Plus One/Stacie Orrico/ Rachael Lampa/DJ Maj
Concordia University
St. Paul, Minnesota
Plus One wowed around 2,000 screaming fans with its tightly choreographed, highly theatrical show, replete with three costume changes, several "get-to-know-us" interludes with individual members (Nate Cole, Nathan Walters, Gabe Combs, Jason Perry and Jeremy Mhire) and a surprisingly articulate message of faith and hope. And they did it all on a school night!
From the beginning, the sparsely decorated stage and minimal lighting gave the distinct impression that this is a boy band on a budget. But these teen sensations deserve credit for neatly blending their Christian pop songs with h
igh-energy performances and encouraging, if lightweight, testimonies. For example, Perry, one of three pastors’ kids in the group, shared his faith as well as a prayer. However, both included a healthy dose of charismatic verbiage which may have been hard for the uninitiated (i.e. unchurched kids) to understand. The real prayer was followed by a simulated one (complete with kneeling in front of plastic chairs) during "I Need a Miracle," before Walters brought things back down to earth with a brief Michael Jackson impersonation.
Other than a little harmless self-promotion—namely encouraging fans to watch the group’s performance on "Live With Regis and Kelly" the next morning—it was all pretty tame. Cole (Plus One’s answer to Justin Timberlake) spoke humbly about "making the band," as well as about the group’s recent media appearances. He encouraged the crowd, "If you have dreams, I say, ‘Go for it!’ God promises to take care of you"—which was a smooth segue into the title track from Plus One’s debut album, The Promise.
Despite portraying juvenile delinquents on an episode of CBS’ "Touched by an Angel" earlier in the week, the Plus One boys looked (and sounded) angelic at the end of the show wearing all-white ensembles. They closed out the night singing their hit song, "Written on My Heart," while waving matching white scarves which they later threw into the audience.
The deafening drone of the cheers, whistles and screams gave way when opening acts Rachael Lampa and Stacie Orrico returned (dressed in white, to match their male counterparts), along with a choir of back-up singers wearing black robes, for the final encore, "When Your Spirit Gets Weak."
Orrico opened the evening with a four-song set that included her popular, yet ironic, hit "Don’t Look at Me." With support from three back-up singers/dancers, her well-choreographed performance came off very much like a more modest and brunette Britney Spears. Lampa’s sparkly outfit and heavy makeup may have made her look like Orrico’s twin, but her more mature vocal talent definitely set her apart from her teen pop sister.
DJ Maj played host to the Plus One house party, spinning jams in between sets and throwing out free stuff to the waiting masses.
Overall, the Plus One concert showcased three of Christian music’s rising stars, all of whom have positive messages to share with their young fans—even if they don’t have it all figured out yet. It’s definitely worth the price of admission if you’re a fan of the music (or if your kids are).