NEEDTOBREATHE, Mat Kearney, John Mark McMillan, and Welshly Arms
Marymoor, Redmond, WA
09.01.16

A decade into their recording history, NEEDTOBREATHE brings out a crowd as faithful as the come. The South Carolina-based Christian rock band brought their “Tour De Compadres” to Redmond’s Marymoor Park for a night of impressive musicianship and songwriting. And the crowd stayed put despite steadily increasing rain.

First up for the night were Welshly Arms, a six-piece out of Cleveland who delivered a short but stunning set of throwback rock. Their sound seamlessly combines blues, R&B, and soul with strong, four-on-the-floor rock and the growly vocals of lead vocalist/guitarist Sam Getz. They come off as both organic and incredibly polished, with great live energy

Up next, Christian alt-rock artist John Mark McMillan took the stage with his full band, everyone clad in coordinated white pants and Hawaiian shirts, McMillan with a white blazer to top it off. “This is a song about giving up, ” he said, before kicking off the set with “Guns/Napoleon,” from his 2014 album Borderland. A handful of tracks showcased McMillan’s rangy voice before he closed the set with a solo cover of Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”

When Mat Kearney took the stage, the crowd started to really fill in the main floor space, yelling in excitement. A major pop player on both the secular and Christian charts, Kearney has an uncanny ability with catchiness, crafting tracks that instantly get the crowd singing and dancing along. His unique songwriting – combining beautiful guitar melodies with spoken word and hip hop lyricism – feels natural and not overly processes, while still completely radio-friendly.

Kearney started with “Air I Breathe” and “Hey Mama,” both great examples of his tempo-redefining style and emotionally resonant lyrics. With a full band in tow, Kearney puts on a great, enthusiastic live show, interacting often with the crowd, bantering about his Northwest upbringing and the local soccer fields. Near the end he recalled many of the other local venues he had played on past tours, joking about the fairground shows, and taking a selfie with the crowd. “Runaway” features a break into U2’s “Where the Streets Have no Name” and “Heartbeat” sees Kearney doing synchronized dance moves with his bassist. A fantastic live set, as always.

On to the headliner, NEEDTOBREATHE, with the wet grass mostly vacated for the standing-room main floor area, and the rain hard to ignore. But it’s not stopping anyone in the crowd from having a good time. The kicked off their set with “Great Night” off their latest 2015 album “Hard Love,” amongst plenty of smoke and strobe lights. Their country-influenced Southern rock is big and brash and bold, and they know how to put on a show, especially charismatic front man William Stanley “Bear” Rinehart III, who took plenty of time addressing the crowd between songs.

“Feet, Don’t Fail Me Now” carried a bit more scratch and bass, guitarist Nathaniel Bryant “Bo” Rinehart flying all over the stage. Their anthemic tracks have the passion and chemistry to ignite a crowd. “Money and Fame,” an ode to the harsh realities of the business described a blunt truth with an edge not common to their tracks, while “Multiplied” featured a female backup singer, slow buildup, and faithful hands in the air. Slow, emotional ballad ‘Difference Maker” saw the same worshipful feeling spread through the audience, and the lawn definitely started to feel a bit like being taken to church.

Review by Stephanie Dore
Photos by Phillip Johnson

NEEDTOBREATHE, Mat Kearney, John Mark McMillan, and Welshly Arms