Rock and Worship
Seven of the most popular Christian musical groups are scheduled to perform during the second annual Rock and Worship Road Show at the Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Ave., on Sunday.
Grammy-nominated MercyMe will headline the concert, with ticket proceeds going to two charities: Imagine a Cure, which supports research in juvenile diabetes, and Compassion International, a nonprofit that provides worldwide medical assistance to those in need.
MercyMe has won eight Dove awards and sold more than 5 million albums. They have experienced some crossover success with their latest album, "All That Is Within Me." It debuted on Billboard's Top 200 chart at No. 15. The David Crowder band, Family Force Five, Fee, Francesca Battistelli, Remedy Drive and Sidewalk Prophets round out the musical lineup.
Last year's Rock and Worship show was the venue's first opportunity to host a Christian concert, says Darren Davis, executive director for Orleans Arena.
It was deemed a success, drawing a near-capicity crowd of more than 7,000. This year, Davis expects to exceed that number. Last year, people arrived to stand in line at 8 a.m. for the evening concert.
A combined 170,000 people attended the Rock and Worship Road Show, which makes stops in 25 cities, Davis says.
The bands don't play gospel music, Davis notes. Instead, their sounds are a mixture of Christian rock and worship songs.
"People who follow Christian music at all will know these bands," Davis says. "It's a genre that has its own unique set of listeners and it's got its own awards system."
The event is open to all ages. General admission tickets are sold at the door on the day of the show for $10. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with the show starting at 6 p.m.
For more information, call 284-7777 or visit orleansarena.com.
Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review journal.com or 702-380-4564.
