I went and saw Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant in concert the other night. Amy Grant was the "warm-up" act, which kind of surprised me. Everyone stayed seated for the entire time she performed, which seemed kind of unusual to me. I thought that maybe it was just a very conservative glued to their seats kind of crowd. I didn't want to get up unless at least a few people around me did, and that never happened.
Eventually Michael W. Smith came out and played piano for some of the songs they wrote together. The crowd liked that pretty good. Then it was time for his concert, and every started clapping and rose to their feet, and I realized everyone was there to see him. After a worship song or two, I overheard a man behind me say, "now that's a Christian song".
Amy Grant sang a lot of her early songs that were very biblical. There were songs about not compromising your faith and values, and songs about how the simple godly life a Christian leads can be more important in God's eyes than "Hallelujahs". And later more songs about God's word guiding our steps, and songs about looking forward to heaven in light of the evil in the world. I honestly think the comment about finally hearing a Christian song was a snapshot into the minds of a lot of people glued to their seats that night, and it reminded me of how judgmental Christians can be. I know of another person who refused to go to the concert because of not liking Amy Grant (anymore). And yet, Michael W. Smith admitted to using Cocaine before signing his first record deal, and he seems to be acceptable to all the Amy Grant haters. Her ex-husband remarried and divorced, and has been arrested for DUI in recent years, but I guess he's just off of everyone's radar.
I guess I have just started feeling bad for her. She is very cognizant of her mistakes, pointing out that she and Michael W. Smith had between them been married 3 times. She talks a lot about not knowing where life was going to take her, and similar comments about her life, and her past. She seems to me to be someone that not only has had to deal with the reality that is true of all of us - that she is a sinner, but she also seems to be someone that has had a lot of pointing fingers remind her of it for many years, without really knowing any of the detailed circumstances of her life.
That doesn't keep people from their hatred, though. I told my wife that night that since there's a "Friends of Amy" fan club, I bet there's an "Enemies of Amy" site also. Well, maybe not by that name, but I did find sites claiming she was flashing the "Satanic Salute". Others that said she "worships Satan". Others that said that because of her divorce she can never represent the Christian community in any way. It just goes on and on.
I'm guessing the people in the audience didn't know of her Satanic ties, otherwise they probably would have been more critical of Michael W. Smith for cavorting with her. Whatever level of dissatisfaction they had with her, evidently silence was the perfect way to express it. For me, the silence was deafening, a little stifling, and very strange. For Amy Grant, it was probably just another day.
I was there that night too. I am a card-carrying 20 year plus member of the "Friends of Amy"club and at the soundcheck before the show was thrilled to have finally got to meet Michael. Sadly, there isn't much dancing going on at Amy's shows. This was my 4th one this year. Past experiences have taught me that standing up at concerts doesn't go over well with the "older" audiences. It was all I could do to remain seated while she sand "Love of Another Kind" and "Lead Me On". I was proud of the group of girls to the right of the stage who danced for most of the concert. Christians seemed to be the worst at judging each other and everyone else. We are supposed to be loving and forgiving as our Father did to us...
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what kind of reaction people gave Amy when she hit the stage or what songs Smith and her did after his set. I guess in the end it was a Smith concert and Amy was asked to come along for the ride, like in the days when it was the other way around. I do not understand how people are still harping on Amy for her personal life choices, she has acknowledged them, paid the ultimate price for them as so many others in the CCM marketplace have such as Sandi Patti, Michael English, and Susan Ashton. The reality is that God did not make us perfect, if He had, we wouldn't need him now would we? I guess in the end, what transpired in MI is just another example of how people can carry ignorance and stupidity to a new level, even after so many years. Amy's music today reflects where she has been for the past 20 years writing songs about her faith and singing about that in a way that people can relate to, and unfortunately the man behind you was too blind and ignorant to get that. Not much more one can say about ignorance and being stupid and judgemental. As for Smith, he wouldn't have a crowd to sing to if it weren't for Amy Grant sharing her stage with him so many years ago! People forget that - it seems!
ReplyDeleteAmy Grant was not the "warm up" band. The concert was a co-bill between the two of them meaning they each were on the stage for the same amount of time, Amy just went on first. Having not been in the audience that night I can not comment on the audience response but my friend that was there said that people stood during Michael W. Smith's worship songs because that is what people do -- stand during worship -- where as Amy does not do worship songs even if her songs have themes of faith. I was told that Amy got two standing ovations so I hardly think no one was there to see her or there was negative energy -- she just isn't a worship artist that has everyone standing with their hands in the air.
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