By Candace Combs
Jason Crabb certainly took a leap, and it worked! This leap was an unusual set on the Friday night of the National Quartet Convention. Following Crabb’s performance, the rest of the night was different. Crabb had brought those in attendance back to their roots. And from there, the other stage artists were able to build on sharing a deeper faith. Certainly innovative, creative and very gutsy, but Crabb pulled it off!
The National Quartet Convention’s inaugural move to Pigeon Forge, TN is complete. As the week progressed, adjustments were made to the minutest details. Traditionally, Friday night is the NQC shining moment. However in 2014, Friday was the culmination of an army of coordination efforts and proved to be the highlight of a week of special moments. But, something extraordinary happened when Jason Crabb and company took center stage.
There was great anticipation in the room as the Crabb team took time to set up a very different scene. Â Jason Crabb entered the stage with a large team of band members dressed in Derby hats, suspenders, and girls dressed in vintage dresses, wearing gloves. This was definitely not going to be an ordinary set for Crabb. This was also one situation where the pictures truly tell the tale.
As the lights went up, the multiple screens in the room went to scratchy black and white. An accordion player began this unusual set while Jason began singing very traditional gospel tunes, 40’s style around a big old style silver microphone. The backup singers swooned with harmony to Jason’s smooth sounds.
His eldest daughter joined Crabb on stage, singing the answer lines to “This Little Light of Mine†while sharing the microphone with her dad. No special arrangement, just pure classic Sunday School style innocence of an era gone by.
The “concept style†production was totally outside the box for this NQC crowd who has grown accustomed to groups singing their most current radio releases. Crabb sang nothing that was flashy, until the group sang “America the Beautifulâ€. During the bridge, Crabb saluted the veteran’s in attendance. All eyes were focused on the stage when the understated set came to a conclusion.
Do not be deceived; something very special happened in that 20 minutes. The atmosphere in the room of over 12,000 completely changed. The air was no longer charged with hype. It had been replaced with simplicity. Â Sometimes, simple is the easiest form of communication.
Congratulations to the entire Jason Crabb Ministries team for thinking outside the ordinary and bringing a simple faith in God to the heart of the stage!
