Events|June 04, 2014 09:41 EDT
K-LOVE Fan Awards 2014 Songwriters Showcase Features Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Scott Stapp, Casting Crowns, and More (PHOTOS)
For day two of the K-LOVE Fan Awards weekend events, the actual radio station hosted an intimate songwriters showcase which featured acoustic sets from Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, and many more.
BreatheCast attended the event which even included some of the artists in the audience enjoying the music from their peers. Steven Curtis Chapman hosted the event and opened up with the song "Love Take Me Over." Chapman certainly added comical relief to the event by introducing most of the acts by whistling their songs while playing on a ukulele.
First up was Tim Timmons, and he performed his song "It Starts with Me." During his set he asked the audience if they wanted a "revival" in their cities and towns in the name of Jesus. He then asked, "What if revival is not suppose to start in your town?" He also shared that "as song writers we actually get to write our prayers."
Next up was the popular band, New Song. They have 18 albums and 20 Christian No. 1's in total for their 30 years in ministry. They created the successful Winter Jam Tour that is currently No. 1 in all of the first quarter tours of all genres.
The lead singer shared that while he was in South America once, he held a 10-year-old little girl that felt as if she was four because she was so frail. He explained that during that experience God said to him, "Right now in this moment you've figured out what it's really like to minister to the least of these."
He then said that he and the band came home and wrote "Could it Be." They went on to perform the song acoustically.
K-LOVE Fan Awards co-host Matthew West was up next, and performed his hit song "The Motions." The singer is known for singing songs about the stories of other people's lives but said, "This story is the story of my life." He admitted that his is "A burnt out preachers kid that's still recovering."
He said many believers like "to look the part, but not be the part." He revealed he was one of those believers but one day at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert "God" called him into ministry.
"Gods calling you not to to go half way but all the way," he advised before singing "Hello My Name is."
After West came six time Grammy Award winner and music pioneer Amy Grant. Before introducing Grant, Chapman shared that Grant came to his house with a plate of brownies to help console his family at a recent function they held to remember their late daughter. He said, "it may sound like a silly thing but says so much about the heart and soul."
Grant sang the song "If I Could See You." "I do believe that the right song at the right time could be a life line," she shared before performing "El Shaddai."
Singer Chris August went on after Grant and shared some wisdom he had about song writing. "I was told if you have to explain a song then it's not a very good one." He then went right into his hit song, "Starry Night "
The band Sanctus real was up next and performed their "Lead Me" song pitch perfectly. They also announced their new album The Dream is set be released 9/16.
The lead singer singer of popular mainstream band Creed graced the stage at the songwriters showcase as well. Now a solo artist, Scott Stapp declared that "God is good" and said "it's good to be home." He performed his mainstream hit "With Arms Wide Open" and said "it's taken on so many different meanings to me."
He then performed his latest single "Dying to Live." Stapp said, "I was thinking of all the things that literally needed to die in my life."
Singer Britt Nicole who has had five No.1 singles, one of which went gold, took to the stage to performed the edgiest number of the night, her song "Gold." She shared that while her family broke up she "found Jesus" in the middle of that.
Jason Gray went on after Nicole and spoke of his new album, Love Will Have The Final Word. Gray said he believes "pain is holy" and God uses it to crack open "your heart." He then sang his song and had every one in the crowd feeling emotional.
Kristian Stanfill from Passion City Church in Atlanta sang the worship song, "One Thing Remains." He then spoke of the new Passion album Take It All and performed his new song "My Heart Is Yours."
Matt Maher was named "the best looking gray headed man in the business" by Chapman. His latest album is, And All the People Said Amen. He told the crowd that we as a church should focus on the things "we agree on." He performed "Lord, I Need You."
Francesca Battistelli then hit the stage and performed "Write Your Story" off of her most current release If Were Honest. She stated that on this album "I just wanted to be the most me."
Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall performed next, but before his performance he declared, "I'm a Christian music fan." He made it clear that God does not love him because 'I'm' good, "He loves me because He's good." Casting Crowns has had eight million albums sold but stated that "Everybody knows we're messed up."
Crowder made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry House performing "I Am" from his new album Neon Steeple, which was released this week. He also led everyone in worship with "How He Loves Us."
After a night of singers and their acoustic songs, Chapman ended the evening with the song "I'm diving In."
