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By Kevin Pollard
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 took
place March 28 at Sevenoaks Alliance Church in Abbotsford, B.C. A capacity
crowd was on hand for this piece 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 dc Talk classics
‘In the Light’ and ‘Jesus Freak,’ the church
erupted.
Tait also made himself accessible off-stage, showing
his affable side while fraternizing with fans.
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The Newsboys’ next 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.
The group also performed in Toronto and Gatineau. They
are currently on an extensive North American tour, and may schedule further
Canadian concerts.
Options Spring 2009
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