philanthropist. With three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums and four gold albums, her total career album sales have exceeded 30 million. Grant’s chart success has been consistent throughout her career with six No. 1 hits, 10 Top 40 pop singles, 17 Top 40 Adult Contemporary tracks and multiple Contemporary Christian chart-toppers. In addition to her six GRAMMY® Awards, Grant has earned 26 Dove Awards (including four Artist of the Year Awards) and has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as the Music City Walk of Fame. Conventional wisdom has it that Grant put Contemporary Christian Music on the map becoming the first Contemporary Christian artist to have a platinum record, the first to hit No. 1 on the Pop charts and the first to perform at the GRAMMY® Awards. With that, her legacy as one of the most influential artists of the past four decades is assured. In April of 2016, Grant celebrated the 25th anniversary of her iconic hit “Baby Baby” with a worldwide release of the song featuring pop sensation Tori Kelly. Tennessee Christmas released in late 2016, marking Grant’s first all-new holiday album in nearly 20 years. Amy is also married to Vince Gill, a country singer.
About Michael W. Smith: Michael W. Smith has been releasing new music regularly and performing around the world to sold-out crowds for the last 35+ years. During his storied career, he’s written over 35 #1 songs, been honored with three GRAMMY® Awards and 45 Dove Awards, one American Music Award, was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and has sold more than 15 million albums. His most recent USA Today, Yahoo! Music and Billboard-acclaimed studio album A Million Lights and Parade, Good Morning America-featured and GRAMMY nominated live worship album Surrounded have together become his 30th and 31st Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart, more than any other solo artist in history. He’s also given back to the global community. Smith has raised funds to battle AIDS in Africa; started Rocketown, a safe haven for young people in Tennessee to meet and find hope; and has helped more than 70,000 children through Compassion International. He has also written several bestselling books, including Old Enough To Know and Friends Are Friends Forever.
Mar Martel- the 42-year-old singer is a vocal doppelgänger for the Queen frontman. That’s a gift that has led Martel, formerly the leader of a Christian band in Canada, to a lucrative second career in recent years — and a prominent but invisible role in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the hit biopic nominated for five Academy Awards at the Oscars on Sunday. It’s not the life Martel planned, but it’s landed him on “American Idol” and in front of crowds of thousands worldwide. “I keep realizing how weird a situation I’m in,” Martel said in a phone interview. “I’m trying to keep a good head about it.”
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