Spirit West Coast brings hits to Concord Pavilion
“I Can Only Imagine” was one of the surprise hits of the year, grossing more than
$85 million to date at the worldwide box office while costing just $7 million to make.
It now stands as the third-highest grossing music biopic of all time, trailing only the N.W.A. film “Straight Outta Compton” and the Johnny Cash picture “Walk the Line” (at No. 1 and 2, respectively) and ranking above such acclaimed outings as “Ray,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “La Bamba” and “Amadeus.”
The feel-good film tells the story of the song of the name — the best-selling Christian music single of all time — and the story of the man who wrote it.
The author’s name is Bart Millard (marvelously played in the film by actor J. Michael Finley) and the amazing song addresses his relationship with his father (well-portrayed by Dennis Quaid).
Bay Area fans will get to see the real Millard when he leads his platinum-selling band, MercyMe, at the Concord Pavilion on Sunday as part of the annual Spirit West Coast concert.
Of course, there are probably a lot of people who saw the film but don’t really know Millard and MercyMe beyond that one record-breaking song. Should those folks consider attending the show?
Absolutely. If they do, they’ll quickly find that MercyMe has a ton of good songs, which should hold appeal to anyone who digs “I Can Only Imagine.” A good MercyMe starter kit includes such hits as “Word of God Speak,” “Here with Me,” “You Reign,” “In the Blink of an Eye,” “Bring the Rain” and “God with Us.” So, I’d recommend streaming those to see if you might enjoy a full MercyMe set.
Another selling point is that MercyMe is only one of the many talented acts performing at Spirit West Coast.
Here’s a look at some of the other artists, with a few recommended songs to stream for each:
KARI JOBE >> She’s one of my favorites in the contemporary Christian music genre, blessed with a soaring, gorgeous vocal ability that is put to great use on such songs as “I’m Singing,” “We Are,” “Fall Afresh,” “The Cause of Christ” and, my favorite, “Forever.”
PHIL WICKHAM >> The San Diego singer-songwriter is best known for the chart-topping single “This Is Amazing Grace,” from his 2013 album “The Ascension.” Other notable tracks include “Safe” (featuring MercyMe’s Millard), “After Your Heart” and “Your Love Awakens Me.”
TAUREN WELLS >> The former frontman for the Grammy-nominated band Royal Tailor, Wells released his debut solo album, “Hills and Valleys,” in 2017. Check out the album’s title track and “When We Pray,” both top 10 singles.
BLANCA >> She came to fame as a member of Group 1 Crew, but left the band in 2013 and then delivered her self-titled solo debut two years later. Listen to “Real Love” and “Who I Am.”
FOR ALL SEASONS >> The Southern California worship band released its debut EP, “Clarity,” earlier this year, featuring the singles “Higher,” “Bigger Than” and No Other.”
Others to take the stage include Danny Gokey, Andy Mineo, the Young Escape, Shelene Bryan and Nick Hall.
Showtime is 3 p.m. Tickets start at $22; www.transparentproductions.com.
SO, WHAT’S A SKRUK? >> The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir has done some amazing collaborations over the decades, including working with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Duke Ellington Orchestra, MC Hammer and Linda Ronstadt.
The choir even performed alongside the famed Muppets rock act Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band in the middle of Golden Gate Park during the 2016 Outside Lands festival. (And, yes, it was every bit as epic as it sounds.)
The choir’s latest collaborator is SKRUK, the acclaimed Norwegian choral group that formed in 1973 and is led by conductor Per Oddvar Hildre.
“SKRUK is one of the best groups I have ever heard,” says Terrance Kelly, OIGC artist director.
The collaboration began in 2015 when the two choirs joined forces for three sold-out performances at the Molde International Jazz Festival in Norway. And it continues with a West Coast tour, which features each choir performing individually as well as together. The latter should be something special to behold.
OIGC and SKRUK perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, 4 p.m. Sunday at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, 7 p.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, and 6 and 8 p.m. Tuesday at Napa Methodist Church in Napa. For more information on all these performances, go to www.oigc. org.