 | | Newsboys lead singer Michael Tait relaxes with fans (L to R):Sue Adams, Kate Adams,
Bethany Kremmer, Amber Kremmer, Calah Kremmer, Tait and Jeanne Kremmer. |
ON March 7, after 22 years with the Newsboys, Peter
Furler stepped aside as lead singer – the role he’d played for
the past 12 years – to give more attention to family, and his work in
the studio.
Even more surprising – to fans and music industry
insiders alike – was the announcement of his replacement: four-time
Grammy winner Michael Tait, of dc Talk.
The first Canadian show with Tait at the helm was at
Sevenoaks Alliance in Abbotsford, March 28. A capacity crowd was on hand
for this bit of Christian music history.
Before the concert, I’ll admit I was a bit
apprehensive about how the dc Talk/Newsboys fusion would play out.
Thankfully, the night was astounding.
Sure, Tait’s vocals were lacking Furler’s
Australian accent; but his injection of extra soul into these live songs
gave them a new spin – and when the band performed some dc Talk
classics like ‘In the Light’ and ‘Jesus Freak,’ the
church erupted.
Their new studio album, In
the Hands of God, features Furler as lead
vocalist, and releases May 5. So 2009 will be a transition year for the
band, as longtime fans snatch up Furler’s last album and others
eagerly await the first recording with Tait as a Newsboy.
– Kevin Pollard
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April 2009
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