The Shadow
The Newsboys, a Christian pop rock band originally founded in 1985, had a concert in Roanoke on Friday night, September 29th at the Berglund Center. During their set, which lasted approximately 2.5 hours, the popular band played songs of old and new including “Breakfast,” “Jesus Freak” (originally recorded by DC Talk in 1995), “King of Kings,” “God’s Not Dead” (from the popular 2014 movie of the same name in which they appeared as themselves), and “Revelation Song,” among others.
Newsboys were founded in 1985 as a Christian rock band by then-members Peter Furler and George Perdikis. They started out in a garage in Australia, later adding a few friends and naming themselves “The News.” However, around the same time, Huey Lewis and the News were popular in the states and so, they feared people would confuse them, so they changed their names to Newsboys.
They rose to fame in the mid 90’s when their fifth studio album “Going Public” was released. It included songs like “Spirt Thing,” Truth and Consequences,” and —what was arguably the most popular song on the album— “Shine.” “Shine” would go on to win the Dove award in 1995 for “Rock Recorded Song of the Year.” Dove awards are given by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) in the U.S. and are akin to the Grammy Awards, but for the Christian music scene.
Although the Newsboys have seen members come and go over the years for various different reasons, the band remains a staple in the Christian pop rock music community and have gained fans throughout the generations. Today, they are made up of Adam Agee, Jody Davis, Jeff Frankenstein, Duncan Phillips, Michael Tait (formerly of DC Talk and Tait). They are currently based in Nashville, Tennessee.
At one point during their concert on Friday night, their newest band member Adam Agee (6 months and counting, according to Tait) shared information regarding the Newsboys partnership with “Children International.” “Children International” is an organization that pairs sponsors with children struggling with poverty overseas. According to Tait, the organization is at the heart of why the Newsboys do what they do. After sharing information with the audience on how they can become a sponsor, there was a brief intermission to allow those who wished to participate an opportunity to get the ball rolling and fill out the paperwork. Immediately following the concert, the Newsboys shook hands and took pictures with every person —and every person in their party— who chose to sponsor a child living in poverty.
Concert-goer Abigail Bush stated, “I love their new music! Their new songs were awesome!” Bush attended the concert with date, Jordan Bailey, and three others in her party, one of whom chose to sponsor a child through “Children International.” That person has chosen to remain anonymous for the sake of this article. Regardless, all members in Bush’s group met the Newsboys. It was an opportunity Bush and Bailey say they were “thrilled about” as longtime fans of the inspirational —and influential— Christian group.
The next stop for the Newsboys will be in Georgia mid-October before they head off to South Carolina, Florida, New England, and Minnesota, capping off their October concert dates. To read more about how you can get tickets to see the Newsboys, visit them at https://www.newsboys.com/tour/ for more information.
