Concert Date: 3rd December 2015
The most epic of tours landed in Hartford City, IN on a Thursday night in early December. The One Life Tour featured not only the upbeat Loftland and entertaining KJ-52, but also powerhouse rock bands The Protest and headliners Disciple.
The Protest was up first, and they received an exceedingly warm welcome, this show being so close to their hometown. After getting the crowd amped up with The Rocky Theme, they went right into their hit “Rebel Static.” Being that this was The Protest’s last night on the tour, and only a couple days from the end of the One Life Tour, the end-of-tour pranks were in full force. The members of The Protest were rocking out in top form, completely in the zone, when Joey West, drummer for Disciple, snuck up behind Jarob Bramlett’s drum set. Joey then began firing off a nerf gun aimed at the other band members, catching everyone by surprise.
The Protest gave it their all, and the audience showed their appreciation with enthusiastic applause and cheers. The band closed out their incredible set with the ever popular “Chambers” before exiting the stage. The crowd erupted, chanting: “one more song!” Emcee and speaker of the evening Sean Park invited The Protest back to give the crowd what they wanted. They certainly did not disappoint, playing “Throw the Roses” as requested by several people in the crowd.
Next up was Loftland, who got the crowd moving with their infectious beats and catchy songs. During one song, they even invited a few people from the audience up on stage to have a dance contest. Each member of Loftland is quite talented and their superb skills were on full display that night.
KJ-52 kept the energy going during his set. It was next to impossible to stand still, and KJ did a wonderful job of encouraging crowd participation. At one point, he asked people to hand him random objects. He received items such as a gameboy and a can of mints, and he created a rap about those items right on the spot. Laced through all of his lyrics was the encouraging message of the hope of Jesus Christ. At one point during his set, members of The Protest and Loftland ran on stage dressed in hilarious costumes, such as a Roman soldier and a pink Easter bunny, showcasing their impressive dance skills.
There was a short break between bands during which Sean Park gave a brief message. He began by holding up pieces of paper cut out in the shape of well-known items, such as a football, a gun, and an iPhone. He connected those examples with the concept of being a genuine Christian, and how it can be easy to say you’re a Christian, going through the motions and saying the right things without having a true, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, just as those paper cut outs were simply images of the genuine items.
It was finally Disciple’s turn. The lights dimmed and the music began, building in intensity as the band took command of the stage. The lights on the stage exploded to life as Disciple’s first song punched the air. They opened with “Sayonara,” a killer rock track from their new EP Vultures, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Their set also featured “More,” another fantastic song from the EP, as well as many other popular hits from their tremendous catalogue of songs.
As is their tradition, lead singer Kevin Young took a few moments to speak, bringing an incredible message of hope and encouragement. He had the crowd hanging on every word as he shared a few powerful stories of people he has met along his journey. Kevin began with the story of a young woman about to take her own life. She did not believe in God at the time, but for some reason, in that moment, she decided to say a prayer, asking God to prove Himself and prove that He loved her. She then reached for the radio dial, almost as if her hand had a mind of its own. The song that began to emanate from the speakers was Disciple’s “After the World,” in which God is telling His children that He has loved them ever since they were born, and will continue to love them, even after the world is no more. At this point, the band chimed in, playing “After the World.”
Kevin then told the story of a young man who had countless self-inflicted scars all over his arm, leg, and back. When Kevin asked him about the scars, the young man explained that he felt like nobody noticed him, almost as if he were invisible. The cuts were his way of getting people to see him. The band then transitioned into their uplifting song “Invisible,” which assures that we are not invisible to the Creator. After that song, Kevin shared a few more words before picking up the bass and joining the band for “Lay My Burdens,” a very poignant moment for all in attendance.
The rest of the night served up plenty more rock and roll and one last end-of-tour prank. While Disciple was playing “Scars Remain,” the guys from The Protest rushed the stage carrying their guitars, bass, drum sticks, and mic stand, proceeding to “play along” with Disciple.
Disciple closed the show with an encore, performing “Game On,” a crowd favorite, sending everyone off renewed and refreshed. All in all, it was a night of heart-pounding, head-banging music, encouraging and uplifting messages, and amazing new memories made among good friends.
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