Concert season will kick-off with a special visit from Sidewalk Prophets at Grace Church on April 12.
Sidewalk Prophets, who performed at the Sangamon River Music Festival in 2012 and 2015, return on the “Prodigal Tour,” a concert which “weave(s) the power of the Prodigal film with the live concert experience.” Selling over 500K albums, the group released their third album, Something Different in 2015.
Based out of Nashville, Sidewalk Prophets has topped the Christian Billboard Charts with songs such as “You Love Me Anyway,” “The Words I Would Say” and “You Can Have Me.” “To Live Is Christ” from Something Different is currently on charts.
Grace Church Pastor Andrew Powell, who has known several members of Sidewalk Prophets for more than 10 years said, “These guys are not only great musicians and song writers, they are great people; they are wonderful both on and off the stage.”
In hosting the “Prodigal Tour” concert, Grace Church will also welcome home one of its own, Sidewalk Prophet bassist Cal Joslin.
“It really means a lot to us when people from our hometown communities show up for a show, say hi to us, send us messages or do anything to let us know that they are praying for us and support what we do,” Joslin said.
Joslin, who grew up in a musical family, started taking piano lessons at age eight and then later picked up the guitar and bass in his early teenage years. As soon as Joslin got the hang of the bass, he formed a band, “The Other Side,” with friends. He also played at church and in a country western group called “Back in the Saddle.”
At Belmont University, Joslin majored in music with a focus on electric bass.
“While there I grew a lot musically, spending most of my time playing in different groups, with a lot of different people, and a lot of different styles,” Joslin said. “I think being in an environment where you are constantly stretching yourself musically was really good for me and definitely helped prepare me for playing music in the real world.”
Joslin then met Ben McDonald and Dave Frey, who started Sidewalk Prophets at Andersen University in Indiana, when they moved to Tennessee in 2007. McDonald and Frey put an ad for a bass player, a drummer and a lead guitar player on Craigslist. Once Joslin answered, he began playing with them and has been for ten years.
Powell said Sidewalk Prophet’s Christian message aligns with the mission of the church. By providing events, such as this concert, to the Mahomet communities and the towns that surround, Grace is excited to bring people together for a night of fellowship.
“We love Mahomet and want to help offer various events that are a blessing for the families of our community and surrounding communities,” Powell said. “We feel our venue offers a concert experience that will be intimate and affordable. Often, seeing our favorite bands means going to an arena and/or paying big prices. This tour is offered at a very reasonable price point in a venue that does not offer a bad seat.”
Tickets, which begin at $10, are available here. For additional fees, Fast Pass and VIP experiences are available.
